Guide to Financial Aid

 There are numerous ways to receive financial assistance at Eastern Shore Community College (ESCC).  In some programs the recipients are selected based solely on financial need.  Other programs may look at your academic record or a combination of factors.

Eastern Shore Community College (ESCC) is committed to the philosophy that no student should be denied an opportunity to pursue post-secondary education due to a lack of financial resources. In support of this philosophy, it offers a variety of financial aid programs for students who qualify. Such aid is funded through federal and state agencies, local civic and service clubs, individual donors, and the Eastern Shore Community College Foundation.

The college renders assistance to as many students as possible in the form of grants, employment, local scholarships and short-term loans.

Students applying for a Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), College Scholarship Assistance Program (CSAP), Commonwealth Awards, Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program (VGAP), Part-Time Tuition Assistance (PTAP) grant, Higher Education Teacher Assistance (HETAP) and Federal Work-Study (FWS) must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Title IV code for ESCC is 003748. Students applying for local scholarships must complete the ESCC Scholarship Application.

• Financial Aid - The Application Process 

Students who receive financial aid must maintain an acceptable grade point average and successfully maintain the college's standards of academic progress. Students who lose eligibility for financial aid have the right to appeal this loss. Details about the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress and the financial aid appeal process can be obtained from the Financial Aid Office.

In order to be eligible for federal financial aid, students who have not graduated from high school nor received their GED must demonstrate an "ability to benefit" from their academic program by satisfactory performance on an "ability to benefit" test. Information about this test can be obtained from the Financial Aid Office.

Recipients of the grants listed below are required to maintain “Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress” in their course of study. Compliance with the terms of this certificate is mandatory to continue to be eligible at the time an application is received and at the end of each semester.

• Federal Pell Grant
• FSEOG
• Federal Work-Study
• Commonwealth Awards
• VGAP
• CSAP
• HETAP
• PTAP

The student's satisfactory progress will be evaluated at the time an application is received and at the end of each semester.

Financial Need

One of the first steps in the financial aid process is to determine how much a family can realistically afford to pay toward the costs of college. The family's ability to pay, called the Expected Family Contribution, is determined by completing a need analysis application, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This application enables an ESCC student to apply for all forms of need-based student aid without paying a fee.

Financial Need is the difference between the costs of attendance at ESCC and the family's ability to pay.

How is Financial Need Calculated?
The financial aid officer computes what a typical student will spend at ESCC (Cost of Attendance), subtracts what the family can realistically afford (the Estimated Family Contribution), and that yields the amount of assistance (Financial Need) you need to attend college.

Cost of Attendance - Estimated Family Contribution = Financial Need

Types of Financial Aid

Financial aid at ESCC consists of grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study opportunities provided expressly to help students meet educationally related expenses.

Grants
Grants are awards which do not have to be paid back. Generally grants are based on a demonstration of financial need.

Scholarships
Scholarships are based on such things as financial need, academic performance, leadership qualities, or involvement in the community. Many awards are based on a combination of these factors. Scholarships do not have to be repaid.

Work-Study
Work-study employment enables a student to earn income at an hourly-wage rate in return for part-time work. Employment is generally on campus; however, some eligible students will have the opportunity to perform community services jobs on and off campus.

Loans
A limited amount of short-term, interest-free loans are available to qualified ESCC students who have almost completed the financial aid process and available information indicates that they will qualify for financial aid once the process is complete. When the financial aid process is complete, the loans are paid off with the awarded financial aid.

Deadlines

Students who are planning to attend the Fall Semester are encouraged to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which can be found at FAFSA on the Web as soon after January 1st as possible.

Financial aid files which are complete by May 1st will receive priority consideration for all financial aid funds. A new application for financial aid must be filed each year. The application for ESCC Local Scholarships must also be received by May 1st.

Receiving the Financial Aid Monies

Your Financial Aid Award Letter lists the dollar amounts that you will receive if you are a full-time student rolled for a full academic year. The dollar amounts in each financial aid award are adjusted each semester depending on the number of credits in which you enroll.

For example, if you are awarded a $2,700 Pell Grant then as a full-time student will receive $1,350 in the fall semester and $1,350 in the spring semester. If you drop to half-time enrollment one semester then you would receive only $675, or one-half the full-time amount.

Some programs will allow you to receive financial aid if you are enrolled for as little as less-than-half-time; other require at least full or half-time enrollment.

You are allowed to charge tuition, fees, books, and supplies to your financial aid account. If the amount of your assistance is greater than your charges, a check will be mailed to you for the balance of your funds approximately 14 days after the "last day to withdraw with refund" date.

If You Withdraw From All Classes

If you are a student who is receiving a Pell Grant, SEOG, or CSAP grant and you officially withdraw from all classes OR unofficially withdraw (stop attending all classes without completing the official withdrawal process) after the “Withdraw with Refund Date” but not beyond the “Withdraw Without Penalty Date”, the college must determine how much of the grant assistance you have earned prior to your complete withdrawal from this period of enrollment.  Financial Aid Withdrawal Refund Policies require the student to refund financial aid funds that were not earned.

Loss of Academic Eligibility

A student may appeal the loss of financial aid provided the loss is based on failure to meet the college's Standards of Satisfactory Progress. A written appeal must be submitted to the ESCC Financial Aid Committee within five calendar days of notification that aid has been withdrawn.

The Financial Aid Committee will hold a hearing as soon as possible, normally within five calendar days of receipt of the appeal. A decision will be reached within two calendar days of the hearing and the students will be notified in writing.

If the decision is negative, the student may submit a written appeal to the Dean of Student Services within five calendar days of receipt of the Committee's decision. The Dean will review the case and make a decision within five calendar days of the appeal. The decision of the Dean is final.

How to regain eligibility...
A student who is not academically eligible to receive federal or state financial aid may regain eligibility in the following manner:

• Cumulative Grade Point Average Deficiency - A student must enroll without financial aid and obtain the minimum cumulative grade point average as required.



• Completed less than 67% of credits attempted - A student must enroll without financial aid and successfully complete at least 66% of the credits attempted.



• Took more than 150% of the published time needed to complete the program - A student does not have any way of re-establishing financial aid eligibility after all avenues of appeal have been exhausted.

Who Can Help Me?

Bryan Smith, Financial Aid Officer 757-789-1732 Phone 757-789-1737 FAX 757-787-5916 TDD bsmith@es.vccs.edu Carole Read, Financial Aid Assistant 757-789-1733 Phone 757-789-1737 FAX 757-787-5916 TDD cread@es.vccs.edu