How to Apply for Financial Assistance

GIA offers financial assistance to eligible applicants in the form of scholarships, grants, or loans. Scholarships are available to U.S. and non-U.S. applicants. Financial aid may be available for U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents who qualify. For more details, refer to the Grants or Loans and Scholarships sections below.

Grants or Loans
Who is eligible: 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 or United States permanent residents who meet the Federal requirements for eligibility.

How to Apply:
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 http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
• If your class starts between April 2009 and March 2010, complete the 2009-10 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.

Scholarships
Who is eligible:  GIA offers scholarships for its Gemology and Jewelry Manufacturing Arts programs, courses, and classes. On-Campus scholarships for GIA Carlsbad and GIA New York are available to U.S citizen or U.S. permanent resident applicants. Scholarships for Distance Education courses are available to U.S. and non-U.S. resident applicants. On-Campus scholarships for GIA India, GIA London, and GIA Thailand are available to non-U.S. citizen and non-U.S. resident applicants.

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, with a high school diploma or GED equivalency. You must be currently employed in the jewelry industry or planning to enter the field. If you have been awarded a GIA scholarship within the past five years, you are NOT eligible to reapply.

GIA scholarships may ONLY be applied toward the tuition and fees for a GIA course, Lab class, or program of study in which the applicant is planning to enroll in the upcoming calendar year.

Complete applications and all supporting documents must be submitted June 15 - October 30. Anything submitted before or after these dates will NOT be considered. Submit a minimum of one original letter of recommendation from an employer who is a current or past member of the jewelry industry. The letter must be typed, preferably on the jeweler's own letterhead. 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 provide letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation from parents or relatives will not be considered.

Applications will be reviewed and selected by the GIA scholarship committee. Scholarship recipients will be notified by the end of January.

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