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2023-2024 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Financial Aid

Financial Assistance

The public purpose of Financial Aid programs is to provide financial assistance to students who, without such aid, would be unable to attend college. Financial aid takes many forms, including federal, state and college grants; scholarships; loans; work-study employment; or a combination of these funding sources. It is the policy of Alamance Community College to make available to students both need and merit-based financial aid resources for which they are eligible in order to attend ACC. The following policies and resources are intended to provide guidance to students desirous of enrolling at the College.

The Financial Aid Office (FAO) is designated as the principal point of contact for information about, application for, verification and administration of financial aid resources at ACC. The FAO provides current information about how to apply for financial aid, the types of aid available, financial literacy, cost of attendance, and the administration of aid once verified and awarded.

A. Availability of Financial Aid: While ACC provides assistance and resources to all applicants, it is the responsibility of every student to apply for financial aid. On-line resources about the availability of financial aid by funding source are available from the following:

  1. Federal Assistance: U.S. Department of Education: www.studentaid.gov
    • Federal Pell Grant (Title IV): The Pell Grant (FPELL) is a federal aid program based primarily on financial need. Students apply using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and are classified on an index of need. The amount of grant money to an individual varies based on federal government guidelines. Pell grants can be applied to the regular academic year or to the summer session.
    • Federal Grants (Other): An example is the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG). The SEOG grant is a supplemental grant to the Federal Pell Grant program with the same criteria as defined for Pell grants
    • Federal Work Study: This financial aid award allows students to earn a portion of the cost of their education through supervised work at a specific job, according to an agreed-upon schedule, for a definite rate of pay per hour and a certain length of time. Students are not allowed to work during their regularly scheduled class hours.
      Note: ACC has elected not to participate in Federal Loan Programs.
  2. North Carolina Scholarship (NC Scholarship)

The North Carolina Scholarship is for North Carolina residents with financial need. Eligibility:

  • Be a North Carolina resident as defined by North Carolina Residency Manual
  • Enroll for at least 6 credit hours
  • Be admitted, enrolled, and classified as a degree-seeking student at Alamance Community College

The NC Scholarship works with federal aid to provide a guaranteed amount of financial assistance with additional state funding provided to students with exceptional needs. Students enrolling at a North Carolina Community College with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $75,000 or less and an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of 7,500 or less, as reported on the FAFSA, are guaranteed at least $2,800 from combined federal and state aid.

Application Requirements: Applicants must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) listing a North Carolina Community College. The FAFSA opens on October 1. Other Information: Consideration for funding is automatic once the FAFSA is filed. The FAFSA filing priority date is August 15 for North Carolina Community Colleges. Applicants completing the FAFSA after these dates may be denied if insufficient funds are available.

  1. North Carolina Longleaf Grant Program:

Scholarships: Federal, state, local, and ACC sources offer scholarships. They are awarded based on financial need, academic performance, and/or time of application. Some scholarships are open to all students while others are open to students in specific program areas; for example, business, machining, or nursing. Most scholarships require the completion of the FAFSA to establish financial need. The Alamance Community College Foundation awards several hundred scholarships each academic year. Scholarship application forms are found on the College’s website: https://alamancecc.edu/scholarships.

4. College Resources: www.alamancecc.edu/financial-aid

Note: For a list of more than 130 “named” scholarships stewarded by the ACC Foundation, go to https:// alamancecc.edu/scholarships

B. Determining Eligibility for Financial Aid: Students must apply for financial aid online at www.studentaid.gov designating Alamance Community College “School Code” (005463). All federal and most state sources of financial aid require the completion of the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to determine eligibility.

A partial list of possible eligibility criteria includes:

  • A U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
  • Provide a valid social security number.
  • Not in default on a Title IV student loan borrowed for attendance at any institution.
  • Not owe a repayment on a Title IV grant received for attendance at any institution.
  • Not be enrolled concurrently in an elementary or secondary school.
  • Have a valid high school diploma or GED.
  • Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an eligible program of study.
  • Not be convicted of a federal or state drug offense while receiving Title IV funds.
  • Maintain satisfactory academic progress.

For a complete list of criteria, contact the FAO.

