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Step 4: What's Offered in Nevada?

Nevada Financial Aid Programs
Nevada Residency
Nevada Tribal Directory
More Online Resources

Nevada Financial Aid Programs

The state of Nevada offers a number of financial aid opportunities to assist students who are pursuing a higher education. Many programs require Nevada residency.

Millennium Scholarship
High school graduating seniors with good grades can receive a Millennium Scholarship for college. To be eligible, students who graduate with the class of 2006 must earn an overall high school GPA of at least a 3.1; those who graduate with the classes of 2007 and later are required to earn an overall GPA of at least a 3.25. In addition, students must pass all areas of the Nevada High School Proficiency Exam, earn a diploma and have been residents of the state of Nevada at least two of their high school years. Students who graduate from an out-of-state high school may be eligible if their parents were Nevada residents at least the last two years of the student's high school years.

If you meet all the requirements, you'll receive a letter from the Millennium Scholarship Program within the Office of the Nevada State Treasurer in the summer identifying you as a Millennium Scholarship recipient and stating the conditions for receiving and maintaining the award.

Community college students receive $40 per credit hour, state college students receive $60 per credit hour, and university and Sierra Nevada College students receive $80 per credit hour. The total aggregate value of your award is a maximum of $10,000.

To learn more, contact the Millennium Scholarship Program at toll free 888.477.2667 (or 702.486.3383 if calling from Las Vegas) or go to www.nevadatreasurer.com and click on Millennium Scholarship. For more information about how to maintain your eligibility once you enroll, contact your college's financial aid office.

State Grants
Nevada public colleges and universities offer various grant opportunities that are funded by the state. Each college has designed programs that best serve its student population. Some programs are only for Nevada residents, while others are open to nonresidents. Most grants are need-based, but some may not require documented need. Information on two of the grant programs follows. Keep in mind that not all programs are offered at all colleges. To learn more, contact your college's financial aid office.

Access Grant
The Access Grant is for undergraduate and graduate students who have financial need and are Nevada residents. The maximum award is $3,000 for graduate students and $2,500 for undergraduates, but the amount can vary depending on your cost of attendance, enrollment status, living arrangements and availability of funds.

Nevada Student Incentive Grant
This grant is for qualified low-income undergraduate and graduate students who are Nevada residents. The award amount varies by type of colleges, college costs, enrollment status and living arrangements.

College Grants and Scholarships
Many of Nevada's public and independent colleges offer their own grant and scholarship programs. Scholarships are available from a variety of sources, both on and off campus. Most of them are awarded primarily for academic merit, but financial need may also be considered. To learn more, contact each college's financial aid or scholarship office when applying for admission. Be sure to ask about application deadlines.

Unique College Loans
Some Nevada colleges offer their own student loans. For example, there's the Blundell loan at the University of Nevada, Reno. This loan is need-based and has an interest rate of 5 percent. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, has the low-cost Knights Templar student loan. Contact your college's financial aid office for more information and application procedures.

Tribal Scholarships
If you're a Native American, your tribe or nation may offer scholarships. To learn more, contact your tribe using the tribal directory here or call the regional office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Sacramento, California, at 916.978.6058 or go to www.oiep.bia.edu.

Many tribes and the BIA require a "needs analysis" from the college's financial aid office to document eligibility, so be sure to file your FAFSA early. You'll also find scholarships for Native Americans at www.collegefund.org.

Foster Youth Grants
Up to $5,000 a year for college or vocational training is available for foster youth who have aged out of foster care or who were adopted after age 16. To learn more, talk to your high school counselor, your independent living coordinator, your college's financial aid administrator, go to www.statevoucher.org and click on "Nevada," or call 775.684.4450.

A number of foundations also offer tuition waivers and scholarships for foster youth. The Otto A. Huth Scholarship Trust Fund is available to children who have been in the custody of the Nevada Division of Child and Family Services in a foster or group home. The application deadline is March 15 of each year. For more information, go to www.dcfs.state.nv.us (click on "Scholarships"). In addition, the CASA Foundation provides up to $500 per semester for foster youth. For details, call 702.455.4306.

