Middlesex County College : Admissions : NJSTARS

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The NJ STARS Program ensures all tuition and approved fees will be covered for two years at your local comminity college if you graduate in the top 20 percent of your High School class. You can complete the freshman and sophomore years of college with NO TUITION COSTS -- and then transfer to a bachelor’s degree program for the final two years. You do the math. You can save thousands of dollars.

The state of New Jersey Legislation passed a new law in January 2006, called the NJ STARS II Program, which is a continuation of NJ STARS and provides successful NJ STARS students at New Jersey county colleges with funding to transfer to a New Jersey four-year public institution of higher education to earn a bachelor's degree. If you come to Middlesex County College as a NJ STARS student and graduate from a degree program with a minimum 3.0 grade point average, you can transfer to a public four-year college in New Jersey as a junior without paying tuition and approved fees.

Ultimately, the results of the NJ STARS Program and NJ STARS II Program are obtaining an associate’s degree and bachelor’s degree without paying tuition or approved fees.

NJ STARS Program Checklist:

Graduate in the top 20% of your high school class.
Tuition and approved fees are covered for the fall and spring semesters and for a maximum of 5 consecutive semesters.
Apply to Middlesex County College and request your school to send an official copy of your high school transcript (including SAT scores if applicable) to the Admissions Office.
Apply for Federal Financial Aid, each year, by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (the FAFSA) Form. Apply on line at www.fafsa.ed.gov indicating Middlesex County College's financial aid code (002615).
Enroll full time in a degree program and register for at least 12 college level (non-remedial) credits each semester. A maximum of 15 credits each semester is covered as long as 12 or more credits are college level.
Student and parent(s) must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. at least 12 months prior to the start of classes.
A minimum of a 3.00 cumulative grade point average is required to be eligible for the second year.

Questions about the NJ STARS Program?
Contact Jennifer Quiwa at 732-906-2550 or Jennifer_Quiwa@middlesexcc.edu.

NJ STARS II Program Checklist:

NJ STARS student must graduate from a New Jersey County College with an associate degree.
Student must apply for all forms of State and Federal need-based grants and merit scholarships within established deadlines.
Student must meet all admission or application requirements established by the New Jersey four-year institution.
Student must graduate from the county college with a cumulative grade point average of a 3.00 or higher.
Student must be admitted to a New Jersey four year public college or university.
Student must be enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program within two semesters immediately following county college graduation.
Student must be enrolled in a full time course of study with a minimum of 12 college level credits each semester.
Student must achieve a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 after the first two consecutive semesters of study at the New Jersey four year public institution to maintain eligibility for the third and fourth semesters.
Student must maintain continuous full-time enrollment.
Student may receive the NJ STARS II scholarship for up to four semesters.

Further Information about the NJ STARS II Program, contact Taina Morales at New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority at tmorales@hesaa.org or 800-792-8670.