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Welcome
Welcome to the SCC Financial
Aid web site. We hope the
information here will answer
many of your basic questions
about financial aid at SCC.
If you're new to the financial
aid process, please read
carefully the Steps to Successfully
Completing Financial Aid.
Other helpful information
includes a current listing
of scholarships
you may want to apply for.
If you need further information,
please feel free to give
us a call and let us know
how we can help you.
Purpose
The purpose of the financial
aid programs at SCC is to
provide financial assistance,
based on need, to students
who normally could not attend
college without aid. Aid
is awarded without regard
to age, race, creed, sex
or disability. The programs
are based on the guiding
principle that the student
or family of the student
has the primary responsibility
for educational costs, and
the purpose of the financial
aid programs is to supplement
the student or family contributions.
For further information
about Expected Family Contribution,
see “Financial Need”
section below.
Prospective students are
encouraged to gather information
about the current costs
to attend their program
of interest. In addition
to tuition, fees and books,
some programs require special
equipment, supplies, or
clothing. Students should
also discuss all options
for paying for school with
their family.
Students applying for financial
aid should apply as soon
as possible, but well in
advance of the semester
they plan to attend. Steps
to Successfully Completing
Financial Aid are found
here.
| Eligibility
Requirements |
| To receive
aid from any of the
federal and state student
aid programs at SCC,
students must meet all
of the following criteria: |
| • |
Have financial need,
except for some loans
(Financial need is documented
through the submission
of a Free Application
for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA) and the
receipt of a valid Student
Aid Report (SAR)). |
| • |
have a high school/adult
high school diploma
or a GED Certificate
|
| • |
be accepted for enrollment
in an eligible program
at SCC |
| • |
be a U.S. citizen
or an eligible non-citizen
|
| • |
have a valid Social
Security Number |
| • |
meet Satisfactory
Academic Progress standards
set by SCC |
| • |
certify that he/she
will use student aid
only for educational
purposes |
| • |
certify that he/she
is not in default on
a federal student loan
and does not owe money
on a federal student
grant |
| • |
register with the
Selective Service, if
required |
| • |
meet federal eligibility
requirements regarding
drug-related convictions |
Financial
Need
Aid from most of the financial
aid programs is awarded
on the basis of financial
need. When applying for
federal student aid, the
information reported on
the application is used
to calculate each student’s
Expected Family
Contribution (EFC).
The formula used to calculate
the EFC is established by
law and is used to measure
the financial strength of
a student’s family
on the basis of the family’s
income and assets. The EFC
is used to determine a student’s
eligibility for student
aid. The EFC is used in
the following equation to
determine a student’s
financial need:
| |
Cost
of Attendance |
| - |
Expected
Family Contribution |
| |
Financial
Need |
The Financial Aid Office
at SCC will calculate all
students’ cost of
attendance and subtract
each student’s EFC.
If there is any amount remaining,
that student is considered
to have financial need.
The Financial Aid Office
will work with students
toward meeting their need.
Because funds are limited,
the amount awarded to an
individual student will
likely fall short of meeting
his total need.
Financial
Aid Programs at SCC
In general, there are four
types of financial aid.
Grants
and scholarships
are gift money that does
not need to be repaid. Work-study
is money that is earned
by working, and student
loans are borrowed
funds that must be repaid.
| The following
need-based grants
are available to eligible
students at SCC: |
| • |
The Federal
Pell Grant is
generally awarded to
undergraduate students
with financial need
who have not earned
a bachelor’s degree.
Pell Grants for the
2007- 2008 school year
ranged from $400 to
$4,310 per year. A student’s
EFC will determine whether
or not he is eligible
and how much he will
receive. If a student
is eligible, he will
be notified of the full-time
award amount, but the
amount actually paid
will depend on whether
he is enrolled full-time
or part-time, and whether
he attends for a full
academic year or less. |
| • |
The Federal
Supplemental Educational
Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
is a smaller grant that
is awarded to students
with the greatest financial
need (lowest EFC). Limited
funds are provided by
the Federal Government
and are awarded by the
SCC Financial Aid Office
to both full-time and
part-time students.
|
| • |
The Academic
Competitiveness Grant
(ACG)
is a federal grant for
students who have recently
graduated from high
school and have completed
a rigorous program of
study in high school.
