Grants
- Federal Pell
Grant
- Federal
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
- Tennessee
Student Assistance Award (TSAA)
All federal and state grant programs require an assessment of
individual financial need. Need is determined by the ability of the
parents, student and/or spouse to contribute toward educational
expenses. Students must complete the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Renewal of
aid is not automatic; students must reapply each year. Students
should apply as soon as possible after January 1 for the upcoming
fall semester classes.
The Federal Pell
Grant Program
The Federal
Pell Grant program is the largest federal student aid grant
program. These funds are available to eligible undergraduate students
seeking a first baccalaureate degree who demonstrate financial need.
Effective with the 2012-13 award year, the amount of Federal Pell
Grant funds a student may receive over his or her lifetime is limited
by a new federal law to be equivalent to six years of funding.
Since the maximum amount of Pell Grant funding a student can receive
each year is 100%, the six-year equivalent is 600%. A student whose
Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) is near, equal to, or exceeds 600% is
no longer eligible to receive Federal Pell Grant funding. The
Department of Education keeps track of your LEU by adding together
the percentages of all your Federal Pell Grant awards. You can review
your LEU percentage on the U.S. Department of Education’s central
database for student aid – https://nslds.ed.gov.
Regardless of your LEU percentage, Federal Pell Grant funding ends
when you earn a baccalaureate degree.
The Federal
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
Federal SEOG is
a grant program administered by Northeast State. Eligible students
must be undergraduate students pursuing a first baccalaureate degree.
The awards average $800. Funds are limited and, according
to federal regulations, must first be awarded to students with the
lowest family contributions, with preference given to Federal Pell
Grant recipients.
The Tennessee
Student Assistance Award (TSAA) Program
For more information
about the Tennessee Student Assistance Award (TSAA) program,
please visit www.tn.gov/collegepays. The
TSAA is a non-repayable grant for undergraduate students enrolled at
least half-time at an eligible post-secondary institution. Students
must be Tennessee residents eligible for the Federal Pell Grant.
Completion of the FAFSA determines eligibility. Funds are usually
depleted in February so we strongly encourage you to complete the
FAFSA as soon as it becomes available October 1.