The Silver State Opportunity Grant (SSOG) is a state-supported, need-based financial aid program. College of Southern Nevada will award available funds to eligible students based on their financial need determined by the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). CSN prioritizes eligible students who have a -1500 to 0 SAI first and are enrolled in 15 eligible credits. This award is provided on a first-come, first-serve basis and demand may exceed available funding. Students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA as early as possible for consideration.
Eligibility
To be considered for an SSOG award a student must:
- Be enrolled in a program of study leading to a degree or certificate.
- Funds are awarded based on priority. See priority order in the FAQs below.
- Be college-ready based on placement or completion of entry-level, college-level Mathematics and English*.
- Be classified as a Nevada resident for tuition purposes.
- Meet institutional Title IV financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements; and
- Complete the FAFSA and have an a Student Aid Index (SAI) of 8500 or less.
- Students selected for verification must complete the process successfully.
To be considered "college-ready"
To be considered “college-ready” for the purpose of SSOG Program eligibility, a student must be:
1) Currently or previously enrolled in a 100 or above level Mathematics and English course or,
2) Placed into a college-level course under institutional placement policies for placement into at least Math 120 and English 101, or
3) Previously successfully completed remedial coursework (evident by a C or better in Math 096 and/or English 098).
Please refer to the following tables for the minimum English or mathematics scores required to be placed into a college-level course in that subject.
| Test Score | Minimum Score |
|---|---|
| ACT English or ACT English Language Arts (ELA) | 18 (English) or 20 (ELA) |
| SAT Critical Reading - SAT Test Date prior to March, 2016 | 500 |
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing-SAT test date March, 2016 and later | 480 |
| Smarter Balanced | 2583 (Achievement Level 3) |
| PARCC | Level 4 Score |
| Test Scores | Minimum Score |
|---|---|
| ACT Mathematics | 22 |
| SAT Math - SAT Test Date prior to March 2016 | 500 |
| SAT Math - SAT Test Date March 2016 and later | 530 |
| Smarter Balanced | 2628 (Achievement Level 3) |
| PARCC | Level 4 Score |
Maintaining Eligibility
To maintain eligibility from the fall to the spring semester, you must successfully complete all credits in the tier in which you were awarded (i.e. 15 credits, 12 credits, or the number of credits required to graduate at end of term), maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative institutional GPA and meet institutional financial aid SAP requirements.
Award Amounts
Once enrolled and eligible, these limited funds are disbursed to students in the following order: Priority 1, with -1500 to O SAI students enrolled in 15 credits; Priority 2, eligible students in their final semester that requires less than 12 credits to graduate and Priority 3, eligible students who are enrolled in at least 12 but less than 15 credit hours.
Funds will be disbursed soon after the financial aid census date for the semester and after the add/drop period has concluded.
| Enrollment Status | Maximum Award Amount |
|---|---|
| 15 or more credits per semester | $5,500 |
| 12 to 14 credits per semester | $4,400 |
| Less than 12 credits in final semester prior to graduation | Prorated amount based on number of credits in which you are enrolled |
Frequently Asked Questions
SSOG is awarded in a priority order (lowest EFC to highest in each priority).
- Priority 1: eligible students who are enrolled in at least 15 credit hours per semester.
- Priority 2: eligible students who are enrolled in less than 15 credit hours in their final semester prior to graduation who self-identify to the Financial Aid Office and previously received the award; and
- Priority 3: eligible students who are enrolled in at least 12 but less than 15 credit hours per semester.
All eligible students at all institutions have to be awarded in the priority 1 group before CSN can proceed to award anyone in priority 2 and then priority 3 groups. Demand may exceed available funding, preventing eligible students from receiving an award.
A student who loses eligibility for SSOG may reinstate during a subsequent semester by meeting or regaining financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Subject to available funds, this student would be eligible to receive SSOG in future semesters, provided all eligibility requirements for the program are met. (NSHE Procedures and Guidelines Manual Chapter. 11, Page 5)
Your award will be canceled if your enrollment drops below the tier in which you were awarded at any point throughout the add/drop period. In cases where the student withdraws from a course and receives a “W” grade, the attempted credit level does not change and therefore the award remains.
A student who enrolls in fewer than 15 credit hours to complete their program of study in their final semester and has received SSOG in the past may be funded at a lower enrollment level contingent upon available funding. Students will need to contact Financial Aid to request a prorated SSOG based on expected graduation. Student will need to submit an email response from CSN graduation, and a degree sheet signed by student & counselor documenting the expected pending graduation.
No. A student who previously earned a bachelor’s degree is not eligible to receive the SSOG award.
Maybe. You will need to complete the FAFSA and inform the CSN Financial Aid Office of your DACA status and interest in SSOG. You must provide documentation of DACA status to the CSN Financial Aid Office before you may be considered for the award.