financial aid - south texas college · regular student working toward a degree or certiﬁcate in...

FINANCIAL AIDEducation after high school requires time, money,and effort. It’s a big investment, and you shouldcarefully evaluate the school you are choosing.

South Texas College has elected to participate inthe following U.S. Department of Education Title IVprograms:

• Federal Pell Grant• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity

Grant (FSEOG)• Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant• Federal Work-Study

South Texas College also receives state assistancefrom The Texas Higher Education CoordinatingBoard including, but not limited to:

• Texas Educational Opportunity Grant (TEOG)• Towards EXcellence, Access, and Success

(TEXAS) Grant• Texas Public Education Grant (TPEG)• Texas Work-study• Texas Work-Study Mentorship Program• State Exemptions & Waivers

For more information visitwww.collegeforalltexans.com

Within the Financial Aid section of this catalog,you will also find information over other programsincluding:

• Student Loans• Veterans Educational Benefits• Scholarships• Third Party Sponsors

Types of Aid• Grants: A form of financial aid that does not

require repayment as long as you meet certainconditions

• Work-Study: A form of financial aid that isearned through part-time employment, eitheron-campus or off-campus

• Exemptions & Waivers: A type of financialassistance in the form of a payment of all orpart of a student's tuition and fees

• Loans: A form of financial aid that is borrowedand must be repaid with interest

• Veterans Educational Benefits: A form offinancial aid for veterans and/or dependents ofveterans of the US armed forces

• Scholarships: An additional form of financialaid that may be based on merit and/or need

• Third Party: A form of financial assistance fromoutside agencies

Please note that the Office of Student FinancialServices has taken care to ensure the accuracyand timeliness of the information contained onthis publication. However, contents are subjectto change without notice because of changingFederal, State and/or Institutional policies.

Student Eligibility for Federal Aid Below are the basic eligibility requirements to beconsidered for Federal Aid (Title IV Programs):

1. Fill out a Free Application for Federal StudentAid (FAFSA)

2. Meet all Department of Education eligibilityrequirements including but not limited to:

a. Have financial need,b. Have a high school diploma or a General

Education Development (GED) Certificate,or demonstrate Ability-to-Benefit,

c. Register with the Selective Services, ifrequired,

d. Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen,e. Have a valid Social Security Number.

3. Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as aregular student working toward a degree orcertificate in an eligible program.

4. Meet the standards of the Financial AidSatisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP).

5. Ability to Benefit1 - Students may becomeeligible for Title IV aid through the ATBalternatives in one of two ways. If a studentfirst enrolled in an eligible postsecondaryprogram prior to July 1, 2012, the student mayenroll in any eligible program and can becomeeligible through one of the ATB alternatives.However, if a student first enrolled in aneligible postsecondary program on or afterJuly 1, 2012, the student may only becomeeligible through one of the ATB alternativesif the student is enrolled in an “eligible careerpathway program. An ATB student need notbe enrolled concurrently in both the eligiblepostsecondary program and the componentfor attaining a high school diploma or itsrecognized equivalent. 484(d) of the HEA

• Passing an independentlyadministered Department ofEducation approved ATB test (seechart at the end of this section).

• Completing at least 6 credithours or 225 clock hours thatare applicable toward a TitleIV-eligible degree or certificateoffered by the postsecondaryinstitution (neither remedial nordevelopmental coursework counttoward this requirement. Thecoursework must demonstratethat the student has the ability tobenefit from the postsecondaryprogram in which the studentis enrolled or intends to enroll,but need not be applicable to thespecific degree or program inwhich the student is enrolled).

• Completing a State processapproved by the Secretary ofEducation. Note: To date, no Stateprocess has been submitted forthe Secretary’s approval.

1 Please check with the Student FinancialServices Office for additional information aboutthe Ability to Benefit provisions and eligiblecareer pathway programs.

Financial NeedWhen you apply for Federal Student Aid, theinformation you report on the FAFSA is used ina formula established by the U.S. Department ofEducation. The formula determines your ExpectedFamily Contribution (EFC), a measure of you and/oryour family's financial strength. If your EFC is belowa certain amount, you will be eligible for a FederalPell Grant, assuming you meet all other eligibilityrequirements.

There is not a maximum EFC that determineseligibility for the other financial aid programs.Instead, your EFC is used in an equation todetermine your financial need:

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Cost of Attendance - Expected FamilyContribution (EFC) = Financial Need

To determine your unmet need for aid other thanFederal Pell Grant, the calculation is:

Cost of Attendance - EFC - Pell Grant and anyother Financial Aid = Unmet Need

Applying for Aid: FAFSA andRenewal FAFSA The Free Application for FederalStudent Aid (FAFSA)The FAFSA is made available each year on October1st by the U.S. Department of Education todetermine student eligibility for financial aid. Theform must be filled out completely and correctlyfor a student’s eligibility to be calculated correctly.Read the instructions carefully when you completethe FAFSA or the Renewal FAFSA.

Renewal FAFSAIf you applied for federal student aid this pastschool year, you probably will be able to file aRenewal Free Application for Federal Student Aid(Renewal FAFSA) online. If you qualify to use theRenewal FAFSA, you will have fewer questions toanswer. Most of the information on the form willbe prefilled and will be the same as the informationyou provided in the previous year. You will haveto provide some new information and updateinformation that has changed (for example, familysize, and income). Check with the Office of StudentFinancial Services if you have questions about theRenewal FAFSA.

When to ApplyWe strongly encourage all students to apply asearly as possible after October 1st of every year toavoid delays in payment of tuition/fees. Financialaid computers labs are available at all five campuslocations (Pecan, Mid-Valley, Starr, Technology, &Nursing and Allied Health) to assist students withthe application process. Lab hours may vary fromlocation to location; please contact the closestOffice of Student Financial Services for moreinformation on availability.

Our Recommended Priority Dates are:

• March 31, 2020 for Fall semester• October 1, 2020 for Spring semester

Please note that our financial aid award year isas follows: Fall, Spring, and Summer. There is adeadline set forth by Department of Education ofJune 30, for the ending award year and there areNO EXCEPTIONS. Please visit any of our offices foradditional information.

Steps to Receive Financial Aid• Step 1: Gather Your Information

Dependent students are required to provideparental information on their FAFSA andindependent students are not. If you are notsure you if you are a dependent or independentstudent please see the dependency statussection to find out.

Here is a list of documents you will need:

1. Your Social Security card (and your parents’, ifyou are a dependent student)

2. Your alien registration or permanent residentcard (if you are not a U.S. citizen)

3. Your (and your spouse’s, if married) IncomeTax Return

4. Your Parents’ Income Tax Return (if you are adependent student)

5. Your W-2 forms and other records of moneyearned

6. Any untaxed income records including childsupport paid or received

7. Your current bank statements8. Your current business and investment

mortgage information, business and farmrecords, stocks, bonds and other investmentrecords

• Step 2: Submit the Free Application for FederalStudent Aid using the FSA ID (username andpassword).The Free Application for Federal StudentAid (FAFSA) is available online atwww.fafsa.ed.gov.

• Step 3: Log-on to JagNet to Find Your StatusAfter the FAFSA has been submitted and areasonable amount of time has passed sincesubmission, students may check their statusonline through JagNet. JagNet is a self-servicesystem provided by South Texas College toallow students the opportunity to accessimportant information on their own withouthaving to call or wait in line.

Dependency StatusWhen you apply for Federal Student Aid, youranswers to certain questions will determinewhether you are considered dependent on yourparents. If you are considered dependent onyour parents, you must report their incomeinformation and assets as well as your own. If youare considered independent, you must report onlyyour own income information and assets (andthose of your spouse, if you are married).

You are an independent student if at least one ofthe following applies to you:

• You are or will be 24 or older by December 31of the school year for which you are applyingfor aid

• You will be working on a master’s or doctorateprogram on the award year you are applyingfor (beyond a bachelor’s degree)

• You are married (including common-lawmarriages) or separated, but not divorced

• You have children and/or dependents who willreceive more than half of their support fromyou between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021

• You are an orphan or were a ward of the court(until age 18) or were in foster care

• You are currently serving on active duty in theU.S. Armed Forces for purposes other thantraining

• You are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces• You are an emancipated minor• You are or were in legal guardianship• You are homeless or at risk of being homeless,

unaccompanied youth

If you think you have unusual circumstancesthat would make you independent even thoughnone of the above criteria applies to you, pleasereview the Dependency Override information inthe Professional Judgment section of this catalogand speak to a financial aid representative. Thecommittee reviews all requests from students forchanges in dependency status. All decisions madeby the committee are final.

FAFSA Data MatchesThe U.S. Department of Education performs severalmatches of the information that students provide

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on the FAFSA/Renewal FAFSA form with nationaldatabases, including:

• The Selective Service System• The Department of Homeland Security• The Social Security Administration• Department of Defense• The Department of Justice• The National Student Loan Data System• The Department of Veterans Affairs

If any of the information that is provided on theapplication is not consistent with the data that ison these databases, or if these agencies have anyinformation that is relevant to your financial aideligibility, the U.S. Department of Education willalert STC and the issues/questions will have to beresolved before your eligibility can be confirmed.

VerificationThe U.S. Department of Education (DOE) selectsFree Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA's)for a review process called verification. In addition,South Texas College may also select a student forverification if the information submitted appearsto be incorrect or conflicting. If you have beenselected for verification, South Texas Collegewill be comparing information from your FAFSAwith your (and your spouse's, if you are married)and/or your parent's Income Tax Return or IRSTranscript, or with W-2 forms or other financialdocuments. Additional documents may berequested depending on the information to beverified. Dependent students must submit parentalinformation in addition to their own information.Federal Regulations state we have the right to askstudents for this information and we must correctconflicting information before awarding FederalAid.

Completing VerificationStudents who are selected for verification aremailed a Missing Information Letter (MIL) thatexplains why their financial aid file is incompleteand what documents they must submit. Studentsmay also view this information on their Jagnetaccount. Students must submit the requireddocumentation to the Student Financial ServicesOffice (SFS) thirty (30) days before they expect tohave their verification completed and their accountcleared for disbursement. The SFS office will workto review verification sooner than thirty (30) daysafter submission, however during peak registrationtimes this may not be possible. The South TexasCollege SFS will continue to accept and reviewverification information until the Department ofEducation's published correction deadlines foreach award year. If the student does not submitdocumentation in time for any changes to beconfirmed by DOE, South Texas College is notresponsible for any eligibility lost. It is the student'sresponsibility to provide documentation in a timelymanner so that deadlines can be met.

Correcting FAFSA DataIf there are differences between the student'sapplication information and his financialdocuments, the Office of Student FinancialServices will need to make correctionselectronically. Since corrections may take sometime to process, we encourage all students tosubmit the appropriate documents in a timelymanner. If student submits the appropriateverification form and required documentation inperson, we will let student know of any changesthat may affect his eligibility amount at thatmoment. While the correction is being processed,the student's file is considered incomplete andfunds will not be awarded. If a correction changes

the student's Expected Family Contribution (EFC)number and the student is still eligible for aid wewill mail the student an award notification letterwith the amount of aid he may be eligible for. Thestudent may also view the new award amount onhis Jagnet account.

Notification of Completion ofVerificationThe South Texas College SFS Office relies onthe U.S. Department of Education (ED), to notifystudents via email that verification changes arecomplete; in this email ED advises students that acorrected Institutional Student Information Record(ISIR), is available for review on the FAFSA on theWeb website. If the student wishes, he or she maycheck with the SFS Office and see how verificationaffected his/her Expected Family Contribution(EFC). The change will be reflected in the awardamounts (if any) on the award letter. After all issuesrelated to verification and any other eligibilityissues are resolved, paper award letters are sentvia regular mail to students.

Required Documentation• Verification Worksheets: Forms are

available at all Student FinancialServices Offices and online at http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/forms.html

• Income Tax Returns or IRS Tax ReturnTranscripts for all people whose incomeinformation is required by the U.S. Departmentof Education.

• In cases where information is conflictingthe Student Financial Services Office mayrequest additional proof of untaxed incomeand benefits.

• This proof will vary by agency. Forexample:

• Untaxed Income Sources• Unemployment Benefits-A statement

from the agency which provided thebenefits.

• Signature requirements:• Verification Worksheets• Dependent Students - Form must be

signed by the student and one parent.• Independent Students - Form must be

signed by the student

The SFS office will accept and review verificationdocumentation until the Department of Education’spublished processing deadline.

Students are responsible for submitting therequired documentation in a timely manner, failureto do so will result in forfeiting their federal aid forthe award year.

Procedures to Follow WhenSuspecting FraudIf you suspect that a student, employee, or otherindividual has misreported information or altereddocumentation to fraudulently obtain federal funds,report that individual to the Office of InspectorGeneral (OIG), at 214-661-9530. This includes falseclaims of independent student status, false claimsof citizenship, use of false identities, forgery ofsignatures of certifications, and false statementsof income. Fraud is the intent to deceive asopposed to a mistake.

The National Hotline address is:Office of Inspector GeneralUS. Department of Education400 Maryland Avenue, SW

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Washington, DC 20202-1500

Telephone Number:1-800-MIS-USED(1-800-647-8733)

Hours:M, W 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.T, Th 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Online:To submit a complaint online at any time go tohttps://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/hotline.html and click on the appropriate link.

Professional JudgmentThe Student Financial Services Office usesProfessional Judgment on a case-by-case basis totake into consideration extenuating circumstancesthat directly impact a student's eligibility forfinancial aid. The Financial Aid Appeals Committeecan make professional judgment decisionsto change a student's dependent status toindependent and increase or decrease one ormore of the data elements used to calculate thestudent's EFC and/or increase the student's cost ofattendance.

Dependency OverridesIf extenuating circumstances exist, a professionaljudgment may be made to override a student'sstatus from dependent to independent. Pleasecontact the Student Financial Services Officefor additional information. Please note, per U.S.Department of Education regulations, none of theconditions listed below, singly or in combination,qualify as unusual circumstances or merit adependency change:

1. Parents refuse to contribute to the student’seducation,

2. Parents are unwilling to provide information onthe FAFSA application or for verification,

3. Parents do not claim the student as adependent for income tax purposes,

4. Student is able to demonstrate total self-sufficiency.

Income Reduction or Income LossAn adjustment to the income amounts a studentreported on their FAFSA application may be madeif the student or his/her spouse, or parent (ifdependent) have become unemployed, or haveexperienced a significant decrease in income. Ifthese conditions apply to you or your family pleasecontact the Student Financial Services Office foradditional information.

Cost of Attendance AppealsA student’s cost of attendance determines thetotal amount of most types of aid that a studentmay receive. In some cases South Texas Collegemay adjust a student's cost of attendance totake into account additional costs which are notincluded in the normal need calculation. Thesecosts may include a family’s unusual medical ordental expenses, or tuition expenses for childrenattending a private elementary or secondaryschool, or additional costs related to schoolattendance for students with disabilities.

All Professional Judgment Appeals and supportingdocumentation should be submitted to the StudentFinancial Services Office. The Financial AidAppeals Committee will review all appeals and alldecisions made by the committee are final.

Federal Pell GrantFederal Pell Grant funds are not required to berepaid and are awarded to undergraduate studentswho have not earned a bachelor’s or professionaldegree. Eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant ispartially determined by the number of credithours in which the student is enrolled during thesemester and the Expected Family Contribution(EFC).

The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is numberthat the U.S. Department of Education calculatesbased on the information that you provide whenyou complete the FAFSA. The formula used tocalculate your EFC is established by law and isused to measure your family's financial strength onthe basis of your family's income and assets.

South Texas College will mail award lettersshowing student eligibility for Federal Pell Grantfunds assuming that the students will take at least12 credit hours per semester. The Student FinancialServices Office adjusts the amount of Federal PellGrant that students receive if the number of credithours they are enrolled in changes through thecensus date of each semester or term.

