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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for federal and state financial aid programs?

What is the PIN and why do I need to apply for one?

What is Highland's school code?

Do I have to reapply for financial aid every year?

Why do I have to provide my parents' information on the FAFSA?

How can I check the status of my FAFSA application?

I received my Student Aid Report (SAR) in the mail today. What am I supposed to do with it?

What is verification?

I was picked for verification, but I misplaced my tax return from the previous year. What do I do?

How will I know if I am eligible for financial aid at Highland Community College?

I received an award letter indicating I qualify for financial aid. How do I receive my financial aid?

Can I use my financial aid money to purchase books?

How do I apply for a Federal Work-Study job?

How do I apply for scholarships?

How could the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress policy affect my financial aid?

I just found out that my financial aid was terminated. What can I do?

How do I transfer my financial aid from my previous school to HCC?

Is financial aid available during the summer sessions?

Will adding and/or dropping classes affect my financial aid?

How do I apply for federal and state financial aid programs?

You will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It can be completed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov . To apply online, it is recommended that you (and your parent, if you are a dependent) first be assigned a Personal Identification Number (PIN ) from the U.S. Department of Education. You can request a PIN at www.pin.ed.gov . If you do not have access to a computer, there are computers available for your use to file FAFSA forms in the financial aid area. While the online version of the form is available at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov , you can still get a paper FAFSA from the financial aid office at HCC or by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID. In addition to the FAFSA, you will need to complete Highland's financial aid forms and any verification documents if you are picked for verification by the Department of Education.

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What is the PIN and why do I need to apply for one?
The PIN (Personal Identification Number) serves as your identifier to let you access your personal information in various U.S. Department of Education systems. The PIN also allows you to sign your Federal student aid application online and allows you to correct your application data online. If you provide an e-mail address when applying for your PIN, you'll get an e-mail response in approximately 48 hours that contains a link to your PIN through the Internet. If you don't provide an e-mail address, you'll get your PIN in 7-10 days through regular mail.  In the interest of keeping your personal information secure, do not share your PIN! You should never give your PIN to anyone. Be sure to keep your PIN in a safe place.

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What is Highland's school code?

001681

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Do I have to reapply for financial aid every year?
Yes. If your financial circumstances change, you may get more or less aid. After the first year you file a FAFSA you will receive an e-mail notification or a reminder by US mail to renew. Even if your income should stay the same or you did not file Federal Tax Returns, you are still required to apply for financial aid every year.

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Why do I have to provide my parents' information on the FAFSA?

When you apply for federal student aid, your answers to the questions in Step 3 of the paper FAFSA or in Step 2 of the online FAFSA will determine whether you're considered dependent on your parents or independent. If you're considered dependent, your parents' income and assets as well as your own must be reported on the FAFSA. Students are classified as dependent or independent because federal student aid programs are based on the principle that students (and their parents or spouse, if applicable) are considered the primary source of support for postsecondary education.

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How can I check the status of my FAFSA application?

At any point during the processing period, you can use your PIN to check the status of your FAFSA or to check on a correction you made to your FAFSA:

•  Click on the FAFSA icon located at the lower left of this site's home page.

          •  Click on the first item in the right-hand column (under “FAFSA Follow-up”):

           “Check status of a submitted FAFSA.”

          •  Read the Check Status page, click on “Next” at the bottom of the page, then

           enter the information required.

Checking the status of your application at any time during the processing period is beneficial, but we recommend you at least check the status at the following times:

•  3 to 5 days after submission - if you used a PIN to sign your application

           •  2-3 weeks after submission - if you printed, signed, and mailed a signature

           page.

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I received my Student Aid Report (SAR) in the mail today. What am I supposed to do with it?

It is important to review your SAR to make sure that the information that you provided is accurate. You also need to review it to determine whether the Department of Education has noted any issues with the information you provided. If the Department of Education noted any problems with your FAFSA, the issues will need to be corrected before your financial aid can be processed. The SAR will also tell you if you have been picked for verification.

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What is verification?
Because errors can occur on a student's FAFSA, student applications are sometimes selected by the CPS (Central Processing System) to be verified by the College they are attending. If your financial aid application was selected for the verification process you will be required to submit a verification worksheet, your signed federal income taxes, W-2's and IL state residency verification for state aid. Depending on your dependency status, you may also be required to submit tax information for your spouse or parents. If errors are identified during verification that require corrections, the financial aid office will submit any necessary corrections to the Department of Education.

