Free Application for Federal Student Aid

• The first step out-of-state students should take is the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The U.S. Department of Education uses the data to determine eligibility for government grants and scholarships. Moreover, private organizations may award grants and scholarships to students based on the data recorded on FAFSA.
  
  

Federal Grants

• Out-of-state students who complete FAFSA may be eligible for federal grants to attend colleges in Georgia. For example, at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, out-of-state students may qualify for Federal Pell Grants, which award a maximum of $5,550 in 2011 to eligible students. In addition, out-of-state students may be eligible for Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, which award a maximum of $5,000 in 2011, if they qualify for Pell Grants. These grants are need-based.
  
  

Other Federal Grants

• Out-of-state students who attend the University of Georgia and are Pell Grant recipients may be eligible for a host of federal aid, including Pell Grants and Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants. In addition to the aforementioned, out-of-state students may be eligible for Academic Competitiveness Grants and SMART Grants. These are merit-based grants that award as much as $1,300 and $4,000, respectively, to eligible students who achieve at least 3.0 grade-point averages.
  
  

Private Scholarships

• Some colleges offer private scholarships to out-of-state students who are U.S. citizens. Spelman and Morehouse Colleges in Atlanta are two such colleges. Spelman College, in partnership with the Sprint Foundation, awards $5,000 scholarships to high school students who graduate in 2011 with 3.0 grade-point averages. High-school students who are interested in Morehouse and earn 3.0 grade-point averages in their junior years can apply for the Coca-Cola Scholars Program, which awards as much as $20,000.
  
  

State Resources

• Out-of-state students who are willing to relocate to Georgia and defer attending college for at least one year are considered residents of the state of Georgia, according to the Georgia Student Finance Commission; therefore, they may be eligible for state financial aid after one year. Thereafter, students may be eligible for a number of scholarships and grants, including the Public Safety Memorial Grant and the Hope Scholarship, which award as much as $3,600 and $18,000, respectively, for 2011.