Florida Gulf Coast University
PA-8: Affordability and Access

Federal Pell Grant The Federal Pell Grant is awarded to undergraduate students who have not previously earned a bachelor's or professional degree. The amount of the award is based on the students' Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and their enrollment status. Students are eligible for a full-time award when they are enrolled in a minimum of twelve credit hours per semester; they receive a prorated award when they are enrolled in fewer than twelve credit hours per semester. To qualify, you must demonstrate exceptional need. The maximum annual award for 2013-2014 is $5,645. Elimination of Year Round Pell Grant - Receiving a Federal Pell grant greater than 100% of the annual award is no longer an option beginning with the 2011-2012 Award Year. For example: A student who was full time for both the Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 semesters will have no remaining Pell Grant eligibility for Summer 2013. Lifetime Eligibility for Pell Grant - New regulations effective July 1, 2012 limit the receipt of a Pell Grant to a lifetime limit of 12 full-time semesters. All previous semesters at other colleges/universities will be included in the total. A student also becomes ineligible for a Pell grant if they earn a bachelor’s degree prior to reaching the 12-full time semester limit. This limit will be tracked by the U.S. Department of Education. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant is awarded to undergraduates who demonstrate exceptional financial need (i.e. they have a low EFC and are also Federal Pell Grant recipients). Awards range from $200 - $500 per academic year, depending upon college funding levels. Due to limited funding, not all students that meet eligibility and deadline requirements will receive this grant. This grant is for one year only and is not guaranteed in subsequent years. Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG) The Florida Student Assistance Grant is awarded to undergraduate Florida residents with substantial financial need who enroll in a minimum of twelve credit hours per semester. A FSAG award at FGCU can range from $200 - $2,000 per academic year. A student must submit the FAFSA in a timely manner to be considered for this grant. Due to limited funding, not all students that meet eligibility and deadline requirements will receive this grant. This grant is for one year only and is not guaranteed in subsequent years. Additional eligibility and renewal criteria for this award can be found at http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/SSFAD/factsheets/FSAG.pdf. First Generation Matching Grant (FGMG) The First Generation Matching Grant Program (FGMG) provides need-based grants to undergraduate students who are enrolled in state universities and whose parents have not earned baccalaureate degrees. Available state funds are contingent upon matching contributions from private sources on a dollar-for-dollar basis. The Office of Financial Aid ranks all eligible applicants on the basis of financial need, determine the award amount for each recipient, and notify each student of their award. http://www.fgcu.edu/AS/FinancialAid/Undergraduate/grants.html FGCU Undergraduate Grant The FGCU Undergraduate Grant is awarded to needy students who file the FAFSA by the priority deadline of March 1. Students are eligible for a full-time award when they are enrolled in a minimum of twelve undergraduate credit hours per semester; they receive a prorated award when they are enrolled in fewer than twelve undergraduate credit hours per semester. Students must enroll for at least six undergraduate credit hours per semester in order to be eligible. The maximum full-time award is $1,200 per academic year. Due to limited funding, not all students that meet eligibility and deadline requirements will receive this grant. This grant is for one year only and is not guaranteed in subsequent years. FGCU Housing Grant The FGCU Housing Grant is awarded to needy dependent students who do not live at home with their parents and who file the FAFSA by the priority deadline of March 1. Students are eligible for a full-time award when they are enrolled in a minimum of twelve undergraduate credit hours per semester; they receive a prorated award when they are enrolled in fewer than twelve undergraduate credit hours per semester. Students must enroll for at least six undergraduate credit hours per semester in order to be eligible. The maximum full-time award is $1,200 per academic year. Due to limited funding, not all students that meet eligibility and deadline requirements will receive this grant. This grant is for one year only and is not guaranteed in subsequent years.

Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) affirms its commitment to ensure that each member of the University community shall be permitted to work, study, participate in educational programs including those receiving federal funding, services and activities, or conduct business in an environment free from any form of illegal discrimination, including race, color, religion, age, disability (or handicap), sex, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation and veteran status, except as otherwise permitted by law. Admission to, and participation in, the educational programs and activities of FGCU shall be open to all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, disability (or handicap), sex, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation or veteran status. http://www.fgcu.edu/generalcounsel/files/regulations/FGCU_PR1_003_Non_Disc_Anti_Harass_091713.pdf Through the Florida Board of Governors, training is also provided for the interaction and reporting of vulnerable persons attending FGCU. http://www.flbog.edu/about/regulations/docs/Protection-of-Vulnerable-Persons-Training.wmv

For a host of reasons, men and women of color are far less likely than their white and Asian peers to earn college degrees. A recent study by the College Board determined that, as of 2008, only 16 percent of Latino and 28 percent of African-American men ages 25 to 34 had obtained an associate degree or higher. That compares with 44 percent of white men and 70 percent of Asian men. Similarly, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, as of 2010, only 10 percent of Latina, 6 percent Asian and 11 percent of African-American females had obtained an associate degree or higher. That compares with 66 percent of white females. The Attain to Retain Conference aims to help narrow these gaps by assisting college-age under-represented students to understand the challenges they face and the critical need to overcome those challenges if they are to succeed in college and beyond. Participants will have the opportunity to meet and talk with a panel of distinguished experts who will offer them coping strategies and direction geared to helping them be successful in college. The conference, which takes place on February 22, 2014 from 9:30 to 4:00 at Florida Gulf Coast University Cohen Center, is free and open to all students from the following institutions: High School Seniors Barry University Edison State College Florida Gulf Coast University Hodges University Keiser University Rasmussen College It takes place February 22, 2014 at Florida Gulf Coast University Cohen Center. For more information, contact the Office of Community Outreach at 239-590-1258 or communityoutreach@fgcu.edu. (http://www.fgcu.edu/CommunityOutreach/attain-to-retain.html) The College Reach Out Program (CROP) was established in 1983 by the Florida Legislature to motivate and prepare educationally disadvantaged, low-income students in grades 6 through 12 to pursue and successfully complete a postsecondary education. Participants are students who otherwise would be unlikely to seek admission to a community college, state university, or independent postsecondary institution without special support and recruitment efforts. FGCU's College Reach Out Program serves 25 schools in the Southwest Florida five-county area. Through activities such as University Experience Days, after school enrichment programs, summer programs, students gain skills and abilities in the arts, math, reading, and essay writing. (http://www.fgcu.edu/connect/agencydetail.asp?ID=41) The Office of Community Outreach and the NAACP of Collier County will be in collaboration of designing a two week Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) camp program for 40 minority students in the Lee and Collier county area. The objective of this program is to improve the students’ skills in mathematics, expose them to real-world math and its application in the related career fields, increase the students’ awareness of STEM fields, expose the students to the processes that will increase their likelihood of being accepted into college (specifically Florida Gulf Coast University), expose them to practicing professionals in the STEM fields, and create potential internship opportunities for camp participants. (http://www.fgcu.edu/CommunityOutreach/) PSEP provides assistance and enrichment opportunities for students who aspire to excel academically, develop leadership skills, exhibit citizenship, and serve their community and school. The main project in PSEP is the Scholars Program. Scholars Programs currently exist in elementary, middle, and high schools in the following counties: Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, and Glades. The program is free of charge to students. (http://studentservices.fgcu.edu/scholarsclub/)

