Financial aid comes in many different shapes and sizes

Financial Aid

« Policies and Dates for 2011-2012

Important Information For Financial Aid / Pell Grant Students

16-week semester

Dates To Charge To Pell Account* Attendance Forms Due Dates* Initial Mail Dates For Pell Checks*
August 10th-25th September 7, 2011 September 23, 2011
January 3rd-13th February 1, 2012 February 17, 2012
May 7th -17th May 23, 2012 June 9, 2012

12-week semester

Dates To Charge To Pell Account* Attendance Forms Due Dates* Initial Mail Dates For Pell Checks*
September 7th-20th October 5, 2011 October 21, 2011
January 30, 2012 - February 9, 2012 February 29, 2012 March 16, 2012

*Dates Subject to Change

Pell Grant checks will be mailed on the dates listed above. If you do not receive your check, there will be a four (4) week waiting period to have the check reissued. You must keep your address current with the Registrar's Office.

Checks will be mailed every two weeks after the initial mail date listed above upon submission of your completed attendance sheet to the Financial Aid Office.

New Policy Regarding Attendance Verification

The Financial Aid Office must verify that students have enrolled in and are attending classes prior to distributing checks. This includes any scholarship funds from outside parties. If attendance is not verified, no funds will be disbursed, and funds will be returned to the appropriate agencies. Once awarded, attendance forms will be mailed with the award letter to each student. If you need additional attendance forms, please stop by the Financial Aid Office to pick up attendance forms at the beginning of each semester. Students will be required to have each of their instructors verify enrollment and attendance by having the Instructor complete the last three columns the day after the drop/add date (earliest dates Instructors can complete attendance forms are listed below for each term). The Instructor should indicate whether or not the student has attended class and whether or not the student is still enrolled by answering YES or NO. If the student is no longer enrolled, the Instructor should put the last date of attendance beside the answer NO.

Attention Online Students!

In the event that classes are online, instructors will email attendance rosters to Financial Aid. NOTE: Online students awarded after the drop/add date must contact their instructors via email and have that instructor to email verification to Financial Aid Office at finaid@cccc.edu.

Earliest Date an Instructor can Complete Attendance Sheets:

  • Fall 2011 (16-week semester) - August 26, 2011
  • Fall 2011 (12-week semester) - September 21, 2011
  • Spring 2012 (16-week semester) - January 16, 2012
  • Spring 2012 (12-week semester) - February 10, 2012
  • Summer 2012 - May 18, 2012

Terms And Conditions Of Financial Aid

CANCELLATION The Financial Aid Office reserves the right on behalf of the College to review, revise, or cancel an award anytime because of changes in financial aid status or academic status. Submission of false information will result in cancellation of award.

OUTSIDE AWARD Recipients of financial assistance from CCCC are to notify the Financial Aid Office of any other financial aid extended to them from sources outside the college. An adjustment in your award may be made if additional resources reduce your financial need.

SATISFACTORY PROGRESS To remain eligible for aid, recipients must maintain satisfactory GPA progress as specified in the school catalog and on the enclosed "Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements for Financial Aid Recipients."

ATTENDANCE FORMS Financial aid recipients must be attending classes in order to receive aid that has been awarded. The Financial Aid office includes the attendance form in the award packet mailed to each student. The form must be filled out completely and properly when submitted. Detailed instructions for completion are written on the attendance form. Forms submitted that are incomplete (i.e. missing instructor or student signatures and dates, classes not listed, etc) will not be accepted. It is the student's responsibility to ensure the form is completed properly. NOTE: All classes must be listed, including distance/online courses.

PAYMENT OF AWARDS All awards, except federal work-study (FWS), are disbursed each term. All financial aid will be disbursed by the Business Office. FWS payments are made on the last working day of every month for the previous month's work and will be mailed directly to the student.

BASIS OF AWARDS Your award is subject to your enrollment and attendance at Central Carolina Community College and to your maintaining satisfactory academic progress. Your award is based on enrollment in courses required for graduation in your specified program. Courses taken which are not required to meet the graduation requirements do not qualify for payment. Your award has been based on your financial need, as determined by an evaluation of the circumstances reported on your application and financial statement; except in certain scholarships. If you or your family's circumstances change, you should notify the Financial Aid Office. Your award is contingent upon adequate funds being made available to the college from supporting agencies, including the state and federal governments. A reduction in CCCC's financial aid resources may result in an adjustment to your award.

