SCC Financial Aid Office Contact Information
Phone: 800-642-4075 ext. 2610, 402-437-2610
Fax: 402-437-2402
Email: financialaid@southeast.edu * Remember, if you are sending an email to ask about your account, it should include your SCC ID and should be submitted via your SCC email account.*
| Hours of Operation: |
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| Beatrice Campus: |
Mon. - Fri. |
8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. |
| Lincoln Campus: |
Mon. - Thurs. |
7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. |
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Fri. |
7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. |
| Milford Campus: |
Mon. - Fri. |
8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. |
Other Useful Contact information related to Admissions, Records, and Student Accounts:
- Questions about your admissions application: 402-437-2600
- Questions about registering for a course, transcripts, graduation, degree audits, or course substitutions: 402-437-2605
- Questions about your student account, refunds, payment plan, etc.: 402-437-2669
Financial Aid
Southeast Community College participates in multiple financial aid programs: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Work-Study, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Direct Loan, Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS), Nebraska Opportunity Grant, and various institutional, and private and organizational scholarships.
All students are eligible to apply for financial aid. Students must meet eligibility requirements for each program. To receive maximum eligibility levels, students must be enrolled full-time, in at least 12 credit hours, during the semester.
Federal and state financial aid guidelines are subject to frequent change. Financial aid awards are administered by the SCC Financial Aid Office under policies established by federal and state governmental guidelines.
How to Apply for Financial Aid
To apply for federal financial aid, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at https://studentaid.gov. The Federal Title IV school code for ALL SCC campuses is 007591. This application is used to determine financial needs at SCC, and most financial aid is awarded based on financial need. Students can begin to apply on Oct. 1 for the next academic year.
The information provided on the financial aid application will be used to prepare a Student Aid Report (SAR), which should be received about a week after applying. For assistance with the application process, please contact any SCC Financial Aid Office or an EducationQuest office in Kearney, Lincoln, or Omaha.
Priority deadline dates have been established to prevent delays in financial aid processing and are as follows:
- April 1 (fall)
- Aug. 1 (spring)
- Jan. 1 (summer)
Financial Aid Programs
Federal Pell Grant: Federal Pell Grants usually are awarded only to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need and have not earned a bachelor’s, graduate, or professional degree. Students may be eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant if they are confined or incarcerated and enrolled in an approved Prison Education Program.
A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid, except under certain circumstances. You may not receive Federal Pell Grant funds from more than one school at a time.
SCC maintains a Federal Pell “recalculation date” of the date of the initial award and the course census date each term.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity (FSEOG) and Nebraska Opportunity Grant (NOG) Programs: The federal and state governments provide funding for these grant programs. FSEOG and NOG funds are awarded to undergraduate students who have exceptional financial need and who have not earned a bachelor’s or graduate degree. Priority for FSEOG is given to Pell Grant recipients with the lowest EFC. NOG eligibility requirements are subject to change every year by the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education.
Federal Work-Study: This program provides students with part-time jobs on campus. Federal work-study is based on need. Additionally, there are opportunities for community service work-study jobs that may be either on- or off-campus.
Federal Direct Student Loans: This federal program provides educational loans to students. Dependent students in the first year of an eligible Program of Study may borrow up to $5,500, while second-year students may borrow up to $6,500. Independent students in the first year of an eligible Program of Study may borrow up to $9,500, while second-year students may borrow up to $10,500. The maximum amount undergraduates may borrow is $31,000 for dependent students and $57,500 for independent students.
Students are classified as first-year for student loan purposes until they earn 30 credit hours toward an eligible program of study. All single-term loans will be disbursed in two payments: with the first half disbursed about three weeks after the beginning of the term and the second half midway into the term.
Both subsidized (the federal government pays the interest while the student is enrolled for 6 or more credit hours) and unsubsidized (the student is responsible for the interest) loan programs are available. Financial need and other sources of financial aid determine the loan program or programs for which students are eligible. Students must be enrolled in a minimum of six (6) credit hours to be eligible for this award each enrollment period.
Loan repayment begins six (6) months after the student graduates, withdraws from the College, or drops below half-time enrollment status.
The Financial Aid Associate Director or the Financial Aid Director may deny a loan or certify a loan for less than the requested amount. This must be done on a case-by-case basis according to the guidance provided by federal regulations. The reason(s) for the decision will be provided to the student in writing, upon request.
Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS): The PLUS program assists eligible parents in paying college costs. Eligible parents of dependent students can borrow up to the cost of attendance, minus other financial aid. Parents are required to begin repayment shortly after receiving the loan unless they are granted a deferment. Deferment information is available from the loan servicer.
Students must be enrolled in a minimum of six (6) credit hours to be eligible for this award each enrollment period.
Alternative Loans: These loans are available through banks or other lenders and are credit-based.
Borrower Resources for Federal Loans
Institutional Aid
Scholarships: Various scholarships are available to SCC students through the SCC Educational Foundation. Scholarship funds are provided by the College or outside contributors to students based on criteria determined by the donor.
The SCC Scholarship application is available online at www.southeast.edu/scholarships and has open enrollment during the following calendar timeframe for current and returning students:
- May 1-31 for the upcoming fall semester
- Oct. 1-31 for the upcoming spring semester.
High school seniors are eligible to apply online at www.southeast.edu/scholarships and have open enrollment during the following calendar timeframe:
- Dec. 1-March 1 for the upcoming school year.
To be considered for financial need scholarship awards, students must also file a FAFSA for the appropriate school year.
If a student is unable to apply online, they may contact the Financial Aid Office with an explanation of extenuating circumstances and may receive assistance with the application process.
Additional Financial Assistance Resources
Other sources of financial assistance available include employers and public agencies. Qualification requirements vary by organization. Please contact the appropriate agency listed for more information.
Educational Tax Credits
Tax incentives may be available for certain college expenses, such as tuition and fees, as well as interest on student loans. For information, consult your tax advisor or the Internal Revenue Service. https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-benefits-for-education-information-center.
Veterans’ Benefits
Veterans attending SCC may be eligible to receive benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs when pursuing most associate degree programs. For more information, please contact the College’s Veterans Services Specialist prior to enrolling for classes.
HEROES Act
The Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003 authorizes the Secretary of Education to waive or modify any requirement or regulation applicable to the student financial assistance programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as deemed necessary with respect to an affected individual who::
- Is serving on active duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency
- Is performing qualifying National Guard duty during a war operation or emergency
- Resides or is employed in an area that is declared a disaster area by any federal, state, or local official in connection with a national emergency
- Suffered direct economic hardship as a direct result of a war or other military operation or national emergency
Authorizes the Secretary to grant such a waiver to ensure that:
- Affected individuals who have received student financial assistance (affected recipients) are not placed in a worse position financially in relation to that financial assistance because of their status
- Administrative requirements placed on affected recipients are minimized to ease the burden on them and avoid inadvertent technical violations or defaults
- Calculations of income or overpayment amounts required to be returned may be modified in light of the special circumstances
- Institutions of higher education, eligible lenders, guaranty agencies, and other participating entities that are located in declared disaster areas in connection with a national emergency, or whose operations are significantly affected by such a disaster, may be granted temporary relief from requirements that are rendered infeasible or unreasonable by the emergency, including due diligence requirements and reporting deadlines.
Declares the sense of Congress that:
- All institutions offering postsecondary education should provide a full refund (or credit) of tuition and related fees to students who are affected individuals for that portion of a period of instruction such a student was unable to complete, or for which such individual did not receive academic credit, because the individual was called up for active duty or active service
- If affected individuals withdraw from a course of study as a result of such active duty or active service, such institutions should make every effort to minimize deferral of enrollment or reapplication requirements and should provide the greatest flexibility possible with administrative deadlines related to those applications.
Financial Aid Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility for most financial aid programs is based on the demonstrated financial need of the student and/or of the student’s family and on registered credit hours. In addition to the general requirements listed below, each financial aid program may also have eligibility requirements that are specific to that program.
- Be a citizen, national, or permanent resident of the United States.
- Be accepted by the College for admission as a regular student and demonstrate the ability to benefit from the selected Program of Study. Students enrolled in high school, postsecondary option students, early-admit students, students who apply for admission as a visiting guest, and students who are not eligible for aid.
- Show your intent on the Application for Admission as one of the following:
- to obtain an associate degree for transfer to another college
- to obtain an associate degree for the job market
- to obtain a diploma
- to obtain a certificate
- Be enrolled in a financial aid-eligible degree, diploma, or certificate program.
- Be enrolled in courses that provide credit toward your declared financial aid-eligible program. (Courses taken as audit are not aid eligible. Financial aid can only be used for one repeat of a previously passed course.)
Meet the enrollment and attendance requirements for each program.
