Thank you for your interest in applying for a grant or scholarship from the Negro Educational Emergency Drive (NEED). The NEED Scholarship Fund will provide $750,000 in 2008-2009 to help meet last dollar needs of low-income students through the Unmet NEED Grant Program.

For more information about our financial assistance, please visit the scholarships page.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to apply to the Unmet NEED program, the student must –

• Be a United States citizen,
• Be a resident of one of the following counties for one year prior to entering a school or college: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence, Washington or Westmoreland,
• Demonstrate unmet financial need of at least $1,000 after the financial aid award package has been determined,
• Have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0, and
• Be a high school senior or graduate planning to enroll, or a student already enrolled in a full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited postsecondary institution.**

** Approved accredited institutions are defined as Title IV eligible, accredited, postsecondary two- or four-year colleges or universities, vocational, or technical schools in the United States.

There are two ways you may apply to NEED --

Apply On-Line

Please complete the online application and place all of your documentation in ONE envelope postmarked on or before May 31, 2008.

NOTE: In order for you to use the online application, your computer must meet the following requirements:

• Running Microsoft Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, or Windows XP
• Running Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or above
• Your web browser has javascript enabled
• Your web browser has cookies enabled

If your computer does not meet these requirements, see below for paper application procedures.

The NEED application must be completed in its entirety. Do not leave the section blank for the name of the college or university you are planning to attend in the fall semester. If you do not yet know which school you will attend, please enter your first choice of schools.

Once the application is submitted you will be directed to place your transcripts and a photo in the mail to NEED. You will also be given a user ID to use to check the status of your application.

Mail-in Application

If you cannot or do not wish to complete the online application, you may elect to submit a paper application to NEED. The following materials must be submitted IN ONE ENVELOPE to NEED postmarked on or before May 31, 2008:

1. NEED Application-- Download by clicking on download forms link on the left side navigation bar.
2. Current, complete transcript of grades – Any one of the following:
• Official transcript of grades
• Unofficial transcript that includes the student and school’s name
• Student-generated online transcript that includes student and school’s name (Grade Reports are NOT acceptable)
• GED Test score results
3. Individual Wallet Size Photo (Your photo becomes the property of NEED and will not be returned). Only submit a photo if this is your first time applying to NEED.