Garden State Guarantee Program

  

What is the Garden State Guarantee?

The Garden State Guarantee (GSG) is New Jersey’s promise to make a college degree more accessible and affordable. By reducing out-of-pocket costs for students and families, New Jersey is limiting the amount of debt that residents must borrow to attend an in-state, public college, or university. This program further builds on Governor Phil Murphy’s commitment to improving college affordability.

The Garden State Guarantee (GSG) program will provide up to four semesters of free tuition and mandatory fees for undergraduate, New Jersey resident students who attend in-state, public four-year institutions.

Under this program, New Jersey residents who attend an in-state, public, four-year institution and have an annual adjusted gross income (AGI) between $0 and $65,000 will pay a net price of $0 for tuition and mandatory fees during their third and fourth years of study. Students who have AGIs between $65,001 and $80,000 will pay a discounted net price of no more than $7,500 for tuition and mandatory fees, while those with an AGI of $80,001 and $100,000 will pay a discounted net price of no more than $10,000 for tuition and mandatory fees. GSG funds are applied as a last-dollar award to cover the cost of tuition and fees that are not already covered by federal and state financial aid or institutional or outside scholarships. Students must be enrolled full-time (at least 12 credits per semester) and must be working toward completing their first Bachelor’s degree.

We encourage you to download the Garden State Guarantee Fact Sheet and to visit the GSG website for information and eligibility requirements.

Who is Eligible?

  • New Jersey residents, including students who qualify as NJ Dreamers.
  • Must complete the FAFSA or NJ Alternative Application and meet all state deadlines to have state aid eligibility determined. Failure to complete your state aid process jeopardizes your eligibility for this program too. Check your state aid status online at HESAA.
  • Have an Adjusted Gross Income of $0 to $65,000 for free tuition and mandatory fees, or $65,001-$80,000 for assistance lowering the net price for tuition and mandatory fees to no more than $7,500 or an AGI of $80,001 - $100,000 to pay a discounted net price of no more than $10,000 for tuition and mandatory fees. The Adjusted Gross Income figure is based on parent(s) AGI for dependent students or student/spouse AGI for independent students. The income-establishing eligibility will be based on the income reported on the FAFSA/NJ Alternative Application for the academic year in question.
  • Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress
  • Enroll full-time (at least 12 credits per semester) in your third or fourth year at NJIT, defined as having earned 60-89 credits for the third year and 90-128 earned credits for the fourth year (credits include those a student has earned from a different institution as long as NJIT has accepted the credits).
  • Students must be working towards their first bachelor’s degree. Both continuing students and incoming transfers are eligible.

How to Apply

You will automatically be considered for the GSG when you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). There is not a separate application to complete. Remember these important application requirements:

  • Complete your FAFSA for Academic Year 2023-2024 immediately if you have not already done so. NJ Dreamers should file the NJ Alternative Application available on HESAA’s website.
  • Students must file the FAFSA or NJ Alternative Application by HESAA’s state grant deadlines. The deadline to apply for Academic Year 2023-2024 is April 15, 2023 for current state aid recipients and September 15, 2023 for new students.  
  • If HESAA requests additional documentation, those deadlines must also be met. You must complete the state grant process, regardless of eligibility for state grant aid.
  • Students must also submit any documentation required by the NJIT Office of Student Financial Aid Services.

Questions and Answers

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For dependent students, only parent(s’)/guardian(s’) AGIs are considered, not the student’s income. For independent students, the AGI of the student and spouse, if applicable, is considered.

Students who satisfy all eligibility criteria may receive GSG up to the overall cap of four (4) semesters.

Third-year students are defined as having earned 60-89 total accumulated credits, and fourth-year students are defined as having earned 90-128 total accumulated credits, regardless of the institution(s) at which the qualifying credits were earned (i.e.: accepted transfer credits from another institution of higher education, Advanced Placement courses, dual-enrollment programs, etc.).

Yes. Expanding equitable and affordable college access to a high-quality degree in New Jersey is the GSG’s driving force. If you are not currently receiving state financial aid, apply before September 15, 2023.

GSG funding is available only to third- and fourth-year students at in-state, public, four-year institutions. First- and second-year students who attend a New Jersey community college with an AGI between $0 and $100,000 may be eligible for the Community College Opportunity Grant. Together, these complementary programs create a tuition- and fee-free pathway to a Bachelor’s degree.