Financial Aid FAQs

Yes. Many families mistakenly think they don’t qualify for aid, and prevent themselves from receiving financial aid by failing to apply for it. In addition, there are a few sources of aid such as unsubsidized Stafford and PLUS loans that are available regardless of need. The FAFSA form is free. Apply at fafsa.gov.

Not necessarily, however, the financial aid office will not be able to complete your file and provide you with an award letter until you have done so. Apply here.

Yes. You are required to apply for financial aid every year. If your financial or family circumstances change, your eligibility for financial aid may change significantly, especially if you have a different number of family members in college.

Submit a FAFSA. The financial aid office will determine your eligibility based on the information provided to us by the US Department of Education.

Yes. If you are receiving scholarships or aid of any kind, you must report them to the Financial Aid Office.

To qualify for federal aid, a student must have either a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent (GED). Students without either a high school diploma or equivalent should contact the Financial Aid Office.

A student must maintain a minimum grade-point average of 1.75 for the first semester at any post-secondary institution and a cumulative GPA of 2.00 for all following semesters. Additionally, students must complete enough hours each semester to maintain the level or status for which they were paid (full time: 12 or more hours, ¾ time: 9-11 hours, ½ time: 6-8 hours). If a student is considering a withdrawal from a class, they should visit the Financial Aid Office to find out how their eligibility for financial aid might be affected. (For more detailed information regarding the policy for Satisfactory Academic Progress, see page 22 of the Student Catalog.)

First, add the FSCC school code to your FAFSA by logging back in to your FAFSA online account, or follow this link: studentaid.gov, and add school code 001916. Next, contact the financial aid office at your current school and have them cancel all aid awards, including loans. (Loans do not transfer with you to FSCC. You will be required to complete a new Master Promissory Note for your file at FSCC). Also, request that an official academic transcript be sent to the FSCC Registrar’s Office from all of your previously-attended colleges.

Pell Grants will be disbursed no later than three weeks after the 20th day of school each semester. (The 20th day is calculated by actual school days, not calendar days). Any charges for tuition, fees, books, dorm, etc., will be deducted from your financial aid award before any refunds to students are released. The business office does not issue paper checks to students. Your FSCC issued student ID is also a debit card where any refunds are electronically sent. You can also set up a direct deposit to your own personal bank account through your GIZMO account.

Loans will be disbursed no later than three weeks after the 20th day of school each semester. (The 20th day is calculated by actual school days, not calendar days). Any charges for tuition, fees, books, dorm, etc., will be deducted from your financial aid award before any refunds to students are released. The business office does not issue paper checks to students. Your FSCC issued student ID is also a debit card where any refunds are electronically sent. You can also set up a direct deposit to your own personal bank account through your GIZMO account. Federal regulations require that each loan approved be disbursed in two payments. This will mean two disbursements if a student chooses to apply for a semester loan period rather than an annual loan period. A student must also complete entrance and exit counseling sessions before receiving loan proceeds.

Yes. If you are a first-time borrower on or after July 1, 2013, there is a limit on the maximum period of time (academic years) that you can receive Direct Subsidized Loans. This time limit does not apply to Direct Unsubsidized Loans. The time limit set forth by the U.S. Department of Education is 150% of the published length of your program. For example, if you are enrolled in a two-year associate degree program, the maximum period for which you can receive Direct Subsidized Loans is three years (150% of 2 years = 3 years). If you are enrolled in a one-year certificate program, the maximum period for which you can receive Direct Subsidized Loans is one and a half years (150% of 1 year = 1.5 years). Because your maximum eligibility period is based on the length of your current program of study, your maximum eligibility period can change if you change to a program that has a different length. Also, if you receive Direct Subsidized Loans for one program and then change to another program, the Direct Subsidized Loans you received for the earlier program will generally count toward your new maximum eligibility period. A student who loses eligibility for additional subsidized loans may lose interest subsidy on previously received subsidized loans, if –

• Student did not complete their program, and
• Continues in the same program or,
• Enrolls in another undergraduate program of the same or shorter length

There are certain criteria that have to be met by the program you are enrolled in for financial aid eligibility. A student must be seeking either a degree or a certificate in order to qualify. While most programs are eligible, some of the shorter certificate programs are not, such as manicuring and allied health. If you are unsure of your program’s eligibility, please contact the Financial Aid Office.

