Financial Aid FAQs
When will my financial aid be awarded?
FSCJ's Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid is dedicated to providing accurate and timely awarding. Our goal is to award prior to the payment deadline of each term for those students who have a complete financial aid file. If you have turned in your required documents for verification, those documents are being processed. Please be mindful that if additional documentation is needed, we will communicate that to you through your "To-Do List" in myFSCJ.
What does it mean that my financial aid is estimated?
Financial aid awards are calculated based upon assumed full-time enrollment. All awards are therefore tentative and may be adjusted to reflect changes in your enrollment. If your award is adjusted you may incur a debt to the College.
When will the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships confirm my financial aid?
At the “census date”, the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid (OSFA) will verify your enrollment. Your financial aid will be adjusted accordingly to ensure that it is the appropriate amount for your enrollment on the census date. After the census date, no adjustments or increases will be made to your financial aid and all financial aid payments will be final, unless you withdraw from all of your courses. The "census date" for each term can be found on the Important Dates webpage.
What this means for you:
On the census date your enrollment will be locked and your financial aid will be adjusted accordingly. If you change your enrollment after the census date (with the exception of completely withdrawing from all classes), your financial aid will not be revised and you will be responsible for any additional charges.
Enrollment Requirements
Students must be enrolled in a minimum of six (6) credits to qualify for the majority of financial aid programs. Funds may be reduced if enrolled less than full-time.
Enrollment Status Definitions
Undergraduate Students
| Credit Hours |
Enrollment Rates |
|---|---|
| 12 or more | Full-time |
| 9 - 11 | Three-quarter time |
| 6 - 8 | Half-time |
| 1 - 5 | Less than half-time |
Can I use my financial aid to purchase my books?
Yes, if you are eligible for financial aid that exceeds the cost of your tuition and fees you may be eligible to use a portion of your estimated financial aid to purchase your required books and supplies in the campus books stores. FSCJ will advance funding to you as a book authorization. The advance funding is an institutional loan of anticipated financial aid. You are only permitted to use your book authorization to purchase those books and supplies that are required for your classes.
When will I receive my financial aid that exceeds that amount needed to pay for my tuition, fees and books?
Once your tuition, fees and books have been deducted from your semester award and attendance has been verified, the College will credit your account and transmit any credit balance to your selected refund preference with BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc.
First Pay - Visit the Important Dates page for each semester. Once your tuition, fees and books have been deducted from your semester award and attendance has been verified, the College will credit your account and transmit any credit balance to your selected refund preference with BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc. The amount of time that is required for funds to be available on your refund preference depends upon the options that you selected when you registered.
What do I have to do to keep my financial aid for future semesters?
In addition to submitting your FAFSA and scholarship applications each year, you must meet financial aid Terms and Conditions by maintaining satisfactory academic progress to continue to receive financial aid. Attending your classes and earning good grades is required for continued financial aid eligibility. If you stop attending your classes before the end of the semester the College is required to return your financial aid to the federal government. You will then have a debt with the College that you will be responsible for paying. Be sure to review the College's academic requirements for financial aid recipients in the catalog.
Other Information
Purchasing Books
For more information about buying books, visit the student financial services.
Scholarships
For information about scholarships, visit scholarships.
Student Employment
For information about student employment, visit work-study information.
Veterans Benefits
For more information, visit the veterans benefits.
FAQs
Apply online at FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). First request a PIN for yourself (and your parents, if dependent) before applying. Florida State College at Jacksonville’s school code is 001484.
Many non-U.S. citizens qualify for federal student aid. Please review your qualifying status here. Note: Students on an F-1 visa are considered non-immigrants and thus do not qualify for federal financial aid. However, there are scholarships available for students on F-1 visas. We recommend visiting an advisor for more information.
Log in to myFSCJ to view your personal FSCJ webpage and financial aid status. First click My Academics, then Student Center. On the right hand side you will find a To Do List with Financial Aid Checklist items.
Log in to myFSCJ to view your personal FSCJ webpage and financial aid status. First click My Academics, then Student Center. On the right hand side you will find a To Do List with Financial Aid Checklist items. Click the item and print.
The choice is yours. Submit your financial aid forms at any FSCJ campus Student Success office.
NOTE: If you are chosen for verification and asked to create an account with Inceptia, the documents requested through Inceptia must be submitted through verification gateway (Inceptia Portal).
Inceptia is a nonprofit organization that FSCJ has partnered with to complete the verification process
Only one condition is required to claim “independent” status: Students 24 years of age OR married OR with dependent children OR other dependents OR U.S. veteran OR both parents deceased OR a ward of the court. All other students need their parent’s financial information to complete their financial aid form.
