Financial Aid
Florida State College at Jacksonville offers many types of financial assistance to students who would otherwise be unable to further their education without such support. Depending on the type of aid, eligibility is based on one or more of the following criteria: financial need of the student, educational costs, academic achievement, availability of funds, disability, and/or special talent. Inquiries regarding financial aid should be directed to the Financial Aid Office on the student’s home campus. A student’s home campus is the student’s point of contact for academic advising and financial aid advising. In addition, information on financial aid requirements, forms, and awards is available through the student portal.
It is your responsibility to:
Complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) each year.
Apply early for financial aid assistance.
Check myFSCJ for financial aid status and to see if additional information is required.
Submit all required forms and documentation.
Use financial aid for educationally-related expenses only.
Ensure that you are enrolled in courses needed to fulfill requirements for your primary program of study.
Failure to complete the financial aid process will require you to pay your tuition and fees, books, and other charges from your own resources.
Applying for Aid
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is used to determine eligibility for federal financial aid, state aid, and institutional scholarships. Students should apply prior to the published priority date each year. The maximum financial aid package available will be awarded to students whose information (1) is received by the published priority date and (2) meets all federal and institutional requirements.
The school code for Florida State College at Jacksonville is 001484. The FAFSA for the new award year becomes available every October. The application is to be completed by the student and the student’s parents (if a dependent). Once the application is processed, the results of the federal analysis are sent to the colleges the student selected on the FAFSA. The student will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) via mail or email.
Financial aid is not automatically renewed each year. To continue receiving financial aid, students must reapply each year by completing a new FAFSA. As financial circumstances change from year to year, the award amounts offered may be different each year. Financial aid is awarded for the academic year, and the funds are applied to tuition and fees charged each semester. Financial aid may only be disbursed for classes required for the student’s primary program of study. If students choose to take classes outside their Academic Plan, they may be required to pay the cost from their own resources. Students simultaneously taking classes at two different institutions can only receive aid from their home institution provided an official consortium agreement is approved.
Students may be randomly selected for a process called verification by either the U.S. Department of Education or the Financial Aid Office. Verification requires the school to review certain data items from the student’s FAFSA. Applicants selected for verification must complete a verification worksheet and provide any additional documentation requested by the Financial Aid Office. Financial Aid applications are not considered complete and funds will not be disbursed until the verification process is complete.
Tuition and fees, books, and other charges are due at the time such charges are incurred. Students with a valid FAFSA on file who meet eligibility requirements may have their classes held until financial aid is received. The amount due on the student’s account will be deducted from the financial aid funds disbursed as allowed by regulations. If excess funds remain, they will be directly deposited to the student’s Bank Mobile vibe card, or issued as a check and mailed directly to the student.
If financial aid is reduced, cancelled or otherwise insufficient to pay charges, the student is responsible for payment of charges from their own resources. College regulations prohibit registration or release of transcripts, grades or diplomas for any student whose account is delinquent. Delinquent accounts may be reported to a credit bureau and can result in placement with a collection agency, at which time additional collection costs will be assessed.
Types of Financial Aid
Financial Aid may be available from federal and state programs as well as Florida State College of Jacksonville in the forms of grants, scholarships, work or loans.
Pell Grant
A federal grant available to undergraduate students who demonstrate significant financial need and do not have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent. The amount received depends on the Student Aid Index (SAI), the cost of attendance at Florida State College at Jacksonville, and the student’s enrollment status.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
A federal grant available to undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional financial need and do not have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent. Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours or attending at least 12 clock hours per week to be considered for this extremely limited fund.
Federal Work-Study Program (FWS)
A federal work program that provides jobs to students to help pay for educational expenses. This program encourages community service and work related to the student’s course of study. Students are paid at least the federal minimum wage and can work 10 to 25 hours per week.
Federal Direct Subsidized Loan
A low interest loan provided by the Federal government which must be repaid after the student has graduated or is no longer enrolled at least half-time. The subsidized loan is awarded based on financial need and grade level. Interest is paid by the government while the student is enrolled at least half-time. Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours or attending at least 12 clock hours per week to be eligible for this loan.
Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
A low interest loan provided by the Federal government which must be repaid after the student has graduated or is no longer enrolled at least half-time. The unsubsidized loan is available regardless of need. The loan amount is determined based on grade level and cannot exceed the Cost of Attendance less other resources. The student is responsible for making interest only payments while enrolled. Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours or attending at least 12 clock hours per week to be eligible for funds.
Parent Plus Loan
A loan available to parents of dependent students to help pay for their educational expenses. Parents are required to demonstrate credit worthiness. Parents will begin repaying both the principal and the interest while the student is enrolled in college. The maximum loan amount is the cost of attendance (determined by the College) less any other financial aid received.
Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG)
A need-based program for undergraduate students enrolled at least half-time. Recipients must meet Florida residency requirements for state student aid, and be enrolled in an A.A., A.S. or B.A.S. program.
Florida Public Postsecondary Career Education Student Assistance Grant (FSAG-CE) Program
A need-based grant program available to Florida residents enrolled in an eligible career certificate program. Students must be attending at least 12 clock hours per week to be eligible for funds.
Florida Work Experience Program (FWEP)
A need-based program providing eligible Florida students registered at least half-time with work experiences to compliment and reinforce their educational and career goals.
Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program
A merit scholarship awarded to Florida high school graduates. Recipients must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits and meet Florida residency requirements for state student aid. Award amounts are determined by the Florida Legislature and are a fixed amount per credit hour. Dual enrollment and early admissions students are ineligible to receive the Bright Futures scholarship at Florida State College at Jacksonville.
Blue Wave Opportunity Grant
A Florida State College at Jacksonville institutional grant for students enrolled in an eligible program for at least 6 credits per term who meet certain eligibility requirements.
Florida First Generation Matching Grant
A need-based program for degree seeking students enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours per term whose parent/parents did not complete a baccalaureate degree.
Scholarships
Florida State College at Jacksonville offers scholarships both through the Institution and the Florida State College Foundation. Students apply for scholarships using the online application and will then be considered for all available scholarships. Scholarships are also available through private donors and companies. Other resources include Scholarships.com and FastWeb. Note: Institutional scholarship applicants must complete a FAFSA and submit additional documentation if required.
Additional Grants and Scholarships
Child Care Grants
Child care grants are available for eligible students with dependent children. Funding is on a first-come, first-served basis and is based on enrollment and number of dependents (a limit of two children). For more information, contact your preferred Chappell Center or email scholarships@fscj.edu.
CCAMPIS Grant
The Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS) program was created to provide child care at low cost to qualifying FSCJ students. Enrolled students may be eligible for the CCAMPIS grant at one of the Chappell Schools child care facilities located at FSCJ’s North, Kent, South or Downtown campuses, or at the Chappell Deerwood and San Marco locations. For additional information, please visit the CCAMPIS Grant webpage.
Athletic Talent Grants, Fine Arts, Digital Media, and Co-Curricular Activities Scholarships
Talent grants and scholarships are awarded to selected students based on a specified criteria. Recipients are selected through an audition or other demonstration of talent.
For more information about athletic talent grants, contact the athletic department at (904) 646-2202; fine arts scholarships, contact the fine arts department at (904) 646-2162; or co-curricular scholarships, contact Student Life & Leadership at (904) 632-3029.
Athletic
Men’s Baseball
Men’s Basketball
Men’s Cross Country
Women’s Basketball
Women’s Beach Volleyball
Women’s Cross Country
Women’s Indoor Volleyball
Women’s Softball
Fine Arts
Instrumental
Vocal/Choral
Dance
Theatre: Performance
Visual Arts
Photography
Digital Media & Theatre and Entertainment Technology
A.S. Digital Media/Multimedia Production
A.S. Theatre and Entertainment Technology
B.A.S. Digital Media
Co-curricular
Forensics (Persuasive Speaking or Extemporaneous Speaking)
The Experience (FSCJ Art and Literature Magazine)
Resident Assistant
Qualifying for Aid
To be eligible for federal, state, and institutional aid, students must meet the following criteria:
Demonstrate financial need (may not be required for some loan and institutional programs).
