By Catherine Cesa, West Staff Reporter
“In 1965, the U.S Department of Education created the Higher Education Act, which supports students that attend college,” said Executive Director of Enrollment and Financial Aid Student Financial Aid & Scholarships, Angela Johnson.
Cuyahoga Community College maintains a full-service Student Financial Aid & Scholarships Office on each campus. This office is dedicated to helping students navigate financial aid options for paying for their college expenses.
“The mission of The Student Financial Aid & Scholarship Office is multi-layered. It ensures all students have access to financial aid funds to support their educational needs, which can be in the form of grants, scholarships, and/ or loans. We want to make sure that eligible students have the access to the necessary funds to help them succeed in college,” said Johnson.
Students can meet with a Student Financial Aid Advisor to obtain information about various financial aid options, which include Pell Grant, Scholarships, and Student Loans.
a. Loans are borrowed money that has to be repaid, with interest, to the U.S. Department of Education and students can borrow it based on their financial need.
b. Scholarships are another form of financial support which is given to students to pay for fees, tuition for classes including books and those who wish to apply for a Tri-C Foundation Scholarship must complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). All scholarship recipients will be asked to submit a “Thank You to” donors for scholarships awards.
c. Pell Grants do not have to be repaid. Generally, grants are need-based and are provided by the U. S. Department of Education.
The required forms and steps to apply:
1. Apply for a personal identification (PIN)
2. Complete the FAFSA forms
3. Once students’, FAFSA’s are processed, they will receive an e mail from the U.S Department of Education with their Student Aid Report
4. If additional documents are needed, the Financial Aid office will send a message to the student to their Tri-C email account.
If you need help completing the FAFSA application you can attend a free workshop on Fridays up to November 22nd in G271. To assist to this workshop you need to bring your proof of 2012 income and your FAFSA PIN#. Register for a FAFSA PIN at www.pin.ed.gov
There is a priority deadline to apply for financial aid.
If you are selected to receive loans, a Pell Grant or scholarship, you may be required to complete a process called verification. It’s a process to confirm that the information the students or students’ parents provided on the FAFSA is accurate. Students who are selected for this process need to complete a Dependent or Independent Verification Worksheet and submit a copy of tax return transcripts (if applicable).
Cuyahoga Community College reviews the academic progress of students receiving federal financial assistance. This process is to evaluate whether the students are making measurable progress toward completion of their course of study to continue receiving federal assistance. At Tri-C, academic process is evaluated at the end of each semester. Students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA). If after one semester, a student is not making academic progress, they will be put on probation. If the students don’t make progress, the aid will be removed.
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