ENROLLMENT STATUS The financial aid award is based on projected full-time enrollment. Less than full-time enrollment will result in the award being adjusted. Failure to enroll will result in an award revision or cancellation. For definition purposes, 12 or more credit hours is full-time; 9 to 11 credit hours is time; 6 to 8 credit hours is time; and 1 to 5 credit hours is less than half-time.

REAPPLICATION The continuation of your financial aid from year to year is not automatic; all recipients must reapply for aid annually. The normal financial aid year is from August to July. Applications for the upcoming academic school year are available after January 1 of each year.

CHANGE Students receiving financial aid who withdraw from CCCC must personally notify the Financial Aid Office of this action. Also, any changes in name, marital status, address, academic program, enrollment status, or financial status must be reported to the Financial Aid Office.

REPAYMENT POLICY A student who receives financial aid must notify the Financial Aid Office when dropping a course or withdrawing from school. A student who received financial aid and withdraws from school may be required to repay some of the money which he/she has received. The Financial Aid Office must do a calculation to determine the amount of the refund/repayment. If it is determined that a repayment is due, a letter will be mailed to the student stating the amount of the repayment. Any classes which are "Never Attended" will not be counted in the total credit hours and do not qualify for payment of financial aid. Students who owe money will not be eligible for any other financial aid at CCCC or at any other school until the money has been repaid.

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS All Admissions requirements for your curriculum must be met before any financial aid is received. NOTE: A student's completed high school transcript/GED and/or college transcript must be on file; also, students must have completed placement tests, if needed, for curriculum program chosen.

FEDERAL PELL GRANT AWARD Your Federal Pell Grant Award is divided into two (2) payments. The amount you receive will be based on the number of credit hours you take. The credit hours you take must be required for completion of your Title IV approved curriculum. You cannot receive funds for courses not required or for classes you choose to audit or for classes passed by proficiency. You must attend class before Pell Grant will cover your charges. Anyone who charges but does not attend class will be responsible for payment of their tuition, fees, and books. You may not use Pell Grant funds for guided studies courses in excess of 30 credit hours.

PELL GRANT DISBURSEMENT OF REMAINING FUNDS Any Pell grant funds that are remaining after charges for tuition, fees, and books are deducted will be paid later in the term (see disbursement dates on page 1). It is your responsibility to remember these dates. Checks will be mailed by the Business Office to the address on record in CCCC's database. It is important to keep your address current with the Registrar's Office.

GRANTS Grants are gift aid. This form of financial aid generally does not have to be repaid, as long as the student remains enrolled each semester. Students who withdraw completely from a semester may be required to repay a portion of grant funds received.

Federal Grants:

  • Federal Pell Grant: Student must be a US citizen or permanent resident enrolled in an eligible program, demonstrate financial need and meet all other eligibility requirements. In order to be considered for the federal Pell Grant, students must complete a FAFSA. For the 2010-2011 academic year, the annual award will range from $555-$5550. Full-time awards will be prorated as follows: 9-11 hours will be 75% of full amount; 6-8 hours will be 50% of full amount; and 1-5 hours will be 25% of full amount.
  • Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant: Student must be a US citizen or permanent resident enrolled in an eligible program; demonstrate exceptional financial need as determined by the FAFSA and meet eligibility requirements. Pell grant recipients with the lowest expected family contributions (EFC) will be given first consideration. The amount of the award varies based on annual funding.

North Carolina State Grants:

  • North Carolina Education Lottery Scholarship: Student must complete a FAFSA, be an NC resident, and have an expected family contribution (EFC) figure that falls within a range determined by the state of North Carolina each academic year. Full-time awards will be prorated as follows: 6-11 hours will be 50% of full amount. Students will not be eligible for this grant if enrolled for less than 6 hours. Awards are available for fall and spring only.
  • North Carolina Community College Grant: Student must complete a FAFSA, be an NC resident, enrolled at least half-time, and have an expected family contribution (EFC) that falls within a range determined by the state of North Carolina each academic year. Full-time awards will be prorated as follows: 9-11 hours will be 75% of full amount and 6-8 hours will be 50% of full amount. Students will not be eligible for this grant if enrolled for less than 6 hours. Awards are available for fall and spring only.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements For Financial Aid Recipients

Central Carolina Community College's (CCCC) purpose is to provide a variety of quality educational opportunities for all who can profit from them. CCCC is committed to extending all possible resources in pursuit of this goal. However, students have the responsibility for their own education and must meet degree requirements within a reasonable time frame. Successful completion of a diploma or degree requires that a student earn a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 on all hours completed in that degree curriculum.

