Pay For College, Step 2: State Aid
To apply for State of Delaware scholarships, you must log in to your Delaware Department of Education’s Higher Education Office Student Account through Student Account Access. If you do not have a student account, you may create one on the Student Account Access page.
On this page, you will find four sections filled with information about special programs for college-ready Delaware students.
- Scholarships for Delaware residents.
- Incentive loan programs offer students financial aid in particular areas of study.
- The Academic Common Market gives students more choices for schools and programs.
- Delaware colleges offer tuition assistance to students who enroll in college in the fall directly following their high school graduation. (SEED Scholarship at Delaware Technical Community College and the Associate in Arts Program at the University of Delaware, or the Inspire Scholarship at Delaware State).
Scholarships for Delaware residents
To encourage and help graduating seniors and other residents prepare themselves for their future, the Delaware Department of Education offers various scholarships and programs to help pay for college.
Listed below are scholarships administered by the Delaware Department of Education’s Higher Education Office. To see eligibility requirements and application deadlines, click on the scholarship name. Deadlines for state scholarships and programs are also listed below.
To apply for any of these programs, you must log in to your Delaware Dept. of Education’s Higher Education Office student account through Student Account Access. If you do not have a student account, you may create one on the Student Account Access page. Students must file Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) prior to application deadline.
Academic scholarships
- B. Bradford Barnes Memorial Scholarship — Apply by 4:30 p.m. February 25, 2022.
- Charles L. Hebner Memorial Scholarship — Apply by 4:30 p.m. February 25, 2022.
- Diamond State Scholarship — Apply by 4:30 p.m. February 25, 2022.
- Herman M. Holloway, Sr. Memorial Scholarship — Apply by 4:30 p.m. February 25, 2022.
Grants
- Scholarship Incentive Program (ScIP) Complete the FAFSA by April 15, 2022. The application process requires three steps. Click on link for details.
- Educational Benefits for Children of Deceased Veterans and Others – Apply by May 20, 2022.
Regional partnerships
Incentive loan programs offer students financial aid in particular areas of study.
Undergraduate
- Delaware Nursing Incentive Program — Apply by 4:30 p.m. May 20, 2022.
- Christa McAuliffe Teacher Incentive Program — Apply by 4:30 p.m. May 20, 2022.
Undergraduate and graduate
- Delaware Teacher Corps —Apply by 4:30 p.m. May 20, 2022.
- Ada Leigh Soles Memorial Professional Librarian and Archivist Incentive Program — Apply by 4:30 p.m. May 20, 2022. Must file Free Application for FederalStudent Aid (FAFSA) by April 15, 2022.
Graduate
- Optometry Incentive Program — Apply by 4:30 p.m. May 20, 2022.
- Speech-Language Pathologist Incentive Program — Apply by 4:30 p.m. May 20, 2022.
Academic Common Market: Pay in-state tuition at out-of-state schools
The Academic Common Market (ACM) is a tuition-savings agreement between 15 states that are members of the Southern Regional Education Board. If your degree program is not offered by a public college in Delaware, you may be eligible for in-state tuition at one of the participating public colleges.
You may apply for the ACM if you meet the following eligibility criteria:
- You are a Delaware resident and U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.
- Your degree program is not offered at the University of Delaware or Delaware State University.
- You have been accepted into, or you are already enrolled in, an eligible degree program that has been selected for the ACM by a participating public institution.
To see which programs are available to Delaware residents, click here
To apply for the Academic Common Market and for more information, click here
The ACM includes baccalaureate and graduate-level degree programs but does NOT include first professional degree programs, such as dentistry, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, theology, and law. To search ACM programs available for Delaware residents, click here and select DE as your state of residence. You will be able to search available options by a number of criteria, including state, major, institution, and undergraduate or graduate degrees.
SEED and Inspire scholarships
The Student Excellence Equals Degree (SEED) Scholarship Program was initiated to ensure that finances do not keep good students from going to college. If you attend a Delaware high school and keep your grades up (2.5 GPA required), you have the opportunity to go to Delaware Technical Community College or the University of Delaware’s Associate in Arts program tuition-free.
The University of Delaware’s Associate in Arts Program (AAP) gives students the option to first earn an associate’s degree at the Dover, Georgetown, or Wilmington campus, then transition to the Newark campus to earn their Bachelor’s degree. Students in the AAP program are also eligible for a SEED scholarship.
The Inspire Scholarship is available to Delaware high school graduates with a 2.75 GPA who wish to attend Delaware State University.
The intent of Inspire is to offset the cost of tuition so more Delawareans can attend college and complete a degree program. The scholarship program is subject to available funds appropriated by the Delaware General Assembly. Inspire Scholarship recipients must continue to make excellent academic progress towards a degree and must complete at least ten hours of community service per semester.