Getting a college education is something you will never regret. A degree never goes out of style and it never becomes outdated nor does it expire. Rhode Island may be the smallest of the 50 states but it is not short on financial aid programs for its students, as well as public education grants in Rhode Island .
Often called Little Rhody or the Ocean State, the Rhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authority administers all of the grants and scholarships in the state. Not only does it consider the financial needs of its students but it also takes into account academic achievement. The University of Rhode Island is the largest public university in the state. The university is composed of four campuses that offer students attending any one of them the potential to qualify for grants that are based on merit and will cover a sizeable amount of tuition costs. For instance, Roger Williams University offers as many as one dozen merit-based scholarships and grants to those students that have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 to 3.5 and above.
If you excel in a particular subject in school then you may qualify for a grant or scholarship that comes directly from a variety of college and university departments. Let us take a look at some of the options you have for public education grants in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island State Grant
The Rhode Island State Grant is considered to be the most accessible of all of the grants for college. This is a grant that is based on financial need. To apply for it you first must fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The grant awards in the range of $250 to $1,400.
What is really unique about this grant is that it does not have to be used at a post-secondary institution in the Ocean State. You can use it at any eligible school found across the United States, as well as in Canada or Mexico.
To qualify for this grant you must be a resident of Rhode Island and a United States citizen or eligible non-citizen. You must be attending school on a full-time basis or at least half-time in an institution of higher learning that will lead to an undergraduate degree or a certificate. You must also meet the eligibility requirements of the federal student aid program. This takes into consideration selective service, loan defaults and drug convictions. You also must apply before the deadline is up and you must be able to show that your financial need for college money is great.
To apply you first must fill out and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This application must arrive at the processing center by the 1st of March prior to the academic year that the student wishes to start school.
Rhode Island Higher Education Grant Program
The Rhode Island Higher Education Program is a need-based grant program that is available to college bound students in the state. Applicants who are approved are awarded $300 to $1,400 on an annual basis. This grant program is available to undergraduate students and not graduate students. Every year an estimated 10,000 to 12,900 students are awarded money from this grant program. You must be a permanent resident of Rhode Island to apply for this grant as well as a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen. To apply you first must fill out a FAFSA.
Rhode Island Health Professional Loan Repayment Program
The Rhode Island Health Professional Loan Repayment Program offers grants to students in the state who are willing to make the commitment to serve in facilities that are experiencing a lack of personnel in various areas throughout the state following their post-secondary graduation. What this serves to do is it greatly reduces the cost of repaying college and university loans.
New England Regional Student Program
The New England Regional Student Program offers students of New England (which includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont) a decent sized out-of-state tuition break when they choose to enroll in approved majors at public universities and colleges that are in other New England states besides Rhode Island. The majors that are approved by this grant program must be ones that students cannot find in colleges in Rhode Island. These majors are listed in the annual program catalog known as “The Apple Book.”