Year Round PellEffective July 1, 2017, the U. S. Department ofEducation requires that Pell Grant eligible studentsreceive up to 150% of their scheduled Federal PellGrant award, each year. This means that if youreceived a full Pell Grant amount in Fall 2020 andalso in Spring 2021, you may qualify for Pell Grantin Summer 2021, from the next award year; this isreferred to as Year Round Pell (YRP).

Year Round Pell EligibilityTo be eligible for Year Round Pell, you must:

• Be Pell Grant eligible,• Be registered at least 6 credit hours,• Be meeting Financial Aid Satisfactory

Academic Progress,• Have lifetime Pell Grant eligibility remaining;

students can check this at https://nslds.ed.gov/nslds/nslds_SA/ using their FSAID credentials to log in,

• Apply and complete Financial Aid File forAward Year 2020-2021.

For more information on U. S. Department ofEducation eligibility requirements please refer tothe sections that follow below, on the award letter,or on South Texas College’s website at: http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/.

Award AmountsAwards are based on the student's Expected FamilyContribution (EFC) as determined by the FAFSAand by a student’s level of enrollment. How mucha student may receive will depend on his EFC, hiscost of attendance and his enrollment status.Student may only receive Pell Grant funds from oneinstitution at a time.

Levels of Enrollment Equivalent credit hoursFull Time 12+ credit hoursThree Quarter Time 9-11 credit hoursHalf Time 6-8 credit hoursLess Than Half Time1 5 credit hours or less

1 Students enrolled less than full-time may stillreceive a Pell Grant award if their EFC allows it.

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Eligibility DeterminationTo determine if you are eligible, the U.S.Department of Education uses the Expected FamilyContribution (EFC) number. The lower the EFCnumber, the more aid the student is eligible for.Your Institutional Student Information Record(ISIR) contains this number and will tell you if youare eligible.

To be considered for Federal Pell Grant Eligibility,you must:

• Fill out a Free Application for Federal StudentAid,

• Meet all Department of Education eligibilityrequirements including but not limited to:

• Having financial need,• Having a high school diploma or a General

Education Development (GED) Certificate,• Registering with the Selective Services, if

required,• Being a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen,• Having a valid Social Security Number,

• Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as aregular student working toward a degree orcertificate in an eligible program,

• Meet the standards of the Financial AidSatisfactory Academic Progress Policy (FASAP).

Additional RequirementsSouth Texas College Student Financial ServicesOffice monitors requirements that can affect youreligibility for Federal Pell Grant funds, including butnot limited to:

1. Your continued enrollment within a semester:if you withdraw/are withdrawn, you may berequired to repay funds awarded to you.

2. Your grades: if you do not earn at least onepassing grade in a semester, you may berequired to repay funds awarded to you.

3. Developmental courses you attempt: we mayonly fund 30 credit hours of developmentalwork over a student’s educational career. If aFederal Pell Grant eligible student attemptshis 11th or greater developmental course, thatcourse cannot be counted in the student’senrollment status.

4. Repeated Coursework: Beginning July 1,2011, the definition of a full-time student wasamended to allow repeated coursework tocount toward enrollment status in term-basedprograms.

5. Lifetime Eligibility Used: Effective July 1, 2012students may only receive a Pell Grant for sixyears of full-time enrollment (equivalent to 12semesters or 600%, if not using Year RoundPell) during their lifetime. This change affectsall students regardless of when or where theyreceived their first Pell Grant. The maximumamount of Pell Grant funding that a studentmay receive each year is equal to 100%, notusing Year Round Pell.

6. Unusual Enrollment History: EffectiveJuly 1, 2013, new regulations have beenestablished to prevent fraud and abuse inthe Federal Pell Grant and/or Direct LoanPrograms by identifying students with unusualenrollment histories. The Student FinancialServices Department is required to reviewthe student’s enrollment and financial aidrecord to determine if, during any of the fouraward years prior to the current award year, thestudent has legitimate reasons for the unusualenrollment history.

Attendance VerificationThe U.S. Department of Education requires thatschools are able to document that students areactually in attendance to finalize their Federal PellGrant eligibility. For example, if a student doesn’tbegin attendance in all of his or her classes, theschool must recalculate the student’s awardbased on the lower enrollment status. A student isconsidered to have begun attendance in all of hisor her classes if the student attends at least oneday of class for each course in which that student’senrollment status was determined for Federal PellGrant eligibility.

In a distance education context, documentingthat a student has logged into an online class isnot sufficient, by itself, to demonstrate academicattendance by the student. A school mustdemonstrate that a student participated in classor was otherwise engaged in an academicallyrelated activity, such as by contributing to anonline discussion or initiating contact with afaculty member to ask a course-related question. Adefinition of attendance for Financial Aid Purposesis discussed later on in this catalog under EligibilityIssues.

South Texas College documents attendancefor Federal Pell Grant purposes by collectingattendance information reported by instructors viathe Starfish Application. Instructors use StarfishApplication to indicate whether a student hasattended or not. Students must attend each classthat they are enrolled in, at least once at thebeginning of each term to be counted as beingin attendance in that class for Federal Pell Granteligibility purposes.

In cases where students do not attend class atleast once, Federal Pell Grant eligibility will beadjusted based on the enrollment status for thenumber of credit hours that they are actuallyattending. If this adjustment results in a studentnot having sufficient grant funds to pay for anycharges or advances that he has incurred orreceived, that student will be responsible to paySouth Texas College for the difference between hisadjusted eligibility and the original amount of thecost of his tuition and fees as well as any advancesthat the student received.

Fund DisbursementsSouth Texas College will credit Federal Pell Grantfunds to your school account to pay for tuition,fees and other school related costs which appearon your student account (institutional charges).If you are eligible for funds in excess of yourinstitutional charges, after completing eligibilityverification South Texas College will pay youthe difference directly, by mailing you a check.These Federal Pell Grant funds will be releasedto you in two disbursements: the first one is theBook Allowance and the second one is the FinalRefund. Book Allowance and Final Refund releasedates are provided to students before the startof each semester; they are published at http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/book_allowances.html

Declining Federal Pell Grant FundsYou may decline all or part of your disbursementof Federal Pell Grant funds that you are otherwiseeligible to receive. You may wish to take this actionif you expect to qualify for a larger Pell Grant infuture years as a result of an expected transferto a more expensive educational institution oran expected change in your Expected FamilyContribution. If you are going to return allor a portion of Federal Pell Grant funds, youmust deliver to our Student Financial Services

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Department, a signed, written statement clearlyindicating that you are declining Federal Pell Grantfunds for which you are otherwise eligible andthat you understand that those funds may not beavailable once the award year is over.

Returning Federal Pell Grant FundsYou may return all or a portion of your FederalPell Grant funds that you are otherwise eligibleto receive, as long as this action is taken duringthe same award year. You must deliver to ourStudent Financial Services Department a signed,written statement clearly indicating that you arereturning Federal Pell Grant funds for which youare otherwise eligible and that you understand thatthose funds may not be available once the awardyear is over. After the statement is submitted, youwill then need to return the funds directly to theSouth Texas College Cashiers Office.

Federal Supplemental EducationalOpportunity Grants (FSEOG)The Federal Supplemental Educational OpportunityGrant (FSEOG) is an additional grant available toundergraduate students with exceptional financialneed and gives priority to students who receiveFederal Pell Grants and whose Expected FamilyContribution (EFC) is a zero.

Award AmountsThe Student Financial Services Office will award astudent from $500 dollars up to $800 dollars persemester, depending on the student’s financialneed, when he/she applies, the amount of otheraid received and the availability of funds atSouth Texas College. There is no guarantee thatevery eligible student will be awarded the FSEOGbecause of limitation of funds. FSEOG funds areawarded by semester.

South Texas College receives a certain amount ofFSEOG funds each year from the U.S. Departmentof Education’s office of Federal Student Aid. Oncethe full amount of the school’s FSEOG funds hasbeen awarded to students, no more FSEOG awardscan be made for that year. The Federal Pell Grantand the FSEOG work differently; the Federal PellGrant provides funds to every eligible student butthe FSEOG does not because of the limited fundsallocated by the U.S. Department of Education.

Eligibility DeterminationTo determine if you are eligible, the U.S.Department of Education uses the ExpectedFamily Contribution (EFC) number. FollowingFederal Regulations, South Texas College awardsstudents with the lowest EFC (zero EFC), who havedemonstrated Pell Grant eligibility for the sameaward year.

To be considered for FSEOG, you must:




Education Development (GED) Certificate,• Registering with the Selective Services,if



• Meet the standards of the Financial AidSatisfactory Academic Progress Policy (FASAP),

• Have a zero EFC,• Be registered and attending at least 6 credit

hours in a semester.

Additional RequirementsSouth Texas College Student Financial ServicesOffice monitors requirements that can affect youreligibility for Federal SEOG funds, including but notlimited to:

• Your continued enrollment within a semester:if you withdraw/are withdrawn, you may berequired to repay funds awarded to you.

• Your grades: if you do not earn at least onepassing grade in a semester, you may berequired to repay funds awarded to you.

• Developmental courses you attempt: we mayonly fund 30 credit hours of developmentalwork over a student’s educational career. If aFederal Pell Grant eligible student attemptshis 11th or greater developmental course, thatcourse cannot be counted in the student’senrollment status.

• Repeated Coursework: Beginning July 1,2011, the definition of a full-time student wasamended to allow repeated coursework tocount toward enrollment status in term-basedprograms.

• Unusual Enrollment History: EffectiveJuly 1, 2013, new regulations have beenestablished to prevent fraud and abuse inthe Federal Pell Grant and/or Direct LoanPrograms by identifying students with unusualenrollment histories. The Student FinancialServices Department is required to reviewthe student’s enrollment and financial aidrecord to determine if, during any of the fouraward years prior to the current award year, thestudent has legitimate reasons for the unusualenrollment history.

Attendance VerificationThe U.S. Department of Education requires thatschools are able to document that students areactually in attendance to finalize their FederalStudent Aid eligibility. For example, if a studentdoesn’t begin attendance in all of his or herclasses, the school must recalculate the student’saward based on the lower enrollment status. Astudent is considered to have begun attendancein all of his or her classes if the student attendsat least one day of class for each course in whichthat student’s enrollment status was determinedfor Federal SEOG eligibility.

In a distance education context, documentingthat a student has logged into an online class isnot sufficient, by itself, to demonstrate academicattendance by the student. A school mustdemonstrate that a student participated in classor was otherwise engaged in an academicallyrelated activity, such as by contributing to anonline discussion or initiating contact with afaculty member to ask a course-related question. Adefinition of attendance for Financial Aid Purposesis discussed later on in this catalog under EligibilityIssues.

South Texas College documents attendance forFederal SEOG purposes by collecting attendanceinformation reported by instructors via the StarfishApplication. Instructors use Starfish Applicationto indicate whether a student has attended or not.Students must attend each class that they areenrolled in, at least once at the beginning of each

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term to be counted as being in attendance in thatclass for Federal SEOG eligibility purposes.

In cases where students do not attend classat least once, Federal SEOG eligibility will becancelled if the enrollment status changes to5 credit hours or less because those are thecredit hours they are actually attending. If thiscancellation results in a student not havingsufficient grant funds to pay for any charges oradvances that they have incurred or received, thatstudent will be responsible to pay South TexasCollege for the difference between their adjustedeligibility and the original amount of the cost oftheir tuition and fees as well as any advances thatthe student received.

Fund DisbursementsSouth Texas College will credit Federal SEOGfunds to your school account to pay for tuition,fees and other school related costs which appearon your student account (institutional charges).If you are eligible for funds in excess of yourinstitutional charges, after completing eligibilityverification, South Texas College will pay youthe difference directly, by mailing you a check.These Federal SEOG funds will be released toyou as a final refund; final refund release datesare provided to students before the start ofeach semester; they are published at http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/book_allowances.html.

Federal Pell Grant Under The ZeroEFC Treatment for Children ofSoldiersAn otherwise Federal Pell-eligible student whoseparent or guardian died as a result of U.S militaryservice in Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11,2001, may receive increased amounts of FederalStudent Aid (Pell Grant), if the student was lessthan 24 years old when the parent or guardian died,or was enrolled at an institution of higher educationat the time of the parent or guardian’s death.

Year Round PellThe Year Round Pell requirement, as discussedearlier, also applies to the students with theFederal Pell Grant under the Zero EFC Treatmentfor Children of Soldiers. So if you received a fullFederal Pell Grant in Fall 2020 and also in Spring2021, you may qualify for the Federal Pell Grant inSummer 2021, from the next award year. The sameYear Round Pell Eligibility requirements apply, asdiscussed earlier in the Federal Pell Grant sectionof the catalog.

Award AmountsAwards are based on a zero EFC (maximum FederalPell Grant award), and by a student’s level ofenrollment. Student may only receive these awardfunds from one institution at a time. Under theFederal Pell Grant Zero EFC Treatment for Childrenof Soldiers, the student must have a Pell-eligibleEFC to receive the maximum Federal Pell Grantaward, even if the EFC is not zero.


1 Students enrolled less than full-time may stillreceive an award if their EFC allows it.

Eligibility DeterminationTo determine if you are eligible, the U.S.Department of Education uses the Expected FamilyContribution (EFC) number. Following FederalRegulations, South Texas College will award the(Zero- EFC-Treatment-for-Children-of-Soldiers)students, the maximum Federal Pell Grant amountas long as they have a Pell-eligible EFC and havemet all eligibility requirements.

To be considered for the Federal Pell Grant underthe Zero EFC Treatment for Children of Soldiers,you must:








• Have a parent or guardian who died, (whenstudent was less than 24 years old or whenstudent was enrolled at an institution of highereducation), as a result of U.S. military servicein Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11,2001 and

• Have a Pell-eligible EFC.

Additional RequirementsSouth Texas College Student Financial ServicesOffice monitors the same requirements for FederalPell Grant recipients under the Zero EFC Treatmentfor Children of Soldiers.

Fund DisbursementsSouth Texas College will credit the Federal PellGrant, under the Zero EFC Treatment for Childrenof Soldiers, funds to your school account to pay fortuition, fees and other school related costs whichappear on your student account (institutionalcharges). If you are eligible for funds in excessof your institutional charges, after completingeligibility verification South Texas College willpay you the difference directly, by mailing youa check. These grant funds will be released toyou in two disbursements: the first one is theBook Allowance and the second one is the FinalRefund. Book Allowance and Final Refund releasedates are provided to students before the startof each semester; they are published at http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/book_allowances.html.

Iraq & Afghanistan Service GrantAn otherwise Federal Pell-eligible student whoseparent or guardian died as a result of U.S militaryservice in Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11,2001, may receive increased amounts of FederalStudent Aid if the student was less than 24 yearsold when the parent or guardian died, or wasenrolled at an institution of higher education at thetime of the parent or guardian’s death.

Year Round PellThe Year Round Pell requirement, as discussedearlier, also applies to the the Iraq & Afghanistan

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Service Grant. So if you received a full Iraq &Afghanistan Service Grant in Fall 2020 and alsoin Spring 2021, you may qualify for the Iraq &Afghanistan Service Grant in Summer 2021, fromthe next award year. The same Year Round PellEligibility requirements apply, as discussed earlierin the Federal Pell Grant section of the catalog.

Award AmountsAwards are based on the student's Federal PellGrant ineligibility as determined by the FAFSA andby a student’s level of enrollment. Under the Iraq& Afghanistan Service Grant a student will receivethe maximum award amount under the FederalPell Grant Program, taking into consideration thestudent's enrollment status. Student may onlyreceive these award funds from one institution at atime.

Under the Iraq & Afghanistan Service Grant, thestudent must have an EFC that is not Federal PellGrant eligible; the student does need to meet theother Pell Grant eligibility requirements, though,to receive the maximum Federal Pell Grant awardamount under the Iraq & Afghanistan Service Grant.