- To receive federal financial aid, you must meet one of the following academic requirements:
- Have a high school diploma or equivalent, such as GED®; OR
- Have a high school diploma from a state-approved home school; OR
- Proof of completion of at least a two-year program acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor’s degree (an official college transcript must be on file with the Registration & Records Office showing that you earned an associate degree or higher); OR
- Satisfactory completion of six (6) semester hours (other than developmental courses) applicable to a degree or diploma at SCC
- Comply with requirements concerning the submission of a Statement of Educational Purpose. This is included in the financial aid application (FAFSA).
- Certify that you are not in default on any federal student loan with the Department of Education or another institution.
- Certify that you do not owe a refund to any federal aid program. This includes grant overpayments resulting from withdrawals.
- If selected for verification, submit all required documents as indicated in the Verification Policy.
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress as set forth in the Southeast Community College Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.
Other Factors That May Affect Financial Aid:
Developmental Hours
Students may receive financial aid for a maximum of 30 developmental credit hours. These courses include but are not limited to, any course level beginning with a zero, i.e. MATH 0900, MATH 0950, ENGL-0850, and ENGL-0950. Developmental courses that are no longer available are still included in determining the 30 developmental credit-hour limits.
Repeated Coursework
Students may receive financial aid for repeating courses. However, if retaking a previously passed course, financial aid can only be used for one repeat of the course even if the second attempt results in a lower grade.
Federal Pell Grant Recalculation
SCC maintains a Federal Pell “recalculation date” of the date of the initial award and the course census date each term. Generally, once this date has been reached, no adjustments are made to the Pell Grant award based on enrollment changes.
Consortium Agreement
Credits earned at another institution under a Consortium Agreement will be used to determine enrollment status for the awarding of federal financial aid. Such courses will be treated in the determination of academic progress as if they were transfer credits.
Incarcerated Students
Effective July 1, 2023, only confined or incarcerated individuals enrolled in an eligible Prison Education Program (PEP) may be eligible to receive a Pell Grant.
The incarcerated individual should complete the FAFSA “Incarcerated Application Form” and use the address of the facility where they reside as their permanent address.
All information is subject to change based on changes to federal law, regulation, or college policy and procedure. If changes are made, students must abide by the new policy.
Financial Aid Awards
The Student’s Financial Aid Package
SCC issues an online Financial Aid Award Letter that informs students of the financial aid they may be eligible to receive. The student’s offer of financial assistance is their estimated financial aid package for the academic year. Eligibility for need-based aid is determined by the estimated cost of attendance, and the student’s Student Aid Index (SAI) based on the information that was provided on the student’s FAFSA and the student’s enrollment status.
Obtaining a Refund of Title IV Funds
SCC has contracted with a third-party service provider for the processing of direct payments of Title IV funds on behalf of SCC under a Tier 1 relationship.
To obtain a refund of Title IV funds:
- SCC does not require the student to open or obtain an account/access device offered through the third-party service provider
- Options to receive Title IV payments include:
- A check will be mailed to the student at the address on file if no other option is selected or
- ACH bank transfer to the account designated by the student
- All Title IV payments are generated with the same process regardless of how the student has chosen to receive payment. Please allow an additional 3 to 10 business days for delivery by the United States Postal Service if the refund is being made by check.
- Students can modify payment/banking options by following the instructions available on the Hub. Changes must be made 72 hours prior to the refund date.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
The following components are measured to determine whether the student is meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP):
Grade-Point Average: A student must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0.
Pace Requirement: This component of the SAP policy measures the pace at which a student must progress through their program of study to ensure completion within the maximum time frame permitted and provides for a measurement of the student’s progress at the end of the semester. The pace is calculated by determining the cumulative number of credit hours the student has successfully completed divided by the number of cumulative credit hours the student has attempted. The student’s completion rate must be 66.7% or higher to meet the pace requirement. Attempted credits include any course taken for credit while attending SCC. Credit hours transferred in from another institution are included in both attempted and completed credits. Successfully completed credit hours include all grades between an A and a D-. Credit hours that will not count as successfully completed include letter grades of F (Fail) or I (Incomplete), D (Drop), or W (Withdrawal).
Maximum Timeframe (rate of program completion): Students are expected to complete their program of study within a reasonable time period. A student becomes ineligible when it becomes mathematically impossible to complete their program within 150% of the length of the program. A student’s Maximum Time Frame (MTF) is based on total credit hours attempted at SCC, plus any transfer credits accepted toward their program of study. These limits must apply regardless of whether the student received federal funding for all or any of the credits attempted.
