Grants 

Grant Basics

Grants listed on this page are programs administered and/or awarded through the UNF Office of Student Financial Aid (SFA). Grants are awards that are typically based on financial need and do not need to be repaid. If you are offered grants as part of your financial aid award, UNF will automatically accept them on your behalf.

 

Students apply for the Federal Pell Grant, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, the Florida Student Assistance Grant, and, UNF Grants by completing a FAFSA. Students are encouraged to file their FAFSA by the UNF priority deadline of February 14th each year.

 

Tentative disbursement dates will be made available online at the beginning of each semester. Tuition, fees, housing expenses and other monies (excluding fines owed to other offices such as parking and library fines) owed to the University for the current aid year will be deducted from the first available aid, whether that is a grant, scholarship, loan or other outside resource.  

Students who wish to allow their Federal Title IV aid to pay for non-allowable charges (for example, meal plans, late fees, or library charges), must complete the Financial Aid Authorization. This online form can be found in the My UNF Bill channel on the student myWings account.

If funds remain after institutional charges have been deducted, the remainder will be deposited to the student’s account on established disbursement dates.
 

Prorating of Grants

Grants are initially awarded based on the assumption of full-time enrollment. After registration for each term, most grant award amounts will prorate based on actual enrollment as follows:
 

 

Undergraduate Students

 Hours  Status % of Award Offered 
3-5 <1/2 Time 0*
6-8 1/2 Time 50%
9-11 3/4 Time 75%
12+ Full Time 100%

Graduate Students

 Hours Status  % of Award Offered 
3-5 <1/2 Time 0
6 1/2 Time 50%
9+ Full Time 100%

*Pell grants will be prorated to 25% of the offered award for undergraduate students in 3-5 hours.
*Some UNF grants require 12 hours of enrollment (full-time enrollment)

**Please note that as of the 2016/2017 aid year, most UNF institutional grands and Enrollment Services scholarships require enrollment in at least 15 credit hours for disbursement.

Federal Pell Grant

The Federal Pell Grant program provides financial assistance to students who could not otherwise afford to pay for college as an undergraduate. Pell grants are intended to be the "floor" of a financial aid package and may be combined with other forms of aid in order to meet the cost of education. The government awards grants according to each student’s financial need as determined by federal methodology, a congressionally established need analysis formula. Need for other aid is based upon and determined around the student’s eligibility for Federal Pell Grant. 

 

The Federal Pell Grant follows a Federal formula for prorating. Awards range from $313 to $5,775 (academic year 2015-16). Students completing their financial aid application are automatically considered for Pell Grant funding.

 

Final Pell Grant awards are calculated at the end of drop/add. The amount of the award is based upon the student’s registration at that time.

 

 Effective July 1, 2012, the Pell Grant duration of eligibility has been set to 12 full-time semesters, or approximately six years. This new limit will apply to all Pell recipients regardless of when the student first began receiving Pell Grant funds.

 

You can see your Pell Grant history using NSLDS, the National Student Loan Data System. After logging in with your FSA ID, you will then be directed to a web page that shows “Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used” under the Grants section.

 

To be eligible for a federal Pell Grant, you must:

  • be a U.S. citizen, national or permanent resident 
  • demonstrate financial need as determined by the FAFSA
  • be an undergraduate, degree-seeking student enrolled in degree applicable coursework 
  • be maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for financial aid
  • not have defaulted on or owe a refund to anyTitle IV aid program
  • complete verification, if selected  

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program (FSEOG) is a federally funded aid program awarded by UNF SFA to undergraduates who demonstrate exceptional financial need. UNF selects recipients and determines award amounts, based on greatest financial need. Award amounts are based on amount of need and availability of funds.