1 Students enrolled less than full-time may stillreceive an award if their EFC allows it.

Eligibility DeterminationTo determine if you are eligible, the U.S.Department of Education uses the Expected FamilyContribution (EFC) number. Following FederalRegulations, South Texas College will award theIraq & Afghanistan Service Grant recipients, usingthe maximum award amount under the Federal PellGrant Program, as long as they have an EFC thatis not Pell eligible and as long as they have met allother eligibility requirements.

To be considered for the Iraq & Afghanistan ServiceGrant, you must:








• Have a parent or guardian who died, (whenstudent was less than 24 years old or whenstudent was enrolled at an institution of highereducation), as a result of U.S. military servicein Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11,2001 and

• Have an EFC that is not Pell eligible.

Additional RequirementsSouth Texas College Student Financial ServicesOffice monitors the same requirements for Iraq

& Afghanistan Grant as the Federal Pell Grantrequirements.

Fund DisbursementsSouth Texas College will credit the Iraq &Afghanistan Grant funds to your school accountto pay for tuition, fees and other school relatedcosts which appear on your student account(institutional charges). If you are eligible forfunds in excess of your institutional charges,after completing eligibility verification SouthTexas College will pay you the differencedirectly, by mailing you a check. These Iraq &Afghanistan Grant funds will be released toyou in two disbursements: the first one is theBook Allowance and the second one is the FinalRefund. Book Allowance and Final Refund releasedates are provided to students before the startof each semester; they are published at http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/book_allowances.html

Eligibility IssuesSouth Texas College Student Financial ServicesOffice monitors requirements that can affect youreligibility for Title IV funds, including but not limitedto:

AttendanceThe U.S. Department of Education requires thatschools are able to document that students areactually in attendance to finalize their Federal PellGrant eligibility. For example, if a student doesn’tbegin attendance in all of his or her classes, theschool must recalculate the student’s awardbased on the lower enrollment status. A studentis considered to have begun attendance in allof his or her classes if the student attends atleast one day of class for each course in whichthat student’s enrollment status was determinedfor Federal Pell Grant eligibility. In a distanceeducation context, documenting that a studenthas logged into an online class is not sufficient, byitself, to demonstrate academic attendance by thestudent. A school must demonstrate that a studentparticipated in class or was otherwise engagedin an academically related activity, such as bycontributing to an online discussion or initiatingcontact with a faculty member to ask a course-related question.

South Texas College documents attendancefor Federal Pell Grant purposes by collectingattendance information from all instructors via theStarfish Application. The instructors use Starfishto indicate whether a student has attended or not.Students must attend each class that they areenrolled in at least once through the second weekof class, to be counted as being in attendance inthat class for Federal Pell Grant eligibility purposes.

In cases where students do not attend class atleast once, Federal Pell Grant eligibility will beadjusted based on the enrollment status for thenumber of credit hours that they are actuallyattending. If this adjustment results in a studentnot having sufficient grant funds to pay for anycharges or advances that they have incurred orreceived, that student will be responsible to paySouth Texas College for the difference betweentheir adjusted eligibility and the original amountof the cost of their tuition and fees as well as anyadvances that the student received.

The U.S. Department of Education provides thefollowing definition of attendance for financial aidpurposes:

Attendance must be ’academic attendance’ or’attendance at an academically-related activity’.

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Moreover, the school (not the student) mustdocument that the activity is academic oracademically related, and must also document thestudent's attendance at the activity.

Examples of this include:

• physically attending a class where there is anopportunity for direct interaction between theinstructor and students;

• submitting an academic assignment,• taking an exam, completing an interactive

tutorial, or participating in computer-assistedinstruction;

• attending a study group that is assigned by theschool,

• participating in an online discussion aboutacademic matters and

• initiating contact with a faculty member to aska question about the academic subject studiedin the course.

In a distance education context, documentingthat a student has logged into an online class isnot sufficient, by itself, to demonstrate academicattendance by the student. Examples of acceptableevidence of academic attendance and attendanceat an academically-related activity in a distanceeducation program include:

• student submission of an academicassignment,

• student submission of an exam,• documented student participation in an

interactive tutorial or computer-assistedinstruction,

• a posting by the student showing the student’sparticipation in an online study group that isassigned by the institution,

• a posting by the student in a discussion forumshowing the student’s participation in anonline discussion about academic matters,and

• an e-mail from the student or otherdocumentation showing that the studentinitiated contact with a faculty member to aska question about the academic subject studiedin the course.

Repeated CourseworkBeginning July 1, 2011, the U. S. Department ofEducation amended the definition of a full-timestudent to allow repeated coursework to counttoward enrollment status in term-based programs:

• Students may only receive federal financialaid funding for one repetition of a previouslypassed course. That is, if a student passes acourse with a low grade and wants to get abetter grade to improve his GPA, he can retakethe course once. If, after the student retakesthe course, he wants to retake it again and hiscourse load at the time is 12 credit hours, thestudent will not be considered to be attendingfull time; he will be considered to be attending3/4 time and financial aid will be disbursed assuch. This is for financial aid purposes only.

• Student may repeat failed course until it ispassed.

Federal Pell Grant Lifetime EligibilityUsedIn December 2011, President Obama signed intolaw the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012(Public Law 112-74). Federal regulations mandatethat effective July 1, 2012 students may onlyreceive a Federal Pell Grant for six years of full-time enrollment (equivalent to 12 semesters or

600%) during their lifetime. This change affects allstudents regardless of when or where they receivedtheir first Federal Pell Grant. The maximum amountof Federal Pell Grant funding that a student mayreceive each year is equal to 100%, this is whythe six-year equivalent is 600%. Students thathave already used 600% of their Federal Pell Granteligibility will no longer be eligible to receive aFederal Pell Grant starting summer 2012. Thereare no exceptions to this regulation. Studentswith 500% or higher but less than 600% may havelimited Federal Pell Grant eligibility remaining forthe current year.

Calculation of the Percentage UsedThe percentages are based on your annual awardat full time enrollment status compared to theamount you actually receive in a given year. Theamount of aid you receive each academic year isdivided by the maximum annual award you areeligible for that year and your annual percentage isdetermined. Percentages from each year are addedto calculate your Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU).Here are some examples:

If your annual award at full time enrollment is$5775 and you received $5775 for the year, thenyou have received 100% of your award for that year.

If your annual award at full time enrollment is$3025 and you received $2269 for the year, thenyou have received 75% ($2269 divided by $3025 =75%) of your award for that year.

If your annual award at full time enrollment is$5775 and you received $2166 for the year, thenyou have received 37.506% ($2166 divided by$5775 = 37.506%) of your award for that year.

If your annual award at full time enrollment is$5775 and you received $717 for the year, then youhave received 12.416% ($717 divided by $5775 =12.416%) of your award for that year.

Your annual percentages are added together todetermine your Lifetime Eligibility Used. Once youreach 600% you are terminated from receiving anyadditional Pell grants.

View and Review Your Federal Pell GrantLifetime Eligibility UsedThe Department of Education keeps track of yourLEU by adding together the percentages of yourFederal Pell Grant scheduled awards that youreceived for each award year. You can determinehow much Federal Pell Grant you have used andwhat you have remaining at https://nslds.ed.gov/nslds/nslds_SA/, using your FSA ID credentials tolog in.

Contact Information for Questions on FederalPell Grant Lifetime Eligibility UsedSouth Texas College Financial Aid Staff areavailable to discuss Federal Pell Grant LifetimeEligibility Used and answer any questions you mayhave.

Declining Federal Pell Grant FundsYou may decline all or part of your disbursementof Federal Pell Grant funds that you are otherwiseeligible to receive. You may wish to take thisaction if you expect to qualify for a larger FederalPell Grant in future years as a result of anexpected transfer to a more expensive educationalinstitution or an expected change in your ExpectedFamily Contribution. If you are going to returnall or a portion of Federal Pell Grant funds, youmust deliver to our Student Financial ServicesDepartment, a signed, written statement clearlyindicating that you are declining Federal Pell Grantfunds for which you are otherwise eligible andthat you understand that those funds may not

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be available once the award year is over. Afterthe statement is submitted, you will then need toreturn the funds directly to the South Texas CollegeCashiers Office.

Returning Pell Grant FundsYou may return all or a portion of Federal Pell Grantfunds that you are otherwise eligible to receive, aslong as this action is taken during the same awardyear. You must deliver to our Student FinancialServices Department a signed, written statementclearly indicating that you are returning Federal PellGrant funds for which you are otherwise eligibleand that you understand that those funds maynot be available once the award year is over. Afterthe statement is submitted, you will then need toreturn the funds directly to the South Texas CollegeCashiers Office.

Developmental CourseworkLimitationThe U.S. Department of Education providedthe following guidelines to schools on howdevelopmental courses may be funded. (Pleasenote that the information in this catalog onlypertains to the developmental courseworklimitation and a student must satisfy all U. S.Department of Education, State of Texas andSouth Texas College eligibility requirements tobe eligible for Student Financial Assistance).A student may receive Federal Aid for up toone academic year’s worth of developmentalcoursework. At community colleges, the limit is 30credit hours. The Financial Aid office complies withthis requirement by reviewing all student recordsafter the Census day of each semester to see if anystudents are scheduled to receive financial aid fora developmental course when they have alreadyattempted 10 or more courses.

Any Federal Pell Grant award made to a studentwho is scheduled to receive aid for the 11thor greater developmental course attemptwill be recalculated without considering thedevelopmental course in the student’s enrollmentstatus.

Example:

If a student is enrolled in a total of 12 credit hours,three of which are from his/her 11th developmentalcourse attempt, his/her Federal Pell Grant awardwill be recalculated based on nine credit hoursinstead of 12 credit hours.

NOTE: For the most updated Financial AidInformation on this catalog or student guide,please refer to our Financial Aid Website at http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/.

Unusual Enrollment HistoryEffective July 1, 2013, new regulations have beenestablished to prevent fraud and abuse in theFederal Pell Grant Program and/or the Direct LoanPrograms by identifying students with unusualenrollment histories. The U.S. Department ofEducation will place an unusual enrollment flag onsome of the Free Applications for Federal StudentAid (FAFSA); this flag will indicate that the studenthas an unusual enrollment history with regard toreceiving Federal Pell Grant funds and/or DirectLoan Program funds at multiple institutions. TheStudent Financial Services Department is requiredto review the student’s enrollment and financialaid records to determine if, during the past fouraward years (2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019,and 2019-2020), the student has legitimate reasonsfor the unusual enrollment history. Our departmentwill identify and contact the students who will be

required to resolve this before determining FederalStudent Aid eligibility.

Resolving Unusual Enrollment HistoryYou will be required to provide academictranscripts from all colleges and universitiesattended during the review period to South TexasCollege. The institution will determine whetheracademic credit hour was earned at each ofthe previously attended institutions during thepast four award years (2016-2017, 2017-2018,2018-2019, and 2019-2020). Academic credithour earned is considered to have been earnedif the academic records show that you receiveda grade of “A”, “B”, “C”, or “D” as listed in theGrading System Section of the South Texas CollegeCatalog. If you did not earn academic credit hour ateach of the previously attended institutions duringthe past four award years, you may be ineligiblefor further Federal Student Aid. The South TexasCollege Student Financial Services Department hasthe authority to require academic transcripts fromthe colleges and universities attended during thereview period if the documents that you submittedare unclear.

Appealing an Ineligibility DeterminationYou will be asked to contact our Student FinancialServices Department so that you may providea statement explaining why you failed to earnacademic credit hour and provide supportingdocumentation.

If eligibility is approved, you will be required tomeet with an academic advisor and a financialaid representative; you must not drop or withdraw(officially or unofficially) from any courses afterthe term begins and must maintain FA SatisfactoryAcademic Progress.

If you did not earn academic credit hour at eachof the previously attended institutions during thepast four award years and are not able to providean acceptable explanation and documentation forthe unusual enrollment history, you are ineligible forfurther Federal Student Aid.

All decisions made by the South Texas CollegeStudent Financial Services Department are final.

Over-awardsAn over -award is when a student receives more aidthan the amount for which he/she is eligible for.

Federal Grants Over-awardsOver-awards may occur because of incorrector incomplete information was provided on theFree Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).STC is not required to assume responsibility forcollecting the debt. These debts will be referredto the Department of Education and reportedto the through the National Student Loan DataSystem (NSLDS) if the student does not repay theDepartment of Education within established time-frames.

We will follow Department of Education guidelinesto refer students to Department of EducationCollections and to report them to NSLDS.

Work Study Over-awards and OthersIn cases where a student who is a work studyemployee is over -awarded, the student'semployment will end when the overaward isdiscovered.

Because the student can't be required to repaywages earned (except in cases of fraud), theamount of over- awarded may only be reduced by

10 Financial Aid



decreasing or cancelling other forms of aid, overwhich, the school has control of.

The decreasing or cancelling of other forms of aidprocedure will also be followed for over-awards inany other financial aid programs.

Federal Work-StudyThe primary purpose of the Federal Work StudyProgram as outlined by the U.S. Department ofEducation Regulations is to provide part-timeemployment for students who demonstratefinancial need in order to defray/contribute to thecost of higher education. Work Study employmentallows students the opportunity to earn their aidand is not intended to interfere with students'education; students' studies will be given firstpriority.

The Federal Work-Study Program provides jobson-campus and off-campus, for undergraduatestudents with financial need, allowing them toearn money to help pay education expenses. Theprogram encourages community service workand work related to your course of study. Theduration of employment under the Federal WorkStudy Program is from September 1, 2020 throughJune 30, 2021 for Award Year 2020-2021. Theprospective work-study student must go throughan interview process with Work Study employersand he/she must obtain a position to earn thefunds for which he/she is eligible for. The workstudy student may or may not earn all the fundsthat he/she was eligible to receive. Once fundshave been exhausted, employment will end.

Eligibility Determination• Student must be registered for at least 6 credit

hours,• Student must have unmet need,• Student must have his/her Financial Aid File

complete; if students are applying duringthe end of Spring semester for May-Juneemployment, the student must have theupcoming year's FAFSA complete too,

• Student must be meeting Financial AidSatisfactory Academic Progress,

• Student must submit a completed Work StudyApplication.

Applying for Work-StudyTo apply for a Work Study position the student must submit a Work Study Application, https://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/financial-aid-forms.html. Applications are alsoavailable at any Student Financial Services Office(Mid Valley, NAH, Pecan, Starr or Technologycampus). After student fills it out, he/she mustturn it in to any of the Student Financial ServicesOffices. Work Study applications are subject toa background check; only those approved will beconsidered.

Additional Information• For academic reasons, work study students

are only allowed to work a maximum ofnineteen hours per week. The total number ofhours worked is determined by the student’sfinancial need each award year. Work studystudents may not earn more than they areawarded, and it will be the student's andsupervisor's responsibility to ensure they donot exceed their award amount.

• Work study students are paid slightly abovefederal minimum hourly wages. South TexasCollege will pay student directly at least oncea month.

• The work study student will be paid by thehour; no commission or fee may be paid to awork study student.

• The number of Work Study positions availableper year for the college is determined by theFederal and State Work Study allocations fromthe U.S. Department of Education and theTexas Higher Education Coordinating Boardrespectively, every award year.

• Students can have only one work study job ata time.

• South Texas College offers work studystudents, positions on-campus and off-campus. The work study student may beassigned to work at any of the South TexasCollege campuses. If a work study student isassigned to work off-campus, his/her employerwill be a private nonprofit organization of apublic agency, and the work performed will bein the public's best interest.

Work Study Over-awardsIn cases where a student who is a work studyemployee is over -awarded, the student'semployment will end when the overaward isdiscovered.

Because the student can't be required to repaywages earned (except in cases of fraud), theamount of over- awarded may only be reduced bydecreasing or cancelling other forms of aid, overwhich, the school has control of.

TEXAS Grant (Towards EXcellence,Access and Success)The TEXAS Grant was established by the TexasLegislature to help well-prepared high schoolgraduates with financial need attend publicinstitutions of higher education in Texas.

*Note: Beginning with academic year 2014-2015,South Texas College will no longer offer initialTEXAS Grant and only students who previouslyreceived their initial award at a 2-year institutionwill continue to be awarded until grant restrictionsare met.

Grant RestrictionsStudents receiving TEXAS grant who continuein college and who meet the program academicstandards can receive award for up to 150 credithours, completion of a first bachelor’s degree, or forfive years if enrolled in a 4-year degree plan, or sixyears if enrolled in a 5-year degree plan, whichevercomes first.

Academic RequirementsThe academic requirements for maintainingeligibility are as follows:

• Minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA• Completion of at least 24 credit hour per

academic year

Texas Educational OpportunityGrant Program (TEOG)The TEOG Grant is a grant that was establishedby the Texas Legislature to help students withfinancial need attend public community colleges,public technical colleges, or public state colleges inTexas.

EligibilityTo determine if you are eligible for a TEOG Grantyou must complete and submit a FAFSA (or TASFAfor state residents only). Funding is limited and

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priority is given to students who submitted anapplication prior to March 15th even thoughapplications are accepted throughout the academicyear.

Other requirements include:

• You must be a Texas Resident• Enrolled in at least half time (6 credit hours),• Be in the first 30 credit hours in an associate's

degree or certificate program at a public two-year institution in Texas

• Have not been granted an associate's degreeor bachelor's degree

• If male must register with Selective Service• If submitting a TASFA application, must

submit a Statement of Selective Service Formand a copy of their Selective Service Card

• Have not been convicted of a felony or crimeinvolving a controlled substance

• An individual convicted of a crimeinvolving a controlled substance cancompete for an award in this program twoyears after he/she has fulfilled his/herobligation to society.

Grant RestrictionsStudents receiving TEOG who continue in collegeand who meet the program academic standardscan receive an award for up to 75 credit hours, forfour years, or until completion of an associate’sdegree, whichever comes first.

Academic RequirementsThe academic requirements for maintainingeligibility are as follows:

End of Initial Year• Meet South Texas College’s Financial Aid

Satisfactory Academic Progress (p. 22)

End of Renewal Year• Minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA• 75% completion of credit hours attempted for

the academic year

Fund DisbursementsSouth Texas College will credit TEOG funds toyour school account to pay for tuition, fees andother school related costs which appear onyour student account (institutional charges).If you are eligible for funds in excess of yourinstitutional charges, after completing eligibilityverification South Texas College will pay youthe difference directly by mailing you a check.Book allowance and final refund release datesare provided to students before the start ofeach semester; they are published at http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/book_allowances.html

Texas Public Educational Grant(TPEG)The Texas Public Educational Grant (TPEG) is agrant that was established by the Texas Legislatureto help students with financial need, attend publiccommunity colleges, public technical colleges, orpublic state colleges in Texas. The TPEG does nothave to be repaid like student loans.

Award AmountsThe Office of Student Financial Services will awarda student up to $500 dollars per semester. There isno guarantee every eligible student will be able toreceive a TPEG. Students at South Texas College

are awarded based on the availability of funds.TPEG funds are awarded by semester.

Eligibility RequirementsThere is no additional application to apply forthis grant besides the FAFSA. Students must bemeeting eligibility requirements below:

• Have financial need,• Have a high school diploma or a General

Education Development (GED) Certificate,• Register with the Selective Services, if

required,• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen,• Have a valid Social Security Number,• Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a

regular student working toward a degree orcertificate in an eligible program,


• Be registered and attending at least 6 credithours in a Fall and/or Spring semester and/or3 credit hours in Summer Session I, II or III.

This grant is available for:

• For Texas resident students,• For undergraduates or graduates.• For students attending public colleges in

Texas.

After Funds are AwardedSouth Texas College will credit TPEG funds toyour school account to pay for tuition, fees andother school related costs which appear on yourstudent account (institutional charges). If you areeligible for funds in excess of your institutionalcharges, after completing eligibility verification,South Texas College will pay you the differencedirectly by mailing you a check. These TPEG fundswill be released to you as a final refund; final refundrelease dates are provided to students beforethe start of each semester; they are published athttp://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/book_allowances.html.

State Aid for House Bill 1403/Senate Bill 1528 Students House Bill 1403 was passed in 2001 by the 77thTexas Legislature; this bill was later replaced in2005 by Senate Bill 1528. Any individual (includingcitizens, permanent residents, visa holders, andundocumented immigrants) who has lived asignificant amount of time in Texas may be eligibleto be considered a resident for the purpose ofpaying in-state tuition. Each bill was codified intothe Texas Education Code TEC 54.052 through54.056.

Texas Education Code 54.052through 54.056Students who qualify as residents under TexasEducation Code 54.052 through 54.056 may beeligible to receive financial aid in the form of stategrants. For details on the residency requirements,please consult the Resident Status for Studentssection of this catalog. Students who feel thatthey should be considered residents under thispolicy should begin the process at the South TexasCollege Enrollment Center.

Applying For State AidStudents who are classified as Texas Residentsby the Enrollment Center and who are not eligibleto receive federal funds (due to citizenship status)

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may apply for state aid using the Texas Applicationfor Student Financial Aid. Please visit http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/SB1528/index.html for the application and programeligibility requirements.

State Aid for Non-ResidentStudentsNon-Resident Texas Public EducationGrant Funds (TPEGNR)Non-Resident Texas Public Education Grant(TPEGNR) is a grant that is generated from fundsthat non-resident students pay through tuitionand fees at South Texas College; it will only payfor tuition and fees at South Texas College. Thesefunds are very limited and are set aside every yearto award non-resident students. Non-Residentstudents may apply for a TPEGNR award by fillingout a Non-Resident TPEG Request Form. Theseforms may be available each semester and containdetailed information on how to apply and theapplication deadlines. The forms can be requestedat any Student Financial Services office.

Texas Education Code 54.07 and54.052(j)Students who qualify as residents under TexasEducation Code 54.07 and 54.052(j) may be eligibleto receive Texas State Aid. For details on therequirements, please consult the Resident Statusfor Students section of the catalog. Students whofeel that they should be considered residents underthis policy should begin the process at the SouthTexas College Enrollment Center.

Texas Work-Study ProgramThe primary purpose of the Texas Work StudyPrograms as outlined by the Texas HigherEducation Coordinating Board Regulations is toprovide part-time employment for students whodemonstrate financial need in order to defray/contribute to the cost of higher education. WorkStudy employment allows students the opportunityto earn their aid and is not intended to interferewith students' education; students' studies will begiven first priority.

The Texas Work-Study Program provides jobson-campus and off-campus, for undergraduatestudents with financial need, allowing them toearn money to help pay education expenses. Theprogram encourages community service workand work related to your course of study. Theduration of employment under the Texas WorkStudy Program is from September 1, 2020 throughMay 31, 2021 for Award Year 2020-2021. Theprospective work-study student must go throughan interview process with Work Study employersand he/she must obtain a position to earn thefunds for which he/she is eligible for. The work-study student may or may not earn all the fundsthat he/she was eligible to receive. Once fundshave been exhausted employment will end.

Eligibility Determination• Student must be registered for at least 6 credit

hours• Student must have unmet need• Student must have his/her Financial Aid File

complete• Student must be meeting Financial Aid

Satisfactory Academic Progress• Student must submit a completed Work Study

Application• Student must be a Texas resident

Applying for Work-StudyTo apply for a Work Study position the studentmust submit a Work Study Application.Applications are also available at any StudentFinancial Services Office (Mid Valley, NAH, Pecan,Starr or Technology campus). After student fills itout, he/she must turn it in to any of the StudentFinancial Services Offices. Work Study applicationsare subject to a background check; only thoseapproved will be considered.

Additional Information• For academic reasons, work study students

are only allowed to work a maximum ofnineteen hours per week. The total number ofhours worked is determined by the student’sfinancial need each award year. Work studystudents may not earn more than they areawarded, and it will be their responsibility toensure they do not exceed their award amount.

• Work study students are paid slightly abovefederal minimum hourly wages. South TexasCollege will pay student directly at least oncea month.

• The work study student will be paid by thehour; no commission or fee may be paid to awork study student.

• The number of Work Study positions availableper year for the college is determined by theFederal and State Work Study allocations fromthe U.S. Department of Education and theTexas Higher Education Coordinating Boardrespectively, every award year.

• Students can have only one work study job ata time.

• South Texas College offers work studystudents, positions on-campus and off-campus. The work study student may beassigned to work at any of the South TexasCollege campuses. If a work study student isassigned to work off-campus, his/her employerwill be a private nonprofit organization of apublic agency, and the work performed will bein the public interest.

Work Study Over-awardsIn cases where a student who is a work studyemployee is over -awarded, the student'semployment will end when the overaward isdiscovered.

Because the student can't be required to repaywages earned (except in cases of fraud), theamount of over- awarded may only be reduced bydecreasing or cancelling other forms of aid, overwhich, the school has control of.

State Exemptions and WaiversAn exemption or a waiver is a payment of all orpart of a student's tuition and fee bill. Effective Fall2014, Senate Bill 1210 (83rd Texas Legislature,Regular Session) adds a Grade Point Averagerequirement for persons to receive continuationaward with most (not all) state exemptions andwaivers. The Bill also establishes a Limit to theTotal Number of Hours, cumulative, that a studentmay take and continue to receive award withmost (not all) state exemptions and waivers.Texas Education Code: TEC 54.014 South TexasCollege will be implementing a 2.0 Grade PointAverage requirement for exemptions and waiversimpacted by this legislation. The following aresome examples of state exemptions and waivers;information is courtesy of collegeforalltexans.com.

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Adopted Students Formerlyunder the Conservatorship of theTexas Department of Family andProtective Services (TDFPS)To provide college financial assistance to studentswho once were in foster or other residential careand/or have been adopted.

EligibilityFor students who were in foster or other residentialcare, were adopted on or after September 1, 2009;or were adopted, and the subject of an adoptionassistance agreement under Subchapter D, Chapter162, Texas Family Code.

Award AmountTuition and fees for courses for which the collegereceives tax support. There are no durationallimitations in statute referencing how manysemesters or years an adopted student mayreceive this exemption.

Applying for ExemptionProvide the college Student FinancialServices written proof, from the Texas Departmentof Family and Protective Services (TDFPS), ofeligibility. To obtain a letter of eligibility fromTDFPS, contact a representative in one of thedistrict offices:

Blind/Deaf Student ExemptionProgramTo help enable blind and deaf students to attendpublic colleges or universities in the state of Texas.

EligibilityStudents must be Texas residents, declare aprogram of study at the time he/she applies forthe exemption, provide certification from the TexasWorkforce Solutions - Vocational RehabilitationServices of status as a blind person or a deafperson, enroll in classes for which the collegereceives tax support (i.e., a course that does notdepend solely on student tuition and fees to coverits costs).

New Requirements Fall, 2014

Senate Bill 1210 (83rd Texas Legislature, RegularSession) adds a Grade Point Average requirementfor persons to receive continuation awards throughthe program. The Bill also establishes a Limit tothe Total Number of Hours, cumulative, that astudent may take and continue to receive awardsthrough this program. These changes go into effectin fall, 2014. Contact your institution for moreinformation.

Award AmountAll dues, fees, and enrollment charges whatsoeverfor which exemptions may be lawfully made,including: fees for correspondence courses,general property deposit fees, and student servicefees; but, does not include fees or charges forbooks,lodging, board, or clothing. No funds maybe used to pay tuition for continuing educationclasses for which the college receives no state taxsupport.

Applying for ExemptionProvide the Student Financial ServicesDepartment with certification from the TexasWorkforce Solutions - Vocational RehabilitationServices of status as a blind person or a deafperson. Provide the registrar a written statement

of purpose indicating which certificate, degreeprogram, or professional enhancement will bepursued. Provide the registrar a copy of the highschool transcript and a letter of recommendation.Provide the registrar proof that all admissionsrequirements have been met.

Tuition Exemption for Currentor Former Foster Care Studentsunder the Conservatorship of theTexas Department of Family andProtective Services (TDFPS)To provide college financial assistance tostudents who are currently or were formerly in theconservatorship of TDFPS.

Eligibility Requirements

A student is exempt from the payment of tuitionand fees, including tuition and fees charged byan institution of higher education for a dual creditcourse or other course for which a high schoolstudent may earn joint high school and collegecredit, if the student:

Was under the conservatorship of the Departmentof Family and Protective Services:

A. on the day preceding the student's 18thbirthday; B. on or after the day of the student's 14thbirthday, if the student was also eligible foradoption on or after that day; or C. on the day the student graduated from highschool or received the equivalent of a high schooldiploma; or D. the date permanent managingconservatorship (PMC) of the student is awardedto a person other than the student’s parent, if thatdate is on or after September 1, 2009.

The student must enroll in an institution of highereducation as an undergraduate student or in a dualcredit course or other course not later than thestudent's 25th birthday.

As of June 1, 2016, the following persons may alsoqualify for the tuition and fee exemption:•A student whose age was 14 or older on or afterJune 1, 2016 and subsequently exited DFPS'spermanent managing conservatorship to the legalresponsibility of the parent.

Eligible InstitutionsAvailable only for use at a Texas public collegeor university. Most public institutions of highereducation have designated a Liaison Officer toprovide assistance to their students formerlyunder the conservancy of the Texas Department ofFamily and Protective Services. List of DesignatedLiaisons

Award AmountTuition and fees for courses for which the collegereceives tax support; however, once a student hasbeen determined eligible for the benefit and hasenrolled in higher education, the benefit continuesindefinitely. There are no durational limitations instatute referencing how many semesters or years astudent may receive this exemption.

Application ProcessProvide the college registrar written proof, fromthe Department of Family and Protective Services(TDFPS), of eligibility. Form K-908-1003 is theTDFPS verification of written proof.

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Children of Disabled or DeceasedFiremen, Peace Officers, GameWardens, and Employees ofCorrectional InstitutionsProvide a benefit to the children of eligible personswho have been killed in the line of duty prior toSeptember 1, 2000, or who have been disabled inthe line of duty.

EligibilityApply before the person's 21st birthday or, if theperson is eligible to participate in a school district'sspecial education program under section 29.003,age 22;

Had a parent who was a paid or volunteer fireman,paid municipal, county, or state peace officer, ora custodial employee of the Texas Departmentof Corrections, or a game warden. Are the childof a parent who suffered an injury, resulting indisability or death, sustained in the line of duty.Enroll in classes for which the college receivestax support (i.e. a course that does not dependsolely on student tuition and fees to cover itscosts). Have filed a selective service statement ofregistration status and proof of status with theirinstitution. A person may receive an exemptionfrom the payment of tuition and fees only for thefirst 120 undergraduate credit hours for which he orshe registers or age 26, whichever comes first.

Award AmountExemption from the payment of tuition andrequired fees for the first 120 undergraduate credithours for which a person registers. No funds maybe used to pay tuition for continuing educationclasses for which the college receives no state taxsupport.

Application ProcessObtain a sample certification letter from theTexas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Haveparent's prior employer complete the sample letteron official letterhead. Submit the letter to theTexas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Inthe case of a disability, also submit to the TexasHigher Education Coordinating Board a doctor'sstatement that certifies the disability. The TexasHigher Education Coordinating Board will notify thecollege or university of the student's eligibility.

Military: Children of U.S. MilitaryWho Are Missing in Action orPrisoners of War (MIA/POWS)To provide an education benefit to the children ofpersons listed as Missing in Action or Prisoners ofWar by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Eligibility• Are Texas residents;• Are 21 years of age or younger, or 25 years of

age or younger and receiving most of his/hersupport from a parent;

• Have documentation from the Departmentof Defense that a parent, who is classifiedas a Texas resident, is missing in action or aprisoner of war; and

• Enroll in classes for which the college receivestax support (i.e., a course that does not dependsolely on student tuition and fees to cover itscosts).

