How to Apply for Financial Aid
Students seeking financial assistance must apply each academic year. To apply for the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work-Study, Florida Student Assistance Grant and certain college scholarships, the following forms must be completed: - Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): These forms are available in each of HCC’s campus financial aid offices. Each financial aid applicant must complete this form and submit it directly to the address indicated on the form. After approximately 4-6 weeks, students will be sent a Student Aid Report. Students must include HCC on the application as an institution they will be attending.
- Financial Aid Transcripts: Transfer students are required by federal law to submit a financial aid transcript from each post-secondary institution attended prior to enrolling at HCC whether or not they received financial aid at their previous school.
- Student Aid Report (SAR): An official SAR is sent to all students who submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This SAR contains information about a student’s Pell Grant eligibility as determined by the U.S. Department of Education. All pages of the SAR must be signed and submitted to the College’s Financial Aid office.
- Income Tax Return (1040A/1040EZ/1040): If so stated on the SAR, students must submit copies of their and their parents’ income tax returns for the most recent year and complete institutional verification forms.
- Student Loan Request Form (optional)
- Entrance Interview Form (optional)
Student Financial Aid
Financial aid is any scholarship, grant, loan, or employment (or a combination thereof) designed to help students meet their college expenses. The amount and types of financial aid given is based on state, federal and HCC guidelines. Students must be degree seeking, meet enrollment requirements and make satisfactory academic progress to be eligible for financial aid.
Grants and scholarships are considered gifts and need not be repaid. Low-interest loans are usually repaid over an extended period of time after the student leaves college. Employment refers to an hourly wage paid to the student for work performed.
Financial Aid Offices
Each HCC campus has a financial aid office, and information about financial aid can be obtained from any of them.
Application Deadline
Required documents, should be on file in the HCC District Financial Aid Office as soon as possible after January 1 for the financial aid applicant to receive consideration for the upcoming Fall semester. The first priority deadline is April 15th. Applications received after April 15 will be processed; however, there is no guarantee that financial aid will be awarded before the beginning of the Fall term.
Students beginning enrollment in the Spring semester must submit all required documents by October 15. To assure prompt processing, Federal Stafford Loan request forms should be submitted along with other application materials. Forms for applying for such loans are available in any campus financial aid office.
Students should budget their money to cover the cost of tuition, fees and books because financial aid is not always available at the beginning of a semester.
How Financial Aid is Awarded and Distributed
Students declared eligible for financial aid will receive an award letter from HCC’s Financial Aid Office. Once the letter is signed and returned, financial aid is distributed as follows:
Students who are employed under the Federal Work-Study Program or as student assistants will receive bi-weekly checks from the office in which they work.
Students who submit signed award letters containing Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Florida Bright Futures Scholarships or institutional scholarships may use them to pay for the cost of tuition and fees at registration. After the deductions for tuition and fees are made by HCC, students will be mailed checks for the remaining balances (usually during the 2nd week of the academic term). Checks are mailed directly to financial aid recipients.
Florida Student Assistance Grants cannot be used to pay for tuition and fees at registration. These funds are mailed to students during the 4th week of the academic term.
The proceeds of long-term loans, such as Stafford Loans, are mailed by HCC’s District Bursar Office as soon as possible on, or after, the first day of class depending on when the proceeds are received from the lending institution. Students with less than 30 hours and who have not borrowed previously will not receive funds until the 31st day of classes. Since prompt delivery is not assured, students should budget accordingly. Only students who have no outstanding obligations to HCC and are enrolled for a minimum of six credit hours will be mailed the proceeds of their student loan checks.
Prior to student aid refund checks being disbursed, financial aid recipients can go directly to any HCC campus bookstore and purchase books and supplies against their aid balance. (Not applicable to student loans.)
