New Jersey Financial Aid: State Grants, Scholarships and Free College Programs

File the FAFSA First

Every New Jersey state grant runs off the FAFSA (or, for students who cannot file a FAFSA, the NJ Alternative Financial Aid Application). The Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) uses your form to determine eligibility for every program below, so file it every year, not just as a freshman.

New Jersey runs its own state deadlines separate from the federal one. Based on published guidance, first-time filers should submit by September 15 for fall enrollment or February 15 for spring-only enrollment, continuing students should renew by April 15, and January 15 is treated as the priority date for maximum consideration. Confirm your exact deadline on HESAA's site each cycle, since dates can shift.

Tuition Aid Grant (TAG)

TAG is New Jersey's largest need-based grant and one of the largest state grant programs in the country. For the 2025-26 academic year, awards range from $2,176 to $14,404, with the amount set by your financial need, your family income, and the cost of the school you attend.

You must be a New Jersey resident for at least 12 consecutive months, a full-time undergraduate, and a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen. TAG renews each year you file the FAFSA and remain eligible, so a drop in family income can raise your award in later years just as a rise can lower it.

Community College Opportunity Grant (CCOG)

CCOG is a last-dollar grant that covers remaining tuition and fees at a New Jersey county college after your other aid (TAG, Pell Grant, other grants) is applied, up to the maximum award. It only covers your first associate degree, so it does not help if you already hold a college degree.

Families with an adjusted gross income (AGI) up to $65,000 get full coverage of tuition and fees. As of September 2026, HESAA lists only that single New Jersey has phased in additional tiers of partial support for higher earners, now reaching families with AGI up to $80,000, with the award shrinking as income rises through that range. to ,000 AGI band for CCOG, with no additional tier of partial support for higher earners. You must enroll in at least 6 credits per semester and stay in good academic standing to keep the grant.

Garden State Guarantee (GSG)

GSG targets the back half of a bachelor's degree: your third and fourth years at a public, in-state, four-year school. If your family AGI is $65,000 or less, GSG covers up to four semesters of tuition and fees not already paid by other grants and scholarships.

This is the income tier still open to new students for 2025-26. New Jersey previously ran a second, higher-income tier of partial GSG support, but that tier stopped enrolling new students starting in 2025-26, so check with your school's financial aid office if your family earns more than $65,000.

NJ STARS and NJ STARS II

NJ STARS covers tuition at your home county college if you graduate in the top 15% of your high school class with at least a 3.0 unweighted GPA and meet minimum coursework requirements. You must enroll in at least 12 credits a semester, and the award covers up to 18 credits.

NJ STARS II picks up after you finish your associate degree. If you graduated from a New Jersey county college with a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher, you can receive up to $1,250 per semester (2026-27 figures) toward a bachelor's degree at a participating New Jersey four-year school, as long as you keep that GPA through your third semester.

Other State Aid Worth Knowing

The Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) supports New Jersey residents from low-income and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds with a state grant on top of academic and personal support services while you're enrolled. Eligibility requires 12+ months of NJ residency, full-time enrollment, and a completed FAFSA plus a separate EOF application through your target school. Many EOF programs also require a summer pre-college bridge program before your first fall semester.

How the Awards Stack Together

New Jersey aid stacks on top of federal aid rather than replacing it. Your FAFSA first determines your federal Pell Grant, if you qualify, and HESAA uses the same need formula to calculate your TAG award.

At a county college, CCOG then acts as a last-dollar grant, covering whatever tuition and fees remain after your Pell Grant and TAG are applied. At a four-year public school, TAG and any Garden State Guarantee award work the same way, closing the gap left by federal aid rather than paying out on top of a bill that's already covered.

Who Should Apply for What

Deadlines to Track

Missing a state deadline can cost you a full year of TAG or CCOG funding even if you still qualify financially, so set a calendar reminder well before senior year of high school and every spring after that.