Financial Aid FAQ

1. Go to studentaid.gov
2. Create FSA ID
3. Apply for a Free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
4. Check with Financial Aid Office 3-5 days after submission for any additional documentation that may be needed.

Yes, the priority deadline is March 15^th, Final deadline is July 1^st for Fall, October 1^st for Spring, May 1^st for Summer.

Grants do not have to be paid back, loans do.

The Federal Pell Grant is awarded to students who demonstrate financial aid with their FAFSA and who meet federal eligibility requirements. The award amount is based off of your Student Aid Index (SAI) and the number of hours enrolled. Students may qualify for up to 600% lifetime eligibility usage.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant-A limited number of Supplementary Grants are available to students with exceptional need each year. Priority awarding is given to those students who meet the FAFSA priority deadline, March 15. Student eligibility and amount of grant is determined by the income level of the student and his/her parents. Supplementary Grants are restricted to students who have not received a bachelor’s degree. The grant funds are limited and range from $300 to $600 per academic year. Students must complete a financial aid file and have financial need to receive the award. The student must be enrolled in at least 1 hour in their degree plan in order to receive the SEOG grant.

Texas Public Educational Grant (TPEG)- Prior to beginning the awarding of aid for the academic year, the amount of funds available to award from the Texas Public Education Grant—resident and non-resident—is determined by consulting with the Controller. These grant funds are available from a combination of Federal, State, and College sources to assist students who have additional financial need. These grant funds are limited. Generally, for credit hour academic students, awards range from $300 to $600 per academic year.  Students must complete a financial aid file, be enrolled in 6 hours or more, be a Texas resident or non-resident, and have financial need to receive the award.

TPEG funds may be awarded to Continuing Education students. Funds are generally awarded to cover the cost of the courses; however, funds will be awarded based on student’s need and availability of funding for the award year.

Some TPEG funds may be used for matching Texas Educational Opportunity Grant awards if the student’s tuition/fees exceed the amount of Texas Educational Opportunity Grant and there are no other funds to match the Texas Educational Opportunity Grant; however, the student’s total Texas Educational Opportunity Grant and TPEG funds may not exceed “need”.  

TPEG awards are generally awarded for the Fall and Spring semesters but may be awarded for Summer if funds are available and the student shows need.  Awards are also generally made for $300 per semester but may, in a limited number, exceed that amount on an individual basis.

Texas Educational Opportunity Grant Program (TEOG)- The Texas Educational Opportunity Grant program is for students who are attending a public community college, technical college, or public Texas institution.  The program is administered through the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).  The THECB determines each academic year the maximum award amounts for the program.  TEOG awards may be awarded to degree seeking or continuing education students. The student must have applied for financial assistance by submitting the FAFSA or Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) applications.  To be eligible for a TEOG Initial award, a student must be enrolled at least half-time (6 semester credit hours or its equivalent) in the first 45 hours (excluding credits for dual enrollment or by examination) towards an Associate Degree or certificate, or a continuing education program at a public two-year institution of higher education. All eligibility requirements are the same regardless if the program is a degree or certificate, or a continuing education program.  However, awards will be calculated on quarters and continuing education units if the student is enrolled in a continuing education course. Please see https://catalog.howardcollege.edu/content.php?catoid=26&navoid=1496#Grants for more eligibility requirements.

