Student Handbook 2010-2011 - Holyoke Community College

Financial InformationFinancial AidFR 201, (413) 552-2150The Financial Aid Office is open from 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m.,Monday–Thursday; and from 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., on Friday.The staff is available to answer any financial aid questions.A student at Holyoke Community College can apply forfinancial aid to help cover the costs of tuition, fees andbooks, as well as other expenses such as lunches, transportation,child care, and room and board. Financial aid consistsof grants, loans, and work-study. High need students oftenreceive enough grant (“free”) aid to cover the direct cost oftuition, fees and books, particularly if they qualify for statefundedprograms and file by our May 1 priority deadline. If astudent does not qualify for enough grant aid to cover directcosts, educational loans are offered to cover the short-fall.The vast majority of financial aid funds at HolyokeCommunity College come from federal and state programsfor which eligibility is need-based. Students must reapplyfor this aid each academic year. State-funded programsrequire the student (and parent) to have been Massachusettsresidents for at least one year before the start of the schoolyear. All awards are subject to the availability of funds andchanges in federal, state, and college regulations, policies andprocedures.How to Apply for Financial AidFinancial aid applicants are required to annually submit aproperly completed Free Application for Federal StudentAid (FAFSA). This federal application is submitted electronicallythrough FAFSA on the Web (www.fafsa.gov). Inorder for HCC to receive the application, HCC’s FederalSchool Code (#002170) must be included on the FAFSA.Applicants are welcome to use the self-service computersin the lobby of HCC’s Financial Aid Office (Frost Building,Room 201) to submit the application.In order to meet both the HCC and the State MASSGrantdeadlines, the student’s FAFSA must reach the federalprocessor before May 1 for the school year starting inSeptember. In addition to meeting the May 1 deadline, toreceive the best possible aid award, applicants should alsosubmit all other required documentation to the FinancialAid Office by June 30. If a student misses the May 1 FAFSAdeadline, he/she should apply as soon as possible thereafterin order to receive the best possible aid package, even if notstarting school until the following spring.In addition to completing the general financial aid applicationrequirements described above, applicants should:PROMPTLY respond to all requests for additionalinformation.GET ADMITTED to a degree program or to aneligible certificate program.PREREGISTER for courses as early as possible.SIGN and return all award letters offering aid.NOTIFY the Financial Aid Office about fundingfrom any other source, such as a scholarship organizationIncomplete ApplicationsIf the financial aid applicant is selected for verification bythe federal processor, or the school, additional documentationis required, such as verification worksheets and taxreturns. It is our policy to ask that the documents be submittedto the Financial Aid Office within three weeks of thedate we notify the applicant that we need the additionalinformation. If we do not receive the documents withinthat time frame, we consider the file incomplete and takeno further action on the application while it remains inincomplete status. (If the documents are submitted afterthe 3-week period, we may take action on the applicationif federal and state rules allow us to do so). If correctionsto the application are required after receipt of the requesteddocuments, we make the corrections on our computer systemand, when necessary, submit the corrections to the federalprocessor.How Aid is Awarded and DistributedIn general, to receive financial aid students must meet thefollowing requirements: Development (GED) certificate, pass an approved“ability to benefit” test, or have completed a highschool education in a home school setting that isrecognized as a home school or private school underthe law. student seeking a degree or a financial aid eligiblecertificate. general, this applies to males age 18 through 25). school. money on a federal grant. only for educational purposes. occurred while enrolled in school and receiving federalfinancial aid.The types and amount of financial aid that a student is eligibleto receive is determined by the Financial Aid Officebased on the following factors:21