New Jersey student and vocational grants: TAG, CCOG, Garden State Guarantee and WIOA (2026-27)

What TAG pays at each type of New Jersey college in 2026-27

TAG is a tuition-only grant for undergraduates who have lived in New Jersey for at least 12 consecutive months before the term and are enrolled in an approved program at an approved New Jersey institution ⁠². The award depends on two things: the sector you attend and your New Jersey Eligibility Index (NJEI). The NJEI is HESAA’s own need score, calculated from your financial aid application. It is not the federal Student Aid Index (SAI), and HESAA does not publish a conversion between the two. A lower NJEI means a bigger grant ⁠¹.

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County college figures are averages across the 18 colleges and can be higher or lower at yours. State college and research university figures are standardized and can rise with actual tuition, but never above it. At for-profit schools, TAG is limited to approved programs at Berkeley College, DeVry University, Eastern International College and Eastwick College ⁠¹.

Part-time TAG exists only at county colleges. It pays $774 a semester at 6-8 credits and $1,161 a semester at 9-11 credits, for students with an NJEI under 1,500, and drops to $0 at an NJEI of 5,500 ⁠¹. Summer TAG is available if you take at least six credits in the same program and school where you received TAG the previous fall or spring ⁠².

For a dependent student, a parent must also have lived in New Jersey for the 12 months before the term ⁠². One exception: a student who attended a New Jersey high school for at least three years and graduated from it (or earned a New Jersey equivalency diploma) can qualify under P.L. 2018, c. 12 ⁠². HESAA is stricter than the federal rules on independence: emancipated-minor status does not count, and guardianship or homelessness claims need specific documents, such as a McKinney-Vento liaison letter ⁠².

Tuition-free routes under $65,000 AGI: CCOG and the Garden State Guarantee

The Community College Opportunity Grant pays any tuition left after other grants are applied, for up to 18 credits a term, plus approved educational fees. It is for students working toward a first associate degree at a New Jersey county college ⁠⁵. You qualify if your adjusted gross income is between $0 and $65,000, you enroll in at least six credits, you file by the state deadline and you have not earned a college degree ⁠⁵. Dependent students use their parents’ AGI ⁠⁶. If you attend a county college outside your home county, CCOG pays only the in-county rate, and you owe the difference ⁠⁵. Approved fees include lab, technology and program fees for nursing, culinary and other career programs. Books, uniforms, tools, licensing exam fees and background checks are not covered ⁠⁶. To renew, you must meet your college’s academic progress standard or earn at least a 1.8 GPA in the previous semester.

The Garden State Guarantee applies the same $0-$65,000 AGI test to students at the 11 public four-year institutions, including Rutgers, Montclair State, Rowan, Kean, NJIT and TCNJ. For eligible students, tuition and fees in the third year (60-89 credits) and fourth year (90-128 credits) cost $0 after other aid ⁠⁷. You must enroll full time (12 or more credits) and be working on a first bachelor’s degree. GSG stops after 4 semesters or 128 credits, whichever comes first. A negative AGI disqualifies you ⁠⁷.

NJ STARS and EOF: merit and opportunity programs layered on TAG

NJ STARS is for graduates who ranked in the top 15.0% of their high school class at the end of junior or senior year. It covers tuition only at your home county college, minus state and federal grants, for up to 18 credits a semester and up to 5 semesters. It does not pay for summer terms or remedial courses ⁠⁸. To keep the award you need a 3.0 cumulative GPA at the start of your third semester ⁠⁸. Graduates with an associate degree, a GPA of 3.25 or higher and family income under $250,000 may continue on NJ STARS II at a four-year New Jersey college ⁠⁸.

The Educational Opportunity Fund is admission-based. Each of the 40 participating colleges has a campus EOF office that selects students and runs tutoring and counseling. Its grants of $200 to $3,050 a year help with costs TAG does not cover ⁠⁹. Your gross household income and assets must fall under the EOF scale, and you also file the FAFSA or the Alternative Application ⁠⁹.

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Add $11,000 of income ($2,200 of assets) per extra person for 2026-27, and $11,360 of income for 2027-28 ⁠⁹.

The Alternative Application for NJ Dreamers

Students who cannot file the FAFSA because of immigration status file the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application online in NJFAMS. To use it, you must have attended a New Jersey high school for at least three years and graduated from one (or earned a New Jersey equivalency diploma). You must also sign an affidavit that you have applied, or will apply as soon as you are eligible, to legalize your immigration status ⁠⁴. If you have no Social Security number, HESAA assigns a HESAA Grants ID, and parents without an SSN or ITIN give other proof of income ⁠⁴. In the NJFAMS drop-down, choose Academic Year 2026-27 to start in spring 2027, or 2027-28 to start in fall 2027 ⁠⁴.

