What is Federal
Student Financial Aid?
The U.S. Department of
Education coordinates and sponsors several different financial programs,
which assist students to attend institutions of higher learning. Eligibility
for federal student financial aid programs is based on financial need
rather than on academic achievement. To have your financial need determined,
a student must complete and file a Free Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA) and complete additional Hawai'i Community College supplemental
forms.
In order to be eligible for federal student financial aid program
funds at HawCC, a student must:
- Have a high school
diploma or a GED, or receive a satisfactory score on the placement exam;
- Enroll as a regular
student in an eligible degree or certificate program;
- Be a U.S. citizen
or eligible non-citizen;
- Have a valid Social
Security number (with the exception of students from the Republic
of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the
Republic of Palau);
- Make satisfactory
academic progress (at least 2.0 GPA); and
- Sign certifying
statements on the FAFSA such as using federal financial aid funds
only for educational expenses.
- If you are male,
age 18-25 years of age and you have not yet registered with Selective
Service, you can give Selective Service permission to register
you by checking a box on the FAFSA. Or you can register on-line
at www.sss.gov.
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What kind of Federal Financial Aid is available?
Major Federal Student
Financial Aid Programs include:
Grants: "gift aid"
funds awarded to students based on their financial need. These awards
do not need to be repaid. Examples of Grants available include the
Federal Pell Grant and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity
Grant (FSEOG).
Loans: Borrowed money from the federal government that
needs to be repaid once the student stops attending school (regardless
of whether or not they actually graduated!). Loans are available
to all students and possibly parents. Some examples of Loans include
the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL), the Federal Stafford Loans,
and the Federal PLUS Loans.
Work-Study: Students employed in certain on-campus jobs
while they are enrolled in school can earn Work-Study funds. Work-study
must be awarded based on financial need, and students who obtain
Work-study funding can earn up to the amount indicated on their
award letter.
Financial Aid awards usually consist of a combination of Grants,
Loans and/or Work-study. Students are not required to accept all
of the aid awarded. For example, if a student does not need the
loan, then he/she can choose to receive the grants and/or Work-study
only. Please keep in mind that there is no guarantee that you will,
in fact, receive financial aid. A determination is made based upon
income information about you and/or your parents.
How do I apply for
Financial Aid?
Applying for Financial Aid is
a complex and detailed process. Accuracy of information and prompt submission
of forms will speed the processing of your application. Follow the steps
outlined below to help you complete your financial aid application:
Step 1: Fill out and submit the Free Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA). For the 2002-2003 school year, the form is blue and purple
and can be picked up from the Financial Aid Office (Manono Campus), the
Counseling Office, the Information Center or the WHSS Center in Kealakekua.
Or, you can fill out the FAFSA on-line:
www.fafsa.ed.gov.
To completely and accurately fill out this form, you will need your 2001
federal and state income tax return. Contact the Financial Aid Office
at (808) 974-7663 for assistance in filling out this form with a Peer
Advisor, or attend an information session. Remember to always make copies
of all your forms before you submit them.
Step 2: If you picked up your FAFSA from the HawCC campus, included
you should have found additional Supplemental Forms. These Supplemental
Forms are very important and need to be completed and turned in to the
Financial Aid Office on the Manono Campus. Or, mail in Supplemental Forms
to: Hawai'i Community College, Financial Aid Office, 200 W. Kawili St.,
Hilo, HI 96720. Your application is not considered to be complete until
all forms are received and accurate. If you do not have these Supplemental
Forms, call (808) 974-7663 or write to us and we can mail them to you.
Again, in filling out these forms, you will need your tax return information
as well as copies of your W2 forms, and any income/asset information available.
Step 3: It takes about a month for your FAFSA to be processed by the
federal government. Once they have reviewed your application, they will
send you a Student Aid Report (SAR) in the mail. This green sheet will
list what you reported on your FAFSA. Review the information that has
been inputted and make any changes, if necessary. If you need to update
or change the information listed on your SAR, then you'll need to contact
1-800-433-3243. However, if you find that all the information is accurate,
then simply hold on to your SAR until the HawCC Financial Aid Office contacts
you. The SAR may indicate whether or not you are eligible for grants,
loans and/or Work-study, but the HawCC Financial Aid Office makes the
final determination.
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On Campus Student Employment
Students interested
in applying for a part-time position on campus can visit the student
employment office located within the Financial Aid Office. To
be eligible to work on campus, students must meet the following
criteria:
- Student must be enrolled for at least 6 credits during the
semester
- Student must be making satisfactory academic progress, with
a GPA of 2.0 or better
- Student must be "classified" (have declared a major and is
working toward a degree or certificate)
- For "Work Study" positions, students must have been awarded
Federal Financial Aid and have "remaining need".
To find out what on-campus jobs are available, check out the Job
Boards posted outside of the Financial Aid Office (Manono Campus)
or the HawCC/UH Hilo Learning Center. If
you meet the minimum eligibility requirements, contact the department
directly for further information on application procedures.
Other forms of Aid
(not through Federal Financial Aid)
Besides Federal Financial Aid, there are many sources of funding
available to students interested in pursuing higher education. Based
upon your interests, skills, grades, ethnicity, background and many
other factors, aid may be available for you! Use the following links
to find more information available on outside sources of aid:
Scholarship Information:
Military Scholarships:
Hope Scholarship/Lifetime
Learning Credit: http://www.irs.ustreas.gov
Americorp (volunteer work): http://www.cns.gov
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