FINANCIAL AID ELIGIBILITY

In general, you are eligible for Federal Aid if you meet the following requirements and you must complete a FAFSA:

    • Must be enrolled as a regular student in an eligible program. A regular student is someone who is enrolled or accepted for enrollment at an eligible institution for the purpose of obtaining a certificate upon completion of an eligible program offered by the Academy.
    • You show that you have financial need.
    • Cannot be enrolled simultaneously at an elementary or secondary school.
    • Must have a high school diploma or equivalent (GED) Academy does not participate in Ability to Benefit.
    • Must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen (proof of citizenship or Alien Registration number required from foreign students) and have a valid Social Security Number (SSN).
    • Must make satisfactory academic progress. (See Satisfactory Progress Policy)
    • Must meet enrollment status requirements. A student must be enrolled at least half time to receive aid from the Direct and PLUS loan programs. The Pell Grant program doesn’t require half-time enrollment, but the student’s enrollment status does affect the amount of Pell a student receives.
    • You must comply with Selective Service registration (If you’re a male aged 18 through 26 Born after 1965)
    • You are not in default on a Direct or PLUS Loan.*
    • You do not owe a refund on a Pell Grant *
    • Must have resolved any drug conviction issues. A federal or state drug conviction can disqualify a student for FSA funds if the conviction was for an offense that occurred during a period of enrollment for which the student was receiving Title IV aid. *If the student applying for aid to attend this Academy is either delinquent or in default on repayment of a previous student loan or owes a refund of an overpayment of any grant aid, then that student is ineligible to receive any further aid until those matters have been satisfied.

FINANCIAL NEED AND EXPECTED FAMILY CONTRIBUTION (EFC)

Aid for most of our programs is awarded based on financial need (except for unsubsidized Stafford Loans and PLUS Loans). The EFC is the number used to determine your eligibility for federal student aid. The EFC is calculated from the information you report on the FAFSA and according to a formula established by law, and is applied consistently to all applicants. In order to perform this evaluation, it is necessary to request confidential financial facts about your family’s income (taxable and untaxed) and assets, the size of your family, the number of persons attending post secondary school, and any unusual circumstances or expenses you face. These facts are considered in determining your EFC. Your EFC will appear on the Student Aid Report (SAR) you receive from the Department after you file your FAFSA. This EFC number is not a dollar figure, but is used along with the total cost of attending this Academy and your enrollment time status (full or part-time) to determine the actual amount of your grant and/or loan. To determine your financial need for federal student aid programs (except for an unsubsidized Stafford Loan), your school subtracts the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from your cost of attendance.

Cost of Attendance– Expected Family Contribution (EFC) = Financial Need 

 SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES – DEPENDENCY OVERRIDE & PROFESSIONAL JUDGEMENT

The EFC formula is basically the same for all applicants; however, if your family has unusual circumstances, our director of financial aid can use professional judgment authority to adjust the cost of attendance or the information used to calculate your EFC. These circumstances could include your family’s unusual medical expenses, tuition expenses, or unemployment. Our director of financial aid must have good reasons to use professional judgment to make adjustments because of unusual circumstances. You will have to provide documentation to support any adjustments. Our director of financial aid’s decision as to whether to make changes is final and can’t be appealed to the Department.

Additional examples of unusual circumstances that our director of financial aid may consider as factors in making an adjustment in the expected family contribution calculation or to the cost of attendance are:nursing home expenses not covered by insurance;dependent care costs;a student or family member who is a dislocated worker; and a change in housing status that results in homelessness.