Independent colleges serve more students with financial need

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG) are grants for college ranging from $1,000-$4,000 per student that can be used on top of other scholarships and are only available to students with the most financial need.

In order to qualify, students must be enrolled in a Bachelor's degree program, have no outstanding student loans from another program, be a U.S. citizen, and have no criminal record.

Students who qualify are from families with a family income of less than $30,000 annually. Approximately half of SEOG-eligible students are from families making $20,000 or less, annually. SEOG also requires that a portion of the grant funds come from scholarships sponsored by the institution.

Nationally, an average of about nine percent of undergraduates receive these grants. In Michigan, 14 percent of undergraduates receive SEOG while only six percent of undergraduates at Michigan's public universities receive SEOG.

Colby Cesaro