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Financial Aid Mission Statement The Lincoln Land Community College Financial Aid Office serves as an advocate for students, with all students being treated equally. Financial aid is awarded in a prompt and courteous manner while protecting the integrity of the aid programs. Table of Contents Financial Aid Programs...1 Verification of Aid Application...2 Enrollment Status...3 Last Day to Add Courses...3 Courses Not Eligible for Aid...3 Programs Eligible for Aid...3 LLCC Refund Policy...3 Purchasing Books and Disbursement of Financial Aid...3 Attendance Requirement...4 Satisfactory Academic Progress...4 Scholarships...6 Rights and Responsibilities...7 Financial Aid Programs Federal Pell Grant This grant program is for students in financial need. Awards are based on enrollment status and expected family contributions as determined by a federally established formula. Credit Hours Pell Amount 0.5 to 5.5 1/4 Award* 6 to 8.5 1/2 Award* 9 to 11.5 3/4 Award* 12+ Full Award * If your EFC is higher than 3400, contact the LLCC Financial Aid Office for details on how your award is affected. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) SEOG is a federally funded grant awarded to undergraduates who demonstrate exceptional financial need. Awards typically average $400 per academic year. Students must be enrolled in at least six credit hours per semester. State of Illinois Monetary Award Program Grant (MAP)* By applying for financial aid and agreeing to share that information with the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) you have been considered for the State of Illinois (IL) Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grant. If you were determined to meet the eligibility criteria for the MAP grant, an award is included on the award letter. The award may be an estimate made by the Financial Aid Office and, if so, is identified as a State of IL MAP Grant (Est.) MAP grants are limited based on the number of applicants and funding levels appropriated by the Illinois General Assembly. Please be aware that in light of state funding constraints, reductions to estimated or actual MAP grants are possible. 1
Eligibility for a MAP grant is tracked by the equivalent number of semester credit hours of MAP benefits paid on your behalf. This is called MAP Paid Credit Hours. Payment for each term is being made according to the equivalent number of credit hours eligible for MAP payment, with a minimum of three and a maximum of 15 MAP Paid Credit Hours. There is a limit on the number of MAP Paid Credit Hours that can be paid while you are classified by your school as a freshman and sophomore. This limit is the equivalent of 75 MAP Paid Credit Hours. If this maximum is reached, you must attain junior status for your MAP grant eligibility to resume. The maximum number of MAP Paid Credit Hours that can be received is capped at 135. If a State of IL MAP Grant (Est) is not included in your award letter, you are not eligible for the grant at Lincoln Land Community College. Federal Work Study (FWS) FWS is a federally funded, need-based student work program. Students must be in a minimum of six credit hours to participate. To apply for a job: Apply for financial aid. Submit an FWS application. After receiving an award letter with FWS eligibility, stop by the Financial Aid Office on the LLCC Springfield campus and review the job postings and find those of interest. Give the job numbers to a Financial Aid representative. Receive an application packet and contact name for an interview. Direct Student Loans Direct loans are government guaranteed loans. Repayment begins six months from the date students are no longer enrolled in six credit hours. Borrowers must be enrolled in, and attending a minimum of six (6) eligible credit hours at time of disbursement to receive a student loan. Subsidized Direct Loans Subsidized Direct loans are awarded on the basis of financial need. Students are not charged any interest before beginning repayment or during authorized periods of deferment. The federal government "subsidizes" or pays the interest during these periods. Students may only receive subsidized loans for up to 150 percent of the length of their program. Unsubsidized Direct Loans Unsubsidized Direct loans are not based on need. Students are charged interest until the loan is paid in full. LLCC s Financial Aid Office always awards the maximum subsidized loans before awarding unsubsidized loans. Direct PLUS Loans Parents of dependent undergraduate students may borrow up to the students cost of attendance, minus financial aid. Interest is fixed at 7.21 percent for loans disbursed between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015. Parents can contact the Department of Education if they want to delay repayment. Verification of Aid Application Students who are selected for verification are notified regarding the documents that need to be submitted to the Financial Aid Office. Failure to submit the documents within the 30-day time frame will jeopardize your ability to receive financial aid. *MAP is not finalized until funding is approved by the legislature/governor. 2
Enrollment Status The LLCC Financial Aid Office calculates estimated awards based on full-time enrollment. Students may enroll less than full time; however, most awards require at least half-time enrollment. Less than half-time 0.5 to 5.5 hours Half-time 6 to 8.5 hours Three-fourths time 9 to 11.5 hours Full-time 12+ hours Last Day to Add Courses Courses dropped on or before or added after the dates below do not count toward Pell, SEOG and MAP enrollment status. Summer Fall Spring Pell/SEOG 6/12/14 8/29/14 1/16/15 Courses not Eligible for Aid The following courses are not counted toward enrollment status when determining financial aid eligibility: MAT 081 or MAT 082 Vocational Studies (ABE, ASE, AHH, AIT, BPS, NUR, OIT) Continuing Education (CEW) Audit Courses No more than 30 hours of developmental work Programs Eligible for Financial Aid In order to be eligible for financial aid, students must be enrolled in an eligible program of study. All associate degree programs are eligible for financial aid (AA, AS, AAS, AFA, AES or AGE). Some 3 certificate programs are eligible for financial aid. Please contact the LLCC Financial Aid Office for further information. LLCC Refund Policy Students who officially drop a course(s) prior to the published refund deadline of any semester receive a refund of 100 percent of tuition and course fees paid. Contact Admission and Registration for refund information about courses with irregular start dates. In the event a course is cancelled, all paid tuition and