   

 To be eligible for FSEOG, applicants must: 

  • be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident
  • demonstrate financial need as determined by the FAFSA 
  • be an undergraduate, degree-seeking student enrolled in degree-applicable coursework 
  • be awarded and eligible for a Federal Pell Grant 
  • be maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for financial aid
  • not have defaulted on or owe a refund to any Title IV aid program 
  • complete verification, if selected

Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG)

The Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG) is a state-funded program awarded to qualified undergraduates who attend eligible Florida institutions and show financial need and academic promise and who have maintained Florida residency at least 12 months before the beginning of the term for which they are applying. UNF selects eligible recipients on a first-come, first-served basis. Awards range from $200 to $2,000 per academic year.

 

To be eligible for FSAG, applicants must:

  • be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident 
  • be an undergraduate enrolled at least six credit hours in a degree-seeking program 
  • be a Florida resident for 12 consecutive months before the beginning of the academic year 
  • meet state academic progress standards for renewal of FSAG 
  • have a minimum 2.0 GPA 
  • not have defaulted on or owe a refund to a state or federal aid program 
  • have a family contribution less than the amount required by the Florida Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA)
  • not have previously earned a bachelors degree
  • to renew-have earned 12 credit hours each full-time semester, 9 credit hours for each three-quarter-time semester, and 6 hours for each half-time semester during which FSAG was received the previous academic year 

UNF Need-based Grants

UNF offers a variety of grants for students who demonstrate financial need. Awards range in value and UNF generally selects eligible recipients on a first-come, first-served basis as determined by a student's FAFSA filing date.

  • UNF Institutional Grant
  • UNF Housing Grant
  • UNF Need-Based Grant
  • UNF Graduate Grant
  • UNF Need-Based TD Grant
    • For the 2015/2016 aid year, this grant requires 12 hours of enrollment (full time enrollment) for eligibility. 
    • ** Please note that as of the 2016/2017 aid year, most UNF institutional grants and Enrollment Services scholarships require enrollment in at least 15 credit hours for disbursement.
     

Federal Iraq & Afghanistan Service Grant

If your parent or guardian died as a result of military service in Iraq or Afghanistan, you may be eligible for an Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant.

You may be eligible to receive the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant if:

  • you are not eligible for a Federal Pell Grant on the basis of your Expected Family Contribution but meet the remaining Federal Pell Grant eligibility requirements, and
  • your parent or guardian was a member of the U.S. armed forces and died as a result of military service performed in Iraq or Afghanistan after the events of 9/11, and
  • you were under 24 years old or enrolled in college at least part-time at the time of your parent’s or guardian’s death

The grant award is equal to the amount of a maximum Federal Pell Grant for the award year but cannot exceed your cost of attendance for that award year. 

 

More information regarding the Federal Iraq & Afghanistan Service Grant can be found on the Federal Student Aid site.

Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH Grant)

The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (“TEACH” Grant) program was created by the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. The TEACH Grant Program was established to offer grant assistance to students who are pursuing a course of study that will lead to employment as a teacher in a high-need field to serve students from low-income families.

Student Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for a TEACH Grant, a UNF student must: 

  • Complete TEACH Grant Entrance Counseling and sign a TEACH Agreement to Serve (ATS) each year that the student is to receive the grant. Access the Agreement to Serve.  
  • Complete an error-free Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) 
  • Be a U.S. Citizen or eligible non-citizen
  • Be a third or fourth year undergraduate, post-baccalaureate or graduate degree-seeking student 
  • Must have and maintain at least a 3.25 overall, cumulative GPA.
  • Be enrolled in one of the following UNF TEACH eligible programs: 
    • EEC - Special Education
    • MAE - Math Education
    • MID - Middle School Education
    • SCI - Science Education 
     

General Program Requirements

  • Undergraduate students who are offered a TEACH Grant must complete an in-person interview with a designated member of the UNF Office of Student Financial Aid before eligibility can be confirmed.
  • A TEACH grant must be repaid as Direct Unsubsidized Loan if student does not fulfill ALL of the requirements of the program. Interest will accrue from date of original disbursement.
  • Annual TEACH awards will not exceed $4000 and must prorate based on enrollment status. Eligible students may receive up to $16,000 in TEACH grants for undergraduate and post-baccalaureate study, and up to $8000 for a TEACH eligible masters program.

