Grants

Grant assistance is gift aid that does not have to be repaid. Your grant assistance could be a combination of federal and state grants.

The most commonly known grant is the Federal Pell Grant. This grant is based upon a number of factors including income. When you fill out the FAFSA form, you will be reviewed by the school to determine Pell eligibility. (Pell Grants are available to undergraduate students only)

SEOG - Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants.

An SEOG is for undergraduates with exceptional financial need—that is, students with the lowest EFCs. Priority is given to students who receive Federal Pell Grants. An FSEOG doesn’t have to be paid back.

What’s the difference between an FSEOG and a Federal Pell Grant?
Each school participating in the Federal Pell Grant Program will receive enough money to pay the Federal Pell Grant amounts its eligible students qualify for. Every eligible student might not receive an SEOG, however; students at each school will be awarded these funds based on availability at that school.

The Academic Competitiveness Grant provides up to $750 for the first year of undergraduate study and up to $1,300 for the second year of undergraduate study. The program became available for the first time for the 2006-07 school year for first year students who graduated from high school after January 1, 2006 and for second year students who graduated from high school after January 1, 2005. The Academic Competitiveness Grant award is in addition to the student's Pell Grant award.

To be eligible for an ACG each academic year, a student must:

Be a U.S. citizen;
Be Federal Pell Grant eligible;
Be enrolled full-time in a degree program;
Be enrolled in the first or second academic year of his or her program of study at a two-year or four-year degree-granting institution;
Have completed a rigorous secondary school program of study (after January 1, 2006, if a first-year student, and after January 1, 2005, if a second year student);
If a first-year student, not have been previously enrolled in an undergraduate program; and
If a second-year student, have at least a cumulative 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale for the first academic year.

If you are completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online, FAFSA on the Web will predetermine if you are eligible to answer the ACG questions.

State Grants: Your particular state may have an undergraduate grant program that allows you to "take a state grant" with you to another state, such as Vermont. Check with your state Department of Education or Higher Education Authority for Specific application instructions about these "portable" grants.

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