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2018 - 2019 Catalog [ARCHIVED PUBLICATION]

Financial Assistance

STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Delgado Community College believes that no student who wishes to pursue a college education should be denied that opportunity for financial reasons. In determining the need for financial assistance, the Office of Student Financial Assistance is guided by its estimate of each student’s actual expenses and the data supplied by the student in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

At Delgado Community College, we want to provide students with the best financial assistance possible.  In order to be considered for assistance for scholarships and state and federal funding sources, students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit any financial documents/forms requested.

FAFSAs can be completed at www.fafsa.ed.gov (Delgado’s school code is 004626).

Delgado Community College participates in most major federal and state financial aid programs; additional detailed information on student employment, loans, grants, and scholarships may be secured by contacting the Student Financial Assistance office. There is financial assistance at each college location to assist students in removing the financial barriers that may discourage students from attending college.

The Office of Financial Assistance will communicate with students via email and LoLA, and it is the responsibility of the student to monitor his/her preferred email and LoLA accounts regularly, as well as any email address provided when completing FAFSA. If students would prefer not to receive Financial Aid communications and award notifications via email, they must submit their requests in writing to the Office of Student Financial Assistance.

The Application Process

At Delgado Community College, students are encouraged to carefully explore all financial aid options at their campus. To start the process, students must:

1. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

  • Students must create an FSA ID. This ID will be used to electronically sign all of the student’s financial aid forms.  Online website is https://fsaid.ed.gov.   
  • Once completed, visit https://fafsa.ed.gov/ to complete the FAFSA.  Delgado Community College school code is 004626. 
  • In addition, all first-time borrowers must receive loan counseling before loan funds can be disbursed. Students must complete a Master Promissory Note and Entrance Loan Counseling at https://studentloans.gov.

2. Check the status of FAFSA application through LoLA and submit ALL required documents either in person, by fax, via online form (if available), or through email.

Verification

The U.S. Department of Education randomly selects FAFSA applications for a process known as verification. Verification is a review of the information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for accuracy. If selected, the student is notified by email with instructions to create an account and what information  must be gathered and submitted to the gateway. When reviewing a LoLA account, the student will also see directions to the Inceptia Gateway. 

After a file is complete, the student is notified to view his/her award offer in LOLA. The student’s classes will  not be secured with financial aid until this process is completed. Beginning with the 2018-2019 award year, Delgado has partnered with Inceptia for the processing of verification files. To access the gateway, visit: https://www.verificationgateway.org/delgado2019. Students needing assistance with the verification process are encouraged to visit the nearest Welcome Desk on campus or schedule an appointment with the Answer Center. 

3. Accept Awards online

  • Once federal student aid is processed, the student will receive an email notification to the student’s preferred email address.

  • Once federal student aid has been accepted, federal funds will be authorized to secure the student’s classes.

  • The Pell Grant awarded in LoLA is based on full-time enrollment. If a student is not enrolled full-time at the Census date, the Pell Grant will be adjusted accordingly.

  • Students are required to enroll in a minimum of 6 credit hours for Federal Student Loans. Before accepting any loan, please visit www.NSLDS.gov to review total debt and loan amount. Loans must be paid back to the Federal Government beginning 6 months after a student drops below 6 credit hours. A student’s Pell Grant is automatically accepted for the student; however, if a student is interested in student loans, he or she will need to make a decision.

4. Authorize Aid

  • All student aid that is accepted will be authorized to secure the student’s class. This occurs after tuition and fees are assessed for the semester. Authorized aid secures the student’s schedule.

  • If a student has authorized aid and has a credit balance on his or her account (negative balance), after tuition and fees have been paid, books may be purchased using a bookstore credit. The credit is automatically placed on the student’s Delgado ID. Students can access their Bookstore Credit using their Delgado ID Card.  Please log into the Student ID Card portal to access bookstore credit information. Bookstore credits are only available for a limited time at the beginning of each Fall and Spring Semester and Summer Session. 

