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URGENT –
Please read and keep for your records!!!
Texas State
Technical College
Consumer Information Guide
An Introduction to Financial
Aid
The Student Financial Aid Office
staff
is here to assist you with your financial aid questions and concerns. It
is
our desire to help you take advantage of every financial opportunity
available to assist you in attaining your educational goals. The
descriptions of available financial aid listed in this document are for
informational purposes and are not of a contractual obligation since
changes
may occur before another printing is made. This document has been prepared
for you, the student consumer. You should review it carefully as it
describes
various types of student financial aid programs which may be available at
Texas State Technical College. Your quest for financial assistance should
not
be limited to this document, but it will provide you with a good starting
point. All materials distributed by the Financial Aid Office should always
be
read thoroughly.
The financial aid philosophy at
Texas
State Technical College is to provide financial resources to students who
would otherwise be unable to pursue a post-secondary education. However,
the
primary responsibility for paying for the cost of a college education lies
with the student and his/her immediate family. Thus, financial aid should
be
expected only when the family is unable to meet the full cost of the
student's education.
Although financial aid programs are
available to help students, please keep in mind that:
1. Not all students are eligible for grant
assistance;
2. The amount of money available for financial aid is
limited and may not meet all of your financial needs;
3. Financial aid is not always available when each term
begins. Students
must consider financial
aid application processing time
and federally mandated waiting
periods.
Since financial aid may not pay for
the entire cost of your education, we suggest that you plan ahead and make
every effort to obtain as much money as possible from other resources to
help
with your college expenses. This may be particularly helpful at the
beginning of each term before financial aid funds are made
available.
The Financial Aid Office will
attempt
to meet the documented financial need of eligible students who meet all
requirements. Financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served
basis,
based on financial need and availability of funds. You must complete
enrollment requirements with the Enrollment Services Office before any
financial aid can be awarded.
Eligibility
To receive financial aid, a student
must meet the following qualifications:
1. Be accepted for admission to Texas State Technical
College and be enrolled for a minimum of six (6) credit hours in a program
of
at least six (6) months in duration. Exception: The Federal Pell Grant
program is funded for eligible students. enrolled less than six (6) credit
hours. All accepted students must have a high school diploma, a GED, or
have
demonstrated the 'ability to benefit' from training provided at Texas
State
Technical College as determined by passing a standardized placement test.
2. Have established financial need as determined by the
Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
3. Be enrolled as a regular student working toward a
degree
or certificate in an eligible program.
4. Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
Non-citizens
should submit an Alien Registration Card, Immigration and Naturalization
Service Departure Record, or Temporary Resident Card.
5. Have a valid Social Security Number.
6. Not be in default on a Perkins Loan (National Direct
Student Loan), Federal Stafford Loan (Guaranteed Student Loan), Federal
Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students, or Federal Supplemental Loan for
Students.
7. Not owe a refund on a Federal Pell Grant, Federal
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, or State Student Incentive
Grant.
8. Agree to use all federal student aid solely for
educational and educationally related purposes.
9. Sign a statement of educational purpose/certification
statement on refunds and defaults, (included on FAFSA).
10. Male students who are eighteen (18) years of age or
older,
are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens, and are not currently on
active
duty in the Armed Forces are required to be registered with the Selective
Service before any federal student aid can be awarded.
11. Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress as defined in
satisfactory
progress policy.
12. Aircraft Pilot Training students must submit a copy of
their Class II Medical Certificate before they can be admitted to the APT
program. APT student budgets are adjusted to reflect flight costs.
13. Students in the Dental Assistant Program must submit
proof
of immunizations prior to enrollment. Please refer to http://www.waco.tstc.edu/da/index.php for more information.
General Information
The Cost of Your Education
Information on educational costs at
Texas State Technical College is readily available in the college catalog
and
through Enrollment Services. Educational expenses will vary depending on
a
student's area of study and personal money management.
Students should also include
expenses
such as transportation, room and board, and personal expenses when
planning a
budget. Information on the cost of books and supplies is available at the
Texas State Technical College Bookstore.
When to Apply for Financial
Aid
As soon
as
possible! Separate applications must be submitted for each academic year
of
enrollment. An academic year is September of the current year through
August of
the next year. Processing of financial aid applications is ongoing.
