Financial Assistance

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Southern participates in a wide variety of scholarships, grants, loans and employment opportunities.  Most of our students who apply for Financial Assistance, receive some type of aid.

Applying for Financial Aid

FAFSA Website
You can apply for all types of financial assistance by completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). FAFSA application forms are no longer offered in paper format.  All applications must be electronically submitted

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Financial Aid FAQ

• What is Financial Aid?
• Types of Financial Aid
• Sources of Financial Aid
• Federal Aid Programs

What is financial aid?

Financial aid consists of scholarships, grants, loans and employment opportunities to assist you in financing a post secondary education.

If you apply for financial assistance through the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), you will receive a PIN number. This is used to reapply for assistance. You must apply for assistance every year during the month of January.

Approximately three weeks after your application is received, you will receive a student aid report (SAR), this is the result of the review of your application. Review this information carefully, do not return it to the processing center unless corrections are required. Check the schools that received your information. Only the schools listed will receive a copy of your SAR.  Please insure that our school code is listed on your applilcation, Southern's school code is 003816.

The school(s) that you listed will contact you if other documents are required.

An award letter from the school containing the cost of attendance and the actual amount you could receive must be received prior to enrollment.

Types of financial aid

Merit-based aid - funds awarded based on academic ability, generally in the form of scholarships or tuition waivers.

Need -based aid - funds awarded as a result of filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and determination of a financial need. Aid in the form of grants does not have to be repaid. Self-help aid consists of loans which must be repaid or employment through the Federal College Work Study Program.

Eligibility for need-based aid is determined by the difference between the cost of attendance (student budget) and the family's ability to pay (Expected Family Contribution.)

Sources of Financial Aid

Institutional aid is provided by the institution. You can find out about Southern's scholarships here.

Private aid is provided by community organizations, foundations, and professional associations.

State aid is funded through the state and includes grants and scholarships.Federal Aid is aid administered through the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S. Department of Education is the largest provider of financial aid.

Federal Aid Programs

• Federal Pell Grant - current maximum of $5350.
• Federal College Work Study (earned).
• Federal Supplemental Grant (does not require employment or repayment).
• Federal Family Educational Loans, both subsidized and unsubsidized.

Currently, eligibility for federal assistance is limited to undergraduates without a first baccalaureate or professional degree. Eligible students may receive Pell Grants for a period of time necessary to complete a first undergraduate baccalaureate degree, provided they are making normal progress toward the completion of that degree program. You must must complete your program of study within 150% of the published length of the educational program. You should be aware that a change in enrollment (adding/dropping courses), may affect your eligibility to receive assistance in future semesters. You must apply for aid every year. However, you do not have to attend school on a full time basis to receive some types of federal/state aid.

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In accordance with federal regulations, Southern West Virginia Community and Technical college has adopted the following standards of academic progress for students applying/receiving financial assistance.

Students receiving and/or applying for federal assistance must meet the criteria adopted by the institution for Standards of Academic Progress.

The following factors must be met in order to be considered:

Students must complete at least 65% of the total number of hours enrolled each semester.

Students must maintain an overall grade point average of 2.00.

Students who fail to meet this criteria will be notified in writing by the financial assistance office. Students may request, in writing, a semester of probation.

While attending on a probation status, students may not drop/fail any classes and must complete the semester with an overall grade point average of 2.00.

Upon completion of the probation period, the standards of progress are again reviewed. Students who again fail to meet the standards of progress will no longer be eligible to receive federal assistance.

The Financial Aid Office is required by federal statute to determine how much financial aid was earned by students who withdraw, drop out, are dismissed, or take a leave of absence prior to completing 60% of a payment period or term.

For a student who withdraws after the 60% point-in-time, there are no unearned funds. However, a school must still complete a Return calculation in order to determine whether the student is eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement.

The calculation is based on the percentage of earned aid using the following Federal Return of Title IV funds formula:

Percentage of payment period or term completed = the number of days completed up to the withdrawal date divided by the total days in the payment period or term. (Any break of five days or more is not counted as part of the days in the term.) This percentage is also the percentage of earned aid.

Funds are returned to the appropriate federal program based on the percentage of unearned aid using the following formula:

Aid to be returned = (100% of the aid that could be disbursed minus the percentage of earned aid) multiplied by the total amount of aid that could have been disbursed during the payment period or term.
If a student earned less aid than was disbursed, the institution would be required to return a portion of the funds and the student would be required to return a portion of the funds. Keep in mind that when Title IV funds are returned, the student borrower may owe a debit balance to the institution.

If a student earned more aid than was disbursed to him/her, the institution would owe the student a post-withdrawal disbursement which must be paid within 120 days of the student's withdrawal.

The institution must return the amount of Title IV funds for which it is responsible no later than 45 days after the date of the determination of the date of the student’s withdrawal.

Refunds are allocated in the following order:

• Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans
• Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans
• Unsubsidized Direct Stafford Loans (other than PLUS loans)
• Subsidized Direct Stafford Loans
• Federal Perkins Loans
• Federal Parent (PLUS) Loans
• Direct PLUS Loans
• Federal Pell Grants for which a Return of funds is required
• Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grants for which a Return of funds is required
• Other assistance under this Title for which a Return of funds required (e.g., LEAP)

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There are four major types of financial assistance:

Grants
Free Funds that can be need-based or merit-based.

Loans
Funds that are need based or non-need based that must be repaid by the student.

Scholarships
Gift Funds based on some merit or skill. Scholarships may be granted through institutional funds or private agencies.

Student Employment
Earned assistance, based on need. Students earn funds through a work program at the institution.

Financial Aid Programs

Federal Pell Grant
Federal Pell Grant awards are given based  on family income, costs of education, and enrollment status.

West Virginia Higher Education Grant
The West Virginia Higher Education Grant is designed to assist low income full-time students in attaining educational goals.

Higher Education Assistance for Part-time Students (HEAPS)
HEAPS is a West Virginia funded program designed to assist West Virginia students enrolled on a part-time basis.

Federal Work Study (FWSP)
FWSP is self-help assistance earned on a wage per-hour basis through assigned part-time employment at on-campus or off-campus locations.

Federal Direct Student Loan Program
Students must be enrolled at least six college-level hours and apply for financial assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Scholarships

• Promise Scholarships
• Private Scholarships
• Southern Scholarships