Students must also be
U.S. citizens, receiving
the Pell grant, and
enrolled full time (12
credit hours per semester)
in a degree program.
The award can be paid
for both first and second
years in the student’s
program, but the student
is required to have
a 3.0 cumulative GPA
at the end of the first
year in order to receive
the grant in the second
year. |
| • |
The North
Carolina Student Incentive
Grant
is available to students
considered North Carolina
residents for tuition
purposes who have
the greatest financial
need (lowest EFC).
Students must be enrolled
full-time (12 credit
hours per semester)
and have filed their
FAFSA by March 15
to be considered for
this limited grant.
Awards are made until
funds are exhausted
and are granted on
a first-eligible/first-served
basis.
|
| • |
The North
Carolina Community College
Grant
is a program established
by the North Carolina
General Assembly to
help meet the educational
costs of attending a
community college. To
be considered for this
grant, a student must
be a North Carolina
resident for tuition
purposes and enrolled
at least half-time (6
credit hours per semester).
A student’s EFC
will determine whether
or not he is eligible
and how much he will
receive. |
| • |
The North
Carolina Education Lottery
Scholarship (ELS)
is a need-based scholarship,
and the student’s
EFC will determine whether
or not he is eligible
and how much he will
receive. The student
must be a North Carolina
resident for tuition
purposes, and be enrolled
at least half-time (6
credit hours per semester).
Filing the FAFSA will
submit the student’s
name for consideration
for this scholarship. |
| • |
The EARN
Scholarship Program
will begin in 2008-2009
and is a North Carolina
program for dependent
students just completing
high school or their
GED, and whose family
income does not exceed
200% of the federal
poverty guideline. The
funds are available
to students for two
years and are intended
to alleviate any need
for the student to borrow
funds for their education. |
Each grant
above has several specific
eligibility criteria
which must be met. Please
contact the SCC Financial
Aid Office if you would
like additional details. |
Federal
Work-Study provides
part-time jobs for students
with financial need, allowing
them to earn money to help
pay education expenses.
Most of the jobs are on
campus and clerical in nature,
but the program also encourages
jobs in community service
and literacy support.
Student Loans are
borrowed money that must
be repaid with interest.
Both need-based and non
need-based loans are available.
SCC offers Federal Stafford
Loans to students and PLUS
loans to parents through
the Federal Family Education
Loan (FFEL) program. Students
must be enrolled at least
half-time to receive a Stafford
Loan. The amount a student
may borrow will be determined
by a number of factors,
including whether he is
a first-year or second-year
student, whether he is a
dependent or independent
student, and the amount
of other educational assistance.
Scholarships are
funds that do not have to
be repaid and may be awarded
based on financial need
or some type of merit (such
as academic) or a combination
of the two. Students are
encouraged to pursue scholarship
opportunities throughout
their communities such as
civic organizations and
churches, and to research
other national scholarships
through reputable organizations
and web sites. A limited
number of scholarships are
offered through the SCC
Foundation and other private
donors each year. The most
current list of scholarships
administered through SCC
and the filing instructions
and deadlines can be found
in the Financial Aid Office
or by going to the Scholarship
page of the SCC web
site.
Other
Programs
SCC works with governmental
agencies that provide
educational benefits
to students who are
eligible for their programs.
Information and applications
are available upon request
from the individual
agency. Students receiving
third-party sponsor
funding for their tuition
must provide a sponsor
authorization letter
for billing from the
sponsor before the registration
period ends. If this
authorization letter
is not provided by this
time, the student forfeits
their sponsorship funding,
and the sponsor will
not be billed on their
behalf. It is the responsibility
of the student to verify
that the sponsor authorization
letter has been received
by the business office. |
| • |
The Workforce
Investment Act (WIA)
of 1998
provides financial assistance
to income- eligible
persons enrolled in
an approved curriculum.
