State of New Jersey Financial Aid Programs
New Jersey residents attending Stevens may qualify for a variety of grants and scholarships offered by the State, mostly through the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (NJHESAA). To be considered for state aid, a student must file the FAFSA no later than June 1 of each year (note that Stevens recommends new students file the FAFSA by February 15 and the deadline for current students is April 15). No late applications are considered for state awards, and state awards cannot be used at out-of-state colleges or universities. In addition, they are only available if the student has resided in New Jersey for at least 12 months as of September 15 of the academic year. If one is considered a dependent student, his/her parent(s) must also meet the same residency requirement. These are estimated awards set by the state and awards will be finalized by the state.
Undergraduate students who are admitted to graduate degree programs are reclassified as graduate students when they are within six (6) credits of completing their undergraduate degree and are enrolled in at least one graduate level course. Students reclassified as graduate students are no longer eligible for undergraduate state aid.
Tuition Aid Grant (TAG): TAG is a need-based grant, available to assist low and middle income students. Annual award amounts range amounts range between $2074 and $12,938. Eligibility is based on the data supplied on the FAFSA and may fluctuate with the student’s or family’s financial circumstances from one year to the next. TAG is available for a maximum of nine semesters of undergraduate study. Students must be enrolled full-time in a degree-granting program. However, students in their final semester who need fewer than 12 credits to fulfill their degree requirements may qualify for TAG during that term with as few as 6 credits. Students must meet the April 15 yearly TAG deadline in order to be re-awarded for the next academic year.
Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF): New Jersey residents admitted into The Stevens Technical Enrichment Program (STEP) upon entry into Stevens may also qualify for an Educational Opportunity Fund, or EOF, Grant. This need-based award is in the amount of $2,600. In order to qualify for this grant and admission into the EOF program, a student (and/or family) must meet income guidelines established by the State of New Jersey, and the student must also be from an educationally disadvantaged background.
NJS Governor’s Urban Scholars Program: provides a merit award to high-achieving students who reside in New Jersey’s 14 designated high-need communities. Annual awards of up to $1,000 are available for qualified students. Students must rank within the top five (5%) percent of their class and have a minimum 3.0 GPA at the end of their junior year of high school and meet other basic eligibility and renewal criteria.
New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship II (STARS II): allows successful NJ STARS scholars to transfer to a New Jersey four-year public or non-public college or university and earn a bachelor’s degree. The NJ STARS II Scholarship is valued at $1,250 per semester ($2,500 per academic year – traditional fall and spring semesters only). Students must be NJ STARS recipients or non-funded during the semester of county college graduation and graduate with an Associate’s degree and GPA of 3.25 or higher. While there is no consideration of financial need, the maximum family income (taxable and non-taxable) must be less than $250,000. In addition, the student must be enrolled full-time, apply for all forms of state and federal need-based grants and merit scholarships and begin NJ STARS II program participation no later than the second semester immediately following county college graduation. To be considered for NJ STARS II, students must file a FAFSA each year within established New Jersey State deadlines.