Grants

Grants are offered by the federal government, the State of Ohio, selected other states, and by Xavier University.

In general, grants are awarded to students based on financial need or a specific talent. Like scholarships, grants are a great way to finance a college education. Remember, grants are gift assistance, and they do not need to be repaid. Make sure to submit your application for admission as well as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Federal Grants

Pell Grant

The Pell Grant usually is awarded only to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need and have not earned a bachelor's, graduate, or professional degree. To apply, students must complete the FAFSA each year. The amount of the Pell Grant varies based upon the level of financial need and the number of credit hours for which the student is enrolled. The maximum full-time award is $7,395 for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

The SEOG is awarded to undergraduate students based on financial need. Xavier University receives a limited amount of federal funding to use for SEOG awards, therefore the grant is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Students with the lowest Student Aid Index (SAI) who will also receive a Pell Grant during the award year are awarded first. To receive consideration for the SEOG, students must meet the following minimum eligibility requirements:

Have a complete financial aid file by June 1 (includes a valid FAFSA, documentation required for verification, and resolution of FAFSA Student Aid Report comments and discrepancies)
Be Pell-Grant eligible
Demonstrate need as determined by the FAFSA
Enroll in a first bachelor's degree program
Enroll at least half time (6 or more credit hours)
Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards

**Incoming students who have been awarded a FSEOG but have not committed to Xavier by June 1 will have their grant cancelled. Awarded incoming and returning students who are not enrolled by the end of the add/drop period each semester also will have their FSEOG cancelled.

Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant

The TEACH Grant is available to undergraduate and graduate students. This program provides grants of up to $3,772 per year to students who are completing or plan to complete course work needed to begin a career in teaching.

The TEACH grant requires that students work as a full-time teacher in a high-need field, in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves low-income students. A TEACH Grant recipient must teach for at least four academic years within eight calendar years of completing the program of study for which the TEACH Grant was received. If a student fails to complete this teaching obligation, all amounts of TEACH grants that were received will be converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan. This loan plus all accrued interest must be repaid to the U.S. Department of Education. Interest will be charged from the date the grants were disbursed.
Students must meet certain achievement requirements. New students generally need to score above the 75th percentile on a college admissions test. Continuing students need to maintain at least a 3.25 GPA (each semester).
Students must complete initial counseling prior to receiving the grant, subsequent counseling prior to each award year and exit counseling after leaving the university.
Students must complete a TEACH Agreement to Serve or Repay (each year) to receive a TEACH grant. Information about high-need fields and schools serving low-income students, eligibility requirements, grant conditions may be found at StudentAid.gov. The Agreement is available at StudentAid.gov/teach-agreement.

Ohio Grants and Scholarships

Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG)

The Ohio College Opportunity Grant is a need-based grant for Ohio residents who are pursuing an associate degree or first bachelor’s degree. To be eligible, a student must file a FAFSA form and have an SAI (Student Aid Index) of $3,750 or less and a maximum household income of $96,000. The maximum award amount for 2024-2025 is $5,000 (full-time student). Any OCOG-eligible student who enrolls less than full time may receive a prorated award amount based on their enrollment status.

Governor's Merit Scholarship (GMS)

The Governor's Merit Scholarship provides up to $5,000/year in financial assistance to Ohio high school seniors who are identified as graduating in the top 5% of their class. The GMS is renewable for up to four years of full-time instruction and may be applied to tuition, fees, and other educational expenses included in the university's Cost of Attendance. Renewal eligibility is based upon the student maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above, completing a minimum of 20 credit hours/year, and demonstrating appropriate progress toward earning a degree.

Students who are attending public or chartered nonpublic high schools do NOT need to apply for the Governor’s Merit Scholarship. Each high school will determine if a student falls within the top 5% of their class, and the student will be notified (by email or U.S. mail) of the offer of a GMS award. Homeschooled students and students enrolled in a dropout recovery high school may qualify for the GMS by completing a college admissions test (ACT or SAT) and submitting an application to Ohio Department of Higher Education via the secure online application portal (meritscholarship.ohio.gov) for full consideration.

Grow Your Own (GYO) Teacher Scholarship

The Grow Your Own Teacher Scholarship Program is intended to assist “high need” school districts with teacher recruitment and retention by providing scholarships to: (1) low-income high school seniors attending a qualifying school, and (2) individuals employed at a qualifying school who hold an educational aide permit, educational paraprofessional license, or a substitute license. Eligible candidates must be endorsed by their school district in order to apply for the GYO Teacher Scholarship and must commit to teaching in that district for four years upon their graduation from a teacher preparation program.

Recipients of the GYO Teacher Scholarship are eligible to receive up to $7,500/year for four academic years. Funds may be used to pay for costs associated with a bachelor's degree in education, a master’s degree with an initial licensure program, or a post-baccalaureate program that leads to licensure.

The application window for the 2025-2026 academic year opened on November 1, 2024. School districts must nominate their seniors and employees through the online portal at growyourown.ohio.gov. Applications will not be accepted in any other way. Nominations will be accepted until February 14, 2025. After your district nominates you, you will receive an email with a link to complete your section of the application.

Renewal eligibility is based upon a student meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress and continuing in a pre-established pathway to a teacher preparation program. Before receiving the scholarship, the recipient is required to complete a FAFSA form and sign a promissory note payable to the state of Ohio. If the recipient does not complete the program or service obligation, the GYO Teacher Scholarship will be converted into a loan to be repaid.

Other State Grants

Students who qualify for state grants from their home states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont may use those funds at Xavier. For information on grant programs available to residents of these states, contact the Board of Education in each state.

Xavier Grants

Xavier University Grants

Students who have remaining financial need after all other scholarships, grants, and loans have been awarded may qualify for need-based grants from Xavier University. Undergraduate students must be full-time. The amounts of these grants vary depending upon the level of financial need. In order to qualify for Xavier grants, students must be admitted to the University and must file the FAFSA each year by Xavier's priority deadline of February 15.

Accelerated Degree Completion (ADC) Grants

Staff in the Office of Student Financial Services award grants to students admitted and enrolled through the APEX program. These grants are based on financial need and/or academic merit, as well as hours enrolled. To apply, students must submit the FASFA and their enrollment hours. The Office of Student Financial Services will send an email to each student (once the FAFSA results have been received) to request enrollment hours. Award amounts vary.

Transfer Grants

Xavier University awards transfer grants to undergraduate students who transfer to Xavier. Transfer grants are based on a student's GPA at a prior school and financial need. Students must submit the FAFSA and be enrolled full-time.

Family Grants

Xavier University awards Family Grants when two or more siblings are enrolled as full-time undergraduates at Xavier during the same semester. Two siblings enrolled full-time would each receive a $1,000 Family Grant per academic year ($500/semester). If three or more siblings are enrolled simultaneously, each student would receive a $5,000 Family Grant per academic year ($2,500/semester).

These partial tuition grants may be applied only to fall and spring semester tuition. Family Grants are awarded only for the current academic year. If not used in the current year, they are considered forfeited and cannot be applied to prior years.

Contact the Office of Student Financial Services at xufinaid@xavier.edu to apply for the Family Grant.