Financial Aid FAQ

Financial Aid is money provided to students to help meet college costs. It can be gift aid (grants and scholarships) or self-help (loans and part-time work) aid. Federal, state and institutional funding are three sources of financial aid available to help pay for your college education.

• Grants are based on financial need and do not have to be repaid.

• Scholarships are non-repayable awards based on merit, special talent, financial need, or all of the above.

• Loans are available to students or their parents at low interest rates with repayment usually deferred until the student graduates or drops below a half-time course schedule.

• Student employment allows students to earn money while attending school by working part-time on campus.

To qualify for financial aid you must prove that you need assistance. Need is the difference between the amount you and your family can contribute and the cost to attend the college of your choice. The primary responsibility for your educational expenses belongs to you and your family.

You must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This form allows you to apply for all types of aid. There are not separate applications for each type of aid. This form is all you will need to apply. The financial aid process is a lengthy one. The best advice is to get this form in as early as possible, as any delays may affect the timeliness of your award.

While you are waiting for the Student Aid Report (SAR) that will be generated as a result of filing of the FAFSA, you should contact the Records/Admissions department at EFSC to make sure your records are complete. You will have to order your high school transcript, declare your major, and take the appropriate college placement test for your program of intent. If you have attended other colleges, you also have to order official transcripts for evaluation of transfer credit.

Once you receive your SAR, you must contact the Financial Aid Office to see if any information is needed to complete your financial aid file. The information from your SAR will be forwarded electronically to EFSC but it may be necessary to submit additional documentation. Your SAR is not a financial aid award. EFSC will send you an Award Notice informing you of the aid for which you are eligible.

Yes, you may have some out-of-pocket expenses while waiting to receive your aid. However, if you are eligible for aid, register early, and have funds remaining after tuition/fees are deducted, we will process a book charge authorization for you. This book authorization will be deducted from your awards before refunds are made. If it is not used, it will be credited back to your account before refunds are processed. If you do not wish to have a book charge authorization processed, you must notify us in writing and we will cancel it.

If you are eligible for a loan or Pell Grant and did not register in time for a book authorization, you must contact your campus Financial Aid Office to see if you are eligible to have one processed. Book Allowances are available on the first day of classes for each part of term within each payment period. Please check with your local campus Office of Financial Aid for dates and eligibility.

Eastern Florida State College delivers your refund with BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc. For more information about BankMobile Disbursements, visit the BankMobile Disbursements website.  

If you are receiving a loan, disbursement time frame may differ from the issuance of grants and scholarships.  First time borrowers and borrowers enrolled in a new program of study will have their loan funds held 30 days from the first day of classes.

Please be advised that all refund checks are a "net" amount; meaning the amount of your award minus tuition and any book authorization you received.

All awards are based on full-time enrollment (12 or more credit hours) prior to the add/drop date of any term. If you enroll less than full-time, your award will be reduced before refunds are made.

Students receiving financial aid are required to complete 67 percent of the classes they attempt with a 2.0 GPA to continue receiving aid. For instance, you are awarded aid for Fall/Spring of the academic year, are making progress, and started in the fall semester with 12 credit hours and withdrew from a 3 credit hour class. You will have completed 75% of the classes attempted. Your aid is not in jeopardy. If you complete less than 67% the fall semester and/or your GPA falls below 2.0, you will receive a letter stating you are on warning; your aid for spring is not jeopardized. However, if you do not complete 67% of the total classes you attempt with a 2.0 GPA for the fall/spring semesters, you will be denied further aid.

If you started the semester on warning or appeal and complete less than 67 percent and/or your GPA is below 2.0, your aid for the spring semester will be suspended.

Students that never attend, stop attending, or withdraw from all classes will be required to repay some or all of the Pell Grant and/or SEOG and subsidized or Unsubsidized loan funds originally awarded. A federal formula will be applied based on student's last date of attendance, percentage of the payment and period attended. If the formula indicates an amount “unearned” a repayment of aid will be necessary. There is no appeal available for Repayment of Federal Funds.

The institution will notify the student in writing of any amounts to be returned to the Federal Title IV accounts. Students will not receive official transcripts and will not qualify for further federal aid until the repayment is satisfied.

Students who withdraw from classes prior to refunds will only receive payment for credit hours for which they are currently attending. Enrollment status does affect eligibility. Please be aware that some awards may have to be reduced or canceled due to adjusting enrollment patterns. Students whose eligibility has been terminated because of failure to meet Standards of Satisfactory Progress may in certain cases request a formal review of the decision to revoke financial aid eligibility. Circumstances which may be appealed include: death in the student's immediate family, medical emergencies, accidents, divorce or separation of parents, personal tragedy, or other documented circumstances beyond the student's control which prevented him/her from meeting minimum standards.

Appeal forms are available online.

No, financial aid will not pay for audited classes. Audited hours also will not be calculated as part of total enrollment.