Grants and scholarships are two types of state financial aid available to students pursuing post-secondary education. In some cases, a state will also provide loans or work-study opportunities to eligible students. A student must be a resident of the state and attend school in that state to qualify for most state financial aid programs.
For eligible undergraduate and graduate students, many states in the United States offer some sort of tuition assistance program. In New York, for example, state financial aid includes tuition assistance program (TAP) grants, which are available to students attending school in the state who are also residents. To be eligible for the grant, a student must meet certain financial requirements.
The Tuition Assistance Grant program (VTAG) is a type of state financial aid available to Virginia residents who are full-time students at a private institution. The grant is only available to graduate students in professional health care programs and has very specific requirements for students pursuing graduate degrees.
Texas, California, and Pennsylvania are among the states that offer grants as a form of state financial aid. Residents of Pennsylvania who are enrolled in at least a two-year program and have not yet earned a bachelor’s degree are eligible for state grants. A student’s financial aid is determined by her family’s income and the type of program she is enrolled in.
A number of states also provide financial aid to deserving students. Scholarships, like grants, do not require repayment. State scholarships are frequently awarded to students who are studying in a specific field or who have excelled academically. The New York State Math and Science Teaching Incentive Scholarships, for example, are given to students who want to teach secondary math and science.
Students who graduated from high school in the top 10% of their class and enroll in a Texas public college or university are eligible for the Top 10% Scholarship. The students must also be Texas residents and show financial need. The scholarship is renewable if the student maintains a 3.25 grade point average and completes 30 credits each year.
Financial aid is also available through loan and work-study programs in a few states. Students in Pennsylvania can work part-time for a variety of companies that participate in the state’s work-study program. A student in New York can apply for a private, state-sponsored loan to cover any expenses not covered by federal loans, grants, or scholarships. The loans have a fixed interest rate and are only available to residents of New York who are attending school in the state.