Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) and Federal Work Study program (FWS) are called "campus-based programs," although the funding comes from the federal government. They are called "campus-based" because the awards are determined by the professional staff of the educational institution's Financial Aid office operating under strict and detailed guidelines provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
For the federal campus-based programs, need is determined according to the FAFSA results, eligibility requirements and level of funding. Campus-based funds receive a set allocation from the Department of Education each year. That allocation is awarded throughout the year, until funds are exhausted.
Students must:
- Be a citizen, national or permanent resident alien with a valid Social Security number. Students must verify their eligible non-citizen status upon request.
- For FSEOG, be a matriculated undergraduate student who has not already earned a bachelor's degree or the equivalent.
- Maintain good academic standing.
- For Federal Work Study, students must not be receiving support from a religious community, society, or order of which they are a member.
- Have exceptional financial need with a zero or less than zero SAI (Student Aid Index) as determined by FAFSA results. Only students who receive a federal Pell Grant will be considered for SEOG due to limited funding availability.
- Not be in default on any federal loan borrowed while attending any institution at any time.
- Not owe a refund on a federal Pell Grant, FSEOG or federal Perkins Loan to any institution.
- Have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (G.E.D.) certificate, pass a test approved by the U.S. Department of Education, or meet other standards your state establishes that are approved by the U.S. Department of Education.
- Not be enrolled in overlapping academic terms.
The regulations define an undergraduate as one who is enrolled in an undergraduate course of study and who has not earned a bachelor's degree or its equivalent or a first professional degree. (By "professional degree," we mean degrees offered by professional programs such as pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary programs or chiropractic programs.)
Occasionally, a student will complete the requirements for a bachelor's degree but will continue taking undergraduate courses without accepting the degree. The school must decide at what point it considers the student to have completed the bachelor's degree course of study - when the student completes the requirement for the degree, or when the student actually receives the degree. If the school considers the student to have completed the bachelor's degree course of study, the student is no longer eligible to receive a federal Pell Grant or a Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant.
Application
Each student must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Students applying for Federal Work Study should contact Work.Study@sunyempire.edu to express their interest in working federal work study. FSEOG is awarded to eligible students based upon the university's FSEOG federal allocation, which is based upon student's SAI (Student Aid Index). At Empire State University, students must have a federally calculated zero or less than zero SAI to be eligible for FSEOG. Student also must be a Pell Grant recipient.
Deadlines
Since funding for campus-based awards is limited, applications should be received by the Financial Aid office by April 1 of the award year. Due to limited funding, not all eligible applicants will receive an award. In order to make a late disbursement, FSEOG must have been awarded while the student was eligible.
Selection of recipients for FSEOG is restricted under federal regulations. The Office of Financial Aid will award FSEOG funds only to students with a zero or below zero SAI (Student Aid Index) as determined under a federally prescribed need-analysis system, and only to students who also receive a Federal Pell grant.