In compliance with appropriate Federal regulations, CCCC shall adhere to the policies stated in this section for determination of satisfactory academic progress for students receiving financial assistance through CCCC's Financial Aid Office. This includes federal, state, and institutional funds. Certain special awards, i.e., academic scholarships, may require higher academic achievement than the standard policy. Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress before financial aid can be awarded, whether or not financial aid was received during the prior enrollment period.

PELL AWARDS Your Pell is based on full time status when awarded. Once your attendance report is received and courses are verified, your Pell may be adjusted based on the number of credit hours that you are attending. Also, you must take courses that are in your approved curriculum. If not, Pell will not pay for them.

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES The specific policies and procedures to be used in applying the satisfactory academic progress standards are outlined below:

  1. PROGRAM REQUIREMENT Title IV financial aid recipients must be enrolled in an eligible program. An eligible program is a course of study leading to a certificate, diploma, or degree that has been approved for Title IV funding by the Department of Education. While all diploma and degree programs at CCCC are approved, only some certificate programs are approved. You can contact the Financial Aid office or an Admission counselor for information on approved certificate programs. NOTE: No continuing education classes are eligible for Pell grant.
  2. QUALITY MEASUREMENTS OF ACADEMIC PROGRESS Financial aid recipients must make satisfactory progress in their program of study to receive financial assistance. Students must maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 each semester. Students who's GPA falls below 2.0 for any given term will be placed on warning for the following term in which they are enrolled. If a student's GPA is less than 2.0 for the warning term, the status will change to probation and financial aid benefits will be terminated. The probationary status will remain in effect until the student demonstrates satisfactory progress. NOTE: Withdrawals and Incompletes are factored in as a zero; the same as an "F".
  3. QUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENT OF ACADEMIC PROGRESS
    1. Successful Completion of 67% of Program Hours Attempted In order to maintain satisfactory academic progress, a student must have successfully completed at least 67% of all credit hours attempted each semester. At the end of each semester, a review will take place to determine if this requirement has been met. For example; a student who has attempted 12 credit hours must successfully complete 8 hours. Students who do not meet this requirement will be placed on warning for the following term in which they are enrolled. During the warning period, a student must successfully complete at least 67% of semester hours attempted. Failure to meet this requirement will result in a probationary status and financial aid benefits will be terminated. The probationary status will remain in effect until the student demonstrates satisfactory progress.
    2. Maximum Time-Frame for Completion Students are expected to enroll and satisfactorily complete the required number of credit hours or courses needed for graduation in their program. However, federal regulations limit the maximum time frame to no more than 150% of the length of the educational program. Students are allowed to "attempt" a total number of credit hours not to exceed 150% of the total hours for completion of their program. For example: If 75 credit hours are required to complete a degree, the student may attempt a maximum of 113 hours before the student exceeds eligibility for aid (75 X 150% = 113).

NOTE: All terms of enrollment are included as "attempted" hours. This includes:

  1. Previous and current programs of study.
  2. Terms in which the student did not maintain satisfactory progress.
  3. Terms in which the student enrolled for less than half-time.
  4. Terms the student did not receive financial aid.
  5. All courses in which the student receives a grade of A, B, C, D, F, W, WF, I, or EL

**Once a student graduates, the attempted hours will start over if the student enters a new program of study.

  1. ELIGIBILITY STATUS
    Satisfactory: Satisfactory status is achieved when all of the above requirements have been met.

    Warning: Students (who are not currently on warning) who do not maintain at least a 2.0 GPA and/or successfully complete 67% of all hours attempted, will be placed on warning for the following term in which they enroll. Satisfactory progress will be monitored at the end of each semester to determine if the student meets the satisfactory progress requirements and is eligible to continue to receive financial aid.