Full-time students may receive aid at a community college for a maximum of 96 credit hours. Generally, students who have already received a degree are not eligible to receive aid for any additional classes at FSCC. However, such students may receive additional aid if they enroll in certain vocational degree or certificate programs at FSCC, which are eligible under federal guidelines. Any students with 96 credit hours or more will be required to complete a 96 Hour Appeal Form and a Degree Audit to determine eligibility by the Appeals Committee.

Withdrawing or not attending can have major consequences. You may have to repay a portion of your financial aid to either the federal government or FSCC. Always contact the financial aid office before withdrawing to see if you will owe a repayment. For more information click here.

You may choose any of these three methods to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA):

• Apply online at FAFSA.ed.gov (recommended)
• Complete a PDF FAFSA (Note: PDF FAFSA forms must be mailed to FSCC for processing)
• Request a paper FAFSA by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or 1-319-337-5665. If you are hearing impaired, please contact the TTY line at 1-800-730-8913.
   

NOTE: If applying online, it may be helpful to print a FAFSA on the Web Worksheet from here.

Yes. We recommend E-Filing your federal taxes as soon as possible after January 1. Wait two weeks, then file your FAFSA and use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to automatically transfer your income information to the FAFSA. If you do not use this method you will be required to obtain an IRS Tax Transcript to turn into the Financial Aid Office. Call (800) 908-9946 or (800) 829-1040 for a transcript of your federal taxes. Please allow 10 working days to receive it by mail.

Get your tax record online with the IRS.

No, you don’t need to. If you apply using FAFSA on the Web, you get online instructions for each question, and you can “chat” live online with a customer service representative. Regardless of how you apply, you can get free help by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID or by contacting the financial aid office. Be aware that there are web sites that offer help filing for a fee. Those sites are not affiliated with the US Dept. of Education. (Remember: Free Application for Federal Student Aid) If you inadvertently logged on to the fafsa.com web site, rather than studentaid.gov and were charged a fee, you may call (800) 750-3446 and select option #1 to request a refund.

The Personal Identification Number (PIN) serves as your identifier to let you access your personal information in various U.S. Department of Education systems. It’s like the PIN you get from your bank that permits you to access your account. The PIN also allows you to sign your federal student aid application online and allows you to correct your application data online. In the interest of keeping your personal information secure, do not share your PIN! You should never give your PIN to anyone. Be sure to keep your PIN in a safe place. You can apply for a PIN by clicking here.

You can use your PIN to access your financial aid data at FAFSA on the Web where you can electronically sign your application, submit corrections to your processed FAFSA, or obtain a copy of your processed FAFSA information. A PIN is also required to use the new IRS Data Retrieval Tool.

If you have lost or forgotten your PIN, you will need to request that it be sent to you again. If you think that someone else may know your PIN, or you believe your PIN may have been compromised when it was lost, the Department of Education can generate a new PIN for you. Click here for instructions for replacing a lost PIN or to request a duplicate of your PIN.

The Data Release Number (DRN) is required to make certain changes associated with the FAFSA you filed. Just call the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid Information Center (1-800-4-FED-AID [1-800-433-3243]). The DRN also allows you to release your FAFSA data to schools you did not list on your original FAFSA. The DRN is printed in the lower left hand corner of your Student Aid Report (SAR).

The priority deadline for submitting the FAFSA is July 1 for the fall semester and December 1 for the spring semester. Submitting your FAFSA by the priority deadline helps ensure your aid is awarded before each semester begins. 
While there is no “deadline date”, students should keep in mind that the file must be completed and an award letter must be issued and signed by the student before the last day of the semester in order to be considered for aid that semester. Failure to meet this deadline will result in no aid award for that semester and the Business Office will require full payment for any balance due.

If selected for verification the financial aid office will ask you to submit tax transcripts, W2s, and other documents, as appropriate. Be sure to include ALL requested documents to ensure timely processing of the information. No financial aid will be processed until all documents are received.

You may request copies of tax returns and W-2s by calling following IRS phone number(s): (800) 829-1040, (800) 908-9946, or on-line at irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript.