CFDA Number: 84.007
Program Type: Formula Grants
Also Known As: SEOG Grants

The FSEOG Program provides need-based grants to help low-income undergraduate students finance the costs of postsecondary education. Students can receive these grants at any one of approximately 3,800 participating postsecondary institutions. When making FSEOG awards, the institution must give priority to those students with “exceptional need” (those with the lowest Expected Family Contributions, or EFCs, at the institution) and those who are also Federal Pell Grant recipients (see # 84.063, also under topical heading Federal Student Aid).

A participating institution applies each year for an FSEOG allocation by submitting a Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate (FISAP) to the U.S. Department of Education. Using a statutory formula, the Department allocates funds based on the institution's previous funding level and the aggregate need of eligible students in attendance in the prior year. Institutions must contribute 25 percent of the award amounts.

Students must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as part of the application process for an FSEOG. The FAFSA can be completed on the Web at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. For more information on FAFSA and the student aid award process, see the entry for the Federal Pell Grant Program (# 84.063, also under topical heading Federal Student Aid).

FSA Handbook