UNH Expands Granite Guarantee

The University of New Hampshire will expand its commitment to New Hampshire students by offering the Granite Guarantee to graduates from the Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) as of next month.

According to a statement released by UNH, this expansion of the program, which guarantees NH students who receive federal Pell grants pay no tuition to attend the university, is for students who transfer to UNH directly from CCSNH. In its first two years, UNH’s Granite Guarantee has helped 800 first-year students studying on the Durham and Manchester campuses. The commitment remains in place for the two years recipients need to earn a bachelor’s degree, provided the student is enrolled full-time, remains Pell-eligible and makes satisfactory progress toward their degree.

“The expansion of Granite Guarantee to new graduates of the community college system allows us to continue to work to remove financial barriers to higher education that many New Hampshire families face,” says UNH President James W. Dean, Jr. “We value our partnership with the state’s community colleges and see this as an opportunity to encourage students to stay on track to complete a bachelor’s degree in four years.”

Ross Gittell, CCSNH chancellor, says the extension is a way to encourage more of NH’s best and brightest students to stay in the state to earn bachelor’s degrees and enhance the Granite State’s skilled workforce. “Our graduates are outstanding students who come from diverse backgrounds and all corners of New Hampshire,” says Gittell. “They are highly sought after thanks to the education they receive at the community colleges and the Granite Guarantee will be a valuable recruiting tool to retain these students in New Hampshire after they have completed their associate degrees.”

No separate application is needed for UNH’s Granite Guarantee. Students simply apply for admission to UNH and apply for financial aid through the existing procedures. The transfer application deadline for spring 2019 enrollment has been extended to Nov 15. Students who apply for fall 2019 and beyond will also be eligible.