Financial Assistance - Federal Programs

Grants:

• Pell Grant

  Pell Grants do not have to be repaid and are awarded only to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's or professional degree. 

  • This award is based on financial need. 
  • A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be filed with the Department of Education to determine eligibility. 
  • The amount you may be awarded can vary each year depending on the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as determined by the Department of Education based on your application results, referred to as the Student Aid Report (SAR).  
  • The maximum PELL Grant a student may receive for an academic year is $5,350.00. This amount is based on a ‘0’ EFC and full time enrollment (12 credit hours per term). Students with a ‘0’ EFC who are enrolled in 6 credit hours or more for a term may also be eligible for a $150.00 per term SEOG grant. SCC receives limited funds for SEOG grants and awards this grant to students in the order their file was complete. Therefore, we recommend that you complete your FAFSA early to be considered for the SEOG grant.
  • See the Pell Budgets to determine the amount you are eligible to receive. PELL Budget amounts for less than full-time enrollment or for EFC’s above ‘0’ may be found here.

Students wishing to get a jump start on their future financial aid possibilities have a new resource in the U.S. Department of Education's FAFSA4caster. The newly launched Web site provides students and families with an early indication of eligibility for federal student aid by calculating Expected Family Contribution (EFC). It also aims to foster a better understanding of the steps involved in working through the federal financial aid process.

• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
  
  FSEOG Grants, like Pell Grants, do not have to be repaid and are given to undergraduate students with exceptional financial need as determined by their Student Aid Report (SAR).  There is no guarantee that every eligible student will be able to receive an FSEOG.  This is based on the availability of funds at each school.  Amounts received can vary between $200 to $4,000 per year, depending upon funds allocated to the college and the number of students among which the funds are divided.

Loans:

• FFEL Stafford Loans
  FFEL Stafford Loans are either subsidized or unsubsidized.  A subsidized loan is awarded on the basis of financial need as determined by the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number found on your Student Aid Report (SAR). You will not be charged any interest before you begin repayment or during authorized periods of deferment (refer to the Financial Assistance Office).  The federal government "subsidizes" the interest during these periods.

  An unsubsidized loan is not awarded on the basis of need.  You'll be charged interest from the time the loan is disbursed until it is paid in full.  If you allow the interest to accumulate, it will be capitalized–that is, the interest will be added to the principal amount of your loan and additional interest will be based upon the higher amount.

  You can receive a subsidized loan and an unsubsidized loan for the same enrollment period.  The amounts that you may borrow will depend upon whether you are a dependent versus independent student, your cost of attendance (determined by the college/university that you attend), and your current grade level.  

The maximum Stafford Loan amount you are eligible to borrow may be found at: http://www.stchas.edu/students/finance/SCCLoanApp.pdf

Other:

• Federal Work-Study
  The Federal Work-Study Program provides part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help defray educational expenses.  To be eligible, you must have provided a Student Aid Report to the Financial Assistance Office and you must complete an application for work-study.
   
• HOPE Scholarship
  The HOPE "Scholarship" is not technically a scholarship.  It is a tax credit available to eligible students during their first two years of post-secondary education.  The tax credit covers 100 percent of the first $1,000 of tuition and fees and 50 percent of the second $1,000 during the qualified period.  Therefore, a total tax credit of $1,500 may be available in a given year.  To be eligible, a student must be enrolled in a degree, certificate or other program leading to a recognized education credential (i.e., degree, certificate).  In addition, eligibility is based on family income levels.  Individual filers who earn in excess of $50,000 are ineligible, as are joint tax filers whose income level exceeds $100,000.  Those students who may receive other types of grants or scholarships that cover all of their tuition and fees are also ineligible for the HOPE scholarship.  If a grant or scholarship covers any portion of a student's tuition and fees, the tax credit is reduced by that amount.

  St. Charles Community College is responsible for reporting the name, address, and taxpayer identification number of the student.  This is also the information you use when completing your tax forms for that year.

  To obtain further information pertaining to the HOPE scholarship, contact your local tax preparer, the IRS, or the Internet address of http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96271,00.html

Important:

All sources of funding are considered when determining your maximum amount of eligibility for financial aid. This is including but not limited to PELL, SEOG, Stafford Loans, Scholarships, A+ Funds, Vocational Rehabilitation, and any other program participation.


Students receiving federal financial aid (i.e., Pell Grants, student loans, SEOG, and college work study) must meet satisfactory academic progress standards.  Failure to meet these standards may cause students to lose their financial aid until satisfactory academic progress can be reestablished.  Refer to pages 25-27 in the St. Charles Community College catalog for details, or contact the Financial Assistance Office, Administration Building Room 1115, 636-922-8270.

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