FOLLOW THESE STEPS TO APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID AT GTCC: #1 - Apply for a PIN (Personal Identification Number) at www.pin.ed.gov All students applying for financial aid must have a PIN to sign documents online. A parent must have a PIN number if the student is considered a dependent student. The same PIN number can be used each year to electronically apply for federal student aid. Note: you will need to apply for your PIN at least 2-3 days before you are ready to submit your FAFSA. #2 - Submit the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.gov All students who wish to be considered for financial aid must complete a FAFSA. The FAFSA should be completed as soon as possible after January 1 for the upcoming academic year. GTCC’s priority filing date for the federal processing center to RECEIVE your FAFSA is MARCH 15. Be sure to list GTCC as one of the schools to receive your information. GTCC’s school code is 004838. Priority Date to file the FAFSA: March 15 #3 – Student Aid Report (SAR) You will receive an e-mail notification that your FAFSA has been received and processed. If you didn’t provide an e-mail address on the FAFSA, you should receive a Student Aid Report indicating that your FAFSA has been processed and sent to the institutions you designated in the mail approximately two weeks after submitting your FAFSA online. Check the SAR for accuracy and make sure that GTCC is listed as a recipient of your information. #4 – Submit all requested paperwork When we receive your FAFSA data from the Department of Education, we will e-mail you at your GTCC e-mail address only if we need additional documents. Submit all requested documents promptly. You may be asked to submit copies of Tax Return Transcripts or other documentation to complete your financial aid application. If you did not choose or were not qualified to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing the FAFSA, you can print the Tax Return Transcript by accessing www.irs.gov and clicking on “Get a Transcript of Your Tax Records.” If you are not eligible for the grant programs, you must still submit all requested documents to be eligible for other aid, including scholarships, work-study, or loans. Always keep a copy of any document submitted for your files.
FINANCIAL AID CHECKLIST • Submit your GTCC Admissions Application. Visit success.gtcc.edu for more information about how to apply. • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.gov. You may go to www.gtcc.edu/financial-aid/financial-aid-orientation.aspx for tutorials on how to complete the FAFSA. Be sure to list GTCC as one of the schools to receive your information. The School Code for GTCC is 004838. • Activate your GTCC email account. From the GTCC home page (www.gtcc.edu) click on ACCT.ACTIVATION-RESET. When the login page appears, use your username/id and temporary password to begin. • Check your GTCC email account for additional information. You will be contacted at your GTCC email account approximately 7 to 10 days after you submit your FAFSA. This email will tell you if you have any additional documentation that must be turned in to complete your file. • Check your financial aid status. You will be notified at your GTCC email account when your request for aid is processed. However, you can check your status by going to Web Advisor at www.gtcc.edu.
AWARD NOTIFICATIONS
Financial Aid award letter notifications are emailed to student at their GTCC email address once the file is processed.
AWARD CONDITIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Be sure to read ALL materials accompanying your award letters for conditions attached to your award. Read the Financial Aid Award Supplement referenced on your award letter for important information.
SCHOLARSHIPS
The FAFSA is the first step toward applying for scholarships. Students can apply for scholarships from the GTCC Foundation via an online application. This application is due in late spring each year. Be sure to check the GTCC website for the specific due date each year and for a link to the online application. Announcements of outside scholarship opportunities are posted here throughout the year. Please note that students may receive scholarship funds in addition to grant, loans, and work-study funds.
LOANS
Federal student loans are shown on your award letter in a Pending status in order to show your potential eligibility. You must officially accept your loan awards in order to receive them by submitting the Loan Acceptance Form available on our website. You must also submit the documents required on the form. New borrowers must complete all of the required Entrance Counseling steps outlined on the Loan Acceptance Form before the form is submitted. Loans are disbursed in three installments per semester. You must be enrolled at least half time (6 or more credit hours) to be eligible for loans. You must maintain at least half-time enrollment throughout the term to remain eligible for all disbursements. Additional information is available at www.tinyurl.com/gtccloan or at Enrollment Services.
FINANCIAL AID DISBURSEMENT
Financial Aid is awarded by the Financial Aid Office, but is disbursed by the GTCC Finance Office. Federal and State grants made for the academic year are disbursed in two installments, one each semester, assuming you are registered for the number of hours on which your award was based. Loans are disbursed three times each semester.
SUMMER SCHOOL FINANCIAL AID
Funding for summer school is available under certain circumstances. For more information, please contact us.
IF YOU DON’T HAVE A COMPUTER
We have computers for student use in Enrollment Services. We are located on the second floor of the Medlin Campus Center, Jamestown Campus. If you have any questions, please stop by to see us.
For more information on financial aid at GTCC, please visit our website at: www.gtcc.edu/financial-aid.aspx.