Federal Grants
Learn about the federal grant programs that UNLV participates in as well as their criteria.
Federal Pell Grant
- Based on exceptional financial need as determined by the FAFSA
- Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the FAFSA must be below $4,617
- First baccalaureate degree
- Must be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
- Awards vary from $609 to $5,350
- Can be offered to students who are less than full time on a prorated value
Watch this video to get more information about Pell Grants.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
- Based on exceptional financial need as determined by the FAFSA
- Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the FAFSA must be zero
- First baccalaureate degree
- Must be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
- Award: $500
- Can be offered to students who are less than full time on a prorated value
- Priority FAFSA filing date of Feb. 1
Find out about the Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant by watching this video.
Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)
- Based on exceptional financial need as determined by the FAFSA
- Be federal Pell Grant eligible
- Be enrolled full time in a degree program
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Be enrolled in the first or second academic year of his or her undergraduate program of study
- Have completed a rigorous secondary school program of study (after Jan. 1, 2006, if a first-year student and after Jan. 1, 2005, if a second-year student)
- If a first-year student, not have been previously enrolled in an undergraduate program
- If a second-year student, have at least a cumulative 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale for the first academic year
- Awards: $750 first academic year, $1,300 second academic year
Watch this video to learn about the Academic Competitiveness Grant.
National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (SMART)
- Based on exceptional financial need as determined by the FAFSA
- Be eligible to receive a federal Pell Grant
- Be enrolled as a full-time third- or fourth-year student in a baccalaureate degree program
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Have a 3.0 cumulative grade point average
- Be enrolled in an eligible major (PDF) in one of the following categories: computer science, engineering, critical foreign languages, life sciences, mathematics, physical sciences, technology, or multidisciplinary studies
- Award: $4,000 for each third or fourth year
Find out about SMART grants by watching this video.
Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant
The TEACH Grant Program provides grant funding of up to $4,000 per year to students who intend to teach in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families and in high need fields.
Note: Although this program is called a grant, the dollars awarded within this program are initially a form of a federal unsubsidized loan. The loan converts to a grant after the student completes a mandated service obligation with the U.S. Department of Education which requires that a student teach full-time for 4 years within an 8 year period after completing or ceasing to be enrolled in their degree program.
The U.S. Department of Education estimates 80 percent of all students who receive a TEACH "grant" will fail to meet the service agreement based upon stringent program rules (PDF).
The majority of students will incur additional loan indebtedness and mandatory backdated interest to when the student first received dollars under this program. Please fully understand the rigid parameters of the TEACH grant program before you proceed.
Get more information in English or Espanol.
To qualify, students must meet the following criteria:
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), although you do not have to demonstrate financial need.
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.
- Be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student in a postsecondary educational institution that has chosen to participate in the TEACH Grant Program.
- Be enrolled in course work that is necessary to begin a career in teaching in a high need field or plan to complete such course work. Such course work may include subject area courses (e.g., math courses for a student who intends to be a math teacher).
- Meet certain academic achievement requirements (generally scoring above the 75th percentile on a college admissions test or maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25).
- Sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve.
High-Need Field Required by the TEACH Grant
- Bilingual Education and English Language Acquisition
- Foreign language
- Mathematics
- Reading Specialist
- Science
- Special Education
Other identified teacher shortage areas as of the time you begin teaching in that field. These are teacher subject shortage areas (not geographic areas) that are listed in the Department of Education's Annual Teacher Shortage Area Nationwide Listing (DOC).
Schools Serving Low-Income Students
Schools serving low-income students include any elementary or secondary school that is listed in the Department of Education's Annual Directory of Designated Low-Income Schools for Teacher Cancellation Benefits. Access the directory.
If you are interested in the TEACH Grant program, you must complete and submit the TEACH Grant application (PDF) and submit it to Financial Aid & Scholarships along with the additional requested documentation listed on the application.
