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Silver State Opportunity Grant

CSN LogoThe Silver State Opportunity Grant (SSOG) is a state-supported, need-based financial aid program. College of Southern Nevada will award available funds to eligible students based on their financial need determined by the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). CSN prioritizes eligible students who have a zero EFC first and are enrolled in 15 eligible credits. This award is provided on a first-come, first-serve basis and demand may exceed available funding. Students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA as early as possible for consideration.


Eligibility

To be considered for an SSOG award a student must:

  • Be enrolled in a program of study leading to a degree or certificate.
  • Funds are awarded based on priority. See priority order in the FAQs below.
  • Be college-ready based on placement or completion of entry-level, college-level Mathematics and English*.
  • Be classified as a Nevada resident for tuition purposes.
  • Meet institutional Title IV financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements; and
  • Complete the FAFSA and have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of 8500 or less.
  • Students selected for verification must complete the process successfully.

To be considered "college-ready"

To be considered “college-ready” for the purpose of SSOG Program eligibility, a student must be:

1) Currently or previously enrolled in a 100 or above level Mathematics and English course or,

2) Placed into a college-level course under institutional placement policies for placement into at least Math 120 and English 101, or

3) Previously successfully completed remedial coursework (evident by a C or better in Math 096 and/or English 098).

Please refer to the following tables for the minimum English or mathematics scores required to be placed into a college-level course in that subject.

College Readiness Assessments - English
Test ScoreMinimum Score
ACT English or ACT English Language Arts (ELA)18 (English) or 20 (ELA)
SAT Critical Reading - SAT Test Date prior to March, 2016500
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing-SAT test date March, 2016 and later480
Smarter Balanced2583 (Achievement Level 3)
PARCCLevel 4 Score
College Readiness Assessments - Mathematics
Test ScoresMinimum Score
ACT Mathematics22
SAT Math - SAT Test Date prior to March 2016500
SAT Math - SAT Test Date March 2016 and later530
Smarter Balanced2628 (Achievement Level 3)
PARCCLevel 4 Score

Maintaining Eligibility

To maintain eligibility from the fall to the spring semester, you must successfully complete all credits in the tier in which you were awarded (i.e. 15 credits, 12 credits, or the number of credits required to graduate at end of term), maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative institutional GPA and meet institutional financial aid SAP requirements.

Award Amounts

Once enrolled and eligible, these limited funds are disbursed to students in the following order: Priority 1, with zero-EFC students enrolled in 15 credits; Priority 2, eligible students in their final semester that requires less than 12 credits to graduate and Priority 3, eligible students who are enrolled in at least 12 but less than 15 credit hours.

Funds will be disbursed soon after the financial aid census date for the semester and after the add/drop period has concluded.

Enrollment Status Maximum Award Amount
15 or more credits per semester $5,500
12 to 14 credits per semester $4,400
Less than 12 credits in final semester prior to graduation Prorated amount based on number of credits in which you are enrolled

Frequently Asked Questions

I am enrolled in 12-14 credit hours, why don't I have the award?

SSOG is awarded in a priority order (lowest EFC to highest in each priority).

  • Priority 1: eligible students who are enrolled in at least 15 credit hours per semester.
  • Priority 2: eligible students who are enrolled in less than 15 credit hours in their final semester prior to graduation who self-identify to the Financial Aid Office and previously received the award; and
  • Priority 3: eligible students who are enrolled in at least 12 but less than 15 credit hours per semester.

All eligible students at all institutions have to be awarded in the priority 1 group before CSN can proceed to award anyone in priority 2 and then priority 3 groups. Demand may exceed available funding, preventing eligible students from receiving an award.

What if I lose my eligibility?

A student who loses eligibility for SSOG may reinstate during a subsequent semester by meeting or regaining financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).  Subject to available funds, this student would be eligible to receive SSOG in future semesters, provided all eligibility requirements for the program are met. (NSHE Procedures and Guidelines Manual Chapter. 11, Page 5)

What happens if I change my enrollment after receiving SSOG?

Your award will be canceled if your enrollment drops below the tier in which you were awarded at any point throughout the add/drop period. In cases where the student withdraws from a course and receives a “W” grade, the attempted credit level does not change and therefore the award remains.

Can I receive the Silver State Opportunity Grant (SSOG) with fewer than 15 credit hours because I am graduating?

A student who enrolls in fewer than 15 credit hours to complete their program of study in their final semester and has received SSOG in the past may be funded at a lower enrollment level contingent upon available funding.  Students will need to contact Financial Aid to request a prorated SSOG based on expected graduation.  Student will need to submit an email response from CSN graduation, and a degree sheet signed by student & counselor documenting the expected pending graduation.

I have already earned a Bachelor's degree and wish to enroll at CSN. Am I eligible for SSOG?

No.  A student who previously earned a bachelor’s degree is not eligible to receive the SSOG award.

Am I eligible to receive SSOG if I have been granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status?

Maybe.  You will need to complete the FAFSA and inform the CSN Financial Aid Office of your DACA status and interest in SSOG.  You must provide documentation of DACA status to the CSN Financial Aid Office before you may be considered for the award.