Grants & Waivers

Grants are monies provided by the federal government and/or other organizations that do not need to be re-paid. Grant eligibility is typically based on financial need. Granite State College has the following grant opportunities available to students.

Federal Grants are provided to students by the Federal Government and DO NOT need to be paid back. Students apply for these grants by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The federal grant programs listed below offer hundreds of thousands of students the necessary assistance that makes college affordable.

• The Pell Grant, in existence since 1972, remains one of the staples of federal funding for millions of low-income students. This grant is need-based and takes into consideration a student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) which is determined by the FAFSA.
• The Academic Competitiveness (AC) Grant is available to undergraduate freshman students who graduated from high school after January 1, 2006 and sophomore students who graduated from high school after January 1, 2005. Students must have completed a rigorous high school program in good academic standing and be Pell Grant eligible to qualify.
• The Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) is available to undergraduates demonstrating exceptional financial need. Exceptional financial need is defined as those students with the lowest expected family contribution who will also receive a Pell Grant in that year.

State Grants are provided to resident students based on merit, need and even areas of study. For more information regarding specific State Grants not listed below, students should contact their state’s postsecondary or higher education commissions directly.

• Maine
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• Rhode Island
• Vermont

Granite State College and USNH Grants & Waivers offer opportunities for Granite State College students to obtain money that does not need to be re-paid. The following grants and waivers are currently available.
ACE - Affordable College Effort Grant-A grant for New Hampshire freshmen and subsequent sophomores and juniors whose EFC is $0-$1,000 as calculated by the FAFSA. Funds are to be used to assist in paying direct costs billed by Granite State College and help reduce student loan debt.

Early Childhood Tuition Assistance Grant- Funded by the Child Development Bureau, this grant will cover full tuition for individuals taking their first Early Childhood Education College course or partial tuition for Early Childhood courses for all others who are eligible. To be eligible, students must be currently employed at a New Hampshire State licensed child care center, a family based child care center or work in a New Hampshire ECE Resource and Referral Network Agency a minimum of 20 hours a week.

Senior Citizen Waiver- Granite State College encourages New Hampshire Residents 65 years and older to participate in courses and provides tuition remission on a space available basis. “Space Available” means that a seat is available without excluding paying students.

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