Students are eligible to receive aid for up to 150% of the published number of credit hours for a program of study. Example: If a program of study requires 64 credit hours to graduate, the maximum credit limit a student can take and receive financial aid would be 96 (64 x 150%). All credit hours attempted are counted toward MTF.
At the end of each semester, the total number of attempted credit hours will be counted to see if the student has reached the maximum number of credit hours for a program. This includes credit hours attempted in semesters where aid was not received, credit hours attempted prior to a change in a program of study, and credit hours transferred from another institution toward the program of study. Students who change majors should contact the Financial Aid Office to find out how this affects their MTF. Also, students approaching or having reached MTF have the right to file an appeal to request an extension.
Explanation of Statuses
Financial Aid Warning: Financial Aid Warning status is assigned to a student who fails to meet one or more of the SAP measures indicated above at the conclusion of a payment period. During a warning semester, the student may still receive financial aid. The student’s future financial aid eligibility is dependent upon how well the student does during the warning term. If the student completes the warning semester and now has a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher and an overall 66.7% or above completion ratio, the student will be removed from financial aid warning status and restored to good standing. If, however, the student again fails to meet one or both of these requirements, the student will be placed on financial aid suspension. A warning status is not given prior to a student hitting MTF.
Suspension: A student will be placed on financial aid suspension if they fail to meet the SAP requirements at the end of a warning semester and/or if the student reaches the maximum timeframe point or cannot complete their program degree before reaching the MTF. This means losing eligibility for grants, federal work-study, student loans, and institutional scholarships.
Regaining Eligibility
A student may qualify for reinstatement of financial aid eligibility by enrolling in coursework at their own expense and by bringing their cumulative GPA to or above 2.0 and bringing their pace requirement up to 66.7% to meet the minimum requirements of the SAP policy.
Appeals: A student may appeal their financial aid suspension if extenuating circumstances (death of a family member, injury or illness of the student, or other special circumstances) exist. Appeal forms are available at any SCC Financial Aid Office and online at Financial Aid Forms. In the appeal request, the student must provide information regarding why they failed to meet the SAP requirements, and what has changed in the student’s situation that would allow them to demonstrate SAP at the next evaluation. If a student’s appeal is granted, they will be placed on financial aid probation. A student on probation may receive aid for one payment period. At that point, the student must meet SAP standards or the requirements of an academic plan that was established on an individual student basis as a result of the appeal process.
Denied appeals may be directed to the SCC Administrative Director of Financial Aid for second-level appeal review. Second-level appeals must include documentation above what the student submitted originally.
Additional requirements may be listed on the appeal approval notice.
Evaluation Time Frame: All students will have their SAP evaluated at the end of each term of enrollment. Students placed on warning, probation, or suspension will be notified of their status via their SCC email account. It is the responsibility of the student to check their SCC email account to stay informed of financial aid eligibility.
Currently, SCC policy allows students to appeal financial aid suspension more than once. The subsequent appeal must also be based on extenuating circumstances preventing the student from being successful.
Other Factors That May Affect SAP
Developmental Hours
A student is limited to taking 30 developmental credit hours. Federal financial aid programs will not cover any developmental courses taken after reaching the maximum of 30 hours. These courses include but are not limited to, any course level beginning with a zero, i.e. MATH 0900, MATH 0950, ENGL-0850, and ENGL-0950. Development courses that are no longer available are still included in determining the 30 developmental credit hour limit.
Incomplete, Not-Reported, Withdrawals, and Repeated Courses
Incomplete grades are counted as an ‘F’ until they have been successfully completed within the appropriate time frame. If an incomplete or a non-reported grade causes a student to fall below the minimum SAP requirements, or if the student is on an approved appeal, the reported grade will cause a student to be suspended and future financial aid will be canceled. If the new calculation shows the student is within the SAP guidelines, the student will be placed into the appropriate SAP status based on the completed course.
Withdrawals are treated as attempted but not completed and will count in the student’s Pace of Progression.
Students may receive financial aid for repeating courses. However, if retaking a previously passed course, financial aid can only be used for one repeat of the course even if the second attempt results in a lower grade. Any courses that are repeated will be used in the calculation of a student’s SAP status. Each repetition will count toward the attempted hours; however, only the course(s) being counted in the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) calculation will be counted in completed hours for SAP. Limits on repeated courses are outlined in this Catalog.