fees will be refunded. No refund will be made to students who are withdrawn from any course for disciplinary reasons or absenteeism. Other provisions: Courses cancelled by the college shall result in a 100 percent refund. Failure to attend classes does not constitute a schedule change or withdrawal and does not entitle the student to a refund. Students must officially drop classes by contacting Admission and Registration on the Springfield campus or one of LLCC s other locations. Purchasing Books and Disbursement of Financial Aid If you will have financial aid funds leftover after tuition and fees have been paid, you may use them to "charge" your books in the LLCC Bookstore. You may also charge up to $25 in school supplies such as pens, pencils and paper. Additional amounts can be charged if it is listed on your course syllabus as a requirement. You must take your class schedule and a picture ID to the Bookstore to purchase books. If you choose this option, your tuition, fees AND book charges will be deducted from your financial aid. Any remaining funds will be
mailed to you at the address you have listed with the school. You are not required to purchase your books at the LLCC Bookstore; however, if you choose to buy them elsewhere, you will need to pay for your books up front and reimburse yourself when you receive your refund. If you choose to reimburse yourself, your financial aid refund will be received about 60-90 days after the start of classes. Attendance Requirement Students must attend classes to be eligible for aid. Students who stop attending all courses and/or officially withdraw from all courses and are receiving federal financial aid are only eligible for the portion of financial aid that correlated to the amount of time they attended as prescribed by federal regulations. Students are considered to earn their financial aid by attending class. Students withdrawing from all courses after the 60 percent point of the semester are considered to have earned 100 percent of their aid. Students who withdraw or stop attending courses before the 60 percent point has been reached are required to repay the U.S. Department of Education and LLCC any unearned funds. Students who never attend courses are not entitled to any aid for those courses. Students who owe LLCC tuition and/or fees are not allowed to enroll or have transcripts sent. Students who owe money to the U.S. Department of Education are not allowed to receive federal financial aid anywhere in the country. Satisfactory Academic Progress I. Authority In accordance with the U.S. Department of Education and State of Illinois student aid regulations, LLCC is required to establish minimum standards of Academic Progress to qualify for federal and state financial aid. The purpose of the policy is to ensure that students are making progress toward the completion of their education program. Minimal standards are subject to change in accordance with the U. S. Department of Education and State of Illinois regulations. II. Financial Aid Programs Covered The Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy applies to students who are requesting or receiving funds from the following federal and state financial aid programs: Federal PELL Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work Study, Federal Direct Student and Parent Loans, and the Illinois Monetary Award (MAP). III. Minimum Academic Standards Requirements The SAP policy measures a student s academic progress in three ways. Students must meet all three standards (grade point average (GPA), completion rate and maximum time frame) to receive financial assistance. A. Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) You must maintain the following minimum GPA: Cumulative Credit Hours Minimum GPA 1-11 1.50 12-22 1.70 23-33 1.85 34 or more 2.00 4
B. Cumulative Completion Rate Students must successfully complete a cumulative minimum of 66.66 percent of all credit hours. All credit hours as outlined in section IV A. are included. Only grades of A, B, C, D and P are considered successful completion for 100 level or higher courses. A grade of A, B, C or P is considered successful completion for developmental courses. Grades of I, W, WP, WF, SP, RP and F are NOT considered successful completion. C. Maximum Time Frame You must complete your academic program within 150 percent of attempted credit hours relative to credit hours required to complete the program. All credit hours as outlined in section IV A. are included with the exception of up to 30 developmental credit hours. Examples of 150 percent Maximum Time Frame: Credit hours required to Number of attempted complete academic credit hours eligible program for financial aid 24 36 60 90 Students with Degrees Students who have already completed an associate or higher degree are no longer eligible for financial aid. Students with degrees may appeal. See section VII regarding appeals. IV. Scope of Evaluation A. Courses included in evaluating SAP status Per federal regulations, all credit hours on your LLCC transcript including: 1) those that financial aid did not cover 2) credit hours forgiven by the LLCC academic renewal policy 3) dual credit hours 4) courses with a grade of RP (not counted for GPA) 5 5) transfer hours as presented on the LLCC transcript. All transfer hours are grouped together and considered as one term. 6) all developmental hours with the exception of MAT 081/082. (Developmental hours are not calculated in the GPA.) B. Courses NOT included in evaluating SAP status Vocational studies (for example, prefixes ABE, ASE, AHH, AIT, BPS, NUR, OIT), continuing education courses, and audit courses are not eligible for financial aid and are not counted for financial aid purposes including satisfactory progress. C. Repeats Students may receive aid for repeating a course in which an F or W was earned. Students may appeal to receive aid for the first repeat of a course in which a D was earned or if a student is required to have a more recent retake of the course due to a time limitation. Students must use the established procedure for appealing to gain eligibility for a course repeat. All course repeats are counted to determine satisfactory academic progress. V. Frequency of Evaluation The academic progress of degree- and certificate-seeking students is evaluated at the end of summer, fall and spring semesters. VI. Good, Warning, Suspension and/or Maximum Time Frame and Probation Status A. Financial Aid Eligible status (Good): Students who have no academic record or who meet the standards in Section III of these procedures may receive financial aid if otherwise eligible. Eligible students are often referred to as being in good status.
