Page 70 - Southwestern Community College Handbook 2019-2020

F I N F A I N N A C NI A C L I A A L I D A I D
TYPES OF FINANCIAL AID PROGRAMS
In general, there are four types of financial aid. Grants and scholarships are gift
money that does not need to be repaid. Work-study is money that is earned by working, and student loans are borrowed funds that must be repaid.
The following need-based grants are available to eligible students at SCC:
• The federal Pell Grant is generally awarded to undergraduate students with financial need who have not earned a bachelor’s degree. Pell Grants for the 2019-2020 school
year range from $657 to $6,195 per year. A student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the FAFSA will determine wheter or not they are eligible and how much they will receive. If a student is eligible, they will be notified of the full-time award amount, but the amount actually paid will depend on whether they are enrolled full- time or part-time, and whether they attend for a full academic year or less.
• The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is a smaller grant that is awarded to students with the greatest financial need (lowest EFC). Limited funds are provided by the Federal Government and are awarded by the SCC Financial Aid Office to both full-time and part-time students.
• The North Carolina Community College Grant is a program established by the
North Carolina General Assembly to help meet the educational costs of attending a community college. To be considered for this grant, a student must be a North Carolina resident for tuition purposes and enrolled at least half-time (6 credit hours per semester). A student’s EFC will determine whether or not he is eligible and how much he will receive.
• The North Carolina Education Lottery Scholarship (ELS) is a need-based scholarship, and the student’s EFC will determine whether or not he is eligible and how much he will receive. The student must be a North Carolina resident for tuition purposes, and be enrolled at least half-time (6 credit hours per semester). There is no additional application process for this award; filing the FAFSA will submit the student’s name for consideration for this funding.
Each grant above has several specific eligibility criteria which must be met. Please contact the SCC Financial Aid Office for additional details.
Scholarships are funds that do not have to be repaid and may be awarded based
on financial need or some type of merit (such as academic) or a combination of the two. Students are encouraged to pursue scholarship opportunities throughout their communities such as civic organizations, employers and churches, and to research other national scholarships through reputable organizations and websites.
A number of scholarships are offered through the SCC Foundation and other private donors each year. The most current list of scholarships administered through SCC and the filing instructions and deadlines can be found in the Financial Aid Office or by going to the Scholarship page of the SCC website. The online SCC scholarship application system is usually open in the Spring, and students are notified via email when the application opens.
SCC Foundation Student Emergency Fund
SCC recognizes the positive impact financial stability has on academic success. The SCC Foundation Student Emergency Fund was created in Fall 2014 with the purpose of assisting deserving students (who encounter financial hardships during the semester) by presenting eligible students with the opportunity to apply for up to $250 in emergency funding. The goal of this fund is to provide immediate financial support which allows the student to remain at SCC and continue working toward their degrees, diplomas and/or certificates.
All applications are approved/denied by a Review Committee. The fund is fully supported through SCC’s Foundation Office. Awards are contingent upon the availability of funding.
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