Standards of Academic Progress
To remain eligible to receive Title IV, Student Financial Assistance (SFA) program funds while attending HCC, students must make steady progress toward their chosen academic goals. This requirement is known as the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirement. The SAP policy has three standards that a student must meet in order to remain eligible to receive Title IV, SFA - a qualitative standard, a quantitative standard, and a time standard. At HCC the qualitative standard requires recipients to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0. The quantitative standard requires recipients to satisfactorily complete 67 percent of all courses they attempt. The time standard requires recipients to complete their academic program by the time they have attempted 150% of the credits required in their programs.
Students who fail to meet these conditions will be placed on probation for one term. If after one probationary term students are not making satisfactory progress, they will lose their eligibility for financial assistance. In order to regain eligibility, students must meet the satisfactory progress standards.
Important: Before you drop or withdraw from classes, you should meet with a financial aid counselor to review the effect that dropping or withdrawing will have on your eligibility for aid.
Student Assistants
HCC offers a limited number of on-campus part-time jobs to students. The jobs are not based on need. Wages vary, and hours are limited to 15 to 20 hours per week when classes are in session. Available positions are posted on bulletin boards on each campus.
Scholarships
HCC scholarships: HCC offers scholarships in a number of areas. Students may apply directly to the HCC department that has the responsibility for awarding the scholarship. Specific criteria are available in the campus offices of financial aid regarding the following scholarships: - Art Scholarships
- Drama Scholarships
- Publications Scholarships
- Minority Need & Incentive Scholarships for African-Americans
- Asian Americans
- Hispanic Americans
- American Indians
- Athletic Scholarships
- HCC Need Scholarships
- Music Scholarships
- Latin American Caribbean Basin Scholarships
- Florida Migrant Education Scholarships
- Presidential Scholarships
- Presidential Honors Scholarships
- Board of Trustees Scholarships
- Student Support Services Need & Incentive Scholarships
- Students with Disabilities
Procedures for Applying
Each scholarship program has its own application procedures. The campus financial aid offices have information regarding each of HCC’s scholarship programs.
Student Eligibility Standards
- demonstrate financial need or exhibit specific skills
- be enrolled for the appropriate number of credit hours
- be maintaining satisfactory academic progress
Criteria for Selection
Selection criteria for each scholarship program is established by HCC. Most HCC scholarships are awarded according to need or skills. Criteria for determining the amount of the award:
- based on appropriate recommendation or
- student’s unmet need
HCC Foundation Scholarships
Information regarding HCC Foundation Scholarships is available in the HCC Foundation office or any campus office of counseling and advising. Call the HCC Foundation at 253-7014 for details.
Other Scholarships
Information regarding other scholarships is available in the campus financial aid, counseling and advising offices.
Students are urged to apply for external scholarships. A variety of local and national clubs and organizations offer financial aid to students meeting certain criteria.
Federal Financial Aid, Return of Funds
If you receive Title IV, Federal Student Financial Assistance, and if you withdraw, drop out, take a leave of absence, or are expelled prior to completing 60% of a semester for which you have been charged, the College must recalculate your eligibility for Title IV funds.
The formula for recalculating your eligibility utilizes the concepts - percent of aid earned, and
- percent of aid unearned.
A. The percent earned = the days you completed divided by the total days in the enrollment period.
B. The percent unearned = 100% minus the percent earned.
C. The amount of Title IV Aid earned = the percent earned (A) multiplied by your Title IV Aid.
D. The amount of Title IV Aid unearned = the percent unearned (B) multiplied by your Title IV Aid.
E. The amount the College must return = your total institutional charges multiplied by the percent unearned (B).
If the College returns the Title IV funds that were credited to your account, it will create a charge on your student account for which you are responsible.
Important: You might also be responsible for paying back to the federal programs any unearned portion of the Title IV Aid that was disbursed directly to you.
F. The amount you must return to the federal programs = the amount of Title IV Aid Unearned - the amount returned by the College. However, you are not obligated to return more than 50% of any Pell or FSEOG funds you receive.
