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FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION
Your financial aid offer is to help you with your academic and career goals. Your aid package of scholarships, grants, loans, and/or employment is determined by the amount of your need and your eligibility for federal, state, and private funds administered by Hawai`i Community College. The following information explains the source of aid you are offered. Please take the time to read it.
WHAT IS FINANCIAL NEED?
On your award offer letter, there is information about how your financial need was determined and the total financial aid awarded to you.
| STUDENT’S COLLEGE COST | This is the estimated cost for you to attend HawCC for the award period. It includes tuition and fees, books and supplies, meals and housing, personal expenses and transportation |
| STUDENT/FAMILY CONTRIBUTION | This is what you and your family are expected to pay toward your college cost |
| OUTSIDE AID | This is other aid you are receiving that is not from HawCC, such as external/private scholarships, grants, other benefits, etc |
| FINANCIAL NEED | This is determined by taking your college cost and subtracting student/family contribution and outside aid |
| FINANCIAL AID AWARDED | This is the total amount of the aid offered by the Financial Aid Office |
| UNMET NEED | This is determined by taking your financial need and subtracting aid awarded |
IS THE AWARD LETTER CORRECT?
Be sure your student ID, name, and address are correct. If not, please correct them. You must notify the Financial Aid Office of any changes in your situation. If you are receiving ANY outside aid that the Financial Aid Office is not aware of, you MUST inform the Financial Aid Office of the award. |
WHAT DID I GET?
| ACADEMIC COMPETITIVENESS GRANT | A Federal grant for students who are receiving a Pell Grant and have completed a rigorous high school program of study. Requires atleast half-time enrollment. It does not need to be paid back. An Official high school transcript must be submitted to HawCC Financial Aid Office. |
| BLACK SCHOLARSHIP | The Ruth E. Black Scholarship is a gift aid and does not have to be paid back. Awarded to a student whose parents are/were part of the construction industry in Hawai`i. Requires a seperate application in addition to the FAFSA, must be enrolled for atleast 6 credits. Black and other Internal Scholarships |
| FEDERAL WORK STUDY | The Federal Work Study (FWS) program provides on-campus job opportunities to help students earn money (up to the award amount) to pay for school costs while gaining valuable work experience. Campus employment is flexible and convenient. Requires at least half-time enrollment. |
| FEDERAL PELL GRANT | A Federal grant for a student who has not received a bachelor’s degree. It does not need to be paid back. |
| FEDERAL PLUS LOAN | A loan which must be repaid by parents. The Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) is for parents of dependent students who want to borrow to help pay for their children’s college cost. The interest rate is variable repayment begins within 60 days after loan is disbursed, and parents borrow through a commercial lender. Requires at least half-time enrollment of the student to apply. |
| FEDERAL SEOG GRANT | The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant is for a student with exceptional financial need and is eligible for the Federal Pell Grant. It does not need to be paid back. Requires at least half-time enrollment. |
| HEMENWAY SCHOLARSHIP | The Charles R. Hemenway Scholarship is a gift aid and does not have to be paid back. For residents of Hawaii only. Requires a separate application in addition to the FAFSA. Must be enrolled for atleast 6 credits. Hemenway and other Internal Scholarships |
| HSIG | The Hawai`i Student Incentive Grant is a federal program with matching state funds which waives only tuition (not fees). The student must be a Hawaii resident and eligible for the Federal Pell Grant. Requires at least half-time enrollment. |
| SUBSIDIZED FEDERAL STAFFORD LOAN | This is a loan which must be repaid and is based on demonstrated financial need. The interest rate may be either fixed or variable, depending on whether the student has an outstanding Federal Stafford Loan balance at the time the loan is made. The loan funds and repayment are made through a commercial lender. Repayment begins 6 months after a student ceases to be enrolled at least half-time at HawCC. Requires at least half-time enrollment to apply. Reqiures a separate application in addition to the FAFSA. |
| UH OPPORTUNITY GRANT | A University of Hawaii scholarship awarded based on financial need. Requires at least half-time enrollment. |
| UNSUBSIDIZED FEDERAL STAFFORD LOAN | This is a non-need based loan that must be repaid. The interest rate is either fixed or variable depending on whether the student has an outstanding Stafford Loan balance at the time the loan is made. The loan funds and repayment are made through a commercial lender. Interest begins upon disbursement of loan funds. Requires at least half-time enrollment to apply. Requires a separate application in addition to the FAFSA. |
You must read and understand the conditions on your award letter. If you have any questions, please contact the Financial Aid Office.
HOW MANY CREDITS MUST I CARRY?
Your award offer is based on the enrollment status shown on your award letter. If you change your enrollment status, you must notify the Financial Aid Office.
Full-time |
(100%) |
12+ credits |
Half-time |
(50%) |
6-8 credits |
Three quarter-time |
(75%) |
9-11 credits |
Less than half-time |
(25%) |
1-5 credits |
If you are not registered at the enrollment level for which your award was made, you stop attending classes, or you withdraw completely from HawCC, you may be expected to repay all or part of the funds disbursed to you. A recalculation of awards based on Federal guidelines will be done to determine if an over award repayment is necessary. Financial aid repayments will be made in accordance with Federal guidelines.
Students who completely withdraw within the tuition refund period may have all or part of the tuition refund applied first to repay any financial aid received in accordance with the Federal guidelines. The Title IV Refund/Repayment Policy is available at the Financial Aid Office.
The priority deadline for Financial Aid is April 1 for the next academic year. Applications completed after the deadline will be considered on a first-completed, first-awarded basis until funds are depleted and are subject to awarding guidelines. Inaccurate or incomplete applications will not be considered to have met the priority deadline. In addition, inaccurate or incomplete applications may be delayed or become inactive.
WHO MAY APPLY?
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You must be accepted or enrolled as a CLASSIFIED student in a degree or certificate awarding program at Hawai`i Community College. Applicants who have listed majors of Unclassified or any Certificate of Completion program which requires less than 16 credits and/or is less than 15 weeks will NOT be eligible for Financial Aid.
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You must meet the terms of Satisfactory Academic Progress. Please refer to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for specific terms and conditions.
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You must be a U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, U.S. permanent resident, a Pacific Islander or eligible noncitizen.
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PROCESSING DEADLINES
Applications that are not accurate and complete prior to the student’s last day of enrollment or thirty days prior to the close of the Spring semester, whichever occurs first, will not be processed. Summer applications will be available the first week of May at the Financial Aid Office. Please check with the Financial Aid Office as other deadlines may apply to your situation.
HOW WILL I RECEIVE MY FINANCIAL AID FUNDS?
Any HawCC tuition and fees that are outstanding (unpaid) at the time of the Financial Aid Office disbursal will be subtracted by the Business Office from any financial aid funds due the student and a residual check will be mailed to the student’s mailing address as it is shown by the Records Office. If a mailing address is not available, the check will be mailed to the student’s permanent address. Federal Subsidized or Unsubsidized Stafford Loan funds will be available four - six (4-6) weeks after your completed application has been submitted to your lending institution (but not before the first day of classes for each semester). Per Federal regulations, First-Year, First time Subsidized or Unsubsidized Stafford Loan borrowers cannot pick up their first check until 30 days after school begins, providing that the funds are received by the Financial Aid Office at that time. All new HawCC borrowers must attend a Loan Entrance Interview prior to receiving loan funds.
OTHER RESOURCES
HawCC Financial Aid webpage: http://www.hawcc.hawaii.edu/financialaid/ , Copendium 10, Financial Aid from the U.S. Department of Education - The Student Guide, Bulletin 15, HawCC Catalog.
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