Loans

The following loan programs provide assistance to students who have additional financial need to cover the cost of attending college. The FAFSA must be completed to determine eligibility for the Federal Direct Student Loan.  Students must complete the loan request by submitting a loan award acceptance form for the appropriate aid year to the Financial Aid Office.  The form is available on the Howard College website, or from the Financial Aid Office. It may take 2-3 weeks for a loan to be processed once all documentation is submitted to the financial aid office. The student will need to complete, for Howard College, the entrance counseling and the master promissory note at studentaid.gov.  The Master Promissory note, which is available on the student loans website, studentaid.gov is a legally binding contract between the borrower of a Direct Loan, and the lender - the U.S. Department of Education.  It contains the terms and conditions of the loan and explains how and when it should be repaid. Before the student receives the loan funds, they must sign a promissory note electronically.  Only one loan request will be processed per semester.  The student must be simultaneously enrolled in at least 6 hours in order to receive the loan. Flex or mini courses may affect the loan eligibility. When a student is enrolled in a semester, the first disbursement will be no earlier than 10 days prior to the first flex course the student actually begins. Students who are enrolled in 1st 8-weeks, 2nd 8-weeks, and mini semesters are eligible for all aid disbursements at the beginning of the semester as long as the student begins attendance in the 1st 8-weeks. Students who are enrolled only in 2nd 8-weeks or mini courses will not receive their 1st disbursement until the 2nd 8-weeks or mini course begins. An origination fee will be deducted from the gross loan amount and the net loan amount will be credited in two disbursements, one for Fall and the second for Spring.  If the student is only attending one semester, the loan will be split in two disbursements, one at the beginning of the term and the second disbursement at the mid-point of the semester. It is the student’s responsibility to complete exit counseling when dropping below 6 hours or when the student graduates.

Federal Direct Student Loan – Subsidized and Unsubsidized

These are low-interest loans available through the Federal Government. Students who demonstrate need may borrow through the subsidized loan program, where the Federal Government will pay the interest on the student’s loan while he or she is enrolled at least half-time. Those who do not qualify for the subsidized loan (in whole or part) may be considered for the unsubsidized loan; however, the student must pay interest that accrues on the loan during the entire period of the loan.

In addition to the aggregate loan limit, which limits loan eligibility based on the amount of funds received over a student’s academic lifetime, there is also a loan eligibility limitation based on the passage of time.  First-time borrowers (those who have no principal or interest balance on any Direct or FFEL Loan on the date they receive a Direct Loan on or after July 1, 2013 and before July 1, 2021) may not receive Direct Subsidized Loans for a period that exceeds 150% of the published length of the academic program in which they are currently enrolled (including all past subsidized loans the student has received. For example, a first-time borrower in a 2-year program would have 3 years of Direct Subsidized Loan eligibility, and a borrower in a one-year program would have 1.5 years of Direct Subsidized Loan eligibility. .  However, The FAFSA Simplification Act, part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, provides for a repeal of the 150% Subsidized Usage Limit Applies (SULA) requirements.  Any Direct Subsidized loans disbursed after July 1, 2021, will not have the 150% Subsidized Usage Limit Applies (SULA) requirements.

Federal Direct Parent Plus Loan

The Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) is available for parents of dependent undergraduate students. For Parent Plus Loans, a loan acceptance form, entrance counseling and Master Promissory Note is required. Entrance counseling and Master Promissory Note has to be submitted at studentaid.gov listing Howard College. The entrance counseling and loan acceptance form must be submitted for the appropriate aid year. The form is available on the Howard College website, or from the Financial Aid Office. The loan acceptance form is available on the Howard College website, or from the Financial Aid Office. Entrance counseling and the master promissory note are available on the studentaid.gov website. The parent must not be in default on federal student aid loans.  A credit acceptance is required before Plus loans are approved.

Yes, if you drop a class it can affect financial aid eligibility resulting in financial aid being removed or reduced depending on when dropped within the semester. It could also place you on Financial Aid Warning or Financial Aid Suspension. Please see Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards for more information on Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards. You will want to speak with an Financial Aid Advisor to see how the drop will effect your financial aid before dropping the course.

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Yes. You must submit a separate summer aid application to the financial aid office. Summer aid eligibility is determined on an individual basis. To apply for summer loans, a student must complete a summer loan application. Application deadline is May 1^st.