However,
the priority deadlines are:
Fall
semester – June 1
Spring semester – October
1
Summer semester – March
1
Verification of Your Financial Aid
Application
TSTC Waco verifies the information
of
applicants whose files contain conflicting information, or who are
selected
by the US Department of Education. To verify data on the application, the
student is required to provide copies of records including, but not
limited
to, income tax returns, W-2 statements, child support payment information,
medical/dental expense information, and other records as requested. If
inconsistent data is discovered during the verification process,
additional
information may be requested. No aid will be awarded until all information
has been submitted and verified. You can check the 'My Documents' tab on
WebAdvisor to learn what documents must be submitted.
When a Student Withdraws from
School
If a student withdraws from all
classes at TSTC Waco, they must follow the withdrawal procedures at
http://www.waco.tstc.edu/admissions/add_drop.php
. For students who receive all
F's and do not officially withdraw, a Title IV refund will be calculated based
on
the student's last day of class participation. The College and/or the
student may be required to return federal funds awarded to the student.
The
student is only eligible to retain the financial aid they have earned up
to
the withdrawal date. The Financial Aid Office will use the official
withdrawal date from the withdrawal form or the last date of class
participation. Funds that were disbursed in excess of the earned amount
must
be returned to the appropriate programs which may result in the student
owing
funds to the college. The funds must be returned to the Department of
Education no later than 45 days from the withdrawal date or the last date
of
participation.
For additional information, please
refer to: http://www.waco.tstc.edu/financialaid/refunds.php
Your Financial Aid Award
Letter
Students are notified by email when
their awards are processed, so that they can view their award letter on
WebAdvisor. This occurs shortly after the aid is awarded. In most cases,
the financial aid awards are based on the assumption that the student will
be
enrolled on a full-time basis (12 or more credit hours). Financial aid
awards
may be reduced or eliminated for students enrolled in less than 12 credit
hours.
Receipt of Your Financial
Aid
Financial aid is disbursed to the
student each term through the student identification card, TechOne. When
the
student receives the TechOne card, he or she must select their preference
of
having the funds transferred to their existing personal bank account, or
to
the OneAccount. You can obtain activation information at: http://www.techonecard.com/.
Beginning with the Fall, 2009
semester, an academic year at TSTC is defined as 24 credit hours, two
semesters, and 30 weeks. Each student's annual award will be divided into
disbursements
for each semester of attendance. No aid will be awarded for period of
non-enrollment.
You can obtain disbursement date
information by referring to Important Dates and Information at:
http://www.waco.tstc.edu/financialaid/forms/important%20dates%20flyer.pdf.
What is Satisfactory Academic
Progress?
All students participating in
financial aid programs must meet satisfactory academic progress
requirements
in order to continue receiving financial aid. A student must maintain at
least a 2.0 grade point average for each term, as well as a cumulative 2.0
GPA for all courses attended including developmental studies.
Additionally a
student must complete the required number of credit hours as outlined in
the Financial
Aid Standards of Academic Progress, which is located at: http://www.waco.tstc.edu/financialaid/standards.php.
Eligible Courses Covered by
Financial
Aid
Financial aid may be used only for
eligible courses. Eligible courses are those courses which are required
for
graduation from a particular educational program and may include
developmental studies. Financial aid will not be approved for audit or
continuing education courses. Financial aid will not cover:
·
classes that
are
being repeated for the third or more time
·
classes
previously
passed with a grade of C or better
·
classes that a
student does not attend prior to the census date of the course
·
more than 27
hours
of remedial coursework
Transferring
Students
Students transferring from another
post-secondary institution will be treated as first-year students for
purposes of determining loan amounts. Transferring students who have
already
received an undergraduate degree are not eligible for the Federal Pell
Grant
or the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant.
Students Rights and
Responsibilities
Students have the right to know the
following:
. What financial aid programs are available
. The deadline for submitting applications for each of the
programs
. How financial aid will be distributed
. How financial aid will be determined
. Costs of attending the institution
. What resources are considered in the calculation of
.financial need.
. The institution.s refund policy
. What portion of financial aid received must be repaid and
what portion is grant aid
. The details regarding any loan offered
. Satisfactory academic progress guidelines for aid
recipients
. That all or a portion of aid may have to be repaid if the
student withdraws or changes enrollment status
Students applying for financial assistance
must:
. Complete all application forms accurately and submit them
to
the Financial Aid Office before the mandated deadline
. Provide correct information
NOTE: Misreporting information on a financial aid form
is a
violation of law and may be considered a criminal offense, which could
result
in indictment under the U.S. Criminal Code.
