2008-09 Catalog - Saint Mary's College of California

Financial AidApplying for AidNew Students1. Complete an application for admission to Saint Mary’s College andarrange to have Scholastic Aptitude Test scores and high school/college transcripts sent to the Office of Admissions before February 1.2. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) byFebruary 15. This may be filed by using a paper application available fromhigh school and college counseling offices, or by applying on theInternet (www.fafsa.ed.gov). Regardless of the method selected, followthe instructions and be sure to enter “Saint Mary’s College, Moraga,CA (Federal School Code 001302)” as the recipient of the form.3. California residents should complete the GPA Verification Formby March 2 to apply for the state grant programs. Forms areavailable in high school and college counseling centers, online atwww.calgrants.org, or from the Financial Aid Office.Students Continuing at Saint Mary’s CollegeStudents wishing to renew their aid for a subsequent year should file theFAFSA by March 2. Only new applicants for Cal Grants need to filethe GPA Verification Form (see item 3 above).Selection CriteriaSaint Mary’s College uses a priority deadline of February 15 for newstudents and March 2 for currently enrolled students for all financial aidprograms administered by the College. All students who are enrolledor accepted for enrollment by their respective priority deadlines andwho have filed the required financial aid documents by that date receiveequal consideration for Saint Mary’s College scholarships, in relation totheir financial need. Federal funds under the control of the College arelimited, and generally are awarded only to students with considerableneed. Students completing the application process after March 2 will beconsidered for institutional and limited federal financial aid only if fundsare available. Financial aid notification letters for those who have met thepriority deadline are mailed to new students in March and to continuingstudents in June.Packaging for Financial AidIt is often not possible to meet all of a student’s need with scholarship orgrant aid. In such cases, student loans or student employment may beincluded as a part of the financial aid package. If for any reason thestudent wishes to decline the loan portion of the aid package, he or shemay do so without affecting scholarship or grant awards. It should benoted, however, that refusal of a loan or campus job will not result in alarger scholarship award. If the student is eligible, the Cal Grant A or Band the federal Pell Grant will be included in the total award package.California residents are required to apply for a Cal Grant A and/or CalGrant B from the California Student Aid Commission. If the Commissiondeadline (March 2) is missed, the student may still be considered forassistance from Saint Mary’s College, although the College will beunable to offer scholarships to replace Cal Grants that would havebeen received had an application been made on time.Financial Aid fromSaint Mary’s CollegeSaint Mary’s College ScholarshipsTuition scholarships are awarded by Saint Mary’s College to full-timeundergraduates who demonstrate academic ability and financial need.The amount of each tuition scholarship varies according to the financialneed of the recipient and his/her family. (For further information seeSaint Mary’s College Scholarship Policy Statement, available in theFinancial Aid Office.) Priority deadline: March 2. (See Scholarshipsfor listing, pp. 188 – 196.)Federal Supplemental EducationOpportunity Grant (SEOG)SEOG awards of $200 – $2,500 per year are federally funded grantsadministered by the College and available to undergraduate studentswith exceptional financial need. Priority deadline: March 2. (Normally,students must be enrolled at least half-time.)Saint Mary’s College Tuition AllowanceFamilies enrolling four or more children at Saint Mary’s College aregranted a 50% tuition discount for each child after the third. No financialstatement required. Completion of the Free Application for FederalStudent Aid (FAFSA) is recommended if additional financial assistanceis required. To apply, contact the Financial Aid Office.Saint Mary’s College Athletic GrantFull and partial grants-in-aid are offered to a limited number of menand women athletes in several sports. For further information concerningthese awards, contact: Athletic Director, Saint Mary’s College,Moraga, CA 94575.Federal Perkins LoanThis is a federal loan program administered by the College. Perkins Loanrecipients must be pursuing at least a half-time course of study and mustbe able to demonstrate financial need. Priority deadline: March 2.Student EmploymentSaint Mary’s College offers a wide variety of part-time, on-campus jobs invirtually all College offices and departments. These student jobs are providedthrough two separate programs, the Federal College Work-Studyprogram and the Saint Mary’s College student employment program.Students who qualify for need-based financial aid may be awarded FederalCollege Work-Study as part of the annual award. The award letter will listthe funds reserved to pay the student during the academic year. Listingsof work-study positions are available in the Career Development Center,Ferroggiaro Hall. Job listings are also available on the College’s intranetsite: SMCnet. Students may view current listings by logging on smcnet.stmarys-ca. edu/studentjobs.The Career Development Center also posts notices of general studentemployment opportunities both on- and off-campus. These jobs areopen to any undergraduate or graduate student enrolled at least parttimeat the College. In addition to the distribution of student job applicationsto employing departments, the Career Development Center offerscareer counseling, résumé writing and interview workshops, internshipsand job placement services.19