5. Disbursement

  • Students can check their account balances by logging in to LoLA.
  • After the first official financial aid disbursement date, authorized aid will be disbursed to the student’s account, which will pay the cost of tuition and fees and any applicable charges.
  • After tuition and fees are paid, if there is a remaining credit balance, the student will be due a refund.

6. Receive Refund

  • Delgado Community College will refund any credit balance remaining on a student’s account after current semester charges have been applied against available funds.  Students may (accept) authorize the Business & Finance Office to apply any credit balance that may result on a student’s account from application of Federal aid to be applied to future charges, by submitting a credit balance authorization form.  Students will not be given a refund for this amount, and the credit will be applied toward future charges including those, which may arise from next semester’s tuition and fees. Students may make a written request that this authorization be revoked at any time.
  • Refunds are funds paid to a student that has a credit balance remaining after tuition, fees, and other applicable charges have been paid. A credit balance (negative balance) indicates payments exceed charges, and the student is due a refund. Refunds can take up to 14 days to process after aid is disbursed to the student’s account.
  • Refunds are delivered to students through BankMobile based on the student’s Refund Selection Preference. Delgado will NOT issue refund checks, so students MUST select a refund preference online through BankMobile. For more information on refunds and BankMobile, see Refund Questions on the Delgado website and/or https://dolphinonecard.vibeaccount.com/.

Deadlines

While students may apply for federal financial aid throughout the year, Delgado Community College has established financial aid processing priority dates for each enrollment period. If all financial aid documents are submitted by the processing priority date, financial aid will be packaged prior to the start of class.

  1. Priority Processing - Applications of students who have submitted all requested documentation by the established deadline dates will be given priority. Students will be notified before the start of the semester/session if they qualify for Federal Title IV aid. Visit the Academic Calendar  for priority processing dates.
  2. Documents received after priority processing date - If students do not submit all the requested documents by the deadline date, financial aid may not be processed by the start of the semester. However, the Financial Aid Office will attempt to process students within 30 days of receipt of the last document submitted.
  3. Late Applications - Students who apply for financial aid after the deadline date or fail to submit all documents on or before the deadline will be responsible for securing their class schedules prior to the published deadlines, either by paying in full at the Bursar’s Office or by making payment arrangements online.

Financial Aid Eligibility

In general, a student must meet the following requirements to qualify for Title IV Financial Aid:

  1. Demonstrate financial need (except for certain loans);
  2. Be a high school graduate or have a high school equivalency diploma from a state department of education or regionally accredited institution or demonstrate eligibility for Ability to Benefit Title IV funds through (1) continued enrollment in an eligible career pathway program  and (2) successful completion of six non-remedial credit hours or a qualifying score on an approved Ability to Benefit (ATB) Test (see First-Time Freshmen Financial Aid Eligibility section); 
  3. Be either a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen;
  4. Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program;
  5. Make satisfactory academic progress in a course of study;
  6. Not be in default of any educational loans at any school attended; or if in default, must have made satisfactory repayment arrangements;
  7. Not owe a refund on grants at any school attended;
  8. Register with the Selective Service. If required, the student can give Selective Service permission to register him by checking a box on the FAFSA. The student can also register through the Internet at the Selective Service website: https://www.ssa.gov/;
  9. Have a valid Social Security Number.

First-time Freshmen Eligibility

First-time freshmen may be eligible for federal financial assistance if they fall into one of the following categories:

High School Graduates - High school graduates of state approved or regionally accredited schools of secondary education may be eligible for federal financial assistance. High school graduates from schools not approved by the state or schools/programs that are not regionally accredited may be eligible for federal financial assistance once they have demonstrated evidence of potential for success by completing an Adult Basic Education program, enrolling in an eligible Career Pathway Program, or attaining a high school equivalency.