B. Warning status: Students previously in Good status and who fail to meet the standards in Section III are placed in warning status. Students in warning status may receive financial aid if otherwise eligible. C. Suspension status: Students previously in warning status who fail to meet the standards in Section III, or who are on probation status and fail to meet the terms of their probation are placed on suspension status and are not eligible to receive financial aid, including loans. Students who at any time exceed the maximum time frame status (150 percent) or earn a degree will no longer be eligible for financial aid, including loans. Note that students exceeding the maximum time frame status may be suspended without benefit of a warning term. D. Probation status: Students who have a suspension appeal or a maximum time frame appeal granted are placed in probation status and eligible for financial aid for one semester. If after that semester the student does not meet the terms of his/her probation, they become ineligible for financial aid. Students who comply with the terms of their probation will continue to be eligible for financial aid if otherwise eligible. VII. Appeal of Suspension and Maximum Time Frame Status Students who are in suspension status may appeal their eligibility for financial aid based on circumstances beyond a student s control, such as death of a relative, serious injury or lengthy illness. In order to appeal, students must submit the Financial Aid Suspension Appeal Form and all documents as required on the form. Students who have exceeded the maximum time frame or have earned an associate degree or higher may appeal by 6 completing the Petition to Receive Financial Aid Beyond the Maximum Limit and submitting all documents required on the form. Note: Appeals must be received no later than the close of business on the 15th (or the next business day if the college is closed on the 15th) of each month below: March, April, May, June, July, September, October and November. Students will be notified in writing within 30-45 calendar days of the above deadlines of the SAP Appeals Committee s decision. Students may have to pay tuition, fees and books out of pocket while waiting for the outcome of an appeal. Granting appeals for summer semester is at the discretion of the SAP Appeals Committee. The decision of the SAP Appeals Committee is final. The review of repeat appeals is at the discretion of the SAP Appeals Committee. Students may also earn their way back to good standing by attaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA and 66.66 completion rate. VIII. Notification of Status The Financial Aid Office will notify you when you are in warning, suspension and/or maximum time frame and probation status. However, it is the student s responsibility to know their status and if eligible for financial aid. IX. Notice The college s SAP policy is subject to change without notice to comply with federal or state regulations, or LLCC Board of Trustees policy or action. For the most current Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy, visit www.llcc.edu/financial-aid
Scholarships Traditionally, more than $300,000 in Lincoln Land Community College Foundation scholarships and college waivers is available to LLCC students each year. The general scholarship fund, sponsored by the LLCC Foundation and Friends of the LLCC Foundation, include talent-based scholarships for students pursuing any area of study who demonstrate excellence in academics. Scholarships, established through the generosity of community businesses, organizations and individuals may be limited to students majoring in specific professions such as accounting, agriculture, allied health, anthropology, art, automotive technology, aviation, business, computer science, education, engineering, fire science, hospitality management, languages, law enforcement, music, office systems technology and nursing. Some scholarship donors base their scholarships on other criteria. The LLCC Foundation Office administers the application and awarding of the LLCC Foundation Scholarships. All scholarship awards are based on the availability of funds. Rights and Responsibilities Students have a right to: Know what financial aid programs are available Know the deadlines for submitting applications Know how financial aid will be disbursed Know how their financial aid was determined Know how much of their financial need has been met Know what resources were considered in the calculation of their need Request an explanation of the various programs in their financial aid package Know the school s refund policy Know what portion of the financial aid received must be repaid and what portion is grant aid Know how the school determines whether they are making satisfactory progress Students have the responsibility to: Complete all application forms accurately and submit them on time Provide correct information Return all additional documentation requested Read and understand all forms they are asked to sign Accept all agreements they sign and comply with the provisions of any promissory notes signed Perform the work agreed upon in accepting a college work-study award Be aware of and comply with the deadlines for application or reapplication for aid Be aware of the institution s refund procedures Be aware of the institution s policy for satisfactory progress President Charlotte J. Warren, Ph.D. 7 11.14 LLCC is an equal opportunity educator and employer.