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Grants and Loans

• To apply, you must plan to enroll in an eligible GIA full-time on campus educational program of 6 months or longer. GIA has financial aid available for qualified students who are United States citizens of United States permanent residents who meet the Federal requirements for eligibility.
  

To apply for GIA Financial Aid:

3 Months Prior to Your Gemology or Jeweler Program Start Date:

• Complete and send the GIA Financial Aid Application to the GIA Office of Student Financial Assistance
• Visit the FAFSA PIN website and get a PIN prior to completing your FAFSA.
• Download and complete the FAFSA worksheet prior to filling out your FAFSA.
• File your FAFSA using your PIN at www.fafsa.ed.gov
• If your class starts between April 2007 and March 2008, complete the 2007-08 FAFSA. 
• If your class starts between April 2008 and March 2009, complete the 2008-09 FAFSA.  
• GIA's school code is 015765.
• If requested, submit any additional forms or information, or go online to complete any required Promissory Notes for Stafford, PLUS, or Alternative Loans as instructed.

If your parent is applying for a PLUS loan only, or if you are applying for a Stafford or Alternative Loan only, you need to:

• Complete and send the GIA Financial Aid Application to the GIA Office of Student Financial Assistance at least 3 months prior to your start date.
• Follow the instructions you receive from the GIA Office of Student Financial Assistance to complete the loan process. You should receive these instructions at least a month prior to your start date.

Send the GIA Financial Aid application and requested forms to:

Gemological Institute of America
Office of Student Financial Assistance, MS 7
The Robert Mouawad Campus
5345 Armada Drive
Carlsbad, CA
92008

Scholarship Eligibility Requirements

• Open to U.S. Citizens, and Permanent Residents of the U.S.
• Applicants must be at least 17 years of age, with a high school diploma or GED equivalency.
• Applicants must be currently employed in the jewelry industry or planning to enter the field.
• Due to the limited number of scholarships available and the highly competitive nature of the scholarships, recipients who have been awarded a GIA scholarship within the past five years are NOT eligible to reapply.
• GIA Scholarships may ONLY be applied toward the tuition for a GIA course or program of study in which the applicant is planning to enroll in the upcoming calendar year.

To apply for a scholarship:

• Applications must be submitted June 15th - October 15th. Anything submitted before or after these dates will NOT be considered.
• Submit a minimum of one letter of recommendation from someone in the jewelry industry. The letter must be typed, preferably on the jeweler's own letterhead. It must be received no later than the application deadline. If you are new to the industry, a letter of recommendation from a previous employer, college, or university professor is acceptable. GIA staff and instructors cannot write you a letter of recommendation.
• IMPORTANT NOTE: Incomplete or late applications will not be considered for a scholarship.
• Applications will be reviewed and selected by the GIA scholarship committee. 
• Scholarship recipients will be notified by the end of January.

Send all Scholarship applications and supporting materials to:

Gemological Institute of America
Office of Student Financial Assistance, MS 7
The Robert Mouawad Campus
5345 Armada Drive
Carlsbad, CA
92008

For scholarship questions, please call 800-421-7250 ext. 4175 or e-mail scholarship@gia.edu.
To contact a financial aid representative, please call 800-421-7250 ext. 4004 or 4005, or email financialaid@gia.edu.