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CSN Alternative Scholarship

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NOTICE:

Applications for the 2023-2024 (August 2023 - May 2024) Academic Year are near exhaustion. Please find the paper application below.

2024-2025 (August 2024 - May 2025) Scholarship Applications: COMING SOON!


U.S. citizenship is not required for admission at CSN and our doors remain open to all students who seek education and the opportunities it provides.


Scholarship Background:

The College of Southern Nevada (CSN) created the Alternative Scholarship for students that cannot qualify for federal aid due to US citizenship requirements. This Scholarship is designated for DACA and undocumented students only. The Alternative Scholarship is designed to alleviate the financial stress that may be felt as students try to achieve their educational goals, however, funding is limited and will be awarded on a first-come/first-serve basis. Once funds are exhausted, no additional students can be considered.

Scholarship Amount:

Alternative Scholarship is available for the Fall & Spring semesters only.

The Scholarship award will be pro-rated based on compliant enrollment level.

The maximum award amount is $1500 for full-time enrollment (12 or more credits).

Credit AmountAward Amount
12 or more$1,500
9-11 credits$1,125
6-8 credits$750
5 or less$375

All Scholarship applications seeking funding for the Fall semester must be received by the Financial Aid Office by November 30.  Any applications received after this date will be considered for the Spring semester only.  Spring Scholarship applications must be received by April 30.  No consideration will be given for late Spring applications.  Students should apply and submit an updated application each year seeking a scholarship.  The Alternative Scholarship will not award or retroactively pay for a previous semester/courses completed.  No reimbursement for the prior semester/completed courses.

Qualifying Criteria:

US citizens, eligible non-citizens, NSHE F1 or international students will not be considered for this scholarship

  1. DACA status documented with DHS or Undocumented;
  2. High School graduate or equivalent;
  3. Enroll at CSN as a student;
  4. Deemed a Nevada Resident by CSN’s Registrar
  5. Declare a fundable DCS (CT, AA or AAS) or BACH degree program by the first day of the semester;
  6. Enroll in classes that apply towards their degree program by CSN’s Financial Aid Department’s published census date; and
  7. Meet Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).  This means that students must have a minimum 2.0 cumulative Grade point average (G.P.A), a PACE (completion rate) of 66.67% or higher, and have not exceeded their maximum timeframe for their published program. Please visit our SAP Page for more information.

How To Apply:

  1. Complete the appropriate year's Alternative Scholarship Application.
  2. Complete the College Boards' online EFC Calculator to document financial need.
  3. Submit the application and EFC calculation as one cohesive application to Scholarship@CSN.edu
  4. *NEW as of January 2024* Make an appointment with Undocumented Student Coordinator Brenda Romero to discuss and plan your educational journey within CSN. You can email her at  brenda.romero@csn.edu

SPECIAL NOTES

  • In some cases, household income documentation may be required.
  • CSN Financial Aid office is accepting forms via email to our Scholarship team
  • As funding is limited all students seeking funding for the Fall semester should submit Scholarship applications the prior Spring semester. The deadline for applications is Nov 30 or until funding is exhausted. Limited funding will determine whether CSN Financial Aid will accept Spring applications.
  • The application can be completed either online using MS Forms or through a traditional paper application. Please see below.

Application:

Tips and Advice:

The largest financial aid funding sources are derived from programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.  In most cases, students considered as non-citizens are not eligible for Title IV Federal financial aid programs. Finding additional funds outside of CSN applicable to your situation will likely require effort and exploration on your part.

Consider reputable free scholarship searches using the Internet. There are many non-CSN scholarship opportunities available where U.S. Citizenship is not a requirement. Also, review lower value scholarships. Ten, $100 scholarships are the same value as one, $1,000 scholarship.

Beware of scholarship scams. You should not have to pay money to obtain a scholarship. The Financial Aid Office cannot recommend any particular search engine to use because there is no way to monitor the plethora of resources available on the Internet for validity.

Save time. Try setting up Internet search engines to alert you to new content posted to the Web. Let the Internet do the scholarship searching and forward information to you automatically.

Financial aid assistance is available within the office to help provide advice. We are here to help all students. Personal circumstances and information are protected under the Family Educational Rights to Privacy Act. The law protects your educational record.

Questions?  Please email questions regarding the application to our Scholarship team.  Be sure to include your NSHE Identification number (student ID number) with your inquiry.

Program

Eligibility Requirements

CSN Foundation Scholarship Programs: 
https://www.csn.edu/scholarships

Eligibility will vary based on scholarship requirements.  Applicants should review each year for new scholarships that do not require US citizenship.  We encourage students to be aware that new scholarships can be offered annually.

CSN President's Scholarship: 
https://www.csn.edu/csnpresidentsscholarship

Eligible for students who graduated from CSN High School with a weighted GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Nevada Promise Scholarship: https://www.csn.edu/promise

May be eligible.  Application closes October 31 in students senior year in High School and there are a variety of deadline requirements that include but are not limited to:

  1. Completing a FAFSA (annually no later than March 1)
  2. Completing Community Service (due prior to each semester see webpage for more details)
  3. Mentor Meetings  (due prior to each semester see webpage for more details)
  4. Enrollment in a minimum of 12 credits that
    apply towards students degree.
  5. Be a Nevada resident with CSN Registration Office.
  6. Meet all Program deadlines

Silver State Opportunity Grant (SSOG): 
https://www.csn.edu/silver-state-opportunity-grant

The Silver State Opportunity Grant (SSOG) is a state-supported, need-based financial aid program prioritizing eligible students enrolled in 15 credits who have a zero EFC first, and working up to higher EFCs until funds are exhausted.  DACA students are required to fill out the FAFSA  and to contact with documentation of DACA status to be prioritized for eligibility.

Governor Kenny Guinn Millennium Scholarship:
https://www.csn.edu/millennium-scholarship

Eligibility contingent on high school performance/graduation and maintaining eligibility in college with a 2.75 GPA each semester completing their minimum enrollment requirements (at CSN this would be completion of 9 credits each term).

These examples provided may have other criteria for consideration. Please refer to the Financial Aid and Scholarships web pages for more detail.  Not all students who apply for scholarships and grants will receive a scholarship or grant. Funding is limited to first come, first served, and meeting application deadlines for consideration.

WUE (Western Undergraduate Exchange Program) students may be eligible and need to confirm status with the Registrar’s office prior to the beginning of the semester, declare a valid major (a program of study), and provide a valid state-issued ID from one of the WUE states.