TEACH and Sequestration

Due to sequestration, award amounts for any TEACH Grant that is first disbursed on or after Oct. 1, 2014, and before Act. 1, 2015, must be reduced by 7.3 percent from the award amount for which a recipient would otherwise have been entitled. Any TEACH Grant that is first disbursed on or after Oct. 1, 2015, and before Oct. 1, 2016, must be reduced by 6.8 percent. For example:

 

  • For any 2015–16 TEACH Grant first disbursed on or after Oct. 1, 2014, and before Oct. 1, 2015, the maximum award of $4,000 is reduced by 7.3 percent ($292), resulting in a maximum award of $3,708.
  • For any 2015–16 TEACH Grant first disbursed on or after Oct. 1, 2015, and before Oct. 1, 2016, the maximum award of $4,000 is reduced by 6.8 percent ($272), resulting in a maximum award of $3,728.

 

TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve

Each year to receive a TEACH Grant, the student must sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve and Promise to Pay (service agreement) that will be available electronically on a Department of Education Web site. The TEACH Grant service agreement specifies the conditions under which the grant will be awarded, the teaching service requirements, and includes an acknowledgment by the student that they understand that if the teaching service requirements are not met they must repay the grant as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, with interest accrued from the date the grant funds were first disbursed.

Teaching Obligation Upon Graduation

To avoid repaying the TEACH Grant as a loan with interest, recipients must be a highly-qualified, full-time teacher in a high-need subject area for at least four years within eight years of completing the program (or are otherwise no longer enrolled in the program) for which they received the TEACH Grant funds. Recipients must serve those four years teaching at a school serving low-income students. Specific definitions of terms are included below:

 

  • Highly Qualified Teacher: The term highly-qualified teacher is defined in section 9101(23) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 or in section 602(10) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
  • Full-Time Teacher: Must meet the state’s definition of a full-time teacher and spend the majority (at least 51 percent) of time teaching one of the high-need subject areas. In order for teaching to count towards meeting the service obligation, the recipient must teach in a designated “high need” field AND at a designated school. These designations can change over time. Elementary school teachers who teach many subjects would not be able to fulfill their service agreement.
  • High-Need Subject Areas:
    • Bilingual Education and English Language Acquisition
    • Foreign Language
    • Mathematics
    • Reading Specialist
    • Science
    • Special Education
    • Other teacher shortage areas identified at the time you begin teaching. These are subject areas (not geographic areas) that are listed in the Department of Education’s Annual Teacher Shortage Area Nationwide Listing.   
     
  • Schools Serving Low-Income Students: Schools serving low-income students include any elementary or secondary school that is listed in the Department of Education’s Annual Directory of Designated Low-Income Schools for Teacher Cancelation Benefits.

 

Documentation of Teaching Obligation

For each TEACH-eligible program for which TEACH Grant funds are received, recipients must provide documentation to the Department of Education that the teaching obligation was completed. TEACH Grant recipients must also confirm to the Federal Department of Education in writing within 120 days of completing or otherwise ceasing enrollment in the TEACH-eligible program that they are fulfilling (or planning to fulfill) the terms and conditions of the service agreement.

 

The elementary or secondary school’s chief administrative officer must certify documentation of the teaching service. This documentation must show that you were a full-time, highly-qualified teacher at a school serving low-income students, teaching a high-need subject area for at least four years. 

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:

  • FAILURE TO COMPLETE THE TEACHING OBLIGATION OR PROPERLY DOCUMENT TEACHING SERVICE WILL CAUSE THE TEACH GRANT TO BE PERMANENTLY CONVERTED TO AN UNSUBSIDIZED FEDERAL DIRECT LOAN WITH INTEREST. Interest would accrue from the date of the original disbursement. 
  • ONCE A GRANT IS CONVERTED TO A LOAN IT CAN’T BE CONVERTED BACK TO A GRANT! 
  • Students must seriously consider the financial impact that converting these grants into loans will have on their future.