A Bright Start Scholarship

A Bright Start scholarship was designed to defray the College of Southern Nevada student’s cost of childcare incurred while pursuing academic requirements. Hence, students will focus on learning and achieving their educational goals while their children are taken care of. 

Fall 2026:

Open: September 24, 2026

Deadline: December 13, 2026 (or until funds are exhausted)

Spring 2027

Open: February 18, 2027

Deadline: April 13th, 2027 (or until funds are exhausted)

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Must complete current year FAFSA application and financial aid file must be complete
  • Must have a declared Degree/Certificate-Seeking (DCS) or Bachelor (BACH) program
  • Must be enrolled in at least 6 eligible credits in current academic year
  • Must be meeting (SAP) Satisfactory Academic Progress criteria
  • Must be a Nevada Resident
  • Must have children between ages of 0-11 in childcare
  • Must provide a copy of child’s birth certificate
  • Must provide recent 30 days of childcare receipts (showing full provider contact information, full name of student, child’s name matching birth certificate, dates of service)
  • Must use a qualified (licensed) childcare provider
  • FAFSA must show a financial need

Application Process:

  1. Complete the 2026-2027 FAFSA at FAFSA.gov
  2. Submit the A Bright Start Scholarship Application via online application link and attach all required documents
  3. Ensure all eligibility requirements are met before submitting by the stated deadline
    If any information is missing from application, the application will be denied

Scholarship Notification Timeline:

Scholarship recipients will be notified within 30 days of application submission through the MyCSN Communication Center – Aid Notification. Students will receive an email notification via their CSN student email.

Additional Notes:

  • Funds will be applied toward tuition, fees, and other educational costs first. If there is credit remaining on your account, the Cashier’s Office will send you the credit via Direct Deposit. Be sure to set up Direct Deposit on your MyCSN.
  • Applications must be resubmitted every academic year with updated information. This award is not retroactive and cannot be applied to a prior semester. (Unclaimed awards will be forfeited.)

Contact Information:

Email: scholarship@csn.edu

To maintain financial aid eligibility, students must actively participate in all scheduled classes and complete coursework from start to finish. Failure to engage within the first two weeks may lead to course removal and loss of aid.