Financial Aid Availability
Coastal Bend College has numerous
resources to help you meet the financial obligations that are part of attending
college. Assistance available through
the financial aid office includes government grants, scholarships, loans, and
college work-study.
Eligibility
for Financial Aid
To be eligible for financial
assistance, students must (1) be in good standing and maintain satisfactory
progress in their course of study; (2) not be in default on any loan made,
insured or guaranteed under a government student loan program for attendance at any institution; (3) not owe a
refund on grants previously received under the Federal Pell Grant or the Federal Supplemental
Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) programs; (4) be enrolled to obtain a
degree or certificate; (5) have a high school diploma or GED; (6) be a U.S. citizen
or eligible non-citizen; (7) have a valid Social Security number; (8) register with the
Selective Service if required; and (9) demonstrate financial need.
Students receiving funds from William
D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental
Educational Opportunity Grants, Federal College Work-Study, Texas Public Educational
Grants, Texas Equal Opportunity Grant, and TEXAS Grants are monitored for satisfactory progress.
Maximum Eligibility
Students must complete their program
of study within 150% of the length of the degree or certificate program
measured in semester hours. All courses taken, including transfer courses and
courses in which grades of “I”, “W”, “Q” or “F” were earned, apply toward the
150% rule. Transfer hours accepted into the institution count towards the 150%
rule.
Furthermore, a student may only
receive the Federal Pell Grant for a maximum of 12 full-time semesters, or
600%, per the Department of Education. This limit applies to all institutions
(i.e. trade schools, technical schools, community colleges, universities) that
a student has attended and received a Pell Grant award.
Application
Procedure
To apply for a Federal Pell Grant
award, or to be considered for additional financial aid based upon need,
students have to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students must apply for financial aid online
at www.FAFSA.gov.
Students interested in Direct Loans (student loans) or college work-study
programs also must complete the FAFSA application. Please check with the
financial aid office for details on financial aid deadlines for grants, loans,
and scholarships at (361) 354-2238 or toll free at (866) 722-2838 Ext. 2238.
After a student has applied once, he
or she can choose to complete a Renewal FAFSA using their pin number which will
populate some responses from the previous year.
The student will only answer questions that may have changed for from
the previous year. The student may choose to complete a completely new
application.
The FAFSA is also available in
Spanish.
The CBC federal
school code for the FAFSA application is 003546
Priority Deadline
Dates
Priority for
additional grants is given based on when
a student completes the financial aid process and how much documented need the student has. The priority deadline for grants is May 1. However,
applications for financial aid are accepted year round.
Scholarship Deadline
The deadline
for scholarships is April 1.
Applications are not accepted after this date.
Types of Aid
Coastal Bend College provides many
types of aid. For greater detail, go to http://www.coastalbend.edu/Finaid/
Grants
Federal Pell Grant
Federal Supplemental Educational
Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
Texas Public Educational Grant (TPEG)
Toward Excellence, Access, and Success
(TEXAS) Grant
Texas Educational Opportunity Grant
(TEOG)
Child Care Grant
Scholarships
CBC has
various scholarships available including Academic, CBC, Outreach, Athletic and
Dorm Scholarships
Student
Loans
William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan
Program (subsidized and unsubsidized)
Federal
Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (FPLUS)
Private Loans
Employment Programs
Federal
Work-Study Program (FWSP)
Texas
Work-Study Program (TXWSP)
Steps for Receiving Financial Aid
1. Complete your FAFSA (Free
Application for Federal Student Aid) at www.fafsa.gov
You
will need:
a. 2011 Income Tax Returns and W-2’s (if under the age
of 24, not married, and not monetarily
supporting a child over 50%, you will also
have to use parent(s) tax information)
b. Parent(s) social security numbers, date of birth,
marital status, and date of marital
status.
c. PIN (personal identification number): You can apply
for a PIN at www.pin.ed.gov. If using parental information, a parent will have to utilize a PIN as well.
d. Use CBC’s federal school code of 003546 to
ensure we receive your application.
