State Grants
Basic Information
Many states offer grant programs for their residents who are enrolled in an undergraduate program at an eligible institution. Please contact the state agency that is administering the program for more details and to ensure that you can use your specific state grant even if you plan on attending a school in a state other than your home state.
In the late summer months, most agencies that administer state grant programs notify the college you indicated you were going to of your potential eligibility. Therefore, prospective/transfer students may not see a state grant on their first award letter (in the Admission Portal) and returning students may not see it in their CyberFriar until the Fall semester. In most cases, students will receive an email from the College indicating state grant eligibility after the agency has properly notified our office AND the Office of Financial Aid has reviewed all the eligibility criteria.
Please keep in mind state agencies notify you of your potential eligibility without knowing what other types of aid you are being offered through the College or what your final enrollment will be (i.e. full-time vs. half-time). In addition, some states require verification of final FAFSA data from our office as well. Therefore, it is possible that you may not be eligible for your original state grant offer after the College reviews your eligibility.
Your state grant eligibility is not reviewed until the end of the College’s add/drop period each semester since final enrollment must be checked by the College prior to verifying your final award with your state. Therefore, your state grant will not appear on your billing statement as a credit until AFTER the add/drop period has ended.
In addition, money from state agencies usually do not arrive until after October 1 for Fall and after March 1 for Spring. However, if you think you will remain eligible for your state grant you can “deduct” it from your bill and you will not immediately be charged a late fee provided the balance due to the Bursar’s Office does not exceed your expected state grant for the semester.
We will share our potential recipients with the billing office to help this process along. However, if you lose your eligibility for your state grant after the College completes the fall/spring certification roster for your state, you will be responsible for whatever balance due you have and any late fees that you may incur after being notified.
State Contact Information
Massachusetts
Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA)
454 Broadway, Suite 200
Revere , MA 02151
617-391-6070
Rhode Island
Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner (RIOPC)
560 Jefferson Boulevard, Suite 100
Warwick , Rhode Island 02886
401-736-1100
Vermont
Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC)
10 East Allen Street
P.O. Box 2000
Winooski , Vermont 05404
802-655-9602
