Monsy Alvarado | NorthJersey

Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com

Monsy Alvarad/NorthJersey.com

Months after Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation extending financial aid to undocumented immigrants in New Jersey, state officials announced this week that they have received 1,365 applications for the current school year.

Of the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Applications received, 665 have been processed by the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority as potentially being recipients of the financial aid.

“Final approval depends on school certification which is now in progress,’’ said Jennifer Azzarano, spokeswoman for HESAA.

She said 350 applications are pending while students supply additional information, and 350 applications were deemed ineligible for aid.

Azzarano was not able to provide figures on amounts awarded since a “small portion” of applications have been certified, she said.

Murphy signed a law in May extending financial aid to undocumented students in New Jersey who meet certain criteria. Undocumented immigrants interested in applying for financial aid must have attended high school in New Jersey for three or more years. They also must have registered for selective service, graduated from a New Jersey high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma in New Jersey.

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Applicants also must submit affidavits stating that they will file an application to legalize their immigration status or that they will file an application as soon as they are able to do so.

The application form for the program is used not only to determine awards for the New Jersey Tuition Aid Grant, or TAG, program, but also for the NJ STARS and NJ STARS II scholarship programs, according to information on the form. NJ STARS covers the cost of tuition at New Jersey's 19 community colleges for students who rank in the top 15 percent of their high school class at the end of their junior or senior year. The NJ STARS II program allows students who earn associate's degrees with a grade point average of 3.25 or higher to apply for up to $2,500 per year in scholarship money at any New Jersey public or independent four-year college or university.

Undocumented students are also eligible for the Educational Opportunity Fund, which provides financial assistance and support services to students from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Undergraduate grants range from $200 to $2,500 annually, depending on the type of institution and degree of financial need, according to the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.