South Georgia College Student Handbook
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Applying for Federal Aid
Students interested in receiving assistance from any of the federal assistance programs must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In addition, students must complete the SGC Institutional Data Sheet for Financial Aid. Other documents, such as tax returns, may also need to be submitted.
Eligibility and Disbursement of Aid
To receive aid, a student must be in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and institutional policies and regulations, including Satisfactory Academic Progress. Before aid is disbursed, student eligibility is reviewed. A student must be eligible at the time of disbursement. The Office of Financial Aid reserves the right to adjust or cancel your award package at any time due to changes in your eligibility or to changes in program funding, or if such changes are necessary to meet Federal, State, or Institutional policies and regulations.
Using Financial Aid to Pay Fees
A student’s financial aid awards are not automatically applied to a student’s fees. Once the student has registered for classes, the student must contact the Cashier’s Office in
the Union at 912.260.4239 to have financial aid awards applied to the student’s account, even if the amount of the student’s aid package is sufficient to cover all fees. This procedure is known locally as “cashiering,” although it may also be referred to as “confirming a schedule” or “accepting fees.” A student who does not cashier by the fee payment deadline may have his schedule dropped for non-payment.
Any excess financial aid remaining on a student’s account after all fees for tuition, fees, books, etc. are paid will be paid to the student approximately three weeks after the term begins.
Withdrawing from School and Repayment of Financial Aid
A student who begins enrollment, receives financial aid to pay fees, and who subsequently withdraws from all classes may be required to repay at least a portion of the aid received. Any student considering withdrawing from all classes is advised to consult with the Office of Financial Aid to determine if a repayment will be required.
Audits and Institutional Credit Hours
Students should be aware that audited hours will not count toward enrollment hours for financial aid purposes for either federal or state aid, including awards from the HOPE Program. Institutional Credits, with the exception of Learning Support English, Math, and Reading, will not count toward enrollment hours for federal aid.
Applying for the HOPE Scholarship
Students interested in applying for the HOPE Scholarship may complete either the FAFSA, the HOPE Application, or the E-HOPE Application, an electronic application available on the Internet. Copies of the FAFSA Application and the HOPE Application are available in the Office of Financial Aid. The E-HOPE Application can be found at www.gsfc.org/hope.
Students completing either the HOPE Application of the E-HOPE Application will be considered for the HOPE Scholarship only; federal or other state aid will not be considered.
In addition, all students applying for HOPE must also complete the SGC Institutional Data Sheet for Financial Aid.
Application Deadline for HOPE and Other State Aid Programs
Beginning Fall 2005, to receive awards listed below for a particular term, students must apply no later than the last day of that term or the day the student withdraws, whichever is first. The programs affected include:
- HOPE Scholarship
- HOPE Grant
- Accel
- Governor’s Scholarship
- Law Enforcement Personnel Dependents Grant
- Public Safety Memorial Grant
- Helping Educate Reservist Offspring Grant
GPA Checkpoints for HOPE Scholarship
All HOPE Scholarship recipients will have a grade point average review at the end of every Spring term, at which time a minimum 3.0 GPA is required for continued eligibility. This requirement also applies to freshmen-level students. The only exception to the Spring checkpoint is for first-year students who do not enroll full-time at least one term during the award year. A student meeting this exception will have a grade point average review at the end of the third term of enrollment.
In addition to the Spring checkpoint, all HOPE Scholarship recipients will have a grade point average review at the 30th, 60th, and 90th attempted hours, at which time a minimum 3.0 GPA is required for continued eligibility.
Student Eligibility Requirements for Financial Aid
To receive aid from the student aid programs, a student must: have financial need (except for some loan programs); have a high school diploma or a GED certificate; be enrolled as a regular student working toward a degree in an eligible program; be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen; have a valid Social Security Number; be making satisfactory academic progress; sign a statement on the FAFSA certifying that he/she is not in default on a federal student loan and that he/she does not owe money back on a federal student grant; and register with Selective Service, if required.
|
