NJS

NJSTARS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. What is NJSTARS?
2. Who are NJSTARS?
3. What is the FAFSA filing deadline for renewal NJ STARS? For freshman NJ STARS?
4. Are there any other deadlines that apply to NJ STARS students?
5. How is BCC notified of new and/or potential NJSTARS?
6. How are renewal NJ STARS students identified?
7. Are home-schooled students eligible for NJSTARS?
8. Can NJ STARS-eligible students attend any New Jersey county college?
9. If an NJ STARS-eligible high school graduate attended an institution other than a NJ county college (in-state or out-of-state) during the student’s first term of enrollment, is the student eligible to receive an NJ STARS award the following semester?
10. If a NJ STARS-eligible high school graduate attended a NJ county college part-time during the previous academic year, is the student eligible to receive an NJ STARS award for the next academic year?
11. Legislation signed by Acting Governor Richard J. Codey on August 5, 2005 requires all NJ STARS recipients to attain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) prior to the second year of enrollment. What happens if an NJ STARS student does not attain the minimum 3.0 GPA?
12. For how long can I receive a NJSTARS scholarship?
13. Can I get NJSTARS to attend in the Summer?
14. What if I have to take developmental courses?
15. What happens if I withdraw from the college?
16. How can I learn more about NJSTARS?
17. How can I learn more about NJSTARS II?

1. What is NJSTARS?

NJSTARS is the New Jersey Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship program.
NJSTARS rewards high achieving NJ High School graduates by providing scholarships to cover the cost of their tuition and approved fees (at BCC - 15 college levels credits per semester) for the first two years of full-time study at their home county college.

2. Who are NJSTARS?
* New Jersey residents who graduated in the top 20% of their high school class.
* Students who graduated from high school in 2004 or later. (Note: 2004 high school graduates had to enroll full-time at a county college by the fall of 2006)
* Students must be state residents pursuant to guidelines established by HESAA (Be a NJ Resident)
* Be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen
* Students must apply for all forms of State and Federal need-based grants (by completing the FAFSA) and merit scholarships and submit any requested documentation to complete and verify their application data within established deadlines
* Students must be accepted into an Associate's degree program (Certificate programs are not eligible for NJSTARS)

3. What is the FAFSA filing deadline for renewal NJ STARS? For freshman NJ STARS?

These deadlines are the same as the Tuition Aid Grant Program deadlines, which are stated on the FAFSA application.
Students who received a TAG award during the previous school year are required to file the FAFSA by the June 1st renewal deadline.
HESAA will mail reminder letters to TAG recipients of the previous school year in April or May.
All non-renewals must file the FAFSA by the October 1st deadline for the fall semester and by March 1st for the spring semester.

* However, the BCC Financial Aid Department recommends filing your FAFSA as soon as your taxes and your parents' taxes are done. We recommend this to ensure that we have received your information, have made any necessary corrections, and your STARS grant is placed on your account prior to the beginning of the semester.

4. Are there any other deadlines that apply to NJ STARS students?

Yes, the November 15 and March 15 deadlines. These deadlines are for reporting to HESAA changes in college choice and/or providing additional information or verification documents that may have been requested.

5. How is BCC notified of new and/or potential NJSTARS?

BCC is notified of those students that are NJSTARs eligible by the State of New Jersey (HESAA).
NJHESAA received the information directly from the high schools that the students graduated from. The students that are on this list are students that are ranked in the top 20% of their graduating class.

6. How are renewal NJ STARS students identified?

Renewal NJ STARS are those students who received NJ STARS awards in the preceding term and have maintained a cumulative gpa of at least 3.0.

7. Are home-schooled students eligible for NJSTARS?

No. Home-schooled students are not eligible for NJSTARS.

8. Can NJ STARS-eligible students attend any New Jersey county college?

Students are eligible to receive NJ STARS funds at the county college that serves their county of residence. If that county college does not offer a curriculum the student wishes to study, the student may be eligible for NJ STARS at another NJ county college that offers the curriculum, provided that supporting documentation is provided by the home county college. In these cases, the amount of any NJ STARS award must be computed as if the student were an in-county resident.

An NJ STARS-eligible student may also attend another NJ county college if his/her county college of residence pays the difference between the in-county rate and the out-of-county rate pursuant to the chargeback regulations N.J.A.C. 9A:4. The NJ STARS award must be computed as if the student were an in-county resident.

9. If an NJ STARS-eligible high school graduate attended an institution other than a NJ county college (in-state or out-of-state) during the student’s first term of enrollment, is the student eligible to receive an NJ STARS award the following semester?

If a NJ STARS-eligible high school graduate attended an institution other than a NJ county college during the student’s first term of enrollment, the student must enroll full-time at a NJ county college for the following semester in order to be eligible for the NJ STARS Program.

10. If a NJ STARS-eligible high school graduate attended a NJ county college part-time during the previous academic year, is the student eligible to receive an NJ STARS award for the next academic year?

If a NJ-STARS eligible high school graduate attended a NJ county college part-time during the fall semester, and did not attend a NJ county college full-time by the spring semester, that student is no longer eligible to receive an NJ STARS award.
If an NJ STARS eligible high school graduate postponed college attendance, and began attending a NJ county college part-time during the spring semester, the student must enroll in a NJ county college full-time by the next fall semester to remain eligible to receive an NJ STARS award.

For Example: Jane is a STAR student and attended BCC part time in the Fall semester. She decided not to attend BCC in the Spring but to come back to BCC the next Fall semester. Jane would no longer be considered a NJSTAR.

11. Legislation signed by Acting Governor Richard J. Codey on August 5, 2005 requires all NJ STARS recipients to attain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) prior to the second year of enrollment. What happens if an NJ STARS student does not attain the minimum 3.0 GPA?

If the student began county college enrollment during the fall semester and his/her cumulative GPA is below 3.0 prior to the start of the next fall semester, the student is no longer eligible for NJ STARS. The institution the student is attending must notify HESAA of the student’s ineligibility.
NOTE: Students who began county college enrollment during the spring semester will be required to attain a 3.0 cumulative GPA prior to the start of the next spring semester.

This legislation also specifies that if an NJ STARS recipient has less than a 3.0 GPA at the start of the second semester of his/her first year, the student will be required to participate in an enrichment program, designed by the county college, during the second semester of his/her first year of enrollment. However, as noted above, students who do not attain at least a 3.0 GPA by the start of the second year of enrollment are no longer eligible to receive NJ STARS.

12. For how long can I receive a NJSTARS scholarship?

You can receive a NJSTARS scholarship for up to five (5) semesters of continuous full time enrollment, as long as you continue to maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average and meet other eligibility criteria.

13. Can I get NJSTARS to attend in the Summer?

No. The NJSTARSscholarship is only available for the fall and spring semesters.

14. What if I have to take developmental courses?

NJSTAR students must enroll in a minimum of twelve (12) collegel level credits each fall and spring semester. If you must take developmental courses, NJSTARS will only cover 3 credits of remediation each semester and ONLY when taken in conjunction with the 12 college level credits.

15. What happens if I withdraw from the college?

If you withdraw from BCC you will become ineligible for continued participation in the NJSTARS scholarship program. You will not be able to resume your scholarship at BCC or any other county college.

16. How can I learn more about NJSTARS?

For more information on NJSTARS you can either visit www.njstars.net or contact the BCC financial aid department at 609-894-9311 ext. 1820 (the NJSTARS line) or ext. 1575 (the financial aid line).

17. How can I learn more about NJSTARS II?

You can visit the NJSTARS website at http://www.njstars.net/ and click on the link for NJSTARS II.