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A student must complete the FAFSA, apply for Admissions, be enrolled in an eligible program and making satisfactory academic progress. (Non-Degree students are not eligible for financial aid). After a file is completed and aid is awarded, a student may defer their tuition based on their award. If aid is not enough to cover tuition, a student must make payment arrangements with the Business Office for the balance.
When a recipient of Title IV funds (Loan, Pell, or SEOG) withdraws from a school or stops attending before 60% of the term, the school must determine the amount of Title IV aid the student has earned as of the student’s withdrawal date. Unearned funds must not be disbursed or must be returned to the Title IV programs depending on the student’s withdrawal date. Students should always contact the Financial Aid Office before withdrawing from a class to see how this might affect their financial aid.
There are several questions on the FAFSA that you must answer to determine if you are a dependent or an independent student. Dependent students must provide parent’s information. If you have questions about your dependency status, please contact the Financial Aid Office.
A student can be enrolled in less than 6 hours and receive a Pell grant. Aid will depend upon the number of enrolled hours. All other financial aid programs require that you be enrolled in at least 6 hours.
File your FAFSA and submit all requested documents to the WKCTC Financial Aid Office. Meet all WKCTC Admissions requirements. Returning, transfer, or re-entering students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress. Enroll (and remain enrolled) for at least 6 semester hours in the term for which you are borrowing the student loan.
If you have been approved for grants, loans, and or KEES money above tuition, your books can be charged against your financial aid. The Financial Aid Release (FAR) must be signed and returned to the Financial Aid Office. A processing time of at least 48 hours is required before books may be charged. Check with the Financial Aid Office or bookstore for charge dates. The bookstore is located in the Anderson Technical Building on the WKCTC campus.
Financial aid will be disbursed through KCTCS using an integrated software system for all community and technical colleges in Kentucky. If you have met all eligibility requirements, your financial aid will be credited to your account once registration is complete. When your financial aid award is posted to your account, your fees will be deducted. If your award exceeds your direct school cost, funds will be sent to students approximately the 5th week of classes. Loans for first time borrowers cannot be disbursed until 30 days after classes begin.
It means you have been selected by the Department of Education to verify that the information reported on the FAFSA is correct. Verification of income can be provided by using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool on the FAFSA website. A verification worksheet must be filled out and submitted to the Financial Aid Office. New for the 2012-2013 year: a copy of the IRS Tax Transcript must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office if the IRS Data Retrieval Tool was not used or if student or parent is ineligible to use the IRS tool. Other forms of documentation may be required. A student who does not provide the requested documents will not receive financial aid.
Federal regulations mandate that a student receiving financial aid under Title IV programs must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in his/her course of study regardless of whether or not financial aid is awarded each semester. To receive and to continue to receive financial aid, you must:
If a student is placed on financial aid suspension and has unusual circumstances (illness, death in the family, accidents, etc.) that were a factor in not making Satisfactory Academic Progress, he or she has the right to submit an appeal. Please contact the Financial Aid Office for more information on this process. Appeals are reviewed by the Appeals Committee and all decisions are final. Appeals will be reviewed on the first and fifteenth working days of each month and must be submitted no later than seven working days prior to the review date in order to be considered.
You can be enrolled at two schools at the same time, but you cannot receive financial aid from both schools at the same time. Contact the Financial Aid Office for information about consortium agreements with other colleges.
Academic Year A period of time the College uses to measure a quantity of study. For example, the academic year may consist of a fall and spring semester, during which you must complete 24 semester hours. Expected Family Contribution (EFC) When you apply for federal student aid, the information you report is used in a formula established by the U.S. Congress. The formula determines your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), an amount you and your family are expected to contribute toward your education. If your EFC is below a certain amount, you'll be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, assuming you meet all other eligibility requirements. Citizen/Eligible Noncitizen You must be one of the following to receive Federal Student Aid:
Cost of Attendance (COA) The total amount it will cost you to attend the College is usually expressed as a yearly figure. It is determined using rules established by the U.S. Congress. The COA includes tuition and fees; on-campus room and board (or a housing and food allowance for off-campus students); and allowances for books, supplies, transportation, dependent care, costs related to a disability, and miscellaneous expenses. An allowance (determined by the school) is included for reasonable costs connected with a student's employment as part of a cooperative education program. For students attending less than half time, the COA includes only tuition and fees and an allowance for books, supplies, transportation, and dependent-care expenses. Dependent Care An allowance as determined by the institution for students with one or more dependents is based on expenses reasonably incurred for dependent care and the number and age of such dependents. 1. To include a dependent care allowance in your COA, you must furnish documentation that you have a dependent (i.e. a person who is included in your household size) and that the dependent has care in order for you to attend college. 2. The amount may be determined as an amount per individual dependent. 3. The allowance does not have to reflect actual costs but may be a reasonable projection of the costs expected to be incurred by you for dependent care. Important Note: Contact the financial aid administrator if you have any unusual expenses that might affect your cost of attendance. Default Failure to repay a loan according to the terms agreed to when you signed a promissory note. Default also may result from failure to submit requests for deferment or cancellation on time. The consequences of default are severe. Eligible Program for Financial Aid A course of study that leads to a degree, certificate, or diploma and meets the U.S. Department of Education's requirements for an eligible program. To get federal financial aid, you must be enrolled in an eligible program. Financial Aid Package The total amount of financial aid (federal and nonfederal) a student receives. Students may view their awards online in their PeopleSoft self-service account. Certain awards requires your acceptance and/or signature. General Education Development (GED) Certificate Students receive a certificate if they have passed a specific, approved high school equivalency test. Students who don’t have a high school diploma but who have a GED may still quality for federal student aid. A school that admits students without a high school diploma must make a GED program in the vicinity of the school available to these students and must inform them about the program. Selective Service Registration If required by law, you must register, or arrange to register, with the Selective Service to receive federal student aid. The requirement to register applies to males who were born on or after January 1, 1960, are at least 18 years old, are citizens or eligible noncitizens, and are not currently on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces. (Citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, or Palau are exempt from registering.) Student Aid Report (SAR) After you apply for federal student financial aid, you’ll get your FAFSA results in an e-mail report within a few days after your FAFSA has been processed or by mail in a few weeks. This report is called a Student Aid Report or SAR. The SAR contains the family's financial and other information reported by you on the financial aid application. The SAR will contain your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is the number that’s used to determine your eligibility for federal student aid. West Kentucky Community and Technical College participates in the Electronic Data Exchange and other services offered by the U.S. Department of Education and can receive your information by the internet on an institutional document called an Individual Student Information Report (ISIR). Your SAR or the ISIR, and other information furnished by you are used to prepare your financial aid package.