Do any of the Federal or State programs have limited funding?
Yes. The following programs have limited funding each year:
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
Federal Work Study
Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership Grant (LEAP)
Georgia Service-Cancelable Loan (Nursing students only)
Due to limited funding, not every eligible student will receive funds from these programs. Students are encouraged to apply early each year in order to improve their chances of receiving funds from these programs.
Several aid programs, including Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work Study, Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant, and some Federal student loan programs, are awarded based on "financial need." How is financial need defined?
The U.S. Department of Education defines financial need as the Cost of Attendance (COA) minus the student's Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The Cost of Attendance is an estimate of the costs to attend a particular school and includes estimates for tuition and fees, room and board, books, supplies, transportation, and miscellaneous personal expenses. The student's Expected Family Contribution represents the amount of money a student and his/her family are expected to contribute toward paying those costs and is calculated based on the information provided on the student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
What is the difference between an "Independent" student and a "Dependent" student?
For the purpose of applying for student aid, a student is considered to be either an "Independent" student or a "Dependent" student. The Department of Education defines an "Independent" student as someone who meets at least one of the following seven criteria:
Is at least 24 years old by December 31st of the first year of the award year covered by the FAFSA;
Already has a Bachelor's degree and is working on a Master's or Doctorate degree by the beginning of the award year;
Is married;
Has children for whom the student provides more than half of their support;
Has dependents, other than children or a spouse, who receive more than half of their support from the student;
Is an orphan, or is a ward of the court (or was a ward of the court until age 18);
Is a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces
A student who is determined to be Independent provides information about only himself (and his spouse, if married) when completing the FAFSA. Therefore, only the student's information is used to determine eligibility for financial aid programs. A Dependent student must provide information about himself and his parents when completing the FAFSA. Therefore, eligibility for a Dependent student is based on both the student's and his parents' information.
Would it be possible for a student to apply as an "Independent" student, even though the student may not meet any of the seven criteria mentioned above?
It may be possible. Financial aid administrators may approve a "dependency override" for a student who can document that unusual circumstances exist that should exclude parental information from being provided. The student is required to provide a written explanation for the override in addition to additional information that documents and supports the unusual circumstance. The Department of Education has specifically stated that a parent's refusal to provide information is not considered an unusual circumstance. The Department also does not consider self-supportiveness to be an unusual circumstance. Therefore, an otherwise dependent student who does not live at home with his parents and who has his own job and pays his own bills would still be required to provide information about his parents when completing the FAFSA.
What are the basic eligibility requirements I must meet in order to receive aid from the federal student aid programs?
You must:
Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an eligible program of study;
Be pursuing a degree, certificate, or other recognized credential;
Be a U.S. Citizen or an Eligible Non-Citizen;
Be registered with Selective Service (if you are male and are required to be registered);
Not have eligibility suspended or terminated due to being convicted of a drug-related offense;
Have a valid Social Security Number (SSN);
Not be in default on a federal student loan;
Not owe an overpayment of a federal grant or loan funds;
Be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (as defined by the school)
These same eligibility requirements also apply for most state aid programs.
I received the Georgia Governor's Scholarship for my first year of college. Can I have it renewed for a second year?
Yes, the Governor's Scholarship can be renewed if a 3.0 grade point average is maintained and if 30 semester hours are earned each academic year. Full-time enrollment (12 hours or more) is required for Governor's Scholarship. For renewal, a renewal application plus an academic transcript must be submitted by the student to the Georgia Student Finance Commission. The student is responsible for requesting that the academic transcript be sent to the Commission. The Registrar's Office can not release a transcript unless the request is made by the student.
I was considering "auditing" a class. Will financial aid pay for audits?
No. Students who are considering "auditing" a class should be aware that audited hours will not count toward enrollment hours for financial aid purposes for either federal or state aid, including HOPE Scholarship.
Are "Institutional Credit" hours eligible for aid?
Institutional credit hours are not eligible for federal student aid, with the exception of Learning Support English, Math, or Reading, and will not be counted in enrollment hours for federal student aid.
Is there a limit on the number of remedial hours that can be covered by student aid?
Yes. No more than 30 hours of remedial work can be included in enrollment hours for financial aid purposes. At SGC, remedial work includes Learning Support English, Math, and Reading, courses used to satisfy College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC) deficiencies, and Remedial Test Preparation courses. If you must enroll in remedial hours in excess of the 30 hour limit, those additional hours will not be included in your future enrollment hours for financial aid purposes.