The program is administered
through the North Carolina
Job Link Career Centers
in the student’s
county of residence. |
| • |
The North
Carolina Division of
Vocational Rehabilitation
provides services to
persons with disabilities
in order to help them
obtain employment. SCC
is approved to provide
training and education
for individuals who
qualify under the provisions
of the North Carolina
Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation, Department
of Health and Human
Services. |
| • |
The Cherokee
Education and Training
Adult Education Program
administers
educational assistance
programs for the Eastern
Band of Cherokee Indians
and the Bureau of Indian
Affairs. |
| • |
The Department
of Veterans Affairs
provides educational
benefits to eligible
veterans and to eligible
dependents and survivors
of certain veterans.
Students who believe
they are eligible for
veterans’ benefits
should contact the VA
Certifying Official
in the SCC Student Services
Office to receive an
application for benefits
and a list of requirements
that they must meet. |
|
Steps to Successfully
Completing Financial
Aid (Last
updated Mar 3, 2008) |
| 1. |
File
the FAFSA (Free Application
for Federal Student
Aid) |
| |
• |
Students should
apply online at www.fafsa.ed.gov
using a PIN obtained
at www.pin.ed.gov
to electronically
sign the application.
Worksheets to help
prepare the application
can be obtained from
the SCC Financial
Aid Office and are
also available at
many high schools. |
| |
• |
The application will
require information
from the prior year’s
federal tax return.
Be accurate and complete,
and obtain all required
signatures, either by
PIN or actual signature.
Keep materials used
to complete the FAFSA,
such as worksheets,
W-2s and tax forms,
in case you are asked
to provide them later. |
| |
• |
The FAFSA for the
2008-2009 school year
can be filed starting
January 1, 2008 and
up until June 30, 2009.
The 2008-2009 FAFSA
will ask for information
from the 2007 federal
tax return. Students
must file one time for
each school year. |
| 2. |
Be
Accepted to SCC
|
| |
• |
Complete an admissions
application and meet
all requirements to
be accepted into a program
that is eligible for
financial aid. See the
SCC Financial Aid Office
or website for a list
of eligible programs.
Students will know that
their admissions file
is complete when they
receive an acceptance
letter from the SCC
Admissions Office. »
List
of eligible programs |
| 3. |
Review
the Student Aid Report
(SAR) |
| |
• |
Students will receive
an email within a few
days after signing their
FAFSA which will link
them to their SAR. If
they did not provide
an email address on
their FAFSA, students
will receive the SAR
in the mail in 2-3 weeks.
Students are
expected to review their
SAR carefully
because it summarizes
the information on the
FAFSA and reports the
Expected Family Contribution
(EFC). If information
on the SAR is not correct,
students should contact
the SCC Financial Aid
Office about making
corrections. |
| 4. |
Meet
All Deadlines |
| |
• |
A FAFSA should be
submitted to the U.S.
Dept. of Education by
the following dates
in order to ensure timely
delivery of awards.
The dates refer to the
semester the student
starts at SCC. Students
filing FAFSAs after
these dates will be
awarded based on the
best efforts of the
SCC Financial Aid Office
staff.
| Fall 2008 –
May 15, 2008 |
| Spring 2009
– Sept 30,
2008 |
| Summer 2009–
Feb 15, 2009 |
In addition to filing
their FAFSA, students
must submit all requested
documents to the SCC
Financial Aid Office
before an award can
be processed. |
| 5. |
Review
Award or Notification
Letter |
| |
• |
Read carefully all
information included
in award package. The
package will explain
how funds are credited
and the rules and guidelines
students must follow.
Information on work-study
and student loans will
be mailed to students
who indicate their interest
in those programs on
their FAFSA. |
Enrollment Status for
Financial Aid
Students receive financial
aid for only those courses
that are listed in the SCC
catalog as required for
their program of study.
Financial aid may be paid
for developmental courses
if required based on the
Computerized Placement Test
scores. The amount of financial
aid a student receives will
be dependent on enrollment
level. For financial aid
purposes, enrollment levels
are defined as follows:
| Full time |
12 or more credit
hours |
| Three-quarter time |
9-11 credit hours |
| Half time |
6-8 credit hours |
| Less than half time |
Fewer than 6 credit
hours |
Financial
Aid Disbursement Dates
The Financial Aid Office
publishes a schedule of
dates that you can charge
books to your financial
aid and dates that refund
checks are paid out. This
schedule is mailed with
your award letter and is
posted on our website. Specific
financial aid dates and
deadlines are available
here and are listed
in the Student Handbook.
