All applicants for Financial aid must meet all of the following requirements:
Availability of Funds: The college will not have enough money from SEOG, Work-study, and SSIG funds to meet the requirements of all students who show financial need. Students who meet the priority date applications requirements and who enrolled on a full-time basis will receive priority (first) consideration. Students who do not meet the priority date and/or who enroll on a less than full-time basis will be considered for these funds as available.
Types of Aid Offered: Grants are desirable since they do not have to be repaid, funding limitations make it impossible to meet a student's full need with only these funds. Loans and Work-Study are usually at least half of student's offer of financial aid. While we do not require a student to borrow a loan, we are unable to replace loans with other types of assistance if a student chooses not to borrow. These same is true of a Work-Study award.
Delivery of Aid to Students: Grants, loan, and scholarships are paid to the student once per semester. Students must show an official government issued photo ID in order to pick up their checks. Work-Study checks are available on the 25th of each month in the Business Office (only if the student has turned in their time-sheet to the Financial Aid Office by the 15th of the month).
Full-time Enrollment: All Financial Aid, unless otherwise indicated, is awarded in expectation of full-time enrollment (at least 12 credits per semester). Students who drop below full-time before receiving their aid will have their financial aid package adjusted to reflect their revised status.
Verification is a federal process that selects approximately 30% of all students who file for federal financial aid to verify or prove the accuracy of the information that was reported on the FAFSA form. When a student is selected for Verification the College of Southern Idaho will require the Verification Worksheet be completed (if the student is a dependent student, at least one parent must sign this form along with the student), a signed copy of the federal tax form, and a copy of all W-2's.
Revisions to financial aid awards are not uncommon. Sometimes your family may have a change in circumstances, such as a parental change of employment, additional expenses, or emergency situations. Or you may wish to tailor your award to suit your individual needs, as with higher work-study and less loan money.
We recognize that each student's situation is unique, so please communicate your special requests to our office. We will make every attempt to grant your request, provided funds are available.
By the federal definition, a student is allowed to apply for financial aid without reporting parental income or other information and who does not need to have their parental signatures on the financial aid forms. If the student is not 24 years old, not a veteran of the armed forces, not an orphan or ward of the court, not a single parent, not a married student or graduate student, they are NOT independent. Students who do not fit into the federal definition are required to supply parent information and signatures if they want to apply for federal aid. Students and their families should read this section on the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) very carefully before completing the form. If you have any questions about the student's status, please contact Student Financial Aid Services before the form is filed.
Students lose their federal financial aid eligibility when:
They fail to make/maintain satisfactory academic progress. Students are expected to complete (get a grade in) a minimum number of credits each year and to maintain a minimum grade point average each year to be eligible for aid for the following year. Students who have been declared ineligible for future aid due to unsatisfactory academic progress have an appeal process which they may follow in an attempt to re-establish financial aid eligibility. Contact your financial aid advisor for more information and procedures.
They are found to owe a repayment of financial aid or are not in good standing on a student loan. These students will lose their eligibility for the current year.
Their academic load drops below half-time (less than 6 credits per semester for undergraduates, less than 5 credits per semester for graduate/law students for any program except Pell Grant).
Satisfactory Academic Progress: For financial aid purposes students are expected to meet a standard of minimum academic progress each year in order to maintain their future eligibility for financial aid. This standard is outlined and sent to each student along with their award notification letter. In addition, students are required to meet an academic standard for progress to maintain eligibility to continue at the college in their chosen field. Information about specific academic programs and their requirements is also outlined in the current general catalog.
Loan Debt Counseling: All Direct Loan borrowers will receive Loan Debt Counseling information prior to receiving their first loan check. Additional information is available from Student Financial Aid Services.
Loan Repayment: Contact the Direct Loan servicing center or the institution that serviced your loan for a repayment schedule.