New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship (NJ STARS) Program
The New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship (NJ STARS) Program is an initiative created by the State of New Jersey that provides New Jersey’s highest achieving students with free tuition at their home county college. It is a merit-based scholarship available exclusively to New Jersey residents identified in the top 15 percent of their high school class at the end of either their junior or senior year, and attend their home county community college.
NJ STARS covers the cost of tuition only at a community college for 12 to 18 college-level credits per semester. Students are responsible for payment of student fees, associated course fees, books and supplies. NJ STARS will pay for summer courses if state funding is available. NJ STARS students may take summer courses to expedite their graduation and are responsible for payment for those courses.
To be eligible for NJ STARS, the following eligibility components must be met. As stated previously, the initial eligibility criteria for NJ STARS is that high school students must be identified in the top 15 percent at the end of either their junior or senior year. Further academic criteria requires that students also present a final official high school transcript as proof of high school graduation and complete a rigorous high school course of study. Finally, students must also prove college readiness for English and math. If a student is not waived out of developmental courses for English and/or math via test scores, CAP courses, or transfer credit, the student has until September 1st one year following high school graduation in order to complete any required developmental coursework. NJ STARS will not pay for developmental courses or any courses taken simultaneously. Upon successful completion of the courses; however, provided it is within one year of high school graduation, the student will be eligible for NJ STARS.
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NJ STARS covers the cost of tuition only at a community college for 12 to 18 college-level credits per semester. Students are responsible for payment of student fees, associated course fees, books and supplies. NJ STARS will pay for summer courses if state funding is available. NJ STARS students may take summer courses to expedite their graduation and are responsible for payment for those courses.
To be eligible for NJ STARS, the following eligibility components must be met. As stated previously, the initial eligibility criteria for NJ STARS is that high school students must be identified in the top 15 percent at the end of either their junior or senior year. Further academic criteria requires that students also present a final official high school transcript as proof of high school graduation and complete a rigorous high school course of study. Finally, students must also prove college readiness for English and math. If a student is not waived out of developmental courses for English and/or math via test scores, CAP courses, or transfer credit, the student has until September 1st one year following high school graduation in order to complete any required developmental coursework. NJ STARS will not pay for developmental courses or any courses taken simultaneously. Upon successful completion of the courses; however, provided it is within one year of high school graduation, the student will be eligible for NJ STARS.
For more information, please click here.
NJ STARS II
NJ STARS students can qualify for NJ STARS II if they graduate as a NJ STARS student from community college with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25. Students must graduate within 4-5 semesters (6th, unfunded semester available for nursing and engineering majors) and have a family income (taxable and un-taxed income) of less than $250,000. Students must apply and be accepted to a NJ STARS II participating 4-year institution. NJ STARS and NJ STARS II eligibility does not guarantee or give preference to a student for transfer admission. All other admissions criteria and procedures required by the 4-year institution must be met by the student.
NJ STARS II will award qualifying students with $2,500 per year for two years at participating 4-year institutions in the state of New Jersey. NJ STARS II can now be used at public and private New Jersey schools.
NJ STARS II will award qualifying students with $2,500 per year for two years at participating 4-year institutions in the state of New Jersey. NJ STARS II can now be used at public and private New Jersey schools.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING ANY OF THE INFORMATION PRESENTED, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR SCHOOL COUNSELOR!