What are some important terms I need to know
concerning Student Financial Aid?

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:

* U.S. citizen

* U.S. national (includes natives of American Samoa or Swain's Island)

* U.S. permanent resident who has an I-151, I-551, or I-551C (Alien Registration Receipt Card) If you're not in one of these categories, you must have an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) showing one of the following designations in order to be eligible:

* "Refugee"

* "Asylum Granted"

* "Indefinite Parole" and/or "Humanitarian Parole"

* "Cuban-Haitian Entrant, Status Pending"

* "Conditional Entrant" (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980) If you have only a Notice of Approval to Apply for Permanent Residence (I-171 or I-464), you aren't eligible for federal student aid. If you're in the United States on an F1 or F2 student visa only, or on a J1 or J2 exchange visitor visa only, you can't get federal student aid. Also, persons with G series visas (pertaining to international organizations) are not eligible for federal student aid.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Citizens and eligible noncitizens may also receive loans from the Federal Family Education Loan (FFELP) and William D. Ford Direct Loan (Direct Loan) programs at participating foreign schools. Citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Palau are eligible only for Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOGs), or Federal Work-Study. These applicants should check with this financial aid office for more information.

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. The 2008-2009 financial Aid Award letter used at West Kentucky Community and Technical College explains in detail all funds you are eligible to receive for the 2008-2009 Academic year and requires your acceptance and 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 qualify 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.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

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. Our satisfactory academic progress policy is applied consistently to all Student Aid recipients within identifiable categories of students (such as full time or part-time students). Students are responsible for understanding and adhering to the satisfactory academic progress policy.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) will be measured each term attended for a student in a certificate program if student has attempted 12 or more credit hours.

A student in non-certificate programs (degrees or diplomas) will have Satisfactory Academic Progress measured each Spring whether students attend both terms or only one term in the academic year or when students have attended any KCTCS college any part of two academic years and have attempted 24 or more credit hours.

Satisfactory Academic Progress is measured with the following standards:

• Qualitative (cumulative Grade Point Average)
• Quantitative (Maximum Time Frame for completion)
• Quantitative Percentage (Attempted hours/Earned hours)

The Federal Regulations specify minimum standards for these measures. KCTCS may set stricter standards in its policy.

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)

The SAR is the federal "output document" printed by a FAFSA processor and mailed to you after you have submitted your FAFSA. The SAR contains the family's financial and other information reported by you on the financial aid application. Your eligibility for aid is indicated by the EFC printed on the front of the SAR. 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.

Verification

A procedure whereby the College's financial aid officer checks the information you reported in the financial aid application, usually by requesting a copy of the tax returns filed by you, your spouse, or your parent(s). The College conducts its own form of verification in some cases. In addition, the College must verify students selected through the Federal Central Processing System, following the procedures established by federal regulations. The FAFSA processor will print an asterisk next to the EFC (on the Student Aid Report (SAR) or the Individual Student Information Report (ISIR)) to identify students who have been selected for verification.