New requirements Fall, 2014 Senate Bill 1210 (83rdTexas Legislature, Regular Session) adds a GradePoint Average requirement for persons to receive

continuation awards through the program. Thelaw also establishes a Limit to the Total Numberof Hours, cumulative, that a student may take andcontinue to receive awards through this program.

Award AmountTuition, service fees, lab fees, building use fees, andall other fees except room, board or clothing fees,or deposits in the nature of security for the returnor proper care of property. No funds may be usedto pay tuition for continuing education classes forwhich the college receives no state tax support.

Application ProcessContact the Office of Student Financial Services foradditional information on this exemption.

Firefighters Taking Fire ScienceCoursesTo encourage persons employed as fire fighters oractive members of volunteer fire departments totake college courses designed to help them in theirwork.

EligibilityEmployed as a paid fire fighter by a politicalsubdivision of the State of Texas or activemembers of volunteer fire departments whohold an accredited advanced certification (orthe equivalent), under the State Firemen’s andFire Marshal’s Association of Texas volunteercertification program, OR a Phase V (FirefighterII) certification (or the equivalent) under theTexas Commission of Fire Protection’s voluntarycertification program under Section 419.071, GovtCode. Enroll in courses offered as part of a FireScience Curriculum. Enroll in classes for whichthe college receives tax support (i.e., a coursethat does not depend solely on student tuitionand fees to cover its costs). Making satisfactoryacademic progress toward the student’s degree asdetermined by the institution.

Award AmountTuition and laboratory fees for courses offered aspart of a fire science curriculum. No funds maybe used to pay tuition for continuing educationclasses for which the college receives no statetax support. To receive continuation awards,a firefighter (paid or volunteer) must meet theinstitution’s financial aid academic progressrequirements. The exemption may not be appliedto additional tuition charged to an undergraduatestudent with excess or repeated hours under TEC.54.014(a) or (f), or the additional tuition charged toa graduate student with excess hours under TEC.61.059(l)(1) or (2).

Application ProcessProvide the Office of Student Financial Servicesproof of employment as a paid fire fighter, andenroll in the courses of a Fire Science Curriculum.

Hazlewood Exemption & LegacyActThe Hazlewood Act is a State of Texas benefitthat provides qualified Veterans, spouses, anddependent children with an education benefit ofup to 150 hours of tuition exemption, includingmost fee charges, at public institutions of highereducation in Texas. This does NOT include livingexpenses, books, supplies, or testing fees.

EligibilityAt the time of entry into the U.S. Armed Forces,designated Texas as Home of Record; or entered

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the service in Texas; or was a Texas resident;Have received an honorable discharge or a generaldischarge under honorable conditions as indicatedon the Veteran's Certificate of Release or Releaseor Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214,member 4 copy); Served at least 181 days of activeduty service (excluding training); Have no federalVeteran’s education benefits, or have no federalVeterans education benefits dedicated to thepayment of tuition and fees only (such as Chapter33 or 31; Pell and SEOG are not relevant) for term orsemester enrolled that do not exceed the value ofHazlewood benefits; Not be in default on a studentloan made or guaranteed by the State of Texas;and Enroll in classes for which the college receivestax support (i.e., a course that does not dependsolely on student tuition and fees to cover its cost),unless the college’s governing board has ruled tolet Veterans receive the benefit while taking non-funded courses; and meet the GPA and excessivehour requirement of the institution's satisfactoryacademic progress policy in a degree or certificateas determined by the institution's financial aidpolicy.

Veterans who are granted their first HazlewoodAct exemption beginning fall, 2011 must residein Texas during the semester or term for whichthe exemption is claimed. This requirement doesnot apply to the Veterans who either received theexemption prior to the 2011-2012 academic year,have reenlisted into active duty, or reside with aspouse who is on active duty. Residency must beverified each term that a student applies for theexemption. The applicant will do this by presentingany document with the veteran's current addresswithin 30 days of application.

Applying for ExemptionApply and be accepted to a Texas public college oruniversity of his/her choice. Provide proof (DD214,Member 4 copy) from the Department of Defenseregarding military service and the nature ofdischarge; Provide proof of eligibility or ineligibilityfor GI Bill® benefits (Chapter 31, 33/Post-9/11)by requesting an education benefits letter fromthe VA office in Muskogee, OK at 888-442-4551or www.gibill.va.gov; or requesting a certificateof eligibility from federal education benefits fromeBenefits (if Veteran has active duty service on orafter 9/11/2001. An application must be submittedat the beginning of each term.

Fill out the Hazlewood Exemption applicationform found at Texas Veteran Commission https://www.tvc.texas.gov/education/hazlewood-act/and, turn in the Hazlewood application form,a copy of your letter of eligibility/ineligibility,Hazlewood Student hours, and a copy of yourDD214 (Member 4) into the financial aid office ofthe institution you will be attending. Additionalapplication requirements can be found atwww.southtexascollege.edu/veterans/.

Legacy Act (Child)Eligible Veterans may assign unused hours ofexemption eligibility to a child under certainconditions. A child must qualify for resident tuition;be the biological child, stepchild, adopted child, orclaimed as a dependent in the current and previoustax year; be 25 years old or younger on the first dayof the semester or term for which the exemptionis claimed (unless granted an extension due to aqualifying illness or debilitating condition); andmeet the GPA and excessive hour requirements ofthe Institution's satisfactory academic progresspolicy in a degree or certificate program asdetermined by the institution's financial aid policy.Legacy recipients will receive an exemption for thenumber of degree certified hours reported by theInstitution for that term or semester. Maximum

degree certified hours awarded to the Legacyrecipient will be dependent upon the degree orcertificate program in which the student is enrolledfor that term or semester and shall be consistentwith the program as defined within the schoolcatalog as approved by the regional accreditationcommission. Make satisfactory academic progressin a degree, certificate, or continuing educationprogram as determined by the institution. *If a childto whom hours have been delegated fails to use allof the assigned hours, a Veteran may re-assign theunused hours that are available to another child.Only one child can use the Hazlewood Act at atime.

Legacy Act Application ProcessA child (legacy recipient) of a Veteran must applyand be accepted to a Texas public college oruniversity. Fill out the Hazlewood application formfound at the Texas Veteran Commission https://www.tvc.texas.gov/education/hazlewood-act/along with the Veteran filling out the Hazlewoodapplication provide proof of eligibility or ineligibilityfor GI Bill® benefits (Chapter 31, 33/Post-9 11)by requesting an education benefits letter fromthe VA office in Muskogee, OK at 888-442-4551or http://www.gibill.va.gov; or by requestinga certificate of eligibility for federal educationbenefits from eBenefits (if Veteran has active dutyservice on or after 9/11/2001). You will need tocreate a username and password to request yourcertificate of eligibility; take application, letterof eligibility/ineligibility (if needed), along with acopy of the Veteran’s DD214 (Member 4), to theFinancial Aid Office of the institution you will beattending. Additional application requirements canbe found at www.southtexascollege.edu/veterans/.Application and all supporting documentation mustbe received by the institution no later than the lastday of class of a term in order to be evaluated forthat semester or term.

Hazlewood Act for Spouse/ChildThe Hazlewood Act is also extended to spousesand dependent children of eligible active duty,Texas National Guard, and Air National GuardVeterans who died in the line of duty or as a resultof injury or illness directly related to militaryservice, are missing in action, or who becametotally disabled for purposes of employability asa result of a service-related injury or illness. Eachchild and spouse will receive a 150 credit hourexemption. Note: A child of a qualified Veteran whois not 100% disabled or has a service connecteddeath may qualify for benefits under the HazlewoodLegacy Program.

EligibilityA spouse must be a spouse of a Veteran who, atthe time of entry into the U.S. Armed Forces, wasa Texas resident, be classified by the institutionas a Texas resident, designated Texas as Homeof Record, or entered the service in Texas; Be aspouse of a Veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces,Texas National Guard, or Texas Air NationalGuard who died as a result of service-relatedinjuries or illness, is missing in action, or becametotally disabled (100%) as a result of a service-related injury or illness or is entitled to receivecompensation at the 100% rate due to individualemployability (IU) due to a service connected injuryor illness; have no federal Veterans educationbenefits, or have federal Veterans educationbenefits dedicated to the payment of tuition andfees only (such as Chapter 33 or 31; Pell and SEOGare not relevant) for term or semester enrolled thatdo not exceed the value of Hazlewood benefits;meet the GPA and excessive hour requirements ofthe institution's satisfactory academic progresspolicy in a degree or certificate program as

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determined by the institution's financial aid policy.This requirement does not apply to the spouse of aMIA, KIA or service connected deceased Veteran.

A child must be a child of a Veteran who, at thetime of entry into the U.S. Armed Forces, beclassified by the institution as a Texas resident,designated Texas as Home of Record, or enteredthe service in Texas; be a child of a Veteran ofthe U.S. Armed Forces, Texas National Guard, orTexas Air National Guard who died as a resultof service-related injuries or illness, is missingin action, or became totally disabled (100%) asa result of a service-related injury or illness oris entitled to receive compensation at the 100%rate due to individual employability (IU) due toa service connected injury or illness; have nofederal Veterans education benefits, or have nofederal Veterans education benefits dedicatedto the payment of tuition and fees only (such asChapter 33 or 31; Pell and SEOG are not relevant)for term or semester enrolled that do not exceedthe value of Hazlewood benefits; and meet theGPA and excessive hour requirement of theinstitution's financial aid policy. This requirementdoes not apply to the child of a MIA, KIA, or serviceconnected Veteran.

Application Process for Spouse/ChildA spouse or child of a Veteran whose deathwas service connected, Is MIA or is/was 100%permanently disabled must apply and be acceptedto a Texas public college or university. Provide aDD-214 and a disability rating letter or a DD-1300Report of Casualty regarding the Veteran's death;provide proof of eligibility or Ineligibility for GIBill® benefits (Chapter 31, 33/Post 9-11) byrequesting an education benefits letter from theVA office in Muskogee, OK at 888-442-4551 orwww.gibill.va.gov, or by requesting an educationalbenefits letter from the VA at eBenefits. (if Veteranhas active duty service after 9/11/2001). Youwill need to create a username and passwordto request your certificate of eligibility. Fill outthe Hazlewood Exemption application formfound at Texas Veteran Commission https://www.tvc.texas.gov/education/hazlewood-act/ and provide applications, letter of eligibility /ineligibility (if needed), along with a copy of theVeteran’s DD-214 (Member 4), to the financialaid office of the institution you will be attending.Additional application requirements can befound at www.southtexascollege.edu/veterans/. Applications and all supporting documentationmust be received by the Institution no later than thelast day of class of a term in order to be evaluatedfor that semester or term.

Exemption for Highest RankingHigh School GraduateTo provide an award to students graduating top intheir classes in high school.

EligibilityTexas residents, nonresidents, or foreign students;Graduate from an accredited high school in theState of Texas; and Graduate with the highestranking in their high school.

Award AmountTuition during both semesters of the first regularsession immediately following the student's highschool graduation.1 Fees are not covered. No fundsmay be used to pay tuition for continuing educationclasses for which the college receives no state taxsupport.

1 This exemption may be granted for any oneof the first four regular sessions following theindividual's graduation from high school whenin the opinion of the institution's president thecircumstances of an individual case, includingmilitary service, merit the action.

Applying for ExemptionStudents must provide a copy of the certificatereceived from the high school confirming thehighest ranking to the Office of Student FinancialServices.

Exemption for Peace OfficersDisabled in the Line of DutyTo provide a benefit to persons who were injured inthe line of duty while serving as Peace Officers.

EligibilityAre Texas residents, Enroll in classes for whichthe college receives tax support (i.e., a coursethat does not depend solely on student tuitionand fees to cover its costs). A person may notreceive an exemption under this section if theperson is enrolled in a master's degree programor is attending postgraduate courses to meet therequirements of a master's degree program andthe person has previously received a master'sdegree and received an exemption under thissection for a semester or session while attendinga postgraduate course to meet the requirementsof the master's degree program. A person maynot receive an exemption under this section if theperson is enrolled in a doctoral degree programor is attending postgraduate courses to meet therequirements of a doctoral degree program andthe person has previously received a doctoraldegree and received an exemption under thissection for a semester or session while attendinga postgraduate course to meet the requirementsof the doctoral degree program. A person may notreceive an exemption under this section for morethan 12 semesters or sessions while the person isenrolled in an undergraduate program or while theperson is attending only undergraduate courses.

Award AmountThe maximum award is exemption from thepayment of tuition and required fees for not morethan 12 semesters or sessions. No funds maybe used to pay tuition for continuing educationclasses for which the college receives no state taxsupport.

Applying for ExemptionThe disabled peace officer must work directly withthe registrar of the public institution of highereducation and submit satisfactory evidence of his/her status as a disabled peace officer as requiredby that institution.

Exemption for Peace OfficersEnrolled in Law Enforcement orCriminal Justice CoursesProgram PurposeTo encourage persons employed as peace officersto take college courses designed to help them intheir work.

EligibilityEmployed as a Peace Officer by the state of Texasor by a political subdivision of Texas. Enrolled asan undergraduate in an undergraduate program,including certificate, associate and baccalaureatedegrees leading to a law enforcement-related

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https://www.tvc.texas.gov/education/hazlewood-act/



or criminal justice certificate or degree. Enrollin classes beginning fall 2011 or later. Enrollin classes for which the college receives taxsupport (i.e., a course that does not depend solelyon student tuition and fees to cover its costs).Making satisfactory academic progress toward thestudent’s degree as determined by the institution.Apply for the exemption at least one week beforethe last date of the institution’s regular registrationperiod for the applicable semester or other term.Have not previously attempted a number of credithours for courses taken at any Texas publicinstitution of higher education while classified asa resident student for tuition purposes in excessof the maximum number specified in TEC Section61.0595 (a) (30 credit hours beyond the degreerequirement). To receive a continuation award, thepolice officer must meet the institution’s financialaid academic progress requirements.

Award AmountTuition and laboratory fees for courses offeredas part of a law enforcement-related or criminaljustice curriculum which pertain to the majorrequirements of the identified programs are eligiblefor reimbursement. Courses not directly relatedto law enforcement or criminal justice are noteligible for reimbursement even though they maybe required for completion of the certificate ordegree. No funds may be used to pay tuition forcontinuing education classes for which the collegereceives no state tax support.

Application ProcessProvide the Office of Student Financial Servicesproof of employment as a paid police officer, andenroll in the courses of a law enforcement orcriminal justice curriculum.

Other Exemptions & Waivers• Exemption Program for Clinical Preceptors and

Their Children• Concurrent Enrollment Waiver (Enrollment in

Two Texas Community Colleges)• TAPS for Tuition Program• Waiver for College Faculty and their

Dependents• Economic Development and Diversification

Waiver• Waiver of Nonresident Tuition for Foreign

Service Officers Stationed in Mexico AttendingPublic Institutions of Higher Education inTexas

• Spouse and Dependents Who Previously Livedin Texas

• NATO Forces• Research Assistants and Teaching Assistants

Waiver

Visit www.collegeforalltexans.com or http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/exemptions_waivers.html

Student Loans South Texas College provides Alternative EducationLoans through the Hinson-Hazlewood CollegeAccess Loan Program administered by the TexasHigher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)and Sallie Mae Undergraduate Smart Option Loan.These loans are intended for educational expenses.South Texas College does not participate in anytype of Federal Title IV student loan program.Therefore, Direct and FFEL Stafford Loans andFederal Perkins Loans are not an option at thisinstitution.

