University of New Hampshire
PA-8: Affordability and Access

Granite Guarantee: The Granite Guarantee is the University of New Hampshire’s commitment to removing more of the financial barriers New Hampshire residents face with higher education. It ensures than any Federal Pell Grant eligible first-time, first-year students will pay no tuition to attend UNH. The Granite Guarantee is available to all admitted students who qualify. Granite Guarantee recipients must meet the following criteria: • Be admitted to UNH as a first-year undergraduate  • Be admitted to UNH as a New Hampshire resident • Receive a Federal Pell Grant during the academic year • Enroll as a full time student during both the fall semester and spring semester • Meet financial aid application deadlines The Granite Guarantee leverages federal, state and University resources to ensure that first time full time Pell-eligible New Hampshire resident pays no tuition. No loans are included as part of the Granite Guarantee – only grant and scholarship assistance, funds that students do not need to repay, are included.

McNair Program: Congress established the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program in 1986 to honor the memory of the Challenger astronaut and noted laser physicist. This graduate school preparation program is part of the federal TRIO programs (Educational Talent Search, Upward Bound, Student Support Services, and Educational Opportunity Centers) and is administered nationally by the U.S. Department of Education (USED). The USED provides monies to selected institutions through competitive grants as part of its efforts to increase the number of individuals from underrepresented groups (low-income, first-generation, and/or racial minority) who are interested in pursuing and obtaining doctoral degrees and careers in academia. The McNair Program at the University of New Hampshire aims to promote and nurture the next generation of faculty, researchers, and scholars by providing academic and social support services in the form of academic year internships and summer research fellowships. The university has been home to the McNair Scholars Program since 1991. The program’s academic internships and summer fellowships are awarded annually, on a competitive basis, to eligible undergraduates. 

Percentage of need met came from Common Data Set 2023/2024.

Percent of students graduating w/o debt came from Registrar, extrapolating from US News data (100%-"percent of students who borrowed, any loan type, 2022" --74%)

Percent of entering students that are low-income came from Registrar data regarding % of students entering (1st year and transfer) in fall 2023 who were Pell grant eligible.

Graudation/success rate for low-income students came from Registrar's data of 6-year graduation rates for Pell grant eligible students.