Financial Aid Policies
DISBURSEMENT OF FINANCIAL AID
A. General Information
1. Student must be enrolled before funds may be disbursed. For more rules regarding Federal Aid program requirements, please refer to Course Program of Study FAQ on our website.
2. Student eligibility must be confirmed by the Financial Aid Office before funds are disbursed.
3. Students are expected to have sufficient funds for miscellaneous expenses when they arrive on campus.
4. Students who are eligible for Federal financial aid must have on file a valid Student Aid Report in electronic form to the Financial Aid Office before funds are disbursed.
5. Students must be fully accepted for admission to GC before funds may be disbursed.
6. Specific questions on individual cases should be addressed to the Financial Aid Office at 478- 445-5149.
B. Loans (Students must be enrolled at least half-time.)
1. Federal Perkins Loan: Students awarded this loan must sign a promissory note in the Student Loan Collections Office before funds may be disbursed.
2. Federal Direct Stafford Loan: Under Federal Law: Students must complete a Loan Entrance Counseling session and sign a Master Promissory Note before funds may be disbursed.
3. Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loan: Students who are awarded a Federal Grad PLUS Loan must receive an approved credit decision from Department of Education and complete an electronic Master Promissory Note (MPN) before funds may be disbursed. Remaining proceeds from the PLUS loan after the student’s bill is paid in full, will be disbursed to the student by check or direct deposit after the end of the drop/add period each semester.
4. Federal Perkins, Federal Direct Stafford, Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loans: Borrowers who use these funds to finalize Business Office bills may elect to cancel their loans and use another form of payment within 30 days of disbursement. The Financial Aid Office must be notified in writing of the cancellation within 30 days of disbursement.
C. Disbursement Procedures
Once all requirements have been met:
1. Funds awarded from the following may be applied directly to the student's Business Office account:
LOANS
Federal Perkins Loans
Federal Direct Stafford Loans
Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loans
2. These awards will be authorized to the student's Business Office account once classes have been reserved.
3. Any remaining balance to the student's account must be paid to the GC Business Office prior to the published deadline in order to reserve classes.
4. Eligibility is reviewed again at the end of the drop/add period (census date), and appropriate funds are disbursed to the student's Business Office account.
5. Once the Business Office bill has been settled, remaining aid may be used toward the purchase of books at the Barnes and Noble at Georgia College beginning approximately 3 days prior to the first day of classes through the end of the drop/add period. Students must complete the electronic authorization via their PAWS account prior to visiting the bookstore.
6. If the amount of financial aid awarded exceeds tuition and fees due at registration, the difference will be disbursed in the form of a check or direct deposit, if selected, by the GC Business Office, 111 Parks Hall, approximately seven days after the end of the drop/add period. Direct deposit is also available for student refunds. Instructions for this procedure are located in the Student Accounts information on the Business Office web site.
7. Students who use personal funds to pay for tuition and fees may receive reimbursement checks or direct deposit, if selected, from the GC Business Office approximately seven days after the end of the drop/add period if aid is received after payment is made.
8. Financial aid awards made after the student's bill is satisfied will be disbursed within 10 days after awards are made.
9. All refund checks can be picked up at the Business Office with Bobcat Card Identification. Request forms for mailing checks are also available through the Business Office.
Change of Information
Awards are based on the information students provide on applications for aid.
Change to that information (marital status, number of dependents, place of residence, withdrawal from period of enrollment, reduction in the number of hours carried, change in academic program, Social Security or Veteran's benefits, etc.) must be reported promptly in writing to our office for a determination of the impact, if any, on the amount of funds awarded to you. It is often necessary to revise awards, especially if federal or state funds are a part of the award, in order to avoid exceeding your demonstrated financial eligibility. We must, therefore, reserve the right to review and /or modify your award at any time. Failure to contact us may jeopardize continuation of your aid, cause cancellation of aid, or require repayment of funds already disbursed to you. All awards are contingent upon the availability of funds.
Enrollment Status
Requirements for the number of semester hours of credit you must maintain for loans, scholarships, grants, and work may vary. At Georgia College, most financial aid is packaged based upon anticipated full-time enrollment: 9 hours for graduate students. Only courses required for your degree will be considered when determining eligibility for Federal Aid programs. For more information, please see Course Program of Study FAQ on our website.
Course Program of Study
Only courses required for degree completion can be used to determine your aid eligibility for Federal financial aid programs such as grants, work-study, and loans and does not include HOPE or Zell Miller scholarships. This means that a course must fulfill a core, major, minor, or degree requirement or be necessary to help you earn the total hours required for your degree. Taking courses that are not required to complete your degree could result in your receiving less or no federal aid or in owing money back to Georgia College. You are responsible for registering for appropriate coursework and for notifying the Office of Financial Aid if you choose to enroll in courses that are not necessary for your degree. For more information, please see Course Program of Study FAQ.
Exception: If you are taking preparatory coursework that is required for another eligible program and enrolled in at least half time in these courses, you may qualify to receive Federal Direct Loans for one consecutive 12-month period beginning on the first day of the loan period. For more information, please contact the Financial Aid Office at 478-445-5149.
Repayment
Students who register, then withdraw, drop out, are expelled, or change enrollment status are subject to the Department of Education’s regulations regarding Return of Title IV (R2T4) aid, and may have to repay a portion or all of the aid received to the University.