About Student Aid Alliance

The Student Aid Alliance is a coalition of over 40 higher education organizations united in our support for federal student aid. The Student Aid Alliance is co-led by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the American Council on Education (ACE), the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), the Association of American Universities (AAU), the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), and the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA).

What We Support

Federal Pell Grant Program

Pell Grants are the largest student aid program and the foundation of federal student aid. Unlike student loans, they do not have to be repaid. They are awarded from the federal government to low-income students for undergraduate study at all colleges and universities.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG)

SEOG grants, unlike student loans, do not have to be repaid. They are awarded to the neediest Pell Grant recipients at participating institutions. Colleges match federal funding to help low-income students borrow less and persist to completion.

Federal Work Study Program

FWS provides part-time jobs to help students work their way through college while building professional skills. Colleges and other employers match federal funding for jobs at participating institutions, local businesses, or in community service. Work study recipients are connected to the campus community, which helps them complete college on time.

TRIO Programs

TRIO programs help low-income, first-generation to college Americans enter college, graduate, and launch a career. The programs provide a pipeline of educational outreach and student support services from middle school through postgraduate study. The institution-based programs provide tutoring; personal, financial and career counseling; and special instruction in reading, writing, mathematics and study skills.

GEAR UP

Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) targets at-risk 7^th grade cohorts and works with them through high school to prepare and apply for college. States and local partnerships receive federal funds to create programs.

Graduate Programs

The Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program supports increasing the quality of students who prepare for research and teaching. GAANN targets high-performing and high-need graduate students in areas of national competitiveness.