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SCC Financial Aid

We believe that a quality education should be within reach for every student. The SCC Office of Financial Aid is here to assist you with resources to help pay for college. We can help you complete your FAFSA—the Free Application for Federal Student Aid—alert you to scholarships that may be available, and guide you through financial aid process.

If you will be paying for your education fully out of pocket, SCC can also help you determine your payment options. 

*Financial Aid and Veteran Services will be closing the office at 4:30 pm on Thursday October 31st.

Contact Information

Student Consumer Information

The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA), requires SCC to disclose information to potential and currently enrolled students as well as prospective and current employees.

Complete and transparent disclosure about our institution.

 

FAFSA Information


No matter what kind of aid you are applying for, the first step is submitting your FAFSA.

Complete the FAFSA for the academic year in which you will be enrolled, and enter the SCC school code 017027 on your FAFSA. 

  1. Submit your FAFSA                                                                   
  2. Complete your Financial Aid Checklist in the MySCC Portal  
  3. Await review by SCC                                                                      
  4. Review your financial aid award letter                                         
  5. Enroll in Nelnet Deferred  

Complete a FAFSA for the academic year in which you will be enrolled and enter the SCC school code 017027. The academic year runs from the beginning of fall through the end of summer. You must submit a FAFSA for each year you will be enrolled.

For instance, if you intend to enroll in a summer 2024 course and a fall 2024 course, you need to submit both a 2023-24 FAFSA and a 2024-25 FAFSA. See the FAFSA website for details and deadlines.

Term

Which FAFSA?

FAFSA priority deadline

FA Checklist priority deadline

Summer 2024

2023-2024

Apr 1, 2024

May 1, 2024

Fall 2024

2024-2025

Jun 1, 2024

Jul 1, 2024

The FAFSA Simplification Act passed on 12/27/2020 represents significant changes to federal student aid, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, eligibility calculations, and many policies and procedures for schools that participate in Title IV programs.

The FAFSA will be shorter and more user-friendly

The FAFSA will reduce the maximum number of questions from 108 to 46. Also, because the FAFSA is on the Web, some students won't even be presented with all 46 questions. This streamlined formation will simplify the application process and make it less daunting for students and their families.

Contributor - a new term being introduced on the 2024-25 FAFSA—refers to anyone who is required to provide information on a student's form (such as a parent/stepparent or spouse).

Contributors will receive an email informing them that they've been identified as such and will need to log in using their own FSA ID (if they don't already have one) to provide the required information on the student's FAFSA.

Being a contributor does not mean they are financially responsible for the student's education costs, but it does mean the contributor must provide information on the FAFSA or the application will be incomplete, and the student will not be eligible for federal student aid.

Dependent students must invite their parent(s) to contribute to their form if parent information is required.

Independent students and a dependent student's parent must invite their spouse to contribute to the student's form if spouse information is required.


Consent - each contributor will now need to provide their consent to their Federal Tax Information (FTI) being included in the FAFSA, even if they did not file a U.S. tax return.


FTI - Federal Tax Information (FTI) transferred directly from the IRS.


DDX - IRS Direct Data Exchange. Previously, students, a student's spouse (when married), and parent(s) (when students are dependent) entered their tax information or used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to transfer tax data from the IRS to the FAFSA. Beginning with 2024-25, all persons listing tax information on the FAFSA will be required to use the IRS Direct Data Exchange (DDX) to share tax information or confirm non-filing status.


SAI - Student Aid Index (SAI) is replacing the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). This name more accurately describes the number used to determine aid eligibility and, unlike the EFC, the SAI may be a negative number down to -1500.

Previously, the FAFSA calculated the number of household members attending college into the EFC, dividing it proportionately to determine federal aid eligibility. Beginning with the 2024-25 FAFSA, the application will still ask how many household members are in college, but the answer will not be calculated into the SAI. As such, SCC students with siblings in college may see a change in their federal aid eligibility.

For dependent students financial information was previously needed from the parent(s) the student had lived with the most in