Under federal law students attending Howard College / SWCID who receive Title IV aid (Pell, SEOG, Federal Student Loans) and completely withdraw before the sixty percent (in time) in the period of enrollment will be required to return any unearned funds. Unearned Title IV funds are the percentage of term not attended times the Title IV aid. Students who cease attendance, do not withdraw, and receive all falling grades (F) for a semester will be considered unofficially withdrawn; these students will be subject to a review of their attendance records. If it is determined that a student ceased attendance before the 60% point in the semester, the student will be required to return those unearned funds. In some instances, the student may owe both the federal government and the college. Students owing either the government or the college will be ineligible for any further aid until funds are repaid.

Students who cease attendance, do not withdraw, and receive all falling grades (F) for a semester will be considered unofficially withdrawn; these students will be subject to a review of their attendance records. If it is determined that a student ceased attendance before the 60% point in the semester, the student will be required to return those unearned funds. In some instances, the student may owe both the federal government and the college. Students owing either the government or the college will be ineligible for any further aid until funds are repaid.

Under federal law, students must maintain regular attendance, and successfully complete their courses, in order to be eligible for Title IV aid (Pell, SEOG, and Federal Student Loans).  Subsequently, a student who withdraws from their courses, ceases to attend, or receives all F’s or FX’s for their courses, may not have earned the funds in which they received.  In such instances, the student may be required to repay those funds to Howard College/SWCD.  In certain cases, the student may owe both Howard College/SWCD and the Department of Education. Students owing either the government or the college will be ineligible for any further aid until those funds are repaid.

It depends on your dependency status.

• Dependent students: Need to provide information from their parent or parents as required by the FAFSA.
• Independent students: Do not need to provide parental information.

Being financially independent from your parents, living on your own, or having your parents refuse to help pay for college does not automatically make you an independent student for FAFSA purposes. The following are some of the most common reasons a student may be considered independent for financial aid purposes:

• Age: You will be 24 years of age or older by December 31 of the award year.
• Marital Status: You are married.
• Military Service: You are currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces (other than for training purposes) or are a veteran.
• Children or Other Dependents: You have children or other legal dependents who receive more than half of their financial support from you.
• Foster Care, Orphan, or Ward of the Court: At any time since turning 13, both of your parents were deceased, you were in foster care, or you were a ward or dependent of the court.
• Legal Emancipation or Guardianship: You are or were an emancipated minor, or you had a legal guardian as determined by a court in your state of legal residence.

No. A processed FAFSA does not automatically mean you have been awarded financial aid.

Howard College must receive and review your information, determine your eligibility, and complete any required documentation before an award can be finalized.

Helpful reminder: Students should check their MyHC regularly for outstanding requirements and award information.

Students generally must complete the required loan acceptance process and any applicable federal loan requirements.

These may include:

• Accepting the loan through the college's designated process.
• Completing entrance counseling, when required.
• Signing a Master Promissory Note (MPN).
• Meeting enrollment and other federal eligibility requirements.

Students should check MyHC and contact the Financial Aid if they have questions.

Verification is a process in which the college confirms certain information reported on your FAFSA.

You may be asked to provide additional documents, such as:

• A verification worksheet.
• Tax return information or other tax documentation.
• Income documentation.
• Other documents needed to resolve discrepancies.

Being selected for verification does not automatically mean you did anything wrong.

Review the requested item carefully and submit the document according to the college's instructions.

Make sure the document is complete, accurate, and signed when required. If you believe you have already submitted it, contact the Financial Aid Office to confirm whether it has been received and reviewed.

Not always. Some financial aid programs allow students to receive funding when enrolled part-time, while other programs have minimum enrollment requirements.

For example, Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans generally require at least half-time enrollment, while Pell Grant eligibility may extend to eligible students attending less than half-time.

Eligibility also depends on the type of aid, the student's program, and applicable regulations.

Generally, federal financial aid can only pay for coursework that applies to the student's eligible degree or certificate program, subject to applicable federal rules and limited exceptions.

Students should verify that their classes apply to their declared program of study before making schedule changes.

Howard College reminder: If a student's degree audit shows that a class is not applicable to the program, the Financial Aid Office may need to review the student's degree audit before determining whether the class can be included in enrollment for financial aid purposes.