The Stockton Promise
What is the Stockton Promise?
The Stockton Promise is a last dollar program that furthers Stockton University's ongoing commitment to helping students achieve their academic goals while reducing their need for student loans.
The Stockton Promise covers 100% of the gap between federal, state and institutional financial aid funds (grants & scholarships) and the cost of tuition & fees for qualifying students who are in their first or second year of study (have 59 or fewer earned credits) towards their first bachelors degree.
How Does it Work?
The Stockton Promise covers the remaining balance of an eligible student's tuition & fees* after all institutional grants and scholarships as well as any federal and state grants and scholarships are applied. Students eligible for the Stockton Promise will not be required to take out loans to cover their tuition & fees.
See the breakdown below:
Total tuition & fees bill minus any federal/state grants and scholarships you are eligible for minus any institutional grant and/or scholarship monies you have been offered = tuition & fees balance that the Stockton Promise will cover
Learn More:
Questions?
Visit our Stockton Promise FAQ, or contact us below!
Eligibility Criteria:
To be eligible for the Stockton Promise, students must:
- Enroll as a new, matriculated (degree-seeking), first-time undergraduate (freshman)
OR transfer student for the fall 2021 semester or later
- Note: Students who are not eligible for Stockton Promise funds during their first semester at Stockton will not be eligible for the fund in future semesters
- Note: Only students pursuing their first bachelor's degree are eligible. Students cannot be a readmitted student or have been previously enrolled at Stockton, unless enrollment occurred while still in high school (i.e. dual-credit courses)
- Enroll with 59 or fewer earned credits
- Maintain full-time status (enroll in at least 12 credits per semester at Stockton)
- Be a New Jersey state resident (this applies to parents of dependent students as well) +
- Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or HESAA NJ Alternative Application (NJ Dreamer students only) by April 15th of each year (extended to June 1 for the 2024-2025 academic year)
- Important: The 2024-2025 FAFSA utilizes 2022 income and tax information; therefore, we will use 2022 income and tax information to verify students' fall 2024/spring 2025 eligibility for this program.
- Complete all outstanding federal, state and institutional requirements, including all verification requirements. Learn more at stockton.edu/verification
- Have an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $0 - $65,000 per year AND an Expected Family
Contribution (EFC) of $15,000 or less, as per the FAFSA ++
- Dependent Students: Parent(s) adjusted gross income (AGI) must be between $0 - $65,000 per year. (Student income, if any, will NOT be factored in to the (AGI) requirement.)
- Independent Students: Student and spouse (if applicable) adjusted gross income (AGI) must be between $0 - $65,000 per year.
+All students and parents of dependent students must be New Jersey residents. NJ Alternative Application filers must be recognized New Jersey residents as defined by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA).
++A negative AGI is not eligible for Stockton Promise funding.
+++Foreign or Out of State Tax Returns submitted will not be considered for the Stockton Promise. Parents and Students (if independent) must be able to provide proof of verifiable U.S. income to be considered.
- Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
How to Apply:
- Submit and complete your FREE application for admission (if you have not yet done so). Promo codes to waive the $50 application
fee can be found on our Applications page (for use with the Stockton application only).
- First-year (freshman) students can apply through the Common App or Stockton application.
- Transfer students should apply via the Stockton application.
- Complete your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or HESAA NJ Alternative Application (NJ Dreamers students only)
Did you know?
- Merit scholarships and other sources of financial aid are available to all students, including those not eligible for the Stockton Promise.
- Our Foundation Scholarship program awards approximately 200 privately funded scholarships annually to qualified current Stockton students.
- Stockton has a bill estimator tool that allows you to see how your personal bill might look, depending on how many credits you take, what housing option you choose, or what meal plan you pick.
Frequently Asked Questions:
The Stockton Promise will be added to qualifying students' financial aid offers beginning with the fall 2021 semester.
You could receive Stockton Promise funding for up to four (4) semesters (Fall and Spring only) or until you have reached 60 earned credits, whichever comes first, as long as you continue to meet the eligibility criteria.
The Office of Financial Aid will verify your eligibility based on the eligibility criteria provided above. Once your eligibility has been confirmed, the Stockton Promise will be added to your financial aid offer. You should continue to check the Financial Aid tab of your goStockton portal for updates to your financial aid offer.
Please Note:
- Students entering the Fall semester that have not previously been awarded TAG must complete their FAFSA or NJ Alternative Application (NJ Dreamers only) by September 15.
- Students entering the Spring semester that have not previously been awarded TAG must complete their FAFSA or NJ Alternative Application (NJ Dreamers only) by February 15.