WICHE Student Exchanges
Undergraduate and graduate programs through the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education offer Nevada residents the opportunity to attend selected out-of-state schools at a special reduced tuition rate. To learn more, write to the Certifying Officer for Nevada, WICHE Student Exchange Program, Mail Drop 304, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557-0116 or call 775.784.4900 or go to www.wiche.state.nv.us/NevadaWiche.htm.

Prepaid Tuition and Savings Plans
Nevada residents can save for their children's college tuition through the state's Prepaid Tuition Program. The program now offers two options: The Prepaid Tuition option lets parents purchase a Prepaid Tuition contract and open a savings plan account to start saving for college; the other option is Upromise®, College Savings Plan, the state's 529 plan, which offers a variety of investment options. The money can be used at any college in the country. To learn more, go to www.nevadatreasurer.com and click on College Savings.

National Guard Tuition Waiver
If you're a Nevada National Guard member or recruit, you may be eligible for a tuition fee waiver at one of Nevada's public colleges. Check with your National Guard unit for details.

Nevada Residency

Students who graduate from a Nevada high school are considered Nevada residents. There are also several other Nevada residency requirements. Contact your college's admissions and records office for more information.

Nevada Tribal Directory

Bureau of Indian Affairs
Pacific Regional Office
Office of Indian Education
2800 Cottage Way
Sacramento, CA 95825
916.978.6058
916.978.6056 (fax)

Duckwater Shoshone Tribe
Scholarship Committee
Attn: Gonnie Mendez
P.O. Box 140038
Duckwater, NV 89314
775.863.0227
775.863.0310 (fax)

Elko Band Council
Higher Education Office
Attn: Suzanna Sandoval
1745 Silver Eagle Dr.
Elko, NV 89801
775.738.8889
775.753.5439 (fax)

Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribes
Higher Education Office
Attn: Hariett Allen
565 Rio Vista Dr.
Fallon, NV 89406
775.423.6075
775.423.5202 (fax)

Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
Higher Education Office
Attn: Cheryl Hicks
P.O. Box 256
Nixon, NV 89424
775.574.0300
775.574.1008 (fax)

Reno/Sparks Indian Colony
Higher Education Office
34A Reservation Road
Reno, NV 89502
775.329.6114
775.785.9161 (fax)

Shoshone-Paiute Tribes
Duck Valley Reservation
Education, Training and Employment
Attn: Roschell Thomas
P.O. Box 219
Owyhee, NV 89832-0219
775.757.2921
775.757.2910 (fax)

Walker River Paiute
TribeHigher Education Office
Attn: Mary Williams
P.O. Box 220
Schurz, NV 89427
775.773.2522
775.773.2462 (fax)

Washoe Tribe
Higher Education Office
Attn: Sherry Smokey
919 Highway 395
South Gardnerville, NV 89410
775.883.1446
775.265.6240 (fax)

Yerington Paiute Tribe
Higher Education Office
171 Campbell Lane
Yerington, NV 89447
775.463.3755
775.463.7892 (fax)

More Online Resources

If you think you'll need financial help, apply for it. For more information, contact your high school counselor or college financial aid administrator or go to:

  • www.nevada.edu
    The University and Community College System of Nevada, to learn more about financial aid opportunities at the state's higher education institutions.

  • www.edfund.org
    EDFUND, for information on low-interest federal loans, college and financial planning, strategies for managing loans and more. Or call toll free 877.2.EDFUND (that's 877.233.3863).

  • www.studentaid.ed.gov
    The Federal Student Aid Information Center, for more on Pell Grants, other federal grants and loans, and applying for federal and state aid. Or call toll free 800.4.FED.AID (that's 800.433.3243).

  • www.edwise.org
    EDWISE, EDFUND's online financial planning tool, to calculate how much you can afford to borrow and repay, and more.


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