Nicholls State University

FINANCIAL AID

Louisiana Go Grant

The Louisiana Go Grant is a need-based state grant for students aimed at bridging the gap between the amount of financial aid a student is awarded through the Federal Pell Grant program and the actual cost of attending a Louisiana college or university. A student must meet specific program requirements to be eligible to receive this grant.

To be eligible for the Go Grant, a student must:

  • Be a Louisiana Resident
  • Receive a Federal Pell Grant
  • Have remaining need after deducting the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and all federal, state, institutional grant or scholarship aid from the student’s cost of attendance
  • Be enrolled at least half-time

Selection Criteria
Priority consideration is given to students who meet the eligibility requirements established by the Louisiana Office of Financial Assistance (LOSFA) and have completed the FAFSA and any requirements necessary for packaging on a first-come first-serve basis.

If the number of eligible students exceeds the program appropriations, students who completed the financial aid process earliest are given priority consideration. In the event of a funding surplus due to a decrease or cancellation of awards, funds may be reallocated to eligible students who demonstrate substantial financial need.

Award Amounts
The University is concerned about students with financial hardships being able to pay for tuition and fees. For this reason, the University has established a Go Grant award structure to best fit our student population and allocation of funding. As such, the institutionally set annual maximum award may not exceed $2,100 for the 2023-2024 Academic Year. The minimum award amount that a student may receive is $300.

We base the award amount on the number of eligible students in the preceding year and the projected allocation from the state. Based on our allocation and our packaging policy, Nicholls has set a maximum annual award of $2,100.

Award Calculations
Operating under the proposed guidelines provided by LOSFA, the Office of Financial Aid has established a packaging procedure to ensure equitable distribution of funding among our student populations in a manner to reduce the most students’ overall unmet need.  Specifically, our office will attempt to reach students with the most financial need.

Example:
COA = $17,500
EFC = 1,500
Need 16,000

Examples of gift aid include Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG, TOPS, TOPS stipends and institutional scholarships.

Packaging Policy

  • Student awards are calculated as explained in the “Award Calculations” section and the award amount is based on a full-time student attending the fall and spring semesters.
  • For students who do not or will not be attending both fall and spring semesters of the academic year, the annual award amount shall be reduced by fifty percent.
  • For students with less than full-time enrollment during the fall or spring semesters of the academic year, the awards will be prorated according to their enrollment status.
  • First priority will be given to students who are 25 or over. We have also developed a mechanism for ensuring consideration of awards for reentry and transfer students on the same basis as continuing students. Specifically, our office reviews the master payment roster provided by the state to identify students who may have received the award in the past. All remaining funding is provided to students with the most financial need.
  • If a student meets all other GO Grant eligibility but his total aid package exceeds the cost of attendance causing an over award, any federal loan aid will be reduced first followed by any institutional aid until there is no remaining over award. In the event the student is also a TOPS award recipient, and further reduction in award is needed, the GO Grant award shall be reduced before the TOPS award.
The owner of this website has made a committment to accessibility and inclusion, please report any problems that you encounter using the contact form on this website. This site uses the WP ADA Compliance Check plugin to enhance accessibility.