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I was picked for verification, but I misplaced my tax return from the previous year. What do I do?

If you had a tax preparer complete your tax return, you can contact them to get a copy. If you completed the tax return yourself, you can contact the IRS for a copy of your transcript at 1.800.829.1040. W-2's can be requested by contacting your employer(s), or by requesting a transcript from the IRS at the above number.

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How will I know if I am eligible for financial aid at Highland Community College?
You will receive a letter from the financial aid office indicating what kind of assistance you are eligible for and the amount.

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I received an award letter indicating I qualify for financial aid. How do I receive my financial aid?
This depends on the type of financial aid you are receiving and when your financial aid file is completed. In most cases,

  • state grants and scholarships are applied to your account 3-4 weeks after the start of class. Approximately two weeks later, any excess funds are either mailed or distributed at the scholarship ceremony that the Foundation holds in the fall for scholarship recipients. All spring refund checks for state aid and scholarships are mailed.
  • loans are disbursed based on the disbursement schedule and when the student completes the loan forms. The loan advisor can tell you when to expect disbursement. First time borrowers must schedule an appointment to meet with the loan advisor. Unless you have other financial aid to cover your tuition, tuition will be taken out of your loan amount first. Any excess funds will be mailed to you. NOTE: For freshmen, first time borrowers, first disbursements are not made until at least 30 days into the semester.
  • federal grants are applied to your account approximately 9 weeks into the semester. Any excess funds are mailed to you after the 60% point of the semester has been completed.
  • College Work Study funds are paid bi-weekly by paycheck from the payroll department for hours worked.

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Can I use my financial aid money to purchase books?

Students receiving Pell, loans or funding from Partners for Employment may have eligibility for help with books. Book vouchers will be available at the bookstore two weeks prior to classes starting. You must have a complete financial aid file and be enrolled in classes.

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How do I apply for a Federal Work-Study job?

If your award letter indicated that you are eligible for a Federal Work-Study job, you must contact Career Services at 815.599.3536. Work-study positions are limited. You must complete an application and interview process.

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How do I apply for scholarships?

Scholarship applications can be found on our web site, or you can pick up applications at the Financial Aid Office or the Foundation Office. Since many of our Foundation scholarships require financial need, you may need to complete a FAFSA as part of the scholarship application process. The majority of scholarships have an application deadline of April 1, 2007, for the 07-08 academic year. Please contact the Foundation Office at 815.599.3413 for questions.

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How could the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress policy affect my financial aid?

Federal law mandates financial aid recipients maintain a certain standard of academic performance in order to qualify for and retain financial aid eligibility. If you are not maintaining these minimum academic standards you will lose your financial aid for the future. Every student that applies for financial aid at HCC is asked to read and sign a copy of the Standards of Academic Progress Policy. If you have questions regarding the policy, please contact the Financial Aid Office.

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I just found out that my financial aid was terminated. What can I do?

If you encountered extenuating circumstances that prevented you from meeting the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements you may complete a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form with the Financial Aid Office. The appeal along with required documentation of your situation will be reviewed and if approved you may get your financial aid reinstated.

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How do I transfer my financial aid from my previous school to HCC?

Financial aid does not transfer from one college to another. To determine your financial aid eligibility at Highland, you will need to add Highland Community College to your FAFSA. Once this has been done, the Financial Aid Office will then be sent your FAFSA information. We will then process your information to determine your financial aid eligibility at Highland.  Since the cost of attendance differs between colleges, you may qualify for more or less aid at Highland.

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Is financial aid available during the summer sessions?

If you are a Pell recipient, contact the Financial Aid Office to determine if you have any eligibility left to use for the summer semester. Students are awarded summer Pell if they do not use 100% of their Pell eligibility during the fall and spring semesters.

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Will adding and/or dropping classes affect my financial aid?

Yes, depending on the financial aid you are receiving, your enrollment, and when it is done, adding/and or dropping classes could increase or decrease your financial aid award. Check with the Financial Aid Office if you are thinking about changing your class schedule to determine how it will affect your financial aid award package.

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