The New Jersey STARS scholarship provides five semesters of tuition at the state’s 19 community colleges for New Jersey students in the top 15 percent of their high school classes at the end of either their junior or senior years. Established in 2004, about 2,500 new students have enrolled each year through a $7 million commitment from the state.

Students — who must take at least 12 college credits per semester and remain continuously enrolled — are required to have a 3.0 GPA following their first year of community college to retain the STARS scholarship.

Those who graduate from high school and still need developmental course work will be given up to one year at their own cost or using other non-STARS funds to gain the skills they need to be college ready (SAT benchmarks).

Those students who have earned an associate degree with a 3.25 grade point average or better while enrolled in high school will be eligible to apply directly to a senior New Jersey public college or university for inclusion in NJ STARS II.