Eligibility

Who Receives Aid at SJC? Does it Make Sense to Apply?

Our on campus program students come from many different backgrounds and financial circumstances. Are you concerned about paying for your education? If yes, then please apply for aid. It is a free process. Here are a few details about our 2010-11 financial aid recipients:

• More than 90% of our families filed the FAFSA.
• Nearly one third qualified for Pell Grant and 6% of these went to our minority students.
• More than 50% of our students qualified for work study.
• About 88% of our students are considered dependent.
• Almost half of our families whose total income exceeded $200,000 were eligible for need-based aid.

• 2009 Dependent Family Income	Percentage of Recipients
  <$30,000	11.8
  $30,000 - $59,999	20.9
  $60,000 - $89,000	21.3
  $90,000 - $119,999	21.0
  $120,000 - $150,000	11.6
  >$150,000	13.4

General Requirements

You must meet the following federal qualifications to be considered for financial aid:

• U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizen status
• enrollment or acceptance for enrollment in a degree program at an eligible institution
• no default on a federal student loan or refund required to a federal grant program
• registration with Selective Service, if required
• valid Social Security number 
• high school diploma or GED
• satisfactory academic progress toward a degree

Other factors considered

• enrollment status
• major
• year in school
• housing choice

Expected Family Contribution (EFC) & Need

Cost – EFC = Need

• You can find the federal EFC (Expected Family Contribution) on the Federal Student Aid Report you get after filing the FAFSA.

• The federal EFC is not the amount you will pay to Saint Joseph’s College. Your financial aid award letter will give you an estimate of your bill for the year.

• We use the federal EFC to determine your federal and state awards. Example: a Maine resident who has an EFC of 2000 or less will be considered for the Maine State Grant program.

• We also calculate an institutional EFC. This is used to determine your eligibility for our own need-based grant programs.

Study Abroad

Generally, there is no change to any financial aid if you study abroad through the International Study Exchange Program (ISEP). You are billed by the College and your aid is paid to your account. However, you cannot use work-study funds while you are away from campus. If you will be paying the host school directly, you may still be able to use your state and federal aid funds for your semester away.

Please complete our consortium agreement if you want to use any of your financial aid or educational loans for study abroad.

Award Notification

• We begin to mail award letters to new students in March. We begin to mail returning student awards in June.

• The award letter will list the types and amounts of aid that you are eligible to receive. This letter will also include our estimate of your share of tuition, fees, and room/board (if you live on campus).

• The award letter must be signed and returned to the Office of Financial Aid. The second copy is to be kept by the student.

• Financial aid cannot be paid until all documents have been received and reviewed and enrollment has been confirmed.

• We will include information about our payment plan and other financing options.

Disbursing the Funds

• Federal, state and institutional funds are paid each semester.
• Before we can pay your funds, we must check your enrollment status and eligibility.
• New borrowers must complete the entrance interview and promissory note before loan funds can be paid.
• If you have a credit on your account, these funds are returned to you (or your parent if it is from a Federal Parent Loan) unless you tell the Treasurer’s Office differently.
• Statements are mailed to the student/family throughout the year. Aid that has been awarded but not paid will show as “pending” aid.
• Federal work-study does not appear on the bill because students are paid by check for the hours worked.