Academic Bankruptcy
In some cases, SCC will allow students to declare “Academic Bankruptcy,” which permits the removal of credit hours and grade points from a student’s GPA, to allow for an improvement of the student’s GPA.
Federal regulations do not recognize the use of “Academic Bankruptcy,” so for SAP purposes, those grades will continue to be factored into the student’s SAP calculations.
Transfer Credits
When a student transfers credit from another school to an SCC program, all credits transferred in will be considered for SAP and will be measured in the completion pace.
Official Withdrawals
When a student officially withdraws from one or more courses at any time during the payment period, the Financial Aid Office will need to determine if the student is a withdrawal and is required to determine if any federal aid would be owed back to the Department of Education. A calculation is performed to determine the percent of aid “earned” and return the “unearned” portion to the appropriate federal aid programs if the student did not earn 100% of their aid.
Unofficial Withdrawals
A student who does not pass one or more of their courses (F, W, or NP grades) may be considered unofficially withdrawn from classes. A student receiving federal financial aid funds who stops attending courses without notifying the College is also considered to have made an unofficial withdrawal. Students who are determined to be unofficially withdrawn may be subjected to a calculation to determine the percentage of aid they “earned” and return the “unearned” portion to the appropriate federal aid programs if the student did not earn 100% of their aid.
In the case of either an official or an unofficial withdrawal, the College must complete a Return of Title IV Funds.
Return of Title IV Funds
Purpose: Federal regulations require Title IV financial aid funds to be awarded under the assumption that a student will attend Southeast Community College (SCC) for the entire period in which Federal Student Aid (FSA, Title IV, or TIV) was awarded. However, if a student withdraws or fails from all courses for any reason, including medical withdrawals or stops attending class, SCC must determine if the student has fully earned the awarded Title IV aid. The return of funds is based upon the premise that students earn their financial aid in proportion to the amount of time in which they are enrolled. A calculation is used to determine the amount of federal student aid they will have “earned” at the time of the withdrawal and return the “unearned” disbursed funds to the appropriate federal program.
Scope: This policy applies to all students receiving financial aid at Southeast Community College.
Policy: All undergraduate students who receive Title IV and withdraw before the end of the payment period will be reviewed to determine if unearned Title IC aid must be returned. the term “Title IV aid” refers to the following Federal Financial Aid programs: Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans, Federal Direct Loans, Subsidized Federal Direct Loans, Federal Parent (PLUS)(Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students) Loans, Federal Pell Grants, and Federal SEOG (Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant). To determine whether a student’s unearned Title IV aid returned and attendance-taking institution, Southeast Community College must determine the student’s withdrawal date. The College considers students to have withdrawn as follows:
- Students who cease attendance from all courses eligible for Title IV aid will be considered withdrawn.
- A student is considered withdrawn if they do not complete all the days in the payment period.
- The withdrawal date is always the last date of attendance at an academically related activity by a student as recorded by instructors.
For programs offered in modules:
Students whose program of study or course work does not span the entire payment period are considered enrolled in courses offered in modules. Students enrolled in modules are considered withdrawn if they do not complete all the scheduled days in a module that was used to determine the student’s eligibility for federal aid. Students are not considered withdrawn if:
- The student successfully completes one module, a combination of modules that contain at least 49% of days within the payment period. Successful completion is defined as earning a letter grade of A, B, C, D, or P.
- The student successfully completes coursework that represents half-time enrollment. Six hours in a payment period is considered half-time enrollment at SCC. Successful completion is defined as earning a letter grade of A, B, C, D, or P.
- The student provides written confirmation of attendance of their intent to return to a later module within the payment period.
Students who meet at least one of the above criteria will be granted an R2T4 exemption and no adjustments to their federal aid will occur.
SCC Financial Aid will email students at their SCC email to request written confirmation that they will attend a module that begins later in the same payment period. A student is not considered to have withdrawn if SCC obtains written confirmation from the student’s SCC email or a written confirmation from the student’s SCC email or a written statement submitted to the Financial Aid Office.
SCC considers a student who provided written confirmation but does not return as withdrawn if they do not return as scheduled to a future module with the same payment period.
SCC allows students to return to a module within the same period who did not confirm future enrollment in that same payment period who did not confirm future enrollment in the same payment period. The student is treated as if they did not cease attendance. the Return of Title IV Funds calculation will be reversed.