    Probation: Students on financial aid warning who have not attained at least a 2.0 GPA and/or successfully completed 67% of all hours attempted will have their financial aid terminated at the end of the warning period. Students who have attempted the maximum number of allowable credit hours for their curriculum will also have their financial aid terminated.

    Notification of Financial Aid Warning or Probation: The Financial Aid Office will notify students by mail if they are placed on financial aid warning or to any student who is on probation and no longer able to receive financial aid. Satisfactory progress requirements will be monitored at the end of each semester.

    Regaining Eligibility: Students may regain eligibility once they have met the required GPA of at least 2.0 and achieved a 67% completion rate of semester hours taken during probationary period.
  2. GENERAL INFORMATION
    1. Audited Courses (AU) Because students do not receive credit for audited courses, these courses cannot be used to meet the hour requirements. Financial aid WILL NOT be awarded for classes taken on an audit basis.
    2. Course Repeats Hours previously completed with a grade of "F" may be repeated and counted as part of the enrollment status and earned hours. No course previously passed (Grade of A, B, C, or D) may be repeated and counted for financial aid benefits.
    3. Course Withdrawals or Withdrawal from College (W) Withdrawals (W's) are considered in computing grade point averages, and these courses are counted toward attempted hours.
    4. Courses Towards Degree A student's enrollment status for financial aid includes only courses required for graduation. Courses taken, which are not required to meet the graduation requirements of the curriculum in which you are enrolled, do not qualify for payment. The Financial Aid Office is reliant upon the student and the advisor in selection of courses required in the student's curriculum. The ultimate responsibility of taking required courses rests with the student.
    5. Credit by Examination (CE) Courses for which credit is received by taking a proficiency exam DO NOT qualify for payment of financial aid. These are noted on the transcript with the symbol "CE." Credit hours will be awarded and these courses will count toward hours attempted.
    6. Grades (F) Grades of "F" are used when computing the GPA, but do not qualify as successful completion of credit hours attempted. Grades of "F" DO count towards hours attempted.
    7. Guided Studies Courses Students may be paid for guided studies courses if placement testing indicates a need for these classes even though they are not classified as electives nor count toward their degree. However, students WILL NOT be allowed to attempt more than thirty (30) credit hours of guided studies courses. The 30 credit hours WILL include all grades: A, B, C, D, F, W, or WF. Grades earned in guided studies courses WILL be computed in the GPA each term for financial aid. These course numbers are as follows: ACA 090, BIO 090, BIO 094, CHM 090, ENG 080, ENG 090, ENG 090A, MAT 050, MAT 060, MAT 070, MAT 080, RED 080 and RED 090.
    8. Incomplete Course (I) The credit of an incomplete course will be counted as hours attempted but not earned. "I's" are not considered in computing grade point averages. However, the GPA will be recomputed after the Incomplete(s) is (are) removed.
    9. Independent Study/Telecourses These are counted as hours attempted in determining satisfactory academic progress.
    10. Last Date of Attendance When a student drops/withdraws, a copy of the termination form is forwarded to the Financial Aid Office and the last date of attendance is noted for that course.
    11. Never Attended Classes (NA) Credit hours for which a student registers but never attends WILL NOT be counted as attempted hours. Note: These courses DO NOT qualify for financial aid.
    12. Re-Admitted Students Students who return to CCCC after an absence of one term of more will have their academic status carried forward.
    13. Special Circumstances Individual special circumstances may be assessed to determine a student's eligibility for financial aid. This assessment may be undertaken without recourse to the formal Appeal Procedures described and may justify continuation of financial aid eligibility.
    14. Transfer Students Transfer credits from the other institutions will not be used to determine satisfactory academic progress. However, these credits will be counted as attempted hours.
  3. APPEAL PROCESS To appeal financial aid probation, a student must be able to demonstrate unusual/mitigating circumstances. Circumstances may include but are not limited to: illness of student or immediate family member, death of family member, full-time employment, and change of career objectives. The procedure for appeal is:
    1. A student must indicate, in writing, to the Financial Aid Committee the cause of unsatisfactory progress and why financial aid should not be terminated. This written statement must be received in the Financial Aid Office within five days of receipt of written notification of financial aid warning or probation.
    2. The Financial Aid Committee will review the appeal to determine if termination of aid is justified. The student will be advised of the decision in writing.