Have a standard high school diploma or high school equivalency degree, or complete a high school education in a home school setting that is treated as such under state law.
Be enrolled in a college credit program or an eligible career certificate program.
Not be in default or owe a repayment of Title IV funds.
Have a valid Social Security number.
Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen with permanent residency status and an alien registration identification number (may not be required for some institutional programs).
Federal regulations require that students may only receive financial aid if they are maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (see details below).
Must have all requested documents on file before disbursements are made.
Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress
All students, including those who have transfer credits, are required to meet three measures of academic progress in order to maintain eligibility for federal financial aid which includes grants, loans and work-study. The three requirements are:
Maintain a cumulative academic grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 (qualitative component); and
Successfully complete at least 67% of credits attempted (quantitative component); and
Complete a certificate or degree within 150% of the published length of the program (quantitative component). For example, students enrolled in an associate degree program that requires 60 credits to complete may receive federal financial aid for a maximum of 90 credits provided all other eligibility requirements are met.
Clock-hour programs are known as career certificate programs and are used interchangeably in this policy. Students enrolled in financial aid eligible career certificate programs offered in clock hours are monitored for SAP compliance at the end of each payment period.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
Complete information on the College’s SAP Policy may be found at on the College’s website. It is each financial aid student’s responsibility to be familiar with the financial aid SAP policy.
Re-establishing Eligibility for Financial Aid
A student who has previously failed SAP may bring his/her academic status into compliance by again meeting the requirements for financial aid eligibility; however, the student’s eligibility for financial aid will be reviewed at the end of each term or when the student has matriculated to a bachelor program. In addition, a student’s SAP will be reviewed if he/she successfully graduates from one program and is accepted into another.
When a student successfully completes sufficient hours (67 percent of attempted hours) and has a sufficient grade point average (2.0) to meet the minimum requirements for eligibility as set forth in this policy, a student will be reinstated for financial aid eligibility upon the annual evaluation, provided the student has not reached the 150% maximum timeframe.
Remedial Courses
Financial aid will not pay for more than 30 remedial credits attempted.
Repeat Course Policy for Financial Aid
The Financial Aid Office is required to monitor and adjust a student’s enrollment level for federal financial aid if, or when, they repeat course work for credit that they have already earned. Students can retake courses and receive federal aid if they had previously failed a course, but can only receive financial aid twice for a course that has been previously passed. A passing grade is defined as D- or higher. This repeat course policy for financial aid is separate from institutional academic polices regarding repeat courses.
The policy allows a student to receive financial aid under the following situations:
To repeat any failed course until a passing grade is received.
To repeat any course in which you previously received a passing grade one time.
Note: Regardless of the outcome, courses are not eligible to be covered by financial aid after a second attempt has been made for a course that has at any time previously earned a passing grade.
Audited Classes/Challenged Exams
Financial aid will not pay for audited classes or challenged exams.
Return of Federal Funds
Federal financial aid is earned over the course of the term. Financial aid recipients who officially withdraw from all classes before the end of the term have not earned all of their funds. As a result, aid eligibility will be recalculated to determine if funds must be repaid as required by federal regulations. Repayment is based on the actual number of days completed for each session within the term. If a disbursement has already been made to the student, it is the student’s responsibility to repay any funds due. Federal regulations require a formula be used based on number of calendar days in each session the student was scheduled to attend and the number of days the student actually attended by session prior to withdrawing to determine how much financial aid was “earned” by the student. The difference between aid disbursed and aid earned will be used to calculate how much the student must repay. Information on the Return of Title IV Funds policy is available at each campus Financial Aid Office.
If the student unofficially withdraws (stops attending) or the student’s academic transcript reflects unsuccessful completion of all courses, Florida State College at Jacksonville will have student aid calculated on 50% of the session. Documentation of an academic-related activity, including notification from the faculty, may be used to recalculate aid based on the last date of attendance.