  1. It is the policy of Alamance Community College to verify information for applicants of federal financial aid selected by the U.S. Department of Education for verification. Further, the Financial Aid Office (FAO) is authorized to request of applicants any documentation necessary to determine student eligibility for federal, state or collegeadministered financial assistance. Verification of eligibility is required before an award can be made; therefore, it is the responsibility of the student to provide information requested by the FAO or its designee.
  2. Eligibility for Summer Pell grants can occur in two ways.
    1. In the event a Federal Pell grant recipient does not use his/her full award by attending full time both fall and spring semesters, any funds not used during the regular academic semesters can be applied to the summer session if the student meets the enrollment criteria.
    2. Federal Pell grant rules allow students to receive additional Pell grant funds to accelerate the completion of their program of study. A student qualifies by summer enrollment in a minimum of 6 credit hours in his/her major. Students unable to enroll for 6 or more credit hours in their majors should contact the FAO to learn about other potential sources of summer session funding.
  3. Special circumstances: Income often changes due to loss of a job, loss of a family member, or divorce. A student whose income has significantly changed from the prior year may complete a “special circumstance form” which enables the FAO to calculate income using the most recent 12 months of income. More information is available from the FAO (336-506-4340).
  4. Near Maximum Time Frame: Students near the maximum time frame for their primary program of study will be notified that they are close to the maximum period allowed for their program of study. If it is mathematically impossible for a student to graduate within the remaining credit hours, the student will no longer be eligible for federal or state aid. Students who can provide confirmation that they will complete the program of study within the remaining credit hours can retain their eligibility.

C. Maintaining eligibility for Financial Aid: Students must also maintain eligibility in order to continue to receive federal and state financial assistance beyond the initial award. Federal and state policies require students receiving financial aid to maintain “satisfactory academic progress” (SAP) standards as a condition of award. The ACC Financial Aid Office (FAO) strictly adheres to this policy. Under U.S. Department of Education rules, SAP has three qualitative and quantitative standards that students must adhere to and maintain in order to remain eligible:

  1. Qualitative Standard: Students must maintain a minimum cumulative 2.0 grade point average (GPA); and,
  2. Quantitative Standard: Students must also complete a minimum of 67 percent of all credit courses in which they enroll. Attempted hours versus completed hours are calculated to determine completion rate. Only grades of A, B, C, D, F, P, R, PA, PB, PC, or CE (Credit by Exam) are counted as earned hours. For maintaining financial aid eligibility, grades of I (Incomplete), WP, W, WF are not counted as credit hours earned, but they are counted as credit hours attempted. Credit hours are used in the determination of enrollment status; IE and WE grades are not calculated in the quantitative standard; and
  3. Maximum time frame: A financial aid recipient is given 150 percent of the credits needed to graduate from his/ her degree or diploma program. That is typically three years in a two-year degree program and two years in a diploma program to complete graduation requirements. In general, a maximum of about 105 attempted credit hours is allowed for an associate degree program and a maximum of about 60 attempted credit hours is allowed for a diploma program.
  4. Near Maximum time frame: Students near their maximum time frame for their primary program of study will be notified that they are close to the maximum period allowed for their program of study. If it is mathematically impossible for a student to graduate within the remaining credit hours, the student will no longer be eligible for federal and/or state aid. Students who can provide confirmation that they will complete the program of study within the remaining credit hours can retain their eligibility.

Alamance Community College also adheres to federal rules and standards regarding taking Developmental Education courses, audited courses, and course repeats in determining SAP. The College will evaluate the SAP for each student receiving financial aid on a semester-by-semester basis.

The FAO will assist students individually to maintain their financial aid eligibility. If however a student fails to meet any of the three SAP standards for two consecutive semesters, he/she will receive a notice that he/she is no longer eligible for any financial aid. No further financial aid will be awarded until the student corrects the academic progress deficiencies. A student has a right to appeal the suspension of financial aid only in cases where it is mathematically possible to achieve satisfactory SAP status prior to graduation. In order to initiate the appeal process, the student should submit a written appeal to the Financial Aid Office who will provide it to the SAP Appeals Committee. The written appeal should include:

  • An academic plan, developed by consultation with a Student Success coach or academic advisor, indicating how the student will meet the SAP standards including minimum grade point average, minimum completion rate, and maximum time frame; and,
  • Third party documentation (counselor, advisor, or medical reports, etc.) that demonstrates significant circumstances that precipitated a failure to meet the SAP standards.

