If you are a low-income student in extreme financial need, this grant can help provide relief.
The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, or FSOEG, provides funding assistance to students that demonstrate extreme financial need.
Grant money comes directly from your school’s financial aid office and is for undergraduates only.
How to Apply
You must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to see if you’re eligible for the FSEOG grant. Your school of attendance uses this form to determine your level of financial need. They award the grant to the families with the greatest need.
How Much Money Is Available?
Your school’s financial aid office will award between $100 - $4,000 to each participant that qualifies. The exact amount you receive depends on:
- Your level of financial need
- The date that you apply
- The total of any other aid that you receive
- The amount of funds available at your school at the time of application
Each school receives a set amount of FSEOG grant funds each year. Once they award the funds and run out, the program isn’t available again at that school until the following year. While each school has its own deadlines to apply for the grant, the earlier you apply, the better your chances of earning funds become.
How are Funds Distributed?
Your school of attendance determines how you receive your funds. Some schools deposit the funds right in your school account. Others pay you directly or do both. The Department of Education requires schools to disburse the funds at least twice per year or once per term whether your school operates on semesters, trimesters, or quarters.
How to Stay Eligible While you are Studying
You must apply for the FSEOG annually. Just like you did when you first applied, you’ll complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid again. You must remain an undergraduate at the school you attend and display extreme financial need to keep receiving the award. In addition, you must:
- Meet your school’s satisfactory academic progress (this varies by school)
- Take enough credits to meet your school’s requirements
- Be making progress toward graduation at an average pace
Do you Need to Repay the FSEOG Grant?
Like most educational grants, you do not need to repay the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant except in certain circumstances:
- You withdrew from the chosen program that you were awarded the grant for
- You are no longer enrolled full-time
- You received other financial aid or scholarships that weren’t taken into consideration when you received the award
If you have to repay the grant, you have 45 days to make arrangements or pay it in full. You can make a partial payment, full payment, or ask for arrangements to make monthly payments to pay the grant back.
The FSEOG is a great way to get assistance for your college education. If you have extreme financial need, complete your FAFSA as early as possible to try to get in on the funds’ disbursement at your school before they’re gone.