2. The Financial Aid Office will
receive the information from the Department of Education 3-5 business days
after you submit your FAFSA.
3. The Financial Aid Office will
then send out a pink packet of paperwork to the mailing address reported on
your FAFSA.
4. Complete the paperwork and
return it along with any documentation requested by our office. Financial aid
will not be awarded until all documents are received and complete.
5. It will take our office approximately
1-2 weeks to complete your financial aid application once you turn in
paperwork/documentation.
6. You will receive paperwork
letting you know if we are missing items. Once you are awarded financial aid,
you will be sent an award letter.
Students who are not eligible for
financial aid will also be notified via mail.
If you should have any questions
or concerns, please contact our office at 361.354.2238.
You can also check your
status online via Campus
Connect.
Satisfactory
Progress for Financial Aid
Students must meet the following
minimum standards each semester and maintain the
acceptable cumulative GPA as defined
in the college catalog to avoid scholastic probation or suspension.
Financial
Aid Warning/Suspension
A student who does not meet the
satisfactory progress requirements will be placed on
financial aid warning. The
student may receive financial aid for one semester after he/she is put on
warning. If after this one semester the student does not meet the satisfactory progress
requirements, the student’s financial aid will be suspended. Students whose aid
is suspended are not eligible for any type of financial aid/student loans until
they have met the satisfactory progress requirements.
Appeals
Process
Students on financial aid suspension
may appeal for reinstatement of financial aid due to documented, extenuating
circumstances such as illness, death in family, or undue hardship. Appeals will be processed by
the financial aid director and reviewed by the financial aid committee. All appeals
must be in writing. Appeal forms are available in the financial aid office or
online at www.coastalbend.edu/finaid.
Withdrawing or
Dropping
It is
advised that you contact the financial aid office before withdrawing or
dropping a course or courses.
Withdrawing or dropping can impact your financial aid.
Return
of Title IV Financial Aid
Withdrawing
while on Financial Aid
A student who is withdrawing and has
received financial aid assistance for the current semester should visit the financial
aid office to see if the amount of aid received is more than the actual assistance that he or
she has earned. All students must complete the Notice of Withdrawal form in the
Admissions/Registrar’s Office. For more information contact the financial aid office at
(361) 354-2238 or toll free (866) 722-2838 Ext. 2238. According to federal regulation (HEA,
Section 484B34CFR668.22), when a student
withdraws during a payment period the
amount of financial aid assistance earned up to that point is determined by a specific
federal formula. Students receiving less assistance than the amount
earned will be able to
receive those additional funds. Students receiving more assistance than the
amount actually earned must pay back the excess funds. The amount of assistance
earned is determined on a pro-rata basis. The percentage of the refund is equal
to the number of days attended divided by the number of days in the semester.
For example, students who complete 30 percent of the payment period earn 30
percent of the assistance they were originally scheduled to receive. Students
who complete more than 60 percent of the payment period have earned all of their assistance.
Coastal Bend College must return a
portion of the excess funds equal to the lesser of:
- Student
institutional charges multiplied by the unearned percentage of student funds;
or,
- The
entire amount of the excess funds.
If CBC is not required to return all of
the excess funds, the student must return the remaining amount. Coastal Bend
College will return the unearned aid for which the school is responsible by
repaying funds to the following sources in order, up to the total net amount
disbursed from each service:
- William
D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program;
- Federal
Pell Grant;
- Federal
Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG); and,
- Other
Title IV Programs.
Students who receive more financial
aid than they have earned must return the excess funds. Students are allowed 45
days to return the excess funds in full or make arrangements with Coastal Bend College
or the Department of Education to return the funds. Any unreturned amount is
considered a grant overpayment. A student having an overpayment is no longer eligible for
federal financial aid at CBC or any other institution. A hold will be placed on the student’s
account preventing them from ordering transcripts and registering until the
federal funds are repaid in full.