The Director of Financial Aid or his/her designee will notify the student making the appeal of a decision by the SAP Appeals Committee by electronic and/or U.S. Mail notification. The final decision to reinstate rests with the Appeals Committee. If the SAP appeal is denied a student may “earn” future reinstatement, as long as he/she qualifies under the maximum time frame requirement, by taking classes and earning a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 and achieving a minimum completion rate (67 percent) sufficient to meet the SAP standards. If the SAP appeal is approved, the student will be placed on a continuing probation until he/she regains satisfactory SAP compliance status. The student must comply with the academic plan standards listed on the continuing probation contract.

D. Amount of Financial Aid Award: The amount of financial aid the student applicant may receive is subject to multiple factors, such as the demonstrated financial need, number of credit hours attempted, availability of funds, and other considerations.

E. Credit Clock Conversion Policy: The following programs at Alamance Community College do not have an associate degree component so the federal aid program regulations require the College to base the awards on a special calculation to determine Title IV credit hours for these programs:

Dental Assisting

To receive the amount listed on a student’s award letter, he/she must be enrolled in 12 Title IV credit hours each semester for Federal aid and 15 Title IV credit hours each semester for North Carolina Community College state grants.

To determine Title IV credit hours, multiply the number of contact hours by 16 and divide by 30.

Example: Registered for 14 credit hours and 15 contact hours
(15 contact hours x 16) ÷ 30 = 8 Title IV hours

If a student is enrolled in one of the above diploma level programs, the Federal Pell Grant will be prorated depending on the amount of contact hours he/she is taking:

  • 23-28 contact hours = student will receive 100% of the award
  • 17-22 contact hours = student will receive 75% of the award
  • 12-16 contact hours = student will receive 50% of the award
  • Less than 12 contact hours = student will receive 25% of the award

F. Disbursement of Financial Aid: Awarding and disbursement of financial aid is a cooperative process between the Office of Financial Aid (FAO) and the Office of Business and Finance. The FAO prepares, determines the amount of, and administers financial aid awards. The Office of Business and Finance disburses the payments. Specific and individual student information concerning satisfactory academic progress, financial eligibility, payment of financial aid, and refund of overpayment is available from the FAO and the Veterans coordinator.

  1. Title IV and State Aid Disbursement Policy: Federal Pell Grant and State Grant funds are available approximately 10 (ten) days prior to the beginning of each semester for educational expenses, including the payment of tuition, required fees and textbooks/supplies required for that academic term’s courses.
    1. Books can be charged against the student’s account at the Follett Bookstore on the Carrington-Scott Campus;
      or
    2. Supplies for the specific academic term’s courses can be obtained by student request for a voucher that can be applied to purchase scrubs at Uniform Destination or to purchase welding supplies at several supply stores.

Federal and state financial aid awards in excess of educational expenses may generate a “financial aid refund.” This represents the dollar amount remaining after educational expenses have been deducted. Some types of financial aid may not qualify for a “financial aid refund.” Any remaining fund balance in excess of the academic term’s expenses will be disbursed approximately six weeks after the student’s semester begins, after enrollment is verified, and after balances are calculated.

With respect to enrollment verification, class attendance throughout the semester and the number of credit hours enrolled determines the eligibility for a “financial aid refund.” Financial aid will be credited to a student’s account based upon the financial aid recalculation date for curriculum courses and the hours enrolled at that point, but not before. If a student increases or decreases his/her credit hours before the recalculation date, it will affect his/her financial aid award and potential refund. If a student adds credit hours after the financial aid recalculation date, financial aid will not be increased. To learn how the recalculation date is determined, visit www.alamancecc.edu/financial-aid-site/refunds-and-return-of-title-iv/

  1. Scholarship Disbursement Policy: The majority of ACC Foundation scholarship funds are awarded annually by July 31 for the coming academic year. Additional funds may be awarded after that date, subject to availability. ACC Foundation scholarships cover tuition and fees and in many cases cover required textbooks and supplies. In cases when the student has already paid his/her tuition prior to the award of the scholarship, the award may carry to the following semester. In cases where the student does not plan to be at ACC the following semester, a refund may be requested but is not guaranteed.