The College determines a student’s earned and unearned Title IV aid based on a required calculation that determines the percentage of the payment period completed by the student. The percentage of the period that the student remained enrolled is derived by dividing the number of days the student attended by the number of days in the period. Calendar days (including weekends) are used but breaks of at least 5 days are excluded from both the numerator and denominator.
Determining Earned Aid: All students who withdraw from any course are reviewed to determine if they are a withdrawal and if a calculation is required. Once reviewed, it is determined whether unearned Title IV aid must be returned or whether post-withdrawal disbursements of Title IV aid are due.
If the total amount of Title IV aid that a student earned is greater than the total amount of Title IV aid that was disbursed to the student (or on behalf of the student in the case of a PLUS loan), the difference between these amounts will be treated as a post-withdrawal disbursement.
A post-withdrawal grant disbursement payment will be made to the student’s account, and a notification sent by email. A post-withdrawal of loan eligibility will be communicated to the student via email and letter via the US Postal Service. Students must accept the loan via self-service or notify SCC in writing of their interest in receiving the loan within 14 days (about 2 weeks) of the notification. Once SCC receives either acceptance, the loan funds will be disbursed to the student’s account. Responding after 14 days or not responding will result in forfeiture of the student’s loans for the enrollment period.
Earned aid is not related in any way to institutional charges, SCC’s refund policy and Return of Title IV Funds procedures are independent of one another. A student who withdraws from a course may be required to return unearned aid and still owe the College for the course. For more information on the Southeast Community College withdrawal and institutional charges’ policies, please consult the College Catalog. The Financial Aid Office can assist you in calculating the amount you may be required to pay back to SCC. Please contact the Financial Aid Office for more information.
The responsibility to repay unearned Title IV aid is shared by Southeast Community College and the student. For example, the calculation may require SCC to return a portion of Federal funds to the Federal Title IC programs. In addition, the student may also be required to return funds based on the calculation. SCC returns the unearned funds on behalf of the student to the federal programs the student who owed the return of funds will then pay SCC.
The return of Federal aid is in the following order: Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans, Subsidized Federal Direct Loans, Federal Parent PLUS loans, Federal Pell Grants, IRAQ and Afghanistan Serice Grant (IASG), and Federal SEOG ( Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant).
Southeast will automatically use all or a portion of the post-withdrawal disbursement of grant funds for any outstanding charges for tuition, fees, and room and board charges. Students will be notified of post-withdrawal disbursement eligibility within 30 days of the date of withdrawal determination and Southeast will return any unearned funds within 45 days.
If a student remains enrolled only in non-Title IV-eligible courses: A student’s schedule sometimes includes courses that the student is taking for credit and for which the student may not receive Title IV funds. If a student ceases attendance from all of their Title IV eligible courses and remains enrolled in only non-Title IV eligible courses the student is considered a withdrawal for Title IV purposes.
Federal Pell Grant Recalculation Policy
The Federal government requires all colleges to set Federal Pell Grant recalculation date(s) for every semester. The policy of Southeast Community College is to review/recalculate Pell Grant eligibility after the add/drop period of each module in a semester. A Pell grant may be reduced or increased based on changes in enrollment.
For example, if a student is registered for courses in both the first and second modules of a semester, Pell Grant eligibility will be reviewed at the course census date. If the student’s enrollment has changed, the amount of Pell Grant will be adjusted accordingly.
If a student is enrolled in full-semester courses only, eligibility will be reviewed ( and recalculated) at the course census date. If that student later adds a course in the second module of the semester, eligibility will be reviewed again.
Federal regulations also require SCC to recalculate Pell Grant eligibility when a student fails to attend any course used to award a Pell Grant.
Related Policies: Attendance and Withdrawals
Withdrawals and attendance are a critical part of determining if a student will be federally required to be reviewed for a return of federal aid. Students who attend their courses and do not withdraw are not subject to the return of funds process. Students who do not attend courses may be academically withdrawn for non-attendance and may be required to return Title IV aid. Attendance is considered more than logging into an online course or physically attending an on-campus course. The student must show academic engagement in online or on-campus courses. If a student stops attending, the student’s LDA (Last Day of Attendance) will be reported by the instructor with final grades and may be subject to a return of Title IV calculation.
Any questions about Return of Title IV Funds may be addressed to the Financial Aid Office. Questions regarding withdrawal should be addressed to the Admissions and Registration & Records Office.
All information is subject to change based on changes to federal law, regulation, or College policies and procedures. If changes are made, students must abide by the new policies.
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