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Financial Aid

Heartland Community College

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What we will discuss

  • What is financial aid?
  • Types and sources of financial aid
  • Loans
  • FAFSA
  • Components of financial need (COA and SAI)
  • Scholarships

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What is Financial Aid?

Financial aid consists of funds provided to students and families to help pay for postsecondary educational expenses

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Types of Financial Aid

Gift Aid: Free money!

-Scholarship

-Grants

Self Help Aid: Not free money.

-Loans

-Work Study Employment

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Loans

Interest: Money paid regularly at a particular rate for the use of money lent.

The student loan debt crisis is currently at over $1.7 trillion and affects over 43 million Americans

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Loans

Direct Subsidized: No interest while you are in school. You get 6 months before you have to start making payments with interest. Borrower must have financial need to qualify.

Direct Unsubsidized: Payments start as soon as you take the loan out. Interest is higher than subsidized. No financial need to qualify.

Direct PLUS Loans: (Includes Parent PLUS Loans) Payments start as soon as you take the loan out. Has the highest interest rate of 8.05%. No financial need to qualify but borrower must have good credit.

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FAFSA

Free Application for Federal Student Aid

  • Collects demographic and financial information in order to calculate your financial need
  • Colleges use this calculation to be able to offer you aid based on your level of need
  • You must fill out a FAFSA form every year that you wish to receive aid
  • Available in October every year (Except this year)
  • Available at studentaid.gov

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Components of Financial Need

COA: Cost of Attendance

This consists of tuition and fees, housing and food, books and supplies, transportation, and other miscellaneous and personal expenses

The aid you receive will not exceed this amount.

SAI: Student Aid Index

Number resulting from the student’s (and family’s) approximate financial resources for a student’s postsecondary education

Essentially the financial support you already have

(Not your family’s willingness to pay, but their ability to pay)

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How Financial Need is Calculated

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Scholarships

Scholarships are available within the institutions you may be applying to

Foundations Scholarship at Heartland

External scholarships are available through your job, your parents jobs, your clubs and activities, and online:

www.fastweb.com

www.collegezone.com

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Questions?

Bailey Nickerson | Financial Aid Coordinator

bailey.nickerson@heartland.edu

CCB 1108