Nevada Promise Scholarship — College of Southern Nevada

Nevada Promise is a state last-dollar scholarship designed to help recent high-school graduates attend a participating community college. “Last dollar” means it is calculated after other gift aid: it covers eligible tuition and mandatory registration fees still unpaid, not living expenses as a cash stipend. This profile follows College of Southern Nevada (CSN)’s published calendar because its dates and steps apply to CSN’s fall 2027 entering cohort. Nevada has four participating community colleges; confirm your campus through NSHE before using CSN’s checklist.

For the class graduating in 2027, CSN lists an application window from August 1 through October 31, 2026. Applicants must be Nevada residents and must not already hold an associate or bachelor’s degree. Eligible education paths include Nevada public or private high schools, certain border-county public schools and qualifying GED/HiSET/TASC completions under the state’s age and date rules; homeschool students also need equivalency. Students must begin in the fall after graduation and enroll in at least 12 eligible credits. This is separate from applying for college admission; both steps are required.

The scholarship application is only the first item in a dated checklist. After applying for Nevada Promise, submit a degree-seeking CSN admission application and validate your account; complete mentor authorization, orientation and training by March 1, 2027; submit the 2027–28 FAFSA or a non-filer declaration by April 1; report eight hours of community service by May 1; and, if selected for verification, finish documents and meet your mentor by July 1. A placement test is required if you have not completed relevant NSHE coursework. Meet an adviser and register for classes: waitlisted courses do not count toward the 12-credit minimum.

Public CSN discussions show that confusion often appears after requirements are submitted: when an award posts, what an enrollment hold means or what happens below full-time credits. In July and August 2026, students asked about payments, and a financial-aid administrator said some 2026–27 offers and disbursements were being processed in groups. That does not establish an individual payment date or change state rules. Use the NV Promise Portal, monitor your college email and ask the office to confirm that each step is received and approved before the next deadline.

CSN says Promise can cover up to three years, fall and spring only, after aid such as Pell, SSOG or Millennium. It excludes special course, online, program and new-student fees, and pays only if mandatory fees remain; books, housing, transportation and other living costs need a separate budget. For the 2027 graduating class, the application cycle is labeled 2026–27 even though college enrollment begins in fall 2027. Call the Promise Office at (702) 651-7500 and Financial Aid at (702) 651-4303 if the award is missing or a hold is unclear before paying out of pocket.