Financial Assistance
What the Living Expenses Grant pays
Most students cannot work full time and study at the same time. This grant covers your living expenses so you can reduce your hours or step away from a job while you study. Here is how the amount is figured, and what it would be for you.
The grant pays a set monthly amount. You will not be asked for rent receipts or grocery bills. Part of the amount is the same for every student. The housing part depends on the county where you live, using the federal Fair Market Rent for your area.
Estimate your monthly amount
Not listed? Look up your county's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent at HUD User, or use the national average.
Part-time wages, a pension, or other income of your own. Do not include a spouse's income — it is not counted, and it does not reduce your grant.
About $3,386 over an eight-week semester.
This is an estimate of the maximum. Your actual grant is also reduced by any help you receive from another source, such as an employer or a church, that covers the same expenses. Awards are granted only to the extent funds are available, and meeting the requirements does not guarantee an award.
The schedule
These amounts are the same for every student, wherever you live.
| Expense | Per month |
|---|---|
| Food | $350 |
| Clothing | $70 |
| Everyday and personal expenses | $76 |
| Fixed total | $496 |
| Housing and utilities | varies by county |
Food comes from the USDA Low-Cost Food Plan for one adult. Clothing and everyday expenses come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey. Housing comes from HUD Fair Market Rent for a one-bedroom unit in your county, which already includes utilities other than phone and internet. Figures are set once a year for the 2026–2027 award year.
What the grant does not cover
- A spouse, children, or anyone else in your household. The amount covers you as an individual student.
- Transportation, healthcare, insurance, childcare, debt payments, phone, or internet.
- Tuition and costs. Those are covered separately by a tuition waiver, which you can hold at the same time as this grant.
How you get it
You don’t fill out a separate form for awards. When you apply for admission, check the box asking to be considered for scholarships, grants, and tuition waivers, then answer the financial questions. We review your information against every award and grant the ones you qualify for.
The grant is paid to you in monthly installments during the semester. Money received for living expenses may be taxable income, and we send you a statement once a year. We cannot give tax advice, so talk to a tax professional.
See all scholarships, grants, and waivers