The Stockton Promise will cover the remaining balance of your tuition & fees* after all institutional grants and scholarships as well as any federal & state grants are applied. Students eligible for the Stockton Promise will not be required to take out loans to cover their tuition & fees.
Total tuition & fees bill minus any federal/state grants you are eligible for minus any institutional grant and/or scholarship monies you have been offered = tuition & fees balance that the Stockton Promise will cover
*Important: One-time fees (including, but not limited to, transcript and orientation fees) and enrollment and/or housing deposits are NOT included and will not be covered by the Stockton Promise. View a breakdown of all University fees here.
Room & Board are not included and will not be covered by the Stockton Promise.
If you are an on-campus residential student, you are encouraged to accept any federal loans provided as part of your financial aid offer and/or explore payment plan options to cover any balance resulting from your room & board (housing/meal plan) costs. Private/external scholarships can also be used to pay any room & board costs. Learn more about covering your costs at stockton.edu/fafsa.
Use our bill estimator tool to approximate your costs at Stockton according to number of credits, housing option, and meal plan choice.
Students will not need to accept Federal Direct Loans (which are typically included as part of a student's financial aid offer) to receive Stockton Promise funds.
Since the Stockton Promise does not cover housing and/or meal plan expenses, you can choose to accept these loans to cover those charges.
If you are offered Federal Direct Loans as part of your financial aid offer but do not wish to utilize them, you can decline or adjust the amount of loan you wish to accept in the Financial Aid tab of your goStockton portal. Click here to view step-by-step instructions on how to accept/decline your loans and here for instructions on how to make a loan change.
You can receive the Stockton Promise for up to four (4) semesters (Fall and Spring only). To maintain eligibility, you must meet the following criteria each year:
- File a FAFSA or New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application (Dreamer students only) annually by April 15th (extended to June 1 for the 2024-2025 academic year) and continue to meet the income and eligibility requirements outlined at stockton.edu/promise
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress, such as maintaining at least a 2.0 GPA and completing enough credits to progress towards your degree. Learn more at stockton.edu/sap
- Continue to meet the criteria listed in the Eligibility section above
Yes! Financial aid is deducted from your total tuition & fees bill as follows:
Total tuition & fees bill minus any federal/state grants you are eligible for minus any scholarship monies you have received (institutional) =tuition & fees balance that Stockton Promise will cover
Important: The Stockton Promise does not cover room & board (housing & meal plan) charges or one time fees including, but not limited to transcript and orientation fees and enrollment and/or housing deposits.
Stockton strives to make a quality education available to all students. Other sources of aid available include:
- Federal & State Grants
- Loans (Federal and/or Private)
- External Scholarships
- Foundation Scholarships (for continuing Stockton students, not new/incoming students)
Federal Direct loans are available to many students and are included in qualified students' financial aid packages; students have the option of accepting or declining these loans. Federal Direct PLUS loans are available to qualified parents/guardians of students. A list of frequently used lenders can be found on the Private/Alternative Loan Resource page.
We encourage continuing Stockton students to apply for our Foundation Scholarship program, which provides annual awards ranging from $100 - $2,500. Students can also access our Scholarship Resource Center to learn more about external scholarship opportunities.
Lastly, we offer several different payment plans that provide students and families the opportunity to pay off their balance over 2-5 payments, rather than as a single payment.
Stockton Promise funding is available only to students who have fewer than 59 earned credits. Students with over 59 earned credits who choose to attend Stockton University may be eligible for the Garden State Guarantee (GSG). Learn more at stockton.edu/gsg.
For dependent students, we will only review your parent(s) adjusted gross income (AGI). Your parent(s) AGI must be between $0 - $65,000 per year.
For independent students, the student and their spouse's (if applicable) adjusted gross income (AGI) must be between $0 - $65,000 per year.
Note: In addition to the AGI requirements as listed above, your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as per the FAFSA must also be $15,000 or less.
The Office of Financial Aid will review your updated FAFSA or HESAA NJ Alternative Application (NJ Dreamer students only) annually to verify continued eligibility.
If you were initially eligible and received the Stockton Promise during your first year at Stockton but then lost eligibility, you may be able to re-qualify for the Stockton Promise if you once again meet the eligibility requirements as outlined in the Eligibility section. Students believing they re-qualify must email the Office of Financial Aid at finaid@stockton.edu to appeal their eligibility.
Frequently Asked Questions for Transfer Students:
Yes, a transfer student who enrolls with 59 or less earned credits and meets all other Stockton Promise eligibility requirements will qualify for the Stockton Promise.