Satisfactory
Academic Progress
To receive financial aid,
the Federal Government requires
students to make Satisfactory
Academic Progress towards
completing a degree or approved
program. Progress will be
monitored at least at the
end of each academic year
at SCC. Results are measured
cumulatively, so if a student
has attended SCC in the
past, his/her transcript
will be evaluated for Satisfactory
Academic Progress if he/she
returns to SCC and applies
for financial aid.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
is measured in two ways.
| 1. |
Students must earn
a 2.0 cumulative
Grade Point Average,
which is consistent
with the requirements
for graduation or completion
of a program. |
| 2. |
Students are limited
to the number of credit
hours they may attempt
before finishing a program
of study. That limit
is measured as 150%
of the credit hours
required for the student’s
current program. Therefore,
in order to be on track
to complete a program
before financial aid
ends, SCC requires students
to complete
70% of the courses they
have attempted on
a cumulative basis. |
If a student is not
making Satisfactory
Academic Progress, he
will be notified and
placed on financial
aid probation for the
next semester he is
in attendance so that
he/she will have an
opportunity to regain
Satisfactory Academic
Progress. He will receive
any financial aid for
which he is eligible
during this probationary
term.
Students have the right
to file an appeal if
it is determined that
they are not making
Satisfactory Academic
Progress. The appeal
must be made in writing
to the SCC Financial
Aid Committee. Appeals
should be based on mitigating
circumstances such as
severe illness of the
student, death of an
immediate family member
or a change of academic
program. Additional
details of the Satisfactory
Academic Progress policy
are available in a publication
from the Financial Aid
Office. |
Withdrawals
If a student completely
withdraws from all classes
or stops attending all classes
and has received a Pell
Grant, a Federal Supplemental
Educational Opportunity
Grant, an Academic Competitiveness
Grant or a Stafford Loan
for that semester, the Financial
Aid Office must determine
if those funds were earned.
A student earns their aid
once they have attended
beyond the 60% date of the
semester. If more funds
were disbursed than earned,
the student must repay a
portion of the difference.
The Financial Aid Office
will determine the amount
the student must repay the
US Department of Education
(DOE) and the amount SCC
must repay the DOE. If SCC
is required to repay funds
because of a student’s
full withdrawal, the student
will be expected to repay
SCC. The student will receive
written notification from
the SCC Financial Aid Office
of any funds owed due to
a full withdrawal.
Students are encouraged
to visit the Financial Aid
Office prior to withdrawing
to obtain an estimate of
the amount that may be owed.
If a student owes funds
to the DOE, he will be given
45 days to repay the funds
or make satisfactory repayment
arrangements with the DOE.
After that time, the student
will lose federal financial
aid eligibility. In addition,
if the student owes funds
to SCC, he will not be permitted
to reenroll at SCC or request
a transcript until those
funds have been repaid.
For further details of this
process and sample calculations,
see the SCC
Student Handbook. According
to the SCC Withdrawal Procedure
described elsewhere in this
website, in order to withdraw
a student should contact
his advisor to initiate
the Drop/Add form. The form
must be signed by the advisor
and appropriate instructor(s)
and returned to the Registrar’s
Office for processing.
Special
Circumstances
The formulas used to determine
eligibility for federal
student aid are applied
consistently to all applicants.
Students should contact
the SCC Financial Aid Office
if they feel they have special
circumstances that might
affect their dependency
status or the amount they
and their family are expected
to contribute. These circumstances
could include a family’s
unusual medical expenses,
or recent unemployment of
either themselves, a spouse
or either parent (if applicable).
There must be very good
reasons to make any adjustments,
and students will have to
provide adequate proof to
support this request. The
Financial Aid Director’s
decision is final and it
cannot be appealed to the
U.S. Department of Education.
| How
to Contact the Financial
Aid Office |
| Location: |
Jackson
Campus, Balsam Center
|
| Hours: |
Monday – Friday,
8:00 a.m. – 5:00
p.m.
Evening appointments
are available upon request |
| Telephone: |
828.586.4091, ext.
438 |
| Toll-free: |
800.447.4091 |
| Address: |
447 College Drive,
Sylva, North Carolina
28779 |
| E-mail: |
financialaid@southwesterncc.edu
|
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