The New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship II (NJSTARS II) program is offered through the State of New Jersey and administered by NJ Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA).
For eligibility requirements, review and renewal conditions, please read the information below:
Eligibility Requirements:
- You are admitted to The College of New Jersey (TCNJ).
- You must be a NJ STARS recipient or a non-funded NJSTARS student (tuition and approved fees were fully covered by other State and/or Federal aid) during the last semester of attendance at your county college. The last semester of attendance at the community college is also the semester that you graduated from the community college. State confirmation will be required; TCNJ will reach out to HESAA for confirmation, which may delay a determination of eligibility.
- You must have graduated from a NJ county college with an Associate Degree and
a GPA of 3.25 or higher. - Your family income (including taxable and untaxed income) must be less than $250,000 for the FAFSA year for which you will be applying for funding.
- If applicable, you can only take one semester off after county college graduation before enrolling at TCNJ and starting in the NJ STARS II program.
- You must be enrolled full-time (3 Units or more each term).
- You must apply for all forms of federal and state financial aid by completing a FAFSA and submit any verification documents within established State deadlines.
Eligibility Review Will Take Place After:
- Received your acceptance letter to TCNJ.
- Submitted your final county college transcript(s) to our Admissions Office showing that you graduated with an Associate’s Degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher.
- Please note: If you earned your Associate’s Degree while in high school (dual enrollment), you will also need to submit your high school transcript to the Admissions Office.
- Submitted your FAFSA application at Studentaid.gov before February 15 of each year and listed TCNJ as one of your schools of choice on the form (school code 00264200)
- Visit www.njgrants.org to log in to your NJFAMS portal and check your eligibility and To-Do list for any additional documentation required by the state grant agency, HESAA.
Renewal Conditions For NJSTARS II Once Enrolled at TCNJ:
- You must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 to maintain eligibility. Summer courses are included in determining the GPA.
- You must maintain continuous full-time enrollment as NJ STARS II recipient (Fall/Spring semesters) unless on a medical leave, approved by TCNJ, due to an illness of the student, a member of the student’s immediate family, or a family emergency. The only other exception to continuous full-time enrollment applies to NJ STARS II students called to partial or full mobilization for State or Federal active duty as a member of the National Guard or a Reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States.
- You may receive an NJ STARS II award for up to four semesters, excluding summer sessions.
If you meet, the Eligibility Requirements outlined above and have complied with the Eligibility Review items, you are required to self-identify to the Scholarship Coordinator at the Financial Aid Office at TCNJ. The email is pageauj@tcnj.edu.
Please note that the processing timeline for the award is 3-4 weeks from receipt of all documents. TCNJ is required to confirm all eligibility conditions with the State of NJ, specifically HESAA, and based on the time of year and processing volume there may be delays.
For further information about the STARS II Program, we have included the link to an NJ HESAA informational brochure.