G. Repayment of Financial Aid: The award of financial aid enables students to access to higher education opportunities at Alamance Community College. Accompanying the award and acceptance of financial aid is a responsibility on behalf of the student to adhere to federal, state and college regulations and policies. Federal regulations assume that students earn financial aid over the course of an academic term by attending classes. State regulations require adherence to the State Board of Community Colleges, North Carolina General Statute and third-party grantor policy, laws and conditions. Awards made by the ACC Foundation are often accompanied by academic performance requirements. Failure to abide by federal, state or college regulations and policies may result in not only the loss of the award, but also the repayment of funds by recipient to the awarding entity.

  1. Repayment and Recalculation of Title IV [Federal Pell Grant] Funds: As ACC is an institution that requires attendance-keeping for all courses, a student’s withdrawal date is either:
    1. The date the student began the College’s withdrawal process (as described in the ACC catalog) or officially notified the College of intent to withdraw; or
    2. The student’s last date of attendance at a documented academically-related activity.
      ACC makes a determination of the amount of financial aid funds earned and unearned over the academic term by a student’s class attendance, and complies with federal financial aid regulations, as follows:
      1. No attendance (No Show): If a student awarded financial aid fails to attend any classes, the student is responsible for repaying all Federal Pell Grant funds received, including any portion thereof used for tuition, books and required fees.
      2. Withdrawal on or before Financial Aid Recalculation Date:
        1. If a student awarded federal financial aid withdraws before attending classes, the student is responsible for repaying all Federal Pell Grant funds received, including any portion thereof used for tuition, books and required fees.
        2. If a student attends and withdraws from all classes before the Financial Aid recalculation date, he/she earns a small portion of the Federal Pell Grant. The student is responsible for repaying the remaining Federal Pell Grant funds received, including any portion thereof that was used for tuition, books, and required fees.
        3. If a student attends and withdraws from one or more classes before the Financial Aid recalculation date, but remains enrolled in one or more classes at the recalculation date, the classes that are withdrawn before the Financial Aid recalculation date cannot be counted in the student’s enrollment for Federal Financial Aid awards.
        4. Courses added to a student’s enrollment after the student’s recalculation date cannot be counted in the student’s enrollment for Federal Financial Aid awards.
      3. Course Adjustments After the Recalculation Date:
        1. If a student attends classes but completely withdraws prior to the 60 percent point of the student’s academic term, the student is responsible for repaying a portion of Federal Pell Grant funds received. If the student receives course grades of F, WP, and/or Incompletes before the 60 percent point of the academic term, the student may have to repay any unearned financial aid funds that were disbursed. Students should consult the Financial Aid Office to determine their individual circumstances when withdrawing prior to the 60 percent point of their academic term.
        2. The ACC Financial Aid Office will perform a calculation to determine the portion of federal funds earned and unearned, and the amount of the repayment required by the student and the College. The student will be responsible for the Return to Title IV portion of tuition that the College is required to return to the United States Department of Education (US DOE). Any balance that the student fails to repay shall remain on his/her account. A written communication will be sent to the student informing him/her of the required repayment amount. The student will be given 45 days to repay the “overpayment” amount to ACC. Failure to repay the amount owed will result in a referral to the US DOE for recovery. Repayments must be cleared prior to the receipt of any additional Title IV funds, and will restrict a student’s ability to re-enroll at ACC for a subsequent academic term.
      4. Withdrawal After the 60 Percent Point: If a student awarded federal financial aid withdraws after the 60 percent point of the academic term, the student is deemed to have earned 100 percent of the federal financial aid award. Therefore, no Return to Title IV funds will be required of the student.
  2. Repayment and Recalculation of State Grants and the North Carolina Education Lottery Scholarship Program: The North Carolina General Assembly established The Community College Grant Program and the North Carolina Education Lottery Scholarship for the benefit of needy students. These programs are complementary in their eligibility requirements and require the repayment of state funds for student withdrawal before or at the 35 percent point of the academic term. It is the policy of Alamance Community College (ACC) to comply with student eligibility, satisfactory academic progress, and attendance policies consistent with the administrative guidelines established by the State Education Assistance Authority and College Foundation of North Carolina, respectively. The formula below will be used to determine the repayment of funds for either program in which the student has not earned the funds by failing to attend classes, or withdrawing during the academic term on or before the 35 percent point. The “last date of attendance” will be used, consistent with Title IV regulations, for return of state funds.
    1. Official Withdrawal before or on the 35 percent point of the term:
  3. Institutional Charges: If a student is entitled to a refund of tuition and fees, the state grant funds paid but unearned, as calculated by a consistently applied federal methodology, must be returned before issuing any refunds.
  1. ii. Non-institutional expenses: If a student withdraws on or before the 35 percent point of the term, ACC shall calculate and prorate the amount of state funds disbursed for non-institutional expenses, and return state funds as appropriate.
  2. iii. Any credit balance created by State funds and awaiting disbursement must be returned to the State Grant program rather than released to the student.
    1. ACC is not required to return any funds for non-institutional expenses when a student officially withdraws after the 35 percent point of the term.
  3. Unofficial withdrawals or no earned academic credit:
  1. If a student does not officially withdraw during the academic term before or on the 35 percent point of the term, ACC will determine and document the last date of attendance, consistent with regulations for the return of Title IV funds. ACC will calculate any required return of State funds using the same methodology identified for an official withdrawal.
  1. ii. If ACC cannot document the last date of attendance, it will:
    1. Calculate any required return of State funds, noting that the last date of attendance cannot be determined.
    2. Calculate the refund using the 10 percent point in the semester as of the date of withdrawal (if ACC indicates that the last date of attendance or academic activity could not be established).

