Land Grant Scholarship eligibility with pending residency status and negative SAI of -1500

Land Grant Scholarships vary by state and institution since they're tied to Land Grant universities (schools established through the Morrill Acts). The residency requirement is usually pretty strict since they're state-funded. With your negative SAI and high GPA, you'd normally be a perfect candidate, but the residency issue could be problematic. Which state are you applying in?

i got denied from land grant last yr bc of residency even tho i had good grades n stuff. they r super strict bout that part bc its like state money or whatever

The residency requirement for Land Grant Scholarships is THE most important qualification. Each state's public university system administers these scholarships (not federal financial aid), and they typically require 12+ months of continuous residency BEFORE applying. Your -1500 SAI is excellent though - that puts you in the highest need category for Pell Grants and other federal aid programs. Have you completed your CSS Profile too? Some institutional scholarships require both FAFSA and CSS.

Call the Residency Classification Office at ASU directly about your situation - they're the ones who make these determinations, not general financial aid. With your SAI of -1500, you'd qualify for max Pell Grant ($7,395 for 2025-2026) regardless of the Land Grant situation. ASU also has their own University Grant and Obama Scholars program if you meet requirements. I was in a similar situation last year and couldn't get through to anyone until I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with both the federal aid office and my university. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - basically connects you with an actual person instead of waiting on hold forever. Helped me resolve my verification issue when I was stuck.

Why dont u just lie about the residency thing? Not like theyre gonna check that hard lol. My cousin just used his friends address and got approved for in-state tuition no problems

I work in financial aid (not at ASU). With your SAI of -1500, you're in the highest need category, which is good news for federal aid. For Land Grant specifically, each university has a residency classification appeal process where you can explain extenuating circumstances. In your case, since your parents established residency and you were only temporarily away, you might have a case. The entity that provides Land Grant scholarships is the university itself, using state funding tied to their Land Grant status under the Morrill Acts. It's not federal money like Pell Grants. What I would suggest: 1. Contact ASU's Residency Classification Office directly about an appeal/exception 2. Apply for all federal aid regardless of the Land Grant situation 3. Look into ASU-specific scholarships that might have different residency requirements 4. Check departmental scholarships within your intended major With your GPA and SAI, you have excellent chances for other aid even if the Land Grant doesn't work out.

I had a similar situation with Land Grant at Michigan State!!! The residency office was IMPOSSIBLE to reach for WEEKS and then they denied me even though my parents lived in-state for years just because I went to high school out of state with my grandparents for my senior year!!! SO UNFAIR!!! My SAI was like -2300 and I still got rejected. The system is completely broken!!!