High School Equivalency Diploma Recipients - High school equivalency diploma recipients of state approved or regionally accredited programs may be eligible for federal financial assistance. High school equivalency diploma recipients from schools or institutions that are not approved by the state or schools/programs that are not regionally accredited may be eligible for federal financial assistance once they have evidence of potential for success by completing an Adult Basic Education program, enrolling in an eligible Career Pathway Program, or attaining a high school equivalency.

Home School Graduates -  Home school graduates of state approved, state registered, or regionally accredited programs may be eligible for federal financial aid. Home school graduates of programs that are not state approved, state registered, or regionally accredited may be eligible for federal financial assistance once they have obtained a high school equivalency diploma from a state approved or regionally accredited program or have demonstrated evidence of potential for success by ​completing an Adult Basic Education program, enrolling in an eligible Career Pathway Program, or attaining a high school equivalency.

Non-High School Graduates – Non-High School graduates may be eligible for federal financial assistance once they have demonstrated evidence of potential for success by completing an Adult Basic Education program, enrolling in an eligible Career Pathway Program, or attaining a high school equivalency.  Non-high school graduates who do not attain the required level on the Ability to Benefit (ATB) assessment as defined by the U. S. Department of Education are enrolled as non-degree/certificate seeking (non-matriculating). Applicants in this category are not eligible for federal financial assistance and are limited to 11 credit hours before meeting admission requirements. 

Non-high school graduates who are enrolling in a Technical Competency Area (TCA) program are not required to take the Ability to Benefit (ATB) assessment; they are can be enrolled as non-degree/certificate seeking (non-matriculating) and are limited to courses in the program. Applicants in this category are not eligible for federal financial assistance.

General Information

Delgado Community College has a comprehensive financial assistance program to help meet the cost of education. The College offers student financial assistance programs:

  • Federal Pell Grant

  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

  • Federal College Work-Study (FCWS) (FWS)

  • Direct Unsubsidized Loans

  • Direct Subsidized Loans

  • Direct PLUS Loans for Parents

  • Veterans Benefits

Financial Assistance is the economic assistance available to help students meet the difference between what they can afford to pay and what it will actually cost to go to school. This assistance is provided in one of the following forms:

  1. Grants - Grants are a form of non-repayable assistance.  Grants are awarded based on the student’s need and availability of funds. See Grants  .
  2. Scholarships - Academic scholarships are awards based on academic achievement. Participation in student activities or special talents are required for Leadership Scholarships. Scholarships do not have to be repaid. See Scholarships and Awards  .
  3. Loans - Loans are financial awards with a low interest rate made to students attending at least half-time, which must be repaid to the lender. Before you accept any loan, please visit www.NSLDS.gov to review your total debt and loan amount. Loans must be paid back to the Federal Government beginning 6 months after you drop below 6 credit hours. Repayments usually begin 6 months after graduation, withdrawal from school, or when a student drops to less than half-time. All first-time loan borrowers must complete an online entrance counseling session at www.studentloans.gov before receiving student loan funds. In addition, Delgado’s Federal Default Management Program requires that all funds for first-time loan recipients be delayed thirty (30) days from the first day of class. See Other Forms of Financial Assistance .
  4. Employment - Employment opportunities are provided through the Federal College Work-Study Program, the Federal Community Service Program, and the Campus Work-Study Program. See Federal College Work-Study at Grants .

Census Date and Financial Aid Eligibility

In accordance with federal regulations, the Office of Student Financial Assistance will recalculate Federal and State aid based on the enrollment status as of the Census date set by the College. The Census date is the point at which a student’s enrollment is locked, and the Census date for each semester can be found on the Academic Calendar   located in the current Catalog. Federal Pell Grant funds may be available to students enrolled less than half-time. See year round Pell for exceptions. 

Awards that are affected by the Census date are:

  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
  • GO Grant

Note: Direct loans are recalculated prior to disbursement.

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