Seek help. There are certain questions a campus financial aid advisor needs to ask you to determine your next step.
No, if you are a dependent student, you are required to provide your parent(s) tax information to complete the financial aid application.
You will need your tax return and W-2s from the previous year to complete the financial aid application.
Yes, if you or your parents are not required to file a tax return by IRS guidelines, you may still complete the financial aid application.
Once you have completed the financial aid application, your information will be downloaded from FAFSA by Florida State College at Jacksonville. If your file is selected for verification, you will be required to submit additional documents/forms to complete your file.
Verification requires you to submit supporting tax returns, W-2s, and other requested documentation used to complete your financial aid application. Once all requested documents are submitted to the financial aid office, the documents are reviewed for accuracy and compared against information reported on the financial aid application to insure accuracy of information reported. Thirty percent of students that apply for financial aid are randomly chosen for verification.
A Letter of Non-filing is a document you obtain from the IRS that verifies you did not and were not required to file a tax return. You may obtain a Letter of Non-filing (4506-T) request form from the IRS website or call the IRS at 1 (800) 829-1040.
The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid will notify the Student Financial Services Office of your financial aid award. The aid will automatically be applied against your bill. For Stafford Loan recipients, loan funds will not be available for coverage to pay for your tuition and fees until FSCJ has a record of your signed promissory note and completion of the entrance loan counseling requirement.
If the combined aid (Pell Grant, SEOG, FSAG, Star Opportunity Grant (formerly Institutional Needs Fund), Stafford Student Loan, PSAV Grant and other scholarships) is not enough to cover your tuition and fees, you must pay the difference from your own resources by the final payment deadline date. Your classes will be cancelled if the bill is not paid in full.
A student must have either a standard high school diploma or high school equivalency degree in order to be eligible for financial aid. A student will not be eligible for financial aid until the transcript reflects their graduation date.
It is required that all previous accredited college transcripts be evaluated. GPA’s from those transcripts will be transferred as well as successful and unsuccessful courses.
The program of study that you choose is important because not all programs are eligible for financial aid. Any of the A.S. degrees or A.A. degree are eligible programs for financial aid. If you are choosing a technical certificate or a vocational program requiring less than 600 clock hours/24 credits, you should check with your financial aid office. The financial aid office will be able to inform you if the program you have chosen is an eligible program.
If you already have a four-year degree or higher and all your credits transfer then you may exceed the 150 percent standard of academic progress (SAP). This will make you ineligible for financial aid.
If you are attempting to receive two degrees at Florida State College then it is possible to complete two programs. For example, you may be getting an A.A. degree and an A.S. degree that require all the same general education requirements (math, English, humanities etc). You have used some of your elective hours toward classes needed for an A.S. degree then you may actually receive both degrees without exceeding the 150 percent standard of progress therefore eligible to receive financial aid throughout both degrees. In order to accomplish this goal you must make sure not to take any unnecessary classes. It is advised that you see your academic advisor at least every other semester to be assured that all classes are within one of your programs of study.
No, for general purposes financial aid requires that a student be degree/certificate seeking. A student can be in a vocational program, teaching certificate or in a technical certificate that is an eligible program and still receive financial aid.
A.A., A.S. and A.A.S. degrees are eligible for Title IV financial aid. Technical certificates with a minimum of 24 credit hours and vocational programs with 600 or more hours are also eligible for Title IV financial aid.
Students meet with academic advisors if they are on academic warning or probation. If the student is allowed to register then he/she will be eligible to receive financial aid. The only exception is if the student is not meeting satisfactory academic progress.
A Financial Aid Administrator can review a loss in income and/or benefits that occurred after submitting your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Any changes in income or benefits must be validated with proper documentation which will be utilized to adjust your financial aid eligibility.
If there are unusual circumstances that are impacting your status as a dependent student, your file can also be reviewed. This will require a Dependency Override and proper documentation to support these unusual circumstances that will change your status from dependent to independent.
Each situation will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Please contact a Financial Aid Advisor for assistance.
Verified attendance takes place after the initial add drop period. Students have the opportunity to attend each class one time before the drop period. Some scholarships such as child care verify attendance.
Financial aid is not transferable, however, students may go online with their federal pin number and add the school code of the new institution they are transferring to. The student may also call 1.880.4.FED.AID if they have the DRN# from their student aid report. Students transferring during spring or summer sessions that have Stafford loans will want to contact their lender to cancel the second disbursement of their loan so they can reapply at the new school.