College Access LoanThe College Access Loan (CAL) Program providesan alternative type of educational loan to Texasstudents. Applicants do not have to demonstratefinancial need and the loan may be used to coverall or part of a student's Cost of Attendance minusany financial aid received.

Eligibility Requirements• Be a Texas resident• Be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours per

semester• Be enrolled in a course of study leading to a

certificate, associate's or higher degree• Meet the satisfactory academic progress

requirements set by the institution• Receive a favorable credit evaluation or

provide a cosigner who has good creditstanding and meets other requirements.Please refer to www.hhloans.com for furtherinformation about eligible cosigners.

For information on the College Access Loan (CAL)you may contact the Texas Higher EducationCoordinating Board at 1-800-242-3062 orwww.hhloans.com.

Disbursement of Loan funds toStudent AccountCollege Access Loan students must submit aCollege Access Loan Acknowledgement Form anda Loan and Debt Management Form. CAL studentsare required to submit both forms every semesterreceiving this loan (funds will not be disbursedwithout forms on file). Male students receivingthe College Access Loan must also be registeredwith Selective Service and must submit a SelectiveService Statement Status Form along with proof ofregistration.

Sallie Mae Smart Option LoanThe Sallie Mae Smart Option Student Loanis a private student loan that is offered toundergraduates and managed by Sallie Mae Inc..Find out more at www.salliemae.com

Eligibility Requirements• Be enrolled in at least 3 credit hours per

semester

Loan Request DeadlineAll loans offered by South Texas College have adeadline for requesting school certification setby the Office of Student Financial Services. Loancertification requests must be received by theOffice of Student Financial Services by 5:00pm onCensus date (12th class day) of the semester forwhich the loan is being requested. Loans receivedafter the deadline will not be certified.

Disbursement of Loan funds toStudent AccountStarting in 2018-2019, students receiving loansmust review Loan and Debt Management PowerPoint to help manage their loans. Students arerequired to submit the Loan and Debt ManagementForm every semester receiving this loan (funds willnot be disbursed without form on file).

Transfer Students With Federal LoansEven though South Texas College does notparticipate in any federal loan programs, it ispossible to postpone repayment of your loan fromanother school. Under certain circumstances, youcan receive a deferment or forbearance on your

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http://www.hhloans.com

http://www.hhloans.com

http://www.salliemae.com

loan which will allow payments to be temporarilysuspended on your loan.

If you are temporarily unable to meet yourrepayment schedule but are not eligible for adeferment, you may receive a forbearance for alimited and specified period. During forbearance,your payments are postponed or reduced. Whetheryour loans are subsidized or unsubsidized, you willbe charged interest. If you don’t pay the interestas it accrues, it will be capitalized. If you areunsure if your situation will allow you to qualifyfor forbearance, contact your loan servicer andspeak with a customer representative about beingunable to stay on track with payments. All loanservicers are there to help you avoid default whichmay cause you more economic hardship in thefuture.

Deferments and forbearances are not automatic. Ifyou have a Direct Stafford Loan, you must contactthe Direct Loan Servicing Center to request eitheroption.

If you have a FFEL Stafford Loan, you must contactthe lender or agency that holds your loan. For eitherprogram, you may have to provide documentationto support your request. You must continue makingscheduled payments until you receive notificationthat the deferment or forbearance has beengranted.

Veterans Educational Benefits South Texas College is approved for trainingveterans under the provisions of the various publiclaws commonly called the G.I. Bill®. A veteranwith entitlement may receive a monthly checkvarying in amount with his/her course load. Fora veteran eligible for Chapter 33, the following maybe available: A tuition and fee payment that is paidto your school on your behalf, monthly housingallowance, and annual books and supplies stipend.A spouse or child of a veteran may receive benefitsunder certain conditions.

Veterans or their families who think they maybe eligible for benefits should contact their localVeterans Administration office or the STC VeteranAffairs office. Please visit the Veteran Affairs officeor call 1-888-442-4551.

Students receiving V.A. educational benefits mustadhere to the V.A. Satisfactory Progress Standards.More information on these standards is availablefrom the Office of Student Financial Services.

Chapter 33 Post-9/11 GI Bill®If you have at least 90 days of aggregate activeduty service after Sept. 10, 2001, and are still onactive duty, or if you are an honorably dischargedVeteran or were discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days, you may beeligible for this VA-administered program. Ifyou are eligible for the Post 9-11 GI Bill® andany other GI Bill® program you must make anIrrevocable election of the Post 9/11 GI Bill®before you can receive any benefits. For moreinformation visit http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/post911_gibill.asp

Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill®Active Duty (MGIB-AD)The MGIB-AD program—sometimes known asChapter 30—provides education benefits toVeterans and Service members who have at leasttwo years of active duty. For more information visithttp://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/mgib_ad.asp

Chapter 1606 Montgomery GISelected Reserve (MGIB-SR)The MGIB-SR program provides education andtraining benefits to eligible members of theSelected Reserve, including the Army Reserve,Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine CorpsReserve and Coast Guard Reserve, and the ArmyNational Guard and the Air National Guard.Eligibility for this program is determined by theSelected Reserve components and VA makesthe payments. For more information visit http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/mgib_sr.asp

Chapter 35 Survivors and DependentAssistanceThe Dependents' Educational Assistance(DEA) program offers education and trainingopportunities to eligible dependents of Veteranswho are permanently and totally disabled dueto a service-related condition or of Veteranswho died while on active duty or as a resultof a service-related condition. For moreinformation visit http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/survivor_dependent_assistance.asp

Fry ScholarshipThe Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David FryScholarship is currently available for children ofthose who died in the line of duty after September10, 2001. Beginning January 01, 2015, FryScholarship will also be available for survivingspouses of those who died in the line of duty oras result of a service-related condition. For moreinformation visit https://www.benefits.va.gov/GIBILL/Fry_scholarship.asp

Chapter 31 Vocational RehabilitationThe Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment(VocRehab) program is authorized by Congressunder Title 38 of the United States Code,Chapter 31. It is sometimes referred to as theChapter 31 program. VocRehab helps Servicemembers and Veterans with service-connecteddisabilities prepare for, find, and maintain suitablecareers. For more information visit https://www.benefits.va.gov/GIBILL/DEA.asp

Federal Tuition AssistanceThe Tuition Assistance (TA) program providesfinancial assistance for voluntary off-dutyeducation. TA generally only covers the cost oftuition associated with each approved course,fees and books are not included in the approval. Students must be following a program of study andbe currently enrolled in courses prior to applyingfor TA. TA must be requested prior to the start dateof the course, requests received after the startdate cannot be approved. Procedures for applyingfor TA vary by branch of service and students areencouraged to contact the Educational ServiceOffice with their respective branch of service forassistance. Servicemembers interested in utilizingTA can find steps to apply with their branch ofservice at the links below.

• Army - https://www.goarmyed.com/public/public_money_for_college-tuition_assistance.aspx

• Marine Corps - https://usmc-mccs.org/articles/how-do-i-apply-for-tuition-assistance/

• Navy - https://www.navycollege.navy.mil/tuition-assistance/steps-for-tuition-assistance.htm

• Air Force - https://www.afpc.af.mil/Benefits-and-Entitlements/Military-Tuition-Assistance-Program/

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http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/post911_gibill.asp

http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/post911_gibill.asp

http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/mgib_ad.asp

http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/mgib_sr.asp

http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/mgib_sr.asp

http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/survivor_dependent_assistance.asp




http://www.benefits.va.gov/vocrehab/

http://www.benefits.va.gov/vocrehab/

https://www.goarmyed.com/public/public_money_for_college-tuition_assistance.aspx



https://usmc-mccs.org/articles/how-do-i-apply-for-tuition-assistance/

https://usmc-mccs.org/articles/how-do-i-apply-for-tuition-assistance/

https://www.navycollege.navy.mil/tuition-assistance/steps-for-tuition-assistance.htm



https://www.afpc.af.mil/Benefits-and-Entitlements/Military-Tuition-Assistance-Program/



• Coast Guard - https://www.forcecom.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/FORCECOM-UNITS/ETQC/Voluntary-Education/Active-Duty/

State Tuition AssistanceThe State Tuition Assistance Program is aneducation benefit that reimburses eligible membersof the Texas Military Department (TMD) with out-of-pocket expenses for tuition and mandatoryfees. Students are responsible to the school forall charges at the beginning of the semester. Ifall steps are followed, after the semester is overan award payment is sent to the school. Moreinformation can be found through the TMD websiteat https://tmd.texas.gov/state-tuition-assistance-program.

MyCAA Scholarship ProgramSpouses of service members on active dutyin pay grades E-1 to E-5, W-1 to W-2 and O-1to O-2 who have successfully completed highschool and have the ability to request tuitionassistance while their military sponsor is onTitle 10 military orders are eligible. Spousesmarried to members of the National Guard andreserves in these same pay grades are eligible.Information on how to apply can be found athttps://mycaa.militaryonesource.mil/mycaa/.

Hazlewood ActThe Hazlewood Act is a State of Texas benefitthat provides qualified Veterans, spouses, anddependent children with an education benefit ofup to 150 hours of tuition exemption, includingmost fee charges, at public institutions of highereducation in Texas. This does NOT include livingexpenses, books, supplies, or testing fees. Formore information visit https://www.tvc.texas.gov/education/hazlewood-act/

ScholarshipsA scholarship is a type of gift aid that is awarded toa student based on a set of pre-established criteriathat is decided by the donor or awarding entity.Students at South Texas College are awardedscholarships from a variety of sources including,but not limited to, academic departments, externaldonors, campus clubs/organizations, and/orgrants. These scholarships are administered incompliance with federal, state, and institutionalpolicies that govern the awarding process.

Students are encouraged to visit http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/scholarships/ for the latest available scholarships.Please note that each scholarship has a varietyof eligibility requirements and each will have adesignated application process.

Overaward policyFederal and state regulations mandate that astudent’s total financial aid package (grants andother resources) cannot exceed the student’sfinancial need. Financial need is defined as Cost ofAttendance minus Expected Family Contribution(EFC calculated by your FAFSA). Once a studenthas been selected as a scholarship recipient, theoffice of Student Financial Services must ensurethat the student is not over awarded. An overawardoccurs when the student’s financial aid packageexceeds his or her financial need.

External Scholarship ChecksExternal scholarship checks must be made payableto South Texas College, and must include thestudent’s name and ID number. Checks may bemailed to the address below or submitted in personto the office of Student Financial Services at

any South Texas College campus. Awarding of ascholarship will only take place once the check hasbeen received.

South Texas CollegeAttn: Financial Aid3201 West Pecan BoulevardMcAllen, Texas 78501

Third Party Programs Texas Workforce Solutions- Vocational RehabilitationServices (TWS - VRS)The Texas Workforce Solutions -VocationalRehabilitation Services(TWS-VRS) offers paymentof tuition and other services to students who havecertain disabilities. The Vocational RehabilitationDivision must approve the vocational objectivesselected by the student before funds are awarded.Interested applicants should contact the nearestoffice of Texas Workforce Solutions -VocationalRehabilitation Services.

Applying for TWS-VRSTo apply for VR services, call, write or visit theTWS-VRS office nearest you and request anappointment to meet with a counselor. If you needhelp in locating a TWS-VRS office in your area,you may call 1-800-628-5115. When you contactthe local office, please let us know if you needtranslator services or other accommodations foryour appointment.

How much money can I get?TWS-VRS covers tuition and fees, books andsometimes supplies up to an approved amount.The TWS-VRS issues purchase orders to thefinancial aid office with specified amounts foreach student’s tuition and fees. The financialaid office cannot increase awards withoutwritten authorization from TWS-VRS. If a studentwithdraws or has any changes in fees, moniesmust be returned to TWS-VRS, a student is noteligible for any reimbursement unless writtenauthorization by TWS- VRS

Program Restrictions

A student cannot receive financial aidsimultaneously with TWS-VRS funds. TWS-VRS requires that other aid must be awardedfirst. If in the event that a student completes or iseligible for any other aid, the TWS-VRS award willbe cancelled, unless written authorization fromTWS-VRS has been given.

Workforce Innovation OpportunityAct (WIOA) / Trade AdjustmentAct (TAA)WIOA/TAA is the Workforce InnovationOpportunity Act/ Trade Adjustment Act, andits purpose is to provide workforce innovationactivities that increase the employment, retention,and earnings of participants. WIOA/TAA programsare intended to increase occupational skillsattainment by participants and improve the qualityof the workforce, reduce welfare dependency, andenhance the productivity and competitivenessof the nation. WIOA/TAA authorizes several jobtraining programs including Adult Employmentand Training Activities, Youth Activities, and JobCorps. Students interested in applying for WIOA/TAA should contact their local WorkFORCE center.

20 Financial Aid

https://www.forcecom.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/FORCECOM-UNITS/ETQC/Voluntary-Education/Active-Duty/



https://tmd.texas.gov/state-tuition-assistance-program/

https://tmd.texas.gov/state-tuition-assistance-program/

https://mycaa.militaryonesource.mil/mycaa/



http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/scholarships/



Applying for WIOA/TAAA student should contact their local WorkforceSolution Center to determine eligibility and types ofassistance available to them.

Workforce Center LocationsNorth Hidalgo County2719 W. University DriveEdinburg, Texas 78539Phone: 956-380-0008, Fax: 956-316-2626

Cameron County601 East Harrison AvenueHarlingen, Texas 78550Phone: 956-423-9266, Fax 956-412-2199

West Hidalgo County901 Travis St., Suite 7Mission, Texas 78572Phone: 956-519-4300, Fax: 956-519-4388

Willacy County700 FM 3168Raymondville, Texas 78580Phone: 956-689-3412, Fax: 956-690-0285

Starr County5408 Brand St. Ste. 1Rio Grande City, Texas 78582Phone: 956-487-9100, Fax: 956-487-9190

East Hidalgo County2290 W. Pike Blvd., Ste. 100Weslaco, Texas 78596Phone: 956-969-6100, Fax: 956-969-6190

Corporate Office3101 W. Bus 83McAllen, Texas 78501Phone: 956-928-5000, Fax: 956-664-8987

Note: Information is subject to change.

WIOA/TAA ContractsWIOA/TAA covers tuition, fees, books, equipment,tools and uniforms up to an approved amount.The WIOA/TAA contract also specifies a contractend date in which the student will not be awardedunless a modification has been received fromWIOA. A student who is approved under aprogram must be registered in courses that areon the degree plan. WIOA/TAA does not coverdevelopmental courses, repeat courses (unlessapproved by WIOA/TAA) and courses not a part ofthe degree plan.

Award DisbursementsA student can not receive financial aid and WIOA/TAA funds. WIOA/TAA requires that other aid mustbe awarded first. If in the event that a studentcompletes or is eligible for any other aid, the WIOA/TAA award will be cancelled and student will beresponsible for any balances. A student cannotreceive VIDA and WIOA/TAA at the same timebecause both are state funded grants. Any fundsremaining will not be issued until after enrollmenthas been verified.

Valley Initiative for Development andAdvancement (VIDA)VIDA is a workforce development programdesigned to respond to the job training needs ofthe Rio Grande Valley’s Empowerment Zones.Participants of the program will be recruited andtrained to qualify for higher paying jobs available inthe Rio Grande Valley.

Long-term training (1-2 years) will be limited totargeted occupations with identified job openings.Customized training (less than 1 year) will be madeavailable through a contractual partnering between

VIDA, industry and local community colleges.Applications are available at VIDA satellite offices.Students needing more information on VIDA maycontact the South Texas College Student FinancialServices office.

