Financial Aid

Student Financial Aid Application Procedures

The philosophy of Enrollment Services is that no student should be denied access to postsecondary education because of financial barriers. While the primary responsibility of paying for college lies with the student and the student's family, Jefferson State Community College offers a variety of aid, such as grants, loans, scholarships, and work study to assist as many qualified students as possible.
In order to be considered for federal student aid, students must be unconditionally admitted into an eligible degree-seeking program.

Most aid programs are based on the individual need of the applicant and/or parent. Demonstrated financial need is determined by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The school code for Jefferson State Community College is 001022. We advise that you complete your Federal tax returns (student, parent, or spouse if applicable) before filling out the FAFSA. Students and parents are cautioned to complete all forms as honestly and accurately as possible. Incomplete or estimated tax information on the FAFSA will result in corrections that will delay your application. Please be advised that there may be other stipulations each semester that students must meet to have aid available for each semester.

How Awards are Determined

Once the student submits the FAFSA, it is processed by the U. S. Department of Education. In approximately three to six weeks, Jefferson State and the student will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR). Please note that Jefferson State will contact the student via U.S. Mail concerning institutional documentation but it is the student's responsibility to contact the Financial Aid Office after receiving their SAR. Students are also reminded that they may be asked to substantiate information they submit on the FAFSA. Awards are determined using the "Expected Family Contribution" (EFC) found on the SAR; this is the amount that the student and his family should be able to contribute to educational expenses. The college has established cost of attendance estimates for various categories of students. A financial aid officer will compare the students EFC to Jefferson State's cost of attendance to determine the student's eligibility for federal financial aid.

Federal Pell Grant payments are prorated according to the number of hours a student takes each semester.

• Students receive 25% of award when taking less than 6 semester hours.
• Students receive 50% of award when taking 6-8 semester hours.
• Students receive 75% of award when taking 9-11 semester hours.
• Students receive 100% of award when taking 12 or more semester hours.

Students are expected to register for classes that lead to the completion of the designated course of study. Financial Aid will not pay for classes taken outside of the student's course of study. Repeated classes cannot be paid for when the student has made a "C" or better previously.

Transient Students

A transient student is a student who attends another college and will be in attendance at Jefferson State one semester and then return to their home institution. Transient students are not eligible to receive financial aid at Jefferson State.