| Southeastern Community College offers a variety of financial
aid opportunities, especially for students who, without aid, would
be unable to begin or continue their college education. In 2006-2007,
64% of our students received aid. Over 4.3 million dollars was
awarded.
Types of financial aid include grants, scholarships, low-interest
loans, and on- campus jobs. Grants, like scholarships, are gifts
which do not have to be repaid. However, scholarships usually
require high academic performance or special talents. Loans
must be repaid, usually after the students leave college. Those
who have on- campus jobs receive an hourly wage. |
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Student Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for financial assistance, students must generally
meet the following requirements:
| 1. |
Demonstrate financial need |
| 2. |
Have a high school diploma or GED |
| 3. |
Be enrolled as a regular student in an eligible program |
| 4. |
Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen |
| 5. |
Make satisfactory academic progress as defined by the
school |
Entering students must also meet all admission requirements (see
program descriptions). Returning students must be in good academic
standing. That is, they must be meeting the satisfactory academic
progress requirements for financial aid recipients. These requirements
are found at the end of this section. |
|
|
How to Apply
Students needing financial assistance should contact their high
school guidance counselor or the SCC Financial Aid Office for
information and applications.
| 1.
|
All applicants must complete an SCC admission
application and complete all admission requirements. |
| 2.
|
Applicants must complete the financial aid application,
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and mail
to the central processor. To complete the FAFSA, the student
will need to have prior year income information such as
federal tax returns, W-2 wage statements, and records of
benefits received from child support, Social Security, TANF,
etc. The student will be notified by the central processor
within two to three weeks of the results
of this application by the receipt of a Student Aid Report.
Instructions direct the student to check the accuracy of
the information reported and to make any needed corrections
to the information. |
| 3.
|
Specific aid programs may require additional
forms. These forms are available from the SCC Financial
Aid Office. |
| 4.
|
Applicants who are selected for verification will be required
to submit additional satisfactory documentation to verify
income reported. |
| 5.
|
When all forms have been received by the SCC Financial
Aid Office, the office will send each student an award letter
indicating the type and amount of aid awarded. Students
must complete and return the acceptance of the award letter
to the office within two weeks. No award is final, and no
money will be released, until the acceptance is received
by the SCC Financial Aid Office. |
Deadlines
Students should apply as soon after January 1 as possible for
aid for the following fall semester. The later the application,
the less chance there is of receiving campus-based aid. Awards
are made as complete information is received on each student.
However, applications for Pell Grant and student loans can be
processed throughout the academic year. Separate applications
are required for summer school financial aid. |
|
|
Dependency Status
Certain questions on the FAFSA will determine whether the student
is considered dependent upon the income of their parents and whether
parents must report their income and assets as well as the student
s income, or whether the student is independent and must report
only the student s income and spouse s income, if applicable.
If the student feels that he/she has unusual circumstances that
would make him/her independent, he/she should complete a separate
application for Independent Status and talk with the Financial
Aid Coordinator at SCC. |
|
|
Special Circumstances
If the student or his/her family has experienced a significant
reduction in family income since the prior year income reported
on the FAFSA, he/she may request consideration for financial aid
based on the current year situation. Examples of reasons for change
are unemployment, divorce, separation, death, disability, etc.
The student should complete an Income Reduction Certification
form. |
|
|
Financial Need
Financial aid from most of the student aid programs is awarded
on the basis of financial need. The information reported by the
student on the FAFSA is used in certain formulas, passed into
law by Congress, that calculate the student s need and eligibility.
Eligibility for the Pell Grant program is determined by a formula
and depends on a number called the EFC (Expected Family Contribution).
If this number is low enough, the student will be eligible for
a Pell Grant. The lower the number, the larger the grant award
will be. If this number is higher than a certain number, the student
will not be eligible for the Pell Grant. There is not
a minimum or maximum EFC in determining eligibility for the
campus-based aid programs. The financial need is determined
by using the following equation: Cost of Education, less Expected
Family Contribution, equals Financial Need. |
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