Eligible MajorsInterested students must be majoring in one of thefollowing degrees in order to apply for the VIDAprogram,

One Year Certificate Programs• Accounting Clerk• Automotive Technology• Computer Maintenance Specialist• Diesel Technology• EMT-Advanced• Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning &

Refrigeration Technology• Vocational Nursing• Precision Manufacturing Technology

Two Year Certificate Programs• EMT-Paramedic

Two Year Associate Degree Programs• Accounting• Administrative Office Assistant• Automotive Technology• Child Development/Early Childhood• Computer Support Specialist• Diesel Technology• Emergency Medical Technology-Paramedic• Health Information Technology• Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning &

Refrigeration Technology• Paralegal• Network Systems• Associate Degree Nursing• Occupational Therapy Assistant• Pharmacy Technology• Physical Therapist Assistant• Precision Manufacturing Technology• Public Administration• Radiologic Technology

Students interested in applying for the VIDAprogram must contact VIDA directly at 417 S. OhioMercedes, TX 78570, 1-800-478-1770, or http://www.vidacareers.org/.

VIDA ProgramVIDA covers tuition and fees, books and sometimessupplies up to an approved amount. The VIDAprogram forwards Memo’s to the financial aid officewith specified amounts for each student’s tuitionand fees. The financial aid office cannot increaseawards without written authorization from VIDA.If a student withdraws or has any changes in fees,monies must be returned to VIDA, and the studentwill not be eligible for reimbursement.

Award DisbursementA student can receive financial aid and VIDAfunds. A student cannot receive VIDA and WIOA/TAA at the same time because both are statefunded grants. Any funds remaining will not beissued until after enrollment has been verified.

College Savings PlansTexas Guaranteed Tuition Plan(formerly Texas Tomorrow Fund)The Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan is a programthat allows Texas families to lock in the cost of

Financial Aid 21

http://www.vidacareers.org/

http://www.vidacareers.org/

tomorrow’s college tuition and fees required asa condition of enrollment. For more information,contact the Texas tomorrow Fund/TexasGuaranteed Tuition Plan at 1-800-445-GRAD orcheck with the Student Financial Services Office.If funds are available the TGTP covers only thefollowing charges:

• Tuition• Registration Fee• Information Technology Fee• Learning Support Fee• Student Activity Fee

Note: Students are responsible to pay any otherfees not covered by TGTP.

Texas Tuition Promise Fund PlanThe Texas Tuition Promise Fund is designed tohelp families and individuals prepay for all or somefuture tuition and required fees at any two- or four-year Texas public college or university. Accountholders purchase Tuition Units, which representa fixed amount of undergraduate resident tuitionand required fees charged by Texas public collegesand universities. The number of units needed variesdepending on the school, but generally 100 unitsrepresents 30 credit hours, which is considered tobe one academic year. Texas Tuition Promise Fundcovers only the following charges:

• Tuition• Registration Fee• Information Technology Fee• Learning Support Fee• Student Activity Fee

Note: Students are responsible to pay any otherfees not covered by TTPFP.

Who can open an account?Any U.S. citizen or legal resident 18 years and oldercan open an account, as long as the Beneficiary isa Texas resident. If the child is not a Texas resident,a parent must be the Purchaser and a resident ofTexas. Charities that award scholarships may alsoopen an account.

Enrollment PeriodYou may enroll in the Plan any time betweenSept. 1 and Feb. 28 (Feb. 29 in leap years).Newborns can be enrolled through July 31 eachyear. Tuition rates are subject to change at thestart of each Enrollment Period on Sept. 1. Thereis a three-year holding period before any unitscan be redeemed and the Tuition Units mustbe paid in full prior to redemption. For moreinformation, contact TEXAS Tuition Promise Fundat 1-800-445-GRAD (4723), option 5 or log on tohttp://www.texastuitionpromisefund.com/

Other Forms of AssistanceValley ScholarsThe purpose of the Valley Scholars Program is torecognize and promote academic excellence byproviding financial assistance, academic supportservices, mentoring, and leadership developmentto academically gifted and highly motivatedstudents.To be eligible for this scholarship, astudent must be a graduate from an accreditedHidalgo or Starr County high school, graduatewithin the top 10% or with an 80 average orabove, maintain a 3.25 GPA in any college coursecompleted during high school, and be TSI CollegeReady or TSI Exempt. Once a student is admittedinto the Valley Scholars program, they must meetadditional requirements to receive the scholarship.

AmeriCorpsThe AmeriCorps program provides full-timeeducational awards in return for work in communityservice. You can work before, during, or after yourpost-secondary education and you can use thefunds either to pay current educational expensesor to repay federal student loans. Please go towww.americorps.gov and register in the onlinepayments system.

Financial Aid SatisfactoryAcademic Progress Purpose and ScopeFederal regulations mandate that a studentreceiving Financial Assistance under Title IVprograms must maintain satisfactory academicprogress in his/her course of study regardlessof whether or not financial aid is awarded eachsemester. South Texas College’s Financial AidSatisfactory Academic Progress Policy is appliedconsistently to all Financial Aid recipients withinidentifiable categories of students (such as full-time or part-time). Students pursuing a Certificate,Associate, or Bachelor degree are responsible forunderstanding and adhering to the financial aidsatisfactory academic progress policy.

Mandated by Federal and State Regulations,Satisfactory Academic Progress is measured withthe following standards:

• Qualitative Standard (Cumulative Grade PointAverage),

• Quantitative Standard (Pace of Progress)• Cumulative Pace of Progression• Maximum Time Frame

Qualitative StandardStudents will be expected to maintain the minimumacademic standards as outlined in the ScholasticProgress Standards Section of the South TexasCollege Catalog. South Texas College uses a 4-point scale for grade point average (GPA), andrequires students to have a 2.0 average after eachsemester.

Quantitative Standard (CumulativePace of Progress)The quantitative standard is used to accuratelymeasure a student’s progress in a program. Thereare two components of the quantitative standard:

1. Cumulative Pace of Progression:Students must complete 67% of the totalAttempted hours at the end of each semesterto meet the required pace of progress at SouthTexas College. You calculate the pace at whicha student is progressing by dividing the totalnumber of credit hours successfully completedor earned at the end of each semester by thetotal number of credit hours attempted at theend of each semester; if the result is greaterthan or equal to 67%, the student is meetingthe requirement of pace of progression bysemester. The chart below shows credit hourtotals and the number of credit hours thatmust be completed to meet this requirement.Developmental remedial course work will becounted in the 67% calculation after eachsemester.

67% Cumulative ProgressionThis table contains the Attempted credit hoursand the Earned/Completed credit hours required tomeet 67% progression by semester.

22 Financial Aid

http://www.texastuitionpromisefund.com/

http://www.americorps.gov

Total Attempted CreditHours

Total Earned/CompletedCredit Hours

108 Credit Hours 72 Credit Hours96 Credit Hours 64 Credit Hours84 Credit Hours 56 Credit Hours72 Credit Hours 48 Credit Hours60 Credit Hours 40 Credit Hours48 Credit Hours 32 Credit Hours36 Credit Hours 24 Credit Hours24 Credit Hours 16 Credit Hours12 Credit Hours 8 Credit Hours

2. Maximum Time Frame (MTF): is the paceat which students must progress throughtheir program of study to ensure that theywill graduate within a maximum time frame;students must complete their program ofstudy within a period no longer than 150% ofthe published length of the program. This ismeasured by dividing the number of credithours that the student has attempted by thenumber of credit hours that are required tocomplete the student’s program of study. If thestudent reaches 150 percent or if the resultof the division is 1.50, then the student hasreached Maximum Time Frame. The graphbelow contains three examples.

Maximum Time Frame Rule = Total AttemptedCredit Hours / Program of Study Required CreditHours Completion

TotalAttemptedCreditHours

CompletionRequirementCreditHours

MaximumTime FramePercentage

Has studentreachedMaximumTimeFrame?

182 CreditHours

120 CreditHours

1.52 Yes

179 CreditHours

120 CreditHours

1.49 No

62 CreditHours

42 CreditHours

1.48 No

In the first example, the program of study requires120 credit hours to graduate. The student hasattempted 182 credit hours (182 / 120 = 1.52)and in this case the student is going over 1.50percent, so student has reached the MaximumTime Frame. In the second example, the programof study requires 120 credit hours to graduate toobut the student has attempted 179 credit hours(179 / 120 = 1.49); in this case student has notyet reached Maximum Time Frame. In the thirdexample, the program of study requires 42 credithours to graduate and the student has attempted62 credit hours, (62 / 42 = 1.48); in this case,student has not reached Maximum Time Frame.

How are my grades evaluated underthe FA Standards of AcademicProgress?

• The student’s cumulative Grade Point Average(GPA) must be a 2.0 or higher to satisfy therequirements of the qualitative standard of theFinancial Aid Satisfactory Progress Policy.

• Grades of “A”, “B”, “C”, “D” and “P” will beconsidered credit hours attempted and earned.

• Grades of “F”, “W”, “WP”, “WF”, “DP”, “DF”,“IP”, or “I” will be considered as credit hoursattempted for the semester for the 67% Paceof Progress Rule and for the MTF Rule.

• Students who withdraw from the collegemust still maintain Financial Aid SatisfactoryAcademic Progress to meet the 67% Pace ofProgress Rule and for the MTF Rule.

What happens if I fail to meet theFinancial Aid Standards of AcademicProgress?

• Following the first semester in which thestudent does not meet the FA Standards ofSatisfactory Academic Progress Policy (exceptin cases where the student exceeds the MTFlimit for the declared program of study), thestudent will be placed on FA warning for thenext semester of enrollment. The student maybe allowed to receive financial aid funds whileon FA warning as long as they are otherwiseeligible.

• Students who are on FA warning and whoimprove their academic performance asdefined by the qualitative and quantitativestandards will be placed back in good standingand may be eligible to continue to receivefinancial aid for following semesters.

• Students who are on FA warning who fail tomeet the FA Satisfactory Academic ProgressPolicy will be placed on FA Suspension andbe denied further funding until they meet thequalitative and/or quantitative standardsagain.

• Students who exhaust the Maximum TimeFrame allowed for a program of study will beplaced on financial aid suspension.

• A student who successfully appeals a GPAor 67% suspension status is placed on FAprobation and is eligible to receive Title IV aidas long as the student continues to complete100% of the courses enrolled each semesterand earns a term-GPA of 2.0 or higher.

• The student’s record is reviewed afterthe first semester of FA probation. If thestudent has brought his cumulative GPAback up to a 2.0 and has also successfullycompleted 67% of the total number ofcumulative credits attempted for the FAprobation semester, he will be placed onFA good standing.

• If, after the probation period/semester:• the student fails to complete 100%

of the courses attempted, he will beplaced on FA suspension;

• the student successfully completes100% of the courses attempted andhis cumulative GPA is less than a 2.0,but the term GPA is a 2.0 or higher,he will be eligible for one additionalsemester of FA probation;

• The student’s record is reviewed afterthe first semester of FA probation. If thestudent has successfully completed 67%of the total number of credits attempted(cumulatively) and his cumulative GPA is a2.0 or higher, he will be placed on FA goodstanding.

• If, after the probation period/semester:• the student fails to maintain a

cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher, hewill be placed on FA suspension;

• the student’s cumulative GPA is a 2.0or higher but he does not complete100% of the courses attempted, hewill be placed on FA suspension;

• the student successfully completes100% of the courses attempted andhis cumulative GPA is a 2.0 or higher,he will be eligible for one additionalsemester on FA probation;

• the student successfully completes100% of the courses attempted forthe semester and his cumulative GPAis less than a 2.0, but the term GPAis a 2.0 or higher, he will be eligible

Financial Aid 23

for one additional semester of FAprobation;

• This review of FA probation is done manuallyby a FA Representative. Students who areon FA probation are notified by email andregular mail of their status. Students are alsorequired to complete a Financial Aid AcademicPlan outlining the expectations after a FAappeal has been approved. The Financial AidAcademic Plan is part of the Appeal Form.

Additional InformationThe Effect of Incomplete GradesCourses where the student receives an incomplete( I ) at the end of the semester or term, will count asattempted credit hours and as a non-passing gradewhen assessing if the student will meet 67% Paceof Progress Rule and/or if the student will be withinthe Maximum Time Frame Rule limit.

Complete Withdrawals and the Financial AidSatisfactory Academic Progress PolicyStudents who withdraw from the college must stillmaintain FA Satisfactory Academic Progress. Acomplete withdrawal will always have a negativeeffect on a student’s standing under this policy.If a student withdraws from school during thesemester, his grades for the semester will be all“W”s. These grades are not passing; therefore thestudent will not meet the 67% Pace of ProgressRule and will be placed either on Financial AidWarning or Financial Aid Suspension depending onwhat the student’s status was before the semesterbegan.

The Effect of Repeating CoursesThere is no specific limitation on the number oftimes a student may attempt a course under theFinancial Aid Satisfactory Academic ProgressPolicy. All course attempts, even repeated courses,will count when assessing if student will meet the67% Pace of Progress Rule and/or the MaximumTime Frame limit. Please see the Maximum TimeFrame section on this document and in additionplease see section Repeated Coursework withinFinancial Aid section of the catalog or the FinancialAid Website, for more information on this.

Transfer Hours and the 67% Pace of ProgressRuleTransfer hours which have an STC equivalent arecounted in the assessment of the 67% Pace ofProgress Rule.

Transfer Hours and Maximum Time FrameTransfer hours which have an STC equivalent arecounted in the Maximum Time Frame calculation.Students may request an additional reviewof transferred courses if these courses counttoward graduation at STC in their chosen majorby providing a degree plan from the Office ofCounseling and Advising. The degree plan will bereviewed by a Financial Aid Officer to determineexactly which transferred credit hours apply to astudent’s current program of study. Transferredhours that appear on a student's record but do notcount toward graduation from the student's currentprogram of study will be eliminated from the total.These reviews are done on a first come first servebasis.

Summer Sessions Attempted Credit HoursCredit hours attempted in any Summer Sessionwill be included in the assessment of the 67% Paceof Progress Rule and the Maximum Time FrameRule limit. STC offers three summer sessions.All three summer sessions are considered oneentire semester when calculating the 67% Pace ofProgress Rule and the Maximum Time Frame Rule.

Academic Probation and SuspensionSuccessfully approved Academic appeals forAcademic Probation or Academic Suspension(G.P.A. less than a 2 .0), have no effect on students’standing with the Financial Aid SatisfactoryAcademic Progress Policy; those students willstill be on Financial Aid Suspension and wouldhave to appeal their Financial Aid Suspension toour STC Student Financial Services Department.Please reference the Financial Aid Appeals Processsection on this document for more information.

Notification of Status Under the FASatisfactory Academic Progress PolicyStudents placed on Financial Aid Warning orFinancial Aid Suspension will be notified via emailand regular mail, of their status after grades areavailable on STC’s computer system.

The Effect of Developmental Coursework onthe 67% Pace of Progress RuleDevelopmental (or remedial) coursework willbe included when calculating the 67% Pace ofProgress Rule.

The Effect of Developmental Coursework onthe MTF Calculation30 credit hours of developmental coursework canbe eliminated from the Maximum Time Framecalculation. After the student attempts more than30 credit hours of developmental coursework, anyadditional developmental credit hours attemptedwill count in the Maximum Time Frame calculation.

The Effect of Dropping a CourseStudents, who reduce their course load by droppinga course after the semester has begun, risk non-compliance with the 67% Pace of Progress Rule.

The Effect of FA Suspension on Financial AidAwardsTitle IV aid consists of grants and work-study;therefore, all grants and work-study awards willbe cancelled (or discontinued in the case of workstudy) if a student is on Financial Aid Suspension.

Consortium Agreements and the FASatisfactory Academic Progress PolicyWhen South Texas College has a consortiumagreement with a participating institution, thestudent must meet the FA Satisfactory AcademicProgress Policy of the institution that is awardingaid.