You must officially withdraw from school. The College is required to return a portion of your financial aid to Federal Student Aid Programs. FSCJ will calculate the appropriate amount to be returned based on a federally mandated formula. As a result, you may be responsible for a portion of your bill and/or repayment of some financial aid funds that were already disbursed to you, unless you complete more than 60 percent of the semester. If you unofficially withdraw (stop attending) or your academic transcript reflects unsuccessful completion of all courses, FSCJ will have your aid calculated based on completing 50 percent of the term. As a result, you will be required to return a portion of the aid you received, and you will be responsible for your unpaid educational expenses. Documentation of an academic related activity may be used to calculate the last date of attendance. A detailed statement on the refund policy is on file in the campus enrollment services/financial aid office.
Cost of education, minus (EFC) Expected Family Contribution, minus other aid/benefits, equals financial need. Once eligibility is established, aid may be adjusted based on enrollment.
Financial need is the difference from cost of education, minus EFC and other aid.
Cost of Education: Educational budget used to calculate the cost of education. This budget includes items such as tuition, fees, books, transportation, room/board and personal/miscellaneous items.
Information provided on your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is used to calculate your EFC. EFC is the amount you/your family are expected to contribute to the cost of your education.
Other aid/resources: Include such benefits as veterans benefits, scholarships, work-study, loans and sources other than awarded by FSCJ.
Aid will be adjusted based on number of enrolled credit hours.
Students will receive their award letter by email. Students will also be able to see their awards under the financial aid tab in myFSCJ by selecting View Financial Aid under the Finances section on the Student Center tab.
To decline, accept or modify your student loan, sign in to your myFSCJ account. In the Student Center, scroll down to the Finances area. Under Financial Aid, click Accept/Decline Awards. Select award loan award type.
For scholarships, please follow the directions provided with your scholarship award letter/packet. For third-party, please follow the directions provided by your third-party provider.
All sources of aid and/or assistance offered to the student to assist with their educational needs.
Yes, Pell Grants and Bright Futures can be awarded at the same time. Other aid, such as loans, work-study, scholarships and other grants may be adjusted as the financial need is met.
Before requesting a loan students must be awarded. Check your award summary in your myFSCJ account. If you were awarded a loan and wish to make changes you can request changes by logging into myFSCJ. In the Student Center, scroll down to the Finances area. Under Financial Aid, click Accept/Decline Awards. Select award loan award type.
To be eligible for a loan, you must have a complete financial aid file at Florida State College at Jacksonville. A complete financial aid file consists of completion of a FASFA form, as well as submission of any forms or additional information requested. You can view these requirements in your myFSCJ account.
Federal loans require that you maintain a minimum of half time each term that you wish to receive a portion of your loan. Half time is at least six credit hours. If you drop, cancel or withdraw from a class that makes you less than six credit hours prior to your loan being disbursed, you will not be eligible for that loan.
There is no need to request a lender. FSCJ participates in the William D. Ford Direct Loan program. All loans are offered by the federal government.
Visit www.studentaid.gov to complete your entrance counseling.
No, you must be degree seeking in a program of study that is approved for financial aid.
Visit your myFSCJ account for complete details of your student loan. Information is found in the Student Center.
To decline or modify your student loan, sign in to your myFSCJ account. In the Student Center, scroll down to the Finances area. Under Financial Aid, click Accept/Decline Awards. Select award loan award type.
A disbursement hold indicates that you still have a document to submit or action to fulfill in order for your funds to be released. These holds or To Do List items are found in the Student Center of myFSCJ. The Holds and To Do lists are listed on the right. In the Holds box, click Details for more information. In the To Do List box, click More for more information.
Financial aid funds will be disbursed on or after the published first pay deadline each term for all students who have retained eligibility and who have complete files and awards ready to be disbursed. In addition to having a complete file, most awards require a minimum enrollment, such as six credits for most Title IV federal aid and state programs. The minimum enrollment is based on your verified attendance. If you do not meet the disbursement requirements on the first pay, your funds may be released to you upon completion of your requirements during the term.
A loan origination fee will be deducted from the proceeds of your loan prior to funds being disbursed to the College. Therefore, there will be a difference between the amount borrowed and the amount disbursed. You may obtain more information about Direct student loans at www.studentaid.gov.
Individual awards have different terms and conditions, once all terms and conditions are met, the funds may be disbursed. These various conditions may be requirements for additional documentation for a specific fund, or the fund might require a higher level of verified enrollment. Some funds may be released for part-time attendance and others may require full-time attendance. Pell Grant awards are adjusted based upon enrollment. See the terms and conditions of each of your awards for further details.
A pending disbursement is one that will be made later based on terms and conditions of the award.