Nevada Promise Scholarship
Last-dollar support for up to three years of eligible tuition and mandatory fees at the College of Southern Nevada, with mentoring, financial aid, service, and enrollment requirements.
Nevada Promise Scholarship
Current application cycle
The College of Southern Nevada (CSN) is accepting applications for its 2026–2027 Nevada Promise Scholarship cycle. The official page says the cycle serves Nevada high school students graduating in the Class of 2027 and eligible students completing a high school equivalency. Applications are open from August 1, 2026 through October 31, 2026. The application deadline is October 31, 2026. CSN warns that dates may change, so use its current checklist and student portal for updates as the cycle progresses.
Nevada Promise is a last-dollar scholarship established by the Nevada Legislature. At CSN, it can cover tuition and mandatory fees left after other gift aid has been applied. This page describes the College of Southern Nevada’s current cycle and its steps. Students considering another Nevada college should check that institution’s own Promise information; CSN’s checklist and portal instructions apply to CSN applicants.
What the award covers
CSN says eligible recipients may receive the scholarship for up to three years at CSN or until they graduate with an associate or bachelor’s degree, whichever happens first. It applies to fall and spring semesters. The award is last-dollar aid: grants and other eligible gift aid are applied first, and Promise can then pay an eligible remaining balance for tuition and mandatory fees. A student must have such a balance for Promise funds to be disbursed.
The covered registration fees are fees required of all students. CSN says special course, online, program, and new-student fees are not covered. Promise is not a fixed cash award, and it does not promise to pay every expense of attendance. Students should plan separately for books, transportation, housing, and uncovered charges, and review their student account for the final balance and aid decisions. Other aid can reduce or eliminate the balance that Promise would otherwise cover.
The scholarship’s maximum duration does not override its renewal rules: recipients must continue to meet eligibility, enrollment, satisfactory academic progress, and other program requirements. Students should review their award notices and CSN account rather than treating the maximum duration as an unconditional guarantee. CSN does not publish a fixed dollar maximum on its Promise page; the amount depends on the eligible tuition and required registration-fee balance after gift aid is applied, while continued eligibility determines whether the award can renew.
Who can apply for 2026–2027
Applicants must be Nevada residents as defined by Title 4, chapter 15 of the Board of Regents Handbook and must not already have earned an associate or bachelor’s degree. They must meet one of CSN’s education routes:
- Graduate from a Nevada public or private high school in the Class of 2027.
- Graduate from a border-county public high school that accepts Nevada residents.
- Complete an eligible high school equivalency for the 2026–2027 academic year. CSN identifies GED, HiSET, and TASC credentials selected by the State Board of Education under NRS 390.055. The credential must be completed before age 20 and by June 15, 2027.
- If homeschooled, complete a high school equivalency exam, such as GED, HiSET, or TASC, by June 15, 2027.
Applicants also need to enroll in at least 12 credits in an associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or eligible certificate of achievement program starting in the fall semester after graduation. The credits must count toward the declared program. CSN notes that waitlisted classes do not count toward the 12-credit minimum and financial aid can only be awarded for courses applicable to the student’s degree. If a student cannot enroll in 12 or more eligible credits, CSN directs them to contact its Nevada Promise office to discuss their situation.
Meeting the basic education and residency rules is not enough by itself. CSN requires applicants to complete all ten steps by their individual deadlines. Missing a required step means losing scholarship eligibility. Applicants should keep the portal current, read CSN email, and retain completion records so they can resolve account or verification issues promptly.
Application and eligibility steps
CSN’s official page labels the process “10 Steps to be Eligible.” The steps below reflect its 2026–2027 checklist. Follow the linked checklist and portal instructions because CSN may update dates and operational details.
Apply for Nevada Promise. Submit the scholarship application between August 1 and October 31, 2026. The final deadline is October 31, 2026. CSN recommends not using a CCSD or iCloud email address, so choose an account you can continue to access after graduation. Keep the submission confirmation. The application itself is only the first requirement: applicants must complete the other steps in the checklist to remain eligible.
Apply for admission to CSN. The Fall 2027 admission application opens October 1, 2026. Apply as a degree-seeking student. CSN says current CTE, JumpStart, Dual Enrollment, and CSN High School students do not need to reapply. Once admitted, validate the CSN student account and CSN email to access the Nevada Promise Portal and track progress. CSN advises allowing at least one hour after account verification before attempting to log into the portal. The portal’s student guide explains how to navigate it. Use the portal to check whether each requirement has been recorded rather than relying only on personal notes or a confirmation email.
Submit the Mentoring Support Authorization Form. Complete and submit the form through the Nevada Promise Portal by March 1, 2027. CSN says it is required to be paired with a mentor. Priority for mentor assignment is given to students who complete the March 1 requirements, submit the 2027–2028 FAFSA or Non-Filer Form, and report eight hours of community service.
Complete orientation and training. Complete the CSN Online New Student Orientation and Nevada Promise Training by March 1, 2027. For orientation, log into GoCSN with the CSN student login and choose the “New Students Start Here” tile. CSN says to save the completion certificate. For Nevada Promise Training, enter the requested first name, last name, and NSHE ID, checking the ID carefully, and save its completion certificate too. Keep both records in case the portal does not immediately reflect completion.
