NJ Free Tuition for Community Colleges

TRENTON — Students attending all of the state's 19 community colleges are now eligible for free tuition for the spring semester, the state announced Wednesday.

After initially naming only 13 of the community colleges -- including Atlantic Cape Community, Ocean County and Cumberland County colleges -- to participate in the Community College Opportunity Grant (CCOG) pilot program for spring 2019, the state found that more students than originally predicted were receiving tuition funding from other sources like the federal Pell grant.

 This freed up additional money in the spring 2019 allocation for the remaining six community colleges, said David Socolow, executive director of the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority.

“We are delighted that students at New Jersey’s county colleges are hearing about this initiative to make college more affordable," Socolow said.

The CCOG provides what is called "last-dollar" funding for students enrolled in a two-year college that are taking at least six credits and whose families earn less than $45,000 a year.

 The funding covers any gap remaining between their tuition and fees and all other financial aid grants they receive. Current students who are already enrolled at these six additional institutions will be processed for eligibility over the next few weeks and do not need to complete any additional application, the state said.

https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/education/new-jersey-expands-free-college-program-for-spring/article_1f08769d-ffb4-55a4-82f3-154e5301ba6a.html