Community College Opportunity Grant

Free tuition in 3 easy steps!

Apply to Ocean County College
Even if you’ve previously attended, you’ll need a new application; be sure to choose a degree-program to qualify for the Community College Opportunity Grant

File your FAFSA
File your Free Application for Federal Student Aid at FAFSA Application | Federal Student Aid.

Complete your HESAA Profile
Answer the necessary questions on the HESAA website

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Talk to an enrollment technician: 732.255.0481

Eligibility Requirements

Complete and file the FAFSA or New Jersey Alternative Application
Complete and answer the New Jersey State Grants Questions in NJFAMS
Complete State Record and Verification documents (if selected)
Enroll for a minimum of 6 credits
Must have an adjusted gross income of no less than $0 and no more than $100,000
- Dependent Student adjusted gross income refers to parental adjusted gross income reported on the FAFSA
- Independent Student adjusted gross income refers to the adjusted gross income reported on the FAFSA, if applicable, combined with the student’s spouse adjusted gross income

Amount of Grant

The Community College Opportunity Grant will cover up to the full cost of tuition for up to 18 credit hours and approved educational fees
The Community College Opportunity Grant is a last‐dollar scholarship, therefore, the full amount of all state, federal, institutional, and community aid received by the student shall be applied to the tuition and approved educational fee charges to reduce the amount of the Community College Opportunity Grant award

Frequently Asked Questions

Who’s eligible?

The Community College Opportunity Grant program will offer free tuition and fees to students with an adjusted gross income of $65,000 or less who take six or more credits making satisfactory academic progress towards a degree. Students will be eligible to receive funding after applying all other federal and state grant aid, such as federal Pell Grants and New Jersey Tuition Assistance Grants.

What’s the income requirement?

The Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) requirements are no less than $0 to no more than $65,000. For a dependent student, AGI refers to parents’ AGI reported on the financial application. For an independent student, AGI refers to AGI reported on the financial application for the student and, if applicable, the student’s spouse.

To learn more about adjusted gross income, visit www.irs.gov.

What expenses are covered?

The Community College Opportunity Grant program will cover tuition and educational fees (books not included).

Fees that are covered include:

General fees
Registration fees
Facility fees
Technology fees
Lab fees
Program/Course fees
Student Activity fees

How do I apply?

To apply for CCOG, all students (renewal and new students) must complete and file the FAFSA or New Jersey Alternative Application according to agency deadlines in order to apply for all other available forms of federal and state need-based grants and merit scholarships. This includes the student satisfying all requirements to determine his or her eligibility to receive payments of these state and federal grants and scholarships within established state deadlines. https://www.hesaa.org/Pages/StateApplicationDeadlines.aspx

The FAFSA can be completed at www.fafsa.gov or for the NJ Alternative Financial Aid Application at https://www.hesaa.org/Pages/NJAlternativeApplication.aspx.

Are students in dual enrollment programs eligible?

Students who are in dual enrollment programs and still in high school are not eligible for the Community College Opportunity Grant. Students must be enrolled at Ocean County College and possess a high school diploma or GED.

Are students who attend an out-of-county community college eligible?

The Community College Opportunity Grant is available for eligible students enrolled in the county college that serves the student’s county of residence.

The only exception in which students are eligible for Community College Opportunity Grant awards at a county college that does not serve their county of residence is when students had already been enrolled and approved to attend an out-of-county program. Students must have provided OCC with a letter from the New Jersey county college serving their county of residence stating that the college in their county did not offer the curriculum that the student chose to study, or that the institution could not admit the students into the desired program of study due to lack of available space, which was expected to exist for at least one academic year. If students meet this standard for exception, the Community College Opportunity Grant amount awarded to these students will be computed as though the students were residents of the county served by that college.

Are students who take remedial courses eligible?

Students are considered eligible for State financial aid, including the Community College Opportunity Grant, provided they meet the college’s published definition of part-time to full-time enrollment in accordance with N.J.A.C. 9A:9- 2.10 Verification of Enrollment and Academic Performance.

Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) recipients who are required to enroll in remedial, bilingual, and/or developmental courses to increase the probability of success in college-level work may not be receiving credit toward a degree for these courses. These students are, however, considered eligible for TAG and Community College Opportunity Grant if they meet Ocean County College’s definition of part-time or full-time enrollment.

How will I be notified that I’m eligible?

OCC will notify students of their eligibility as part of the financial award information. The notifications will include the amounts of the grant.

When will funding be available?

The Community College Opportunity Grant program at Ocean County College begins in the Fall semester.

If I previously earned a degree, am I eligible?

Students who have already earned a bachelor’s or associate’s degree are not eligible for the Community College Opportunity Grant.