Southern Scholarship Foundation Southern Scholarship Foundation (SSF) offers rent-free scholarship housing for qualified students demonstrating academic achievement (with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA), financial need (as identified on the FAFSA), and good character. Scholarship recipients obtain an "Education for Life" by living in a home-like setting with students representing a variety of backgrounds and cultures. Each scholarship house maintains an environment that is drug, alcohol, and smoke free with quiet study hours. Students work in a cooperative partnership to purchase and prepare meals, and also assume responsibility for all household tasks. Students do not pay rent, but are responsible for their fair share of the basic household expenses such as food, utilities, and internet. Each student contributes approximately $950 per semester and saves up to an estimated $10,000 each year in living expenses. This includes 4 hot home cooked meals Monday-Thursday and food for the residents to prepare on their own for breakfast, lunch & snacks. It is not just housing for the residents – it is their home away from home! For more information, please visit the SSF website: http://www.southernscholarship.org/ FGCU Foundation Scholarships University Foundation Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic achievement, financial need, and/or other specifications set by donors. All students may be eligible for various types of financial aid, including scholarships. Current FGCU students and prospective students who have submitted an Admissions application and have been assigned a University Identification Number (UIN) are strongly encouraged to submit an online FGCU Foundation Scholarship Application. The application is available online annually between November 15th and March 1st for the following academic year. The application for the 2014-2015 academic year closed on March 1, 2014. The application will re-open on November 15, 2014 for the 2015-2016 academic year. The FGCU Foundation Scholarship Application is an annual process and we encourage all students to apply each year. Although completing a FAFSA form annually is highly recommended, it is not a requirement in order to complete the FGCU Foundation Scholarship Application. Students should also complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually by our March 1st priority deadline to be considered for need-based scholarships and other Financial Aid opportunities. Applicants fill out the FAFSA online. Step-by-step instructions to help you complete the application are provided online. The application can be found online at http://www.fafsa.gov/ For a list of all FGCU Foundation Scholarships - click here http://www.fgcu.edu/Foundation/scholarships-results.asp

Informational sessions are held by the College Reach Out Program (CROP) at the students’ schools to ensure continuous communication among parents/guardians, teachers and counselors. Parents will be encouraged to consider higher education for themselves as well as for their children. Parents and guardians are encouraged to attend these special events, offered by the program, with their student.

The mission of the Office of Community Outreach is to foster strong University-Community partnerships that increase the visibility, accountability, and participation of the University in the surrounding SW Florida community, assist with the recruitment and retention efforts of the University, and create a cohesive support system for students from traditionally underserved or underrepresented backgrounds. http://www.fgcu.edu/CommunityOutreach/index.html

In-State Tuition Waiver In-State Waivers are available to enhance campus diversity and academic quality in an ever increasing competitive student market. Waivers are based on the University's established key selection criteria of recruitment, retention, diversity and service and awarded to students who are classified as In-State residents and meet the eligibility requirements as listed below. Eligibility  Must be a Florida Resident.  Must be admitted as a degree seeking student by March 15 of the semester of enrollment.  Must be a member or belong to one of these recognized outreach programs. (See list below).  AVID  CROP  HOPE Advanced  Immokalee Foundation  PSEP/Scholars Program  Take Stock in Children  Other (Specify program in application)  The In-State Waiver will cover the tuition for 12 credit hours per semester for Fall and Spring semesters only. More information - http://www.fgcu.edu/Admissions/Prospective/waivers.html TEACH Grant Program The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program provides grants up to $4,000.00 per year to upper-level and graduate students who intend to teach in a high-need field in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families. Undergraduate students must major in Special Education, Secondary Math Education or Secondary Biology Education; graduate students must major in Special Education or Reading. Student must have and maintain a cumulative 3.25 GPA to be eligible for the TEACH Grant. As a recipient of a TEACH Grant, students are required to teach for at least four academic years within eight calendar years of completing the program of study for which they received a TEACH Grant. Failure to complete this service obligation will result in the TEACH Grant being converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. http://www.fgcu.edu/AS/FinancialAid/Undergraduate/grants.html

The Family Resource Center is an Educational Research Center for Child Development (ERCCD) on campus at Florida Gulf Coast University. Affiliated with the College of Education the Center offers quality early care and education to 55 children between the ages of 6 weeks and 5 years. A School Age Program provides full time care during the summer and for school closings during the academic year to children 6 years or older. http://www.fgcu.edu/frc/

Eagle Transfer Scholarship Applications are still being accepted for students graduating with AA or AS degrees from state schools or colleges. Please click on the following link to apply. http://icarus.fgcu.edu:8080/UGTuitionWaiver