Submit financial aid information. Submit the 2027–2028 FAFSA or the Non-FAFSA Filer Declaration Form by April 1, 2027. CSN says the 2027–2028 FAFSA becomes available in October 2026. DACA students must complete that FAFSA. Students who are not eligible to complete the FAFSA must submit the Non-FAFSA Filer Declaration by the same April 1 deadline. CSN offers help through FAFSA workshops and the financial aid contact listed on its page. Keep the submission confirmation and monitor MyCSN for follow-up requests.
Complete placement requirements before advising. A placement test or ACT/SAT scores are required if the student has not completed an English or Math class at an NSHE institution. The requirement must be completed before meeting with an academic advisor. CSN says academic advising appointments open in mid-April. Its page links to score request services for ACT and SAT results; check the linked placement instructions to determine what applies to your record.
Meet with an academic advisor and register. Review the degree or certificate plan with an academic advisor, then register for at least 12 credits that count toward that program. CSN recommends finalizing the Fall 2027 schedule by August 1, 2027. A waitlisted class does not count toward the 12-credit minimum. Since financial aid can only be awarded for courses applicable to the degree, make sure planned classes meet both program and enrollment requirements. Contact the Nevada Promise office if reaching 12 eligible credits is not possible.
Report community service. Complete and report eight hours of eligible service through the Nevada Promise Portal by May 1, 2027. CSN’s eligible service date range is May 1, 2026 through May 1, 2027. Retain documentation using the Nevada Promise volunteer timesheet or the service organization’s volunteer tracking system. A signature on the timesheet is needed only if the organization does not have a way to track and record service activities. CSN must review and approve the hours before they count, so check with its office if an activity’s eligibility is unclear and submit records early enough to address questions.
Complete financial aid verification if selected. If CSN selects the student’s financial aid file for verification, complete the requested process by July 1, 2027. Check the MyCSN To Do List and CSN student email for notices; CSN says messages may also come from ProEd. FAFSA submission and verification are separate requirements. Respond to requests and provide the documentation listed in the student’s account. Financial aid questions should go to the Financial Aid Office using the contact on CSN’s official page.
Meet with the assigned mentor. Meet with the assigned mentor at least once by July 1, 2027. CSN says mentor pairing begins in April and final assignments will be sent by May 1, 2027. To be paired, a student must complete Steps 1–5, have the 2027–2028 FAFSA posted to the MyCSN account, and complete and report eight hours of community service. Mentor assignments are posted in the Nevada Promise Portal. Check the portal and CSN email so an assignment or scheduling message is not missed.
Planning a complete application
The scholarship application is only the first part of the process. Set up a single checklist with the application confirmation, admission status, account validation, portal access, authorization form, orientation certificate, training certificate, FAFSA or declaration confirmation, service records, advisor appointment, class schedule, verification notices, and mentor meeting. Record each CSN deadline next to the task and leave time for the portal to update or for staff to review documents. Keep a copy of submitted materials and check both MyCSN and the CSN student email throughout the cycle.
For financial aid, use the FAFSA year listed for this cycle and submit the Non-FAFSA Filer Declaration only if you are not eligible to complete FAFSA. A FAFSA confirmation does not mean a verification request is complete. Check the To Do List for requested documents and follow the instructions associated with your account. For service hours, confirm that an activity is eligible, record the date and hours, and submit documentation through the portal. CSN requires review and approval, so do not assume unreviewed hours have already satisfied the requirement.
Before choosing classes, confirm the declared program and ask an advisor which courses count toward it. Twelve total credits on a schedule are not sufficient if some are waitlisted or do not apply to the degree or certificate. Students with fewer than 12 eligible credits should contact CSN rather than assume an exception. Students should also budget for uncovered fees and other college expenses, because Promise pays only eligible remaining tuition and required registration charges after other gift aid.
Renewing after the first year
CSN’s renewal rules require recipients to meet program eligibility and requirements, remain continuously enrolled for fall and spring semesters, enroll in at least 12 eligible credits at CSN unless an appeal approves fewer, remain in an eligible degree or certificate program, maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, and not have earned an associate or bachelor’s degree. Promise applies in fall and spring. Before a semester payment deadline, eligible students should look in MyCSN for the “Protection from Enrollment Cancellation” hold. CSN says this hold keeps students enrolled while Financial Aid finishes processing the Promise award; students who qualify but do not see it should contact the Promise Office promptly. The program page refers students to CSN’s scholarship renewal information for additional details, appeals, and cases such as graduation with fewer than 12 credits remaining.
Recipients should treat renewal as an ongoing set of responsibilities, not an automatic continuation. Review each semester’s enrollment and academic progress, complete the then-current service and mentoring requirements, and respond to CSN requests. For a reduced course load or other circumstance that may affect eligibility, consult the Nevada Promise office and the official appeal instructions before relying on an exception. Only CSN can confirm how a particular situation affects an award.
Official information
The controlling source for this opportunity is the College of Southern Nevada’s Nevada Promise Scholarship page. It contains the current application window, eligibility checklist, portal links, award explanation, renewal information, and CSN contacts. CSN states that dates are subject to change. Confirm deadlines and instructions on that page and in your CSN account before acting, especially if CSN issues an updated checklist during the cycle.