What is the FAFSA?
The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. You can not receive federal student aid unless you have completed a FAFSA for the appropriate aid year and the information on the application is complete and accurate.
You may complete a paper FAFSA, which you can obtain from either the SGC Office of Financial Aid or your high school. However, you also have the option of completing the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Applying online is faster and easier than the paper FAFSA, although you may still complete and submit the FAFSA in paper form.
Am I required to complete a FAFSA every year?
Yes, a FAFSA must be completed each aid year.
What is the benefit to applying online versus completing a paper FAFSA?FAFSA on the Web identifies potential errors right away and prompts you to make immediate corrections, plus you also get online instructions for each question. These two features help reduce the possibility of errors in your application, thereby reducing the amount of time necessary to determine your eligibility. Also, once your application is submitted your information goes immediately to the Central Processing System, where your application will be processed quickly, usually within three to five days.
If you choose to complete and submit a paper FAFSA, please be aware that the processing time can be anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks, so you should be sure to apply far enough in advance so that the SGC Office of Financial Aid will have sufficient time to receive and review your application.
What information do I need to complete the FAFSA accurately?
You should have the following information readily available when completing the FAFSA:
Your Social Security Number, and your parents' numbers, if you're a dependent student;
Your W-2 Forms for the calendar year immediately preceding the first year in the FAFSA aid year. For example, students completing the FAFSA for the 2007-2008 aid year will need to report information from their 2006 W-2 forms. You should also have your parents' W-2 Forms if you're a dependent student;
Your Federal Income Tax Return for the calendar year immediately preceding the first year in the FAFSA aid year. For example, students completing the FAFSA for the 2007-2008 aid year will need to report information from their 2006 Federal Income Tax Return. You should also have your parents' Federal Tax Return if you're a dependent student. If you are a married student and you and your spouse filed separate tax returns, you should also have your spouse's Federal Tax Return for the same calendar year available when you complete the FAFSA.; Any foreign tax return or tax return from Puerto Rico;
Your untaxed income records (examples include Social Security payments, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, welfare or veterans benefits records) for the calendar year immediately preceding the first year in the FAFSA aid year. For example, students completing the FAFSA for the 2007-2008 aid year will need to report information regarding any untaxed income received in 2006. You should also have your parents' untaxed income records for the same calendar year, if you��re a dependent student;
Current bank statements; business and investment information; business and farm records; and stock, bond, and other investment records.
Your alien registration card (if you are not a U.S. citizen).
What is the difference between a "Dependent" student and an "Independent" student, and how does that classification impact the application process?
When you file the FAFSA, the financial information you report will be used to determine if you need financial aid, and if so, the types and amounts you will receive. You will need to determine whose information to report on the FAFSA - yours if you are an independent student, or yours and your parents' if you are a dependent student.
Independent students report their own income and assets, and those of a spouse if the applicant is married.
Dependent students must report their parents' income and assets information on the FAFSA in addition to their own. If you're considered a dependent student, your parents are expected to contribute toward the cost of your education. Federal student aid programs are based on the concept that a dependent student's parents have the primary responsibility for paying for their child's education.
An applicant is considered Independent IF at least one of the following applies:
The applicant is or will be at least 24 years old by December 31 of the award year covered by the FAFSA;
The applicant will be a graduate or professional student;
The applicant is married;
The applicant has children or dependents (other than a spouse) for whom the applicant provides more than half support;
The applicant is an orphan or ward of the court;
The applicant is a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces
If none of these criteria apply, then the applicant is a dependent student.
Not living with parents or not being claimed by them on tax forms does not determine dependency status for federal student aid.
If you are required to provide information about your parents, you should report information about your birth parents, adoptive parents, or stepparents. Legal guardians or other family members are not considered parents for the purposes of applying for federal student aid, so you should not provide their information.
My parents are divorced or separated. Whose information do I report on the FAFSA?
You report information about the parent you lived with for the greater amount of time during the 12 months preceding the date you file your FAFSA application.
If you didn't live with either parent, or if you lived with each parent an equal amount of time, then use information about the parent who provided the greater amount of financial support during the 12 months prior to the date your file your FAFSA application.
If you didn't receive any parental financial support during that time, you must report information about the parent who most recently provided the greater amount of parental support.
Do I report information about my stepparent?
Yes, your stepparent's financial information is required on the FAFSA.
What are some of the most frequent errors applicants make when completing the FAFSA?
Some of the more frequent errors are:
Incorrect parent and student Social Security Numbers;
Student Dependent/Independent Status;
Divorced/remarried parental information;
Income earned by parents/stepparents;
Untaxed income;
U.S. income taxes paid;
Household size;
Number of household members in college;
Real estate and investment net worth
What do I do if I need help filling out the FAFSA application?
The staff of the Office of Financial Aid can assist you in completing your FAFSA. During most times of the year, appointments are not required. However, please be reminded that you should have all the necessary information with you when you call or visit the office so that we can assist you to the best of our ability.
In addition, assistance is built into the program if you apply online using FAFSA on the Web at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Free help is also available online at www.studentaid.ed.gov/completefafsa. You may also contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) for assistance.
How do I make sure that South Georgia College will receive my FAFSA information when my FAFSA is processed?
You can list multiple schools on your FAFSA. Those schools will automatically receive your FAFSA results electronically. As long as SGC is listed on your FAFSA, then we should receive your processed results.
South Georgia College's Federal School Code is 001592 (zero, zero, 1592).
What will happen once South Georgia College receives the processed results from my FAFSA?
The Office of Financial Aid receives processed FAFSA applications for all applicants who included SGC in the "Colleges" (Step 6) section. When the application is received, it will be reviewed to determine if additional documentation is required in order to verify the accuracy of the information. Applicants will be notified by regular mail if additional paperwork must be submitted. Once the additional paperwork is received, the application will be reviewed for accuracy. If corrections must be made, the aid office will make those corrections electronically on behalf of the student. Once the corrected FAFSA application is received, the aid office will determine the applicant's eligibility and make awards. The student will be notified through regular mail of his/her award package. The applicant is not required to return the award notification to the aid office, unless the applicant wishes to decline or decrease a particular award or award amount.
Is there a fee for completing the FAFSA?
No, applicants do not pay a fee for completing and submitting a FAFSA. However, there are a number of sites on the Internet that advertise FAFSA processing for a fee. Students should remember to complete their FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
What is a Student Aid Report (SAR) and why is it important?
Your Student Aid Report (SAR) shows all the information you gave on your FAFSA. Your SAR will usually contain your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), the number used in determining your eligibility for federal student aid. Your EFC will appear in the upper right-hand portion of your paper SAR and at or near the top of an electronic SAR. You might not get an EFC if insufficient information was provided on the FAFSA.
You should receive your results by email within a few days after your FAFSA has been processed, if you provided an email address when you applied. The email will contain a secure link so you can access your SAR online. If you have a "blocked" of "junk" folder in your email files, check it. The email with the secure link might be placed there instead of to your inbox.
If you did not provide an email address on your FAFSA, you should receive a paper SAR by mail in a few weeks. Your SAR is sent to you from the Central Processing Service, not from the College's aid office.
Select Independent if the student is over age 24, or is married, or if the student has children. Independent students are not required to provide parental information;
Select Dependent if the student is under age 24, is single, and has no children. Dependent students must provide parental information.
Students should be reminded that they can not be considered for federal aid, including a federal student loan, until a FAFSA is processed for the appropriate aid year.
How can I locate information regarding educational scholarships offered by private sources?
There are a number of free search engines on the Internet that will provide you with information about private educational scholarships, some of which are:
In addition to these online resources, you may want to contact your local library, local businesses and civic organizations, your employer and/or your parents' employers. Any of these sources may be able to provide additional scholarship information to you.
Are there additional loan programs, beyond the federal student loan programs, that I can apply for?
Yes. Private loan programs, also referred to as "alternative" loans, can help fill the gap between traditional federal student loans and the rising cost of higher education. These loans may provide students with funds to meet educational costs when other sources of aid have been depleted or are otherwise unavailable. As with the federal student loan programs, these private loans must be repaid, so students are encouraged to be conservative when applying for private loans. Borrow only what you need!
The following is a list of SGC's Preferred Lenders in the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program who also offer private educational loans:
In addition to these lenders, there are many more who offer private educational loans. As you investigate private or alternative loans, make sure you familiarize yourself with the terms of the loan, specifically the interest rate, when your repayment period will begin, how long you will have to repay the loan, and any deferment options that are available.