      In all cases in which a student earns no academic credit for a term, ACC must determine whether the term was completed. If ACC determines that the student did not withdraw, but instead completed the courses and earned no academic credit, ACC is not required to return State funds. If ACC determines that the student unofficially withdrew, ACC will determine if any funds must be returned to State grants. Future disbursements of State aid are subject to Federal Title IV satisfactory academic progress determinations.
  2. The priority order of repayment of state funds required by this policy, up to the maximum amount of funds disbursed from each program, will be:
  1. The Education Lottery Scholarship Program;
  1. ii. The Community College Grant Program;
  2. iii. The North Carolina National Guard Tuition Assistance Program; or,
  3. iv. All other State grant or scholarship programs.
  1. Repayment to ACC Foundation: The repayment of student scholarships and financial aid to the Alamance Community College Foundation shall be made in compliance with policies adopted by the Foundation, not inconsistent with policies adopted by the ACC Board of Trustees.

H. Lifetime Limits of Federal Financial Aid-Pell Grants: The U.S. DOE has established a “Lifetime Eligibility” maximum amount of Federal Pell Grant (FPG) funds that a student may receive. The lifetime eligibility is limited to the equivalent of six (6) years. The maximum that a full-time student may receive each award year (July 1-June 30) is 150 percent (full time Fall, Spring Summer). Therefore, the lifetime eligibility of FPG funds that a student may receive is the equivalent of 600 percent.
Students are responsible for tracking the use of their lifetime eligibility maximum amount, whether they complete their studies at ACC or transfer to another community college or baccalaureate degree granting institution. The U.S.

DOE has established an on-line tool for student use in monitoring and tracking the “Lifetime Eligibility Used” (LEU). Using their Federal Student Aid I.D., students can log in to: National Student Loan Data System to view their LEU status. If for example a student is eligible for 100 percent in an award year, but attends only one semester, he/she would have only used 50 percent. The NSLDS accumulates the percentage of eligibility used over the course of the student’s academic progression at any higher education institution.

I. Lifetime Limits of North Carolina State Aid: The North Carolina Legislature has established a “Lifetime Eligibility” maximum amount a student may receive from the North Carolina Community College grant and the North Carolina Education Lottery grant. The North Carolina Community College grant is limited to 6 full time academic semesters or the equivalent if enrolled part-time. The North Carolina Education Lottery grant is limited to 10 full time academic semesters or the equivalent if enrolled part-time. Students are responsible for tracking the use of their lifetime eligibility amount whether they complete their studies at ACC or transfer to another postsecondary institution.