Education

Public Education (K-12)

When it come to public education, American Samoa gets more Federal dollars per student than any other State or Territroy. In fact, the Federal government gives American Samoa about $2,800 per student while States get less than $600 per student.

With less than $600 per student in federal aid, how do States pay to educate their children?  The answer is simple. State and local taxes.  States raise their own money to pay to educate their children.  By taxing wealth individuals and businesses, some States raise about $6,000 per student.

How much does ASG raise in taxes?  What is the tax rate for foreign companies doing business in the Territory? Are our canneries being taxed and, if so, what is the tax rate for StarKist and Chicken of the Sea?  These are questions that need to be answered.

Across America and on average, States are paying for 93% of the costs associated with educating their children while the Federal government pays for only 7% of their costs.  In American Samoa, the Federal government is paying for more than 76% of our costs for education. In other words, American Samoa is Number 1 when it comes to federal funding for education and I will continue to make sure American Samoa gets its fair share of federal dollars.  At the same time, I remain hopeful that ASG will manage our Federal dollars in a way that benefits our children now and for generations to come.

College Financial Aid

Almost two-thirds of ALL student financial aid for college comes from federal programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education.  These programs include the Federal Pell Grant Program, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) program, the Federal Work-Study program, the Federal Perkins Loan program, the Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, and PLUS Loans available to parents of dependent undergraduate students.  Click on the links above to learn how you may qualify for this federal assistance.

Other sources of financial aid may be offered by the institution you are attending.  Check with your College Financial Aid office for further details.  Also visit these websites.

• Wiredscholar.com, a financial aid site run by Sallie Mae, an education loan provider
• Scholarships.com, a database of 600,000 scholarships, grants, fellowships and internships
• FastWeb.com, a database of 600,000 scholarships totaling $1 billion