Vocational money: Workforce Pell, NJ-GIVS and the trades

The federal Pell Grant pays $740 to $7,395 for 2026-27 and is limited to the equivalent of 12 full-time semesters over a lifetime ⁠¹¹. Since July 1, 2026, Workforce Pell has also covered short programs that last 8 to 15 weeks. A program qualifies if it leads to an industry-recognized credential in an in-demand occupation, has completion and job placement rates of at least 70%, is approved by the Governor and receives final approval from the U.S. Department of Education ⁠¹³. As of October 2026, NJDOL lists three programs with the Governor’s recommendation ⁠¹²:

A program can pay out Workforce Pell only after the U.S. Department of Education approves it, so confirm the status with the school’s financial aid office ⁠¹².

The college’s financial aid office decides your Workforce Pell eligibility and handles the money. Career Centers do not. If you are also enrolled in WIOA at a One-Stop Career Center, it can pay for transportation, childcare, tools, uniforms and licensing exam fees ⁠¹³.

The Governor’s Industry Vocations Scholarship (NJ-GIVS) pays up to $2,000 a year for up to two years. It is for women and students of color in construction-related programs at county colleges, county vocational-technical schools, Eastwick College and the Ho-Ho-Kus School of Trade. Covered programs include welding, HVAC/R, plumbing, electrical trades and carpentry ⁠¹⁰. Household income must be under $60,000. You submit a separate NJ-GIVS application in NJFAMS by December 1 for fall or June 1 for spring. Awards go first come, first served while Schools Development Authority funding lasts ⁠¹⁰. TAG and CCOG also pay for approved certificate programs, as long as you meet their credit-load rules ⁠¹⁠⁵.

One-Stop Career Centers and WIOA Individual Training Accounts

Adults and laid-off workers get WIOA training money as an Individual Training Account (ITA) after a One-Stop Career Center counselor completes an assessment and an Individual Employment Plan with them ⁠¹⁴. The program must be on the New Jersey Eligible Training Provider List. It must also train for an occupation on NJDOL’s Labor Demand Occupations List, unless the local board has a waiver ⁠¹⁴. NJDOL recommends a limit of up to $7,500 per ITA. Each local workforce board sets its own cap, length limit and exception process ⁠¹⁴. Pell Grants and state training funds have to be used first ⁠¹⁴. ITAs can also pay for the classroom part of a registered apprenticeship ⁠¹⁴.

Do not enroll in training before you meet a counselor. If you enroll on your own, NJDOL will not cover any of the training cost, and a claims examiner will review whether you can keep collecting unemployment benefits ⁠¹⁵. With counselor approval, Additional Benefits During Training can extend unemployment benefits by up to 26 weeks so you can finish an approved program. Laid-off workers can also be considered for WIOA and New Jersey Opportunity Partnership Program training grants, for training in New Jersey ⁠¹⁵.

Filing for 2027-28 aid in New Jersey, step by step

1. Choose your form

   If you are eligible for federal aid, file the 2027-28 FAFSA. If you are an NJ Dreamer, file the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application in NJFAMS instead ⁠⁴.

2. Meet HESAA’s filing date

   If you received TAG in 2026-27, file by April 15, 2027. Everyone else, including high school seniors, files by September 15, 2027. If you miss those dates, a spring 2028-only application is due February 15, 2028 ⁠³. HESAA goes by the time your application is received ⁠³.

3. Clear your NJFAMS To Do List

   Finish verification, corrections and college additions by October 1, 2027, or within 30 days of HESAA’s first notice. For spring-only filers the date is March 1, 2028. HESAA does not extend deadlines for incomplete files ⁠³.

4. Apply to the extra programs yourself

   Contact the EOF director at your college ⁠⁹. Submit the NJ-GIVS application by its semester deadline ⁠¹⁰. Enroll at your home county college for NJ STARS ⁠⁸.

5. Read your award notice

   Your county college reports any CCOG or NJ STARS amount ⁠⁶⁠⁸. Report a parent’s layoff, disability, death, divorce or a loss of untaxed income to your aid office before the state deadlines ⁠².

6. For short-term training, go to a One-Stop Career Center first

   A counselor completes your assessment and employment plan. Pick a program on the Eligible Training Provider List, and ask whether it is approved for Workforce Pell ⁠¹²⁠¹⁴.

7. Appeal in writing within 60 days

   Send TAG or CCOG appeals to HESAA’s Director of Grants and Scholarships, PO Box 540, Trenton, NJ 08625-0540, or email [email protected]. Include your NJFAMS ID ⁠²⁠⁶.

For other help in New Jersey, see the New Jersey state hub or compare states on the student and vocational grants page.