Federal Financial Aid
Requirements:
To apply for Federal Financial Aid, students must meet the following qualifications:
- be US citizens or nationals, or residents of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, or be eligible non-citizens;
- have high school diplomas or GEDs;
- be accepted for enrollment at HCC as a degree-seeking undergraduate student;
- demonstrate financial need;
- not have received four-year degrees (except for Stafford loans);
- not have defaulted on any federal educational loan or owe a repayment to any Federal loan or grant program;
- meet selective service requirements;
- be enrolled for a minimum of six credit hours in a Fall or Spring semester (three in a Summer term); and
- be in good academic standing and making satisfactory academic progress.
Federal Financial Aid Programs
Pell Grant
This grant, based upon financial need, does not have to be repaid. Awards range from $200 to approximately $3,300 per year. A valid SAR must be submitted to the campus financial aid office. Appropriate income tax returns must be submitted if the SAR indicates that the student’s application has been selected for verification.
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
This is a grant based upon exceptional financial need that does not have to be repaid. Amounts vary from $200 to $600 per year.
Federal Work-Study (FWS)
Students are paid an hourly wage for working on campus for 15 to 20 hours per week, at the approved Board of Trustees Salary Schedule. Students can use their earnings to help defray college costs. Students must complete an I-9 Form when employed.
Federal Work-Study (America Reads Challenge)
Students may work in local public schools tutoring elementary school children in reading for 15-20 hours each week.
Stafford Loan
This is a long-term loan repayable at a variable interest rate up to 8.25%. First-year students can borrow up to $2,625 per year. Second-year students can borrow up to $3,500 per year. Second year students include those students who have completed 30 credit hours toward their degree, not including college preparatory credits. Transfer students must have their transcript(s) evaluated before applying for this loan. HCC will determine the amount for which a student is eligible. Payment of this loan does not begin until the student has been out of school for six months. This loan is available through private lending institutions, and applications for this loan are available at the campus financial aid office.
Unsubsidized Stafford Loan
This is a long-term loan that can substitute or be in addition to the subsidized Stafford Loan. Payment begins immediately, but principle deferments are available. Interest accrues at a variable rate up to 8.25% while the student is attending college. For detailed information regarding loan amounts, students should contact a campus financial aid office.
PLUS Loan
This program enables parents who do not have an adverse credit history to borrow funds to pay for the education of dependent children. Applications are available in the campus financial aid office. PLUS Loans have a variable interest rate, not to exceed 9% per year. Interest accrues while the student attends school. Repayment begins immediately. Parents can borrow up to the cost of education, minus any other financial aid.
State Financial Aid
Requirements:
To apply for state financial aid, students must: - be permanent residents of Florida for at least one year,
- be accepted for enrollment at HCC as degree-seeking undergraduate students.
- Students working towards a certificate are not eligible for state financial aid except for the Florida Vocational Gold Seal Endorsement Scholarship,
- be enrolled for a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester,
- be US citizens or nationals or eligible non-citizens,
- have high school diplomas or GEDs,
- demonstrate financial need,
- not have earned a bachelor’s degree,
- not have defaulted on any educational loans or owe a repayment on any educational loans or grants, meet selective service requirements, and
- be in good academic standing and make satisfactory progress.
State Financial Aid Programs
Listed below are some of the state financial aid programs. For information on these and other state financial aid programs, call any campus financial aid office.
Florida Student Assistance Grant
A grant of between $200 and $1,000 that doesn’t need to be repaid. Application priority deadline is April 15th. To receive a grant, students must enroll for a minimum of 12 credit hours per term.
Florida Teacher Scholarship and Forgivable Loan Program,
known as the “Chappie James Most Promising Teacher Scholarship/Loan”
Students must apply through their high schools. Students who teach in the state for four years do not have to repay the award.
Florida Bright Futures Scholarship
Qualified high school seniors are identified by their high school guidance counselors. Students must enroll for a minimum of six credit hours per term. Bright Futures Scholarships include:
Florida Academic Scholars’ Fund
Covers full cost of tuition, fees and a stipend award.
Florida Vocational Gold Seal Scholarship
Covers 75% of tuition and fees, excluding preparatory courses.
Florida Merit Scholarship
Covers 75% of tuition and fees, excluding preparatory courses.
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