Tri-State University contributed $666,975 in scholarships and need-based assistance to Steuben County students in the 2006-2007 academic year, according to figures provided by the TSU Office of Financial Aid.

Of the 101 Steuben County students enrolled at TSU, 89 received an average merit-based scholarship of $6,650. Between those scholarships and need-based assistance, 91 students received the $666,975 in support directly from TSU, with an average award of $7,329.

Factoring aid from all sources sends the figures higher. Ninety-nine of the county students received a total of $1,668,775 from all sources, including federal and state aid, for an average award of $16,856.

The figures underscore an effort by the Office of Financial Aid to keep the cost of a TSU education down by providing a broad spectrum of scholarships and other services to help students locate additional financial aid.

TSU Executive Director of Admission and Financial Aid Kim Bennett said her office guides admitted students through the completion and submission of the Federal Application for Free Student Aid (FAFSA), which determines additional federal and state aid. “All those results come to us, and we package all available aid to students,” she said.

Her office sends out weekly reminders on FAFSA deadlines, and a checklist to facilitate the application process, she said. To make TSU’s resources known to prospective students, Bennett provides workshops on financial aid at local high schools.

With help from the TSU Office of Financial Aid, TSU has been listed for the third consecutive year in U.S. News & World Report among colleges and universities whose graduates carry the least amount of student debt.