Maximum Time Frame Adjustment for Changeof MajorStudents who change their major may have credithours attempted and grades earned excluded fromthe Maximum Time Frame calculation if thosecredit hours do not count toward the new major.Exclusion of credit hours from the Maximum TimeFrame Calculation will be allowed once, for changeof major. All developmental courses and academiccourses where the student earned grades of “F”,“W” or “I” will be excluded from the Maximum TimeFrame calculation when those courses are betweenthe first major and the second major change; thesegrades cannot be excluded after the second major.Note that Undeclared Degree seeking major is not avalid major but credit hours taken while under thismajor, will be counted as attempted and earned (ornot earned, depending on the grade).

Students Who Graduate and Return to STC fora Second DegreeIf a student graduates from STC and re-enrolls atSTC to pursue another educational program, alldevelopmental courses and academic courseswhere the student earned grades of “F”, “W” or “I”will be excluded from the Maximum Time Frame

24 Financial Aid

calculation. Students may request a review byproviding a degree plan furnished by the Officeof Counseling and Advising and submitting it tothe Student Financial Services Office for review.The degree plan will be reviewed by a FinancialAid Officer to determine exactly which credit hoursfrom the graduated program apply to the student’snew program of study. Classes from the programthe student graduated from, which do not counttoward graduation for the new program, will beeliminated from the total. The review for a newdegree after graduation is limited to one degreeplan review per graduation.

Exceeding Maximum Time Frame –Appeal ProcessStudents who are placed on Financial AidSuspension because they reached their maximumtime frame have the option to appeal, as long asthey meet the following requirements:

• Be meeting the cumulative 2.0 GPA;• Be meeting the 67% cumulative completion

rate;• Graduate within the semester where Maximum

Time Frame Appeal was submitted;• Provide degree plan signed by South Texas

College Student Success Specialist;• Submit a FA Appeal, including the FA

Academic Plan to the South Texas CollegeStudent Financial Services Office.

Appeals will be approved/disapproved by theStudent Financial Services Director. If an FA Appealis approved, the student will be placed on financialaid probation and will be expected to follow the FAAcademic Plan. Students can check the status ordecision of their financial aid appeal two weeksafter submitting it, by login in to their JagNetaccount and checking the financial aid activemessages section of it.

67% and/or GPA - Appeal ProcessStudents who fail to meet the STC FA SatisfactoryAcademic Progress Policy because of unusualcircumstances, such as (illness, death in the family,accidents, etc.) have the right to appeal. During theappeal process the student must be prepared topay his/her own expenses, such as tuition, fees,books, supplies, etc. Please follow the procedurebelow to appeal a FA suspension.

• A Financial Aid Appeal, including the FAAcademic Plan, must be obtained from andsubmitted to the STC Student FinancialServices Office.

• Documentation supporting the extenuatingcircumstances must be available for review.

• Appeals will be approved /disapproved bythe Financial Aid Committee. If a FA Appealis approved, the student will be placed onFA probation and expected to follow the FAAcademic Plan.

• All decisions made by the Financial AidCommittee are final.

• Students can check the status or decision oftheir financial aid completed appeal two weeksafter submitting the appeal (review processmay take longer during peak registrationtimes), by login in to their JagNet account andchecking the financial aid active messagessection of it.

Federal Return of Title IV FundsPolicyWithdrawalsWhen a student who is a Title IV recipientwithdraws, there are two policies related to financethat the student should be familiar with.

The first is STC’s Tuition Refunds Policy,which is located in the Financial InformationSection of the catalog and at http://finance.southtexascollege.edu/businessoffice/cashiers/refunds.html.

The second policy is the U.S. Department ofEducation’s Return of Title IV Funds policy, which isdescribed below.

These two processes are managed by differentoffices and have different requirements anddeadlines and can be a little confusing. If you havequestions after reviewing the Financial Information,Tuition Refunds Policy section please contactCashiers Office at (956) 872-3455; if you havequestions after reviewing the Return of Title IVFunds information please contact STC StudentFinancial Services Office at (956) 872-8375. Bothdepartments may be reached at 855-468-6782.

Policy SummaryThe Title IV Programs that are covered by thispolicy at South Texas College are the FederalPell Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grantsand the Federal Supplemental EducationalOpportunity Grants (FSEOGs). The HigherEducation Amendments of 1998, Public Law105-244 (the Amendments of 1998) substantiallychanged the way funds paid toward a student’seducation are handled when a recipient of Title IVfunds withdraws from school. If a Title IV recipientwithdraws from school after beginning attendance,the amount of aid earned by the student mustbe determined; if the amount disbursed to thestudent is greater than the amount the studentearned, unearned funds must be returned. Notethat in a distance education context, documentingthat a student has logged into an online class isnot sufficient, by itself, to demonstrate academicattendance by the student; a definition ofattendance for financial aid purposes is providedunder the Eligibility Issues section of our websiteat http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/attendance_definition.html. If the amountdisbursed to the student is less than the amountthe student earned, and for which the student isotherwise eligible, he or she is eligible to receivea post-withdrawal disbursement of the earned aidthat was not received.

Process for Students Who WithdrawThemselvesFor students who go through the process ofofficially withdrawing themselves from school, asimple calculation is used to determine the amountof Title IV funds a student has earned as of thedate he or she withdraws; information on SouthTexas College’s Withdrawal Procedures can befound at https://catalog.southtexascollege.edu/scholastic-regulations/academic-information/.

Determining Amount of Title IV funds earnedTo determine the amount of Title IV funds earnedas of the date of the withdrawal, (where the studentinitiated and completed the withdrawal processwith the Enrollment Center), we calculate thepercentage of the period completed, (where periodis used interchangeably with term or semester), asfollows,

Financial Aid 25

https://finance.southtexascollege.edu/businessoffice/cashiers/refunds.html



https://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/attendance_definition.html

https://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/attendance_definition.html

https://catalog.southtexascollege.edu/scholastic-regulations/academic-information/

https://catalog.southtexascollege.edu/scholastic-regulations/academic-information/

• Divide the number of calendar days completedin the period/semester as of the day thestudent withdrew, by the total number ofcalendar days in the period/semester.

• The total number of calendar days in a period/semester includes all days within the term,except for institutionally scheduled breaks offive or more consecutive days. The day thestudent withdrew is counted as a completedday. This percentage is multiplied by theamount of Title IV Federal Student Aid thatwas disbursed to the student for the semester.The result is the amount of aid that the studentearned. Once the student reaches the 60percent point in a semester, he has earned 100percent of his Federal aid and no adjustment isrequired.

The Process for Students Who areWithdrawn or Who Do Not Initiate theWithdrawal ProcessThe Return of Title IV funds process is differentfor students who do not follow the process toofficially withdraw and are withdrawn or droppedby the school. For example, the withdrawal datefor students who initiated and completed thewithdrawal process with the Enrollment Center, isthe date that the student was withdrawn by theEnrollment Center. Students who do not initiatethe withdrawal process will have a percentage ofperiod/semester completed of up to the 50 percentpoint of the semester/period, under the Return ofTitle IV Funds policy. If the student is withdrawnon or after the 50 percent point of the semester,the percentage used to calculate the amount ofaid that the student has earned will always be 50percent. This includes students who are withdrawnby the Student Assessment Center or by any otherdepartment.

Withdrawals from Programs Offeredin Modules (Mini-Mesters)Previously, if a student attending a standard, term-based program offered in modules (at STC theseare known as mini-mesters), ceased attendanceafter completing one mini-mester, the studentwas not considered to have withdrawn, and theschool was not required to perform a Return ofTitle IV funds calculation. This is no longer thecase; under the October 29, 2010, final regulations,for all programs offered in modules/mini-mesters,a student is a withdrawal for Title IV purposes ifthe student ceases attendance at any point prior tocompleting the payment period or semester.

When a Student Fails to Earn at LeastOne Passing GradeAs per U.S. Department of Education, studentswho do not earn at least one passing grade persemester/period are considered to have withdrawnfrom school. For example: if a student attemptsthree courses, withdraws from one course with a“W” and earns “Fs” for the other two courses, orif he or she earns all “Fs” the Student FinancialServices Office must assume that the studentwithdrew from school. The Student FinancialServices Office is required to re-calculate thestudent's eligibility and remove some of thefinancial aid funds that were disbursed on hisstudent account. In most cases, students will endup owing South Texas College hundreds of dollars.

At South Texas College, the withdrawal date forstudents who do not earn at least on passing gradeis the 50 percent point of the semester if a lastdate of attendance was not provided by any ofthe instructors. If a last date of attendance wasprovided, we will use the latest date of attendanceto calculate the days completed and divide that by

the total days in the semester or payment period.The result will be the Earned Percentage thatwe will use to recalculate eligibility, (please seeexamples below).

For students in this situation, the only reliefavailable is related to the date when theystopped attending school classes. If the studentparticipated in a verifiable, academically-relatedactivity past the 60 percent point of the semester(check with the Student Financial Services Officefor dates) and proof of this can be collectedthen the Student Financial Services Office doesnot have to perform the calculation. The U.S.Department of Education has defined acceptableacademically-related activities as class attendance,examinations or quizzes, tutorials, computer-assisted instruction, academic advising orcounseling, academic conferences, completingan academic assignment, paper, or project,or attending a school-assigned study group.Students may not provide documentation of theseactivities; documentation must come from eitheran instructor or in the case of academic advising,the office of Advisement and Mentoring Services.

Return of Title IV FundsCalculation Resulting in MoneyOwed to South Texas CollegeIf students withdraw or are withdrawn from all oftheir classes after the 20th class day of a regularsemester or the designated end of the refundperiod of a shorter term, South Texas College willnot adjust the cost of tuition and fees (Pleasereference the Tuition Refunds Policy, which islocated in the Financial Information Section ofthe STC Catalog). When a Return of Title IV fundscalculation is performed and aid that was usedby the student to pay for tuition, fees, or otherinstitutional charges is returned, students becomeresponsible to repay those funds to South TexasCollege. The debt must be repaid before thestudent is allowed to register for a future semester.

Grant OverpaymentsStudents who have grant overpayments maycontact Default Resolution Group by calling1-800-621-3115 or by writing to Default ResolutionGroup at the following address:

U.S. Department of EducationDefault Resolution GroupP.O. Box 5609Greenville, Texas 75403

Example of Return of Title IV FundsCalculation:Barbara was enrolled in for 12 credit hours atSouth Texas College for the fall semester. WhenBarbara began classes she received a Federal PellGrant. She withdrew from her classes 53 daysinto the semester. Her bill for tuition and fees was$1250. There are a total of 159 calendar days inthe semester, so Barbara earned 33.3 percent ofher Title IV aid (53 days completed divided by 159total days in the payment period). Barbara receiveda total of $2675 in Federal Pell Grant for the fallsemester. She received a check for the balance ofPell Grant funds in excess of the cost of schoolafter census day.

To determine the amount of Pell Grant funds thatBarbara earned, we must multiply the percentageearned by the amount she was eligible to receive.

33.3% X $2675.00= $890.78

Since Barbara was enrolled for 33.3 percent ofthe fall semester, according to U.S. Department of

26 Financial Aid

Education regulations, she has earned $890.78 ofher Pell Grant. The U.S. Department of Educationrequires that South Texas College return half ofthe unearned funds: $2675 - $890.78 = $1784.22divided by 2 = $892.11 from the funds that Barbaraused to pay for her tuition and fees. BecauseBarbara withdrew after the 20th day of class, therewill be no reduction of the cost of tuition and fees.Barbara will be responsible to repay South TexasCollege $892.11 because she withdrew and thefunds are no longer available to cover the cost ofher tuition and fees.

This example is an approximation and does nottake into account the tuition and fees charged,to get the correct amount of funds earned by thestudent.

Example of a Return of Title IV FundsCalculation Using the FormulaThis example is provided so that a student canderive an approximation of what he would oweif he were to withdraw or if he were to receivenon-passing grades, (for non-passing grades,instructors will provide last date of attendance), ina payment period:

• Tuition and Fees: $1,000• Tuition and Fees will be the initial tuition

and fees. Fees will vary depending oncourses taken but typically will include:

• 3000-4000 Level Course Fee• Learning Support Fee• Information Technology Fee• Electronic Distance Education

Learning Fee• Hybrid Course Fee• Course Repeat Fee• Student Registration Fee• Drop/Add Fee

• Federal Financial Aid (FA) Disbursement Total:$2,000.

• Student withdrew from classes 34 days intothe semester; student was not registered inmini-mesters.

• There are a total of 110 calendar days in thesemester.

• Student earned 31 percent of his Federal Aid:• 34 days completed divided by 110 total

days in the payment period.• Earned Percentage: 31%

• Then Earned Percentage is multiplied byFederal FA Disbursement Total = Earned funds

• using above numbers: 31% X $2000 =$620

• $620 being Earned funds• Then Federal FA Disbursement Total minus

Earned funds = X• using above numbers: $2000 – $620 =

$1380• $1380 being X

• 100% minus Earned Percentage = UnearnedPercentage

• using above numbers: 100% - 31% = 69%• 69% being Unearned Percentage

• Then Tuition and Fees in the term timesUnearned Percentage = Y

• using above numbers: $1000 X 69% =$690

• $690 being Y• Then the result of, if X is less than Y then

choose X, else choose Y; this is the Amount forthe school to Return

• using above numbers: Is $1380 < $690?No, then choose $690; this is the Amountfor school to return: Y= $690 dollars.

• The Amount for School to Return is subtractedfrom FA Disbursement Total

• using above numbers it would be:$2000 –$690 = $1310

The $690 will be the funds for South Texas Collegeto return to the U.S. Department of Educationon student’s behalf and will be what student willowe; there may be other charges included by theinstitution but those are not discussed here.

The $1310 will be the new adjusted Federal PellGrant amount that will show in student’s JagNetaccount for the semester/period he withdrew from.

Tax Benefits for Higher EducationAmerican Opportunity Tax CreditThe American Opportunity Tax Credit is a credit forqualified education expenses paid for an eligiblestudent for the first four years of higher education.You can get a maximum annual credit of $2,500 pereligible student. Please refer to IRS Publication 970for more information on how to apply this tax crediton your tax forms.

Lifetime Learning CreditThe Lifetime Learning Credit is for qualified tuitionand related expenses paid for eligible studentsenrolled in an eligible educational institution. Thiscredit can help pay for undergraduate, graduateand professional degree courses - includingcourses to acquire job skills. There is no limit onthe number of years you can claim the credit. It isworth up to $2,000 per tax return. Please refer toIRS Publication 970 for more information on how toapply this credit on your tax forms.

Frequently Requested InformationFrequently Requested TelephoneNumbers and WebsitesThe STC Office of Student Financial Servicesmaintains an extensive website which contains:

1. Information about aid programsoffered at STC at: http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/

2. Information about all subjects related tothe financial aid process at STC at: http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/faq.html

3. All STC financial aid forms in.pdf(Adobe Acrobat) format at: http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/forms.html

4. Links to important Federal andState Aid Websites at: http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/websites.html

5. Links to scholarship databases andscholarship sources outside STC at: https://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/scholarships/index.html

The Student Financial Services main web pageis: http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/

If you need answers right away to questions aboutFederal Student Aid, call the appropriate numberlisted below at the Federal Student Aid InformationCenter between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. (Eastern Time),Monday through Friday:

1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)1-800-730-8913 TDD (for hearing impaired)

The Federal Student Aid Information Center can:

Financial Aid 27



http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/faq.html






http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/websites.html



https://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/scholarships/





• Answer questions about completing theFAFSA.

• Tell you whether a school participates in thefederal student aid programs and that school’sstudent loan default rate.

• Explain federal student aid eligibilityrequirements.

• Explain the process of determining financialneed and awarding aid.

• Send you federal student aid publications• Find out if your federal student financial aid

application has been processed.• Send you a copy of your Student Aid Report

(SAR).• Change your address.• Send your application information to a specific

school.

Please note that the Student Financial ServicesDepartment has taken care to ensure the accuracyand timeliness of the information contained onthis publication. However, contents are subjectto change without notice because of changingFederal, State and/or Institutional policies.

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