What is NJ STARS?

NJSTARS is a scholarship program exclusively for New Jersey residents that covers the cost of tuition and approved fees at New Jersey's 19 community colleges.

Who’s eligible for NJSTARS?

• Students who graduate in the top 15 percent of their high school class may be eligible.
• Students must complete a rigorous series of high school courses as a first step toward eligibility, as determined by the NJ Commission on Higher Education in consultation with the NJ Commissioner of Education.

What’s required of an applicant?

• Applicants must take the “College Basic Skills Placement Test” when they receive their conditional eligibility letter from the NJ Higher Education Student Assistance Authority. UCC administers this test.
• Students who don’t achieve the required test scores will be notified by UCC that they need developmental coursework before they will be eligible for the NJSTARS scholarship. Students may take courses in high school to improve their skills, or they can attend remedial courses at UCC while enrolled in high school.
• Students who graduate high school and still need developmental coursework have up to one year at their own cost or using other non-STARS funds to gain the skills needed to be college ready. They will not be considered NJSTARS scholars until they meet the requirement. They will still have five semesters of eligibility upon meeting the requirements during that year.

...and of an NJSTARS scholar?

• NJSTARS scholars must take at least 12 college credits per semester and will be allowed to take up to 18 credits each semester if they are able to handle the course load and wish to accelerate their graduation.
• They may use summer sessions as part of their five semesters of eligibility.
• They may take fewer than 12 credits in their final semester if they need fewer than 12 credits to graduate.
• They have five (5) eligible semesters for NJSTARS.
• Students majoring in areas that require a 6th semester (for example: nursing and engineering) will not be eligible for funding for their additional semester, but will retain eligibility for NJSTARS-II.
• NJSTARS scholars must be enrolled in an associate ­degree program at a NJ community college and must maintain continuous full-time enrollment.
• NJSTARS scholars must have a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) or better before the beginning of their 3rd semester to continue to be eligible for the NJSTARS program.
• Students who meet the top 15 percent requirement must first apply for all other federal and state financial aid available to them by filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually within NJ’s deadline. If a student receives aid, NJSTARS will cover the remaining tuition and fees. If a student is not eligible for financial aid, NJSTARS will cover the entire cost.
• Dependent students of military families assigned to a military base whose parents have established New Jersey as their state of residence will be eligible for NJSTARS as long as all other conditions are met.

What’s NJSTARS-II?

• NJSTARS who graduate from UCC with a 3.25 GPA or ­better are eligible for NJSTARS-II at a NJ public four-year college or university.
• NJSTARS-II provides a $6,000 per year scholarship for students earning their associate degree with a 3.25 to 3.49 GPA, and $7,000 per year for students earning their ­associate degree with a 3.5 or better GPA.
• The scholarships will cover tuition only, except in the case of NJ Tuition Aid Grant recipients who can apply the ­scholarship to fees as well. Non-need based aid students will cover the fees and any remaining tuition amounts.
• NJSTARS-II students have four semesters to complete their baccalaureate degrees.
• NJSTARS-II students must maintain a 3.25 grade point average in their junior year to receive the scholarship in their senior year. The senior year award will be adjusted up or down based on the student's grade point average.
• Students whose family income exceeds $250,000 will not be eligible for NJSTARS-II.
• Under NJSTARS-II, UCC credits are fully transferable, letting students begin at the four-year institution as juniors.