. Return all additional documents requested by the
Financial
Aid Office
. Be responsible for reading, understanding and keeping
copies
of all forms that require a signature
. Live up to all signed agreements
. Perform work assigned as Federal or Texas Work Study
employee
. Be aware of and comply with deadlines for application or
reapplication for assistance
. Report any change in name and /or address to the
Financial
Aid Office
. Be aware that upon withdrawing or changing enrollment
status, it is possible that a portion of any aid received may have to be
repaid
. Complete an Entrance Loan Counseling session, which
includes
a test, before the loan funds can be released to the student
. Complete an Exit Loan Counseling session before leaving
school
Federal Financial Aid Programs
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education
Federal Pell
Grant
A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a
loan,
does not have to be repaid. Pell Grants are awarded only to undergraduate
students who have not earned a bachelor's or a professional degree. Pell
Grants are considered a foundation of federal financial aid, to which aid
from other federal and nonfederal sources might be added.
Eligibility for the Federal Pell
Grant
is based upon a student's financial need. The student's need is determined
by
submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The maximum Pell Grant award for
the
2009-10 award year (July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010) is $5,350. For the
2010-11
award year (July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011), the maximum award is $5,550.
The
amount you get, though, will depend not only on your financial need, but
also
on your costs to attend school, your status as a full-time or part-time
student, and your plans to attend school for a full academic year or less.
Note: The maximum award amount is given for any Pell Grant eligible
student
whose parent or guardian died as a result of military service in Iraq or
Afghanistan after Sept.11, 2001. You must be under 24 years old or
enrolled
at least part-time in college at the time of your parent's or guardian's
death.
Federal Pell grant policy – Effective February 23,
2010
Beginning with the 2009-2010
academic
year, students are eligible to receive up to
2 scheduled awards (200%) per year
of
Pell grants. For the summer of 2010,
TSTC Waco will pay Federal Pell
grants
out of the 2009-2010 year (as a "trailer").
If a student receives a full-time
(12
hours or more) Pell award for both the Fall 2009 and Spring 2010
semesters,
that student will ONLY receive a Pell award for the Summer 2010 semester
if
he or she is enrolled in 6 or more semester hours for the Summer
semester.
TSTC will give no consideration to 2010-11 student eligibility when
determining Pell awards for Summer 2010.
Federal Supplemental Educational
Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
FSEOG awards are given to Federal
Pell
Grant recipients who have exceptional financial need. FSEOG funds are
limited
and are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Priority is given to
those students who have complete files by the application
deadline.
Academic Competitiveness Grant
The Academic Competitiveness Grant,
or
ACG, provides grant funds for students in the first and second years of
their
undergraduate programs that have not completed the first baccalaureate
degree.
To be eligible for the ACG, a
student
must be a Federal Pell Grant recipient, a U.S. citizen, enrolled
full-time,
and must have completed a rigorous secondary school program of study after
January 1, 2006, for first year students and after January 1, 2005, for
second
year students. To receive the ACG during the second year of undergraduate
study, students must achieve a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher
on
a 4.0 scale or its equivalent.
A first year student may receive an
ACG of $750. A second year student may receive an ACG of $1300. Award
amounts will be prorated for those students who enroll for fewer than 12
credit hours.
Federal Work Study
(FWS)
Eligibility is based upon a
student's
financial need and is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis by the
Financial Aid Office. Priority is given to those students who have
complete
files by the application deadline. Seven percent of Federal Work-Study
funds
are allocated to students working in community service jobs. TSTC Waco
also
offers Federal Work-Study positions through the America Reads program. For
more information, contact the Student Employment Office. On campus work
assignments are made through the Student Employment Office. Students may
work
a maximum of 15 hours per week at the current minimum wage.
Federal Stafford
Loan
TSTC Waco participates in the
Federal
Direct Student Loan program. Direct Loans are low-interest loans for
students and parents to help pay for the cost of a student's education
after
high school. The lender is the U.S. Department of Education (the
Department)
rather than a bank or other financial institution.
A student who qualifies for a
subsidized loan (has demonstrated financial need) will have his/her
interest
expense paid by the government until repayment begins. A student
qualifying
for an unsubsidized loan (has no demonstrated financial need) will have
his/her interest expense added to the loan while in school. If the
interest
expense is not paid while the student is in school, that expense will be
carried forward when repayment begins and calculated into the monthly
payments.
Subsidized and unsubsidized loan
repayment begins six (6) months after the student graduates, leaves
school,
or drops below half-time enrollment.
More information is available at:
http://www.direct.ed.gov/applying.html.
Federal Parent Loan for
Undergraduate
Students
This loan program may be used by
parents of DEPENDENT students (dependent as defined by the federal
government). Eligible loan applications are certified by the Financial
Aid
Office and made by a commercial lender (bank, credit union, savings and
loan
association, etc.). A credit check of the parent is performed by the
lender.
For information on how to apply, please refer to 'Federal Direct Parent
Loan Information' at http://www.waco.tstc.edu/financialaid/plus.php.
Other types of Financial Aid: This
is
only a partial list of aid that may be available.
Texas Public Educational Grant
(TPEG)
Eligibility is based upon a
student's
financial need. Funds are limited and awarded on first-come, first-served
basis. Priority is given to those students who have complete files by the
application deadline.
Leveraging Educational Assistance
Program (LEAP)
Priority is given to students who
are
enrolled full-time. Awards are disbursed during the fall term only and
awarded on first-come, first-served basis. Priority is given to those
students who have complete files by the application deadline.
Line-Item
Scholarship
Eligibility is based on a student's
financial need and is awarded through a competitive scholarship
application
process during the fall and spring terms. Students must submit our on-line
scholarship application to apply for all scholarships.
Valedictorian
Scholarship
This scholarship is awarded to
every
valedictorian of an accredited high school by the Texas Education Agency.
This scholarship is accepted at any state-supported college or university,
including Texas State Technical College. The scholarship provides
exemption
from tuition payment for the first year after graduation from high school.
For additional information, contact the Student Accounting
Office.
Other
Scholarships
Other scholarships such as industry
sponsored, Tech-Prep or private scholarships are honored at Texas State
Technical College. Anyone who has accepted a scholarship must comply with
the
requirements of the sponsoring organization or individual and be accepted
to
the college.
Tuition and Fee
Loans
This short term loan is for
students
who have demonstrated an inability to pay tuition and fees. This loan is
not
available to students who are on financial aid suspension. Books, tools
and
supplies are not covered by this loan.
Workforce Investment Act
(WIA)
The Private Industry Council or the
Council of Governments in your area may offer payment of tuition and/or
other
services to students who qualify for this program. Interested applicants
should contact the nearest agency as far in advance of registration as
possible.
Trade Readjustment Act
(TRA)
The Texas Employment Commission may
offer payment of tuition and/or other services to students who qualify for
this program. Interested applicants should contact the Texas Workforce
Commission Office in the county where the applicant now resides as far in
advance of registration as possible.
Toward Excellence, Access &
Success (TEXAS)
Awards are made to cover tuition
and
fees for certain students who graduated from an accredited high school in
Texas no earlier than December 1999. Student must have completed the
recommended or distinguished high school curriculum, enroll in an eligible
Texas college or university within 16 months of high school graduation,
and
have financial need. For more information please contact the Financial Aid
Office.
Department of Assistive and
Rehabilitative Services (DARS)
DARS may offer payment of tuition
and/or other services to students who qualify for this program. Interested
applicants should contact their nearest DARS Office as far in advance of
registration as possible. For additional information, contact the DARS
office
at TSTC Waco at (254) 867-3750.
Hazlewood Act
Honorably discharged veterans who
were
residents of Texas at the time of enlistment in the armed forces, who are
Texas residents at the time of registering at Texas State Technical
College,
who served more than 180 days of active duty service (not including
training
time) and who are no longer eligible for VA to cover tuition and certain
fees, may apply for an exemption from payment of tuition and certain fees
through the Hazlewood Act. An applicant may obtain information and
assistance from the Veterans. Certification Officer, who is located in the
Enrollment
Services Office.
Benefits for Veterans (or Veteran
Dependents)
Texas State Technical College is
approved by the Texas Education Agency and the Department of Veterans
Affairs
to educate and train veterans and other eligible persons. This approval
includes most academic, technical, and vocational certificate and degree
programs. Veterans and dependents whose veteran parent is deceased or was
totally and permanently disabled, either while on duty or as a result of
service, may be eligible for educational allowances. An applicant
may
obtain information and assistance from the Veterans. Certification
Officer,
who is located in the Enrollment Services Office.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR
FINANCIAL AID, PLEASE CONTACT THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE:
TELEPHONE: 1-800-792-8784 OR
254-867-4814
Fax: 1-254-867-3200
TTY: 1-254-867-3322
Financial Aid Office
3801 Campus Drive
Waco TX 76705
About the
College
Texas State Technical College is
accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools to award Associate of Applied Science degrees and
Certificates of Completion.
Texas State Technical College is
part
of the state-wide technical college system of Texas. The College offers
many
technical education programs. Equal opportunity shall be afforded within
the
Texas State Technical College System to all employees and applicants for
admission or employment regardless of race, color, gender, religion,
national origin, age or disability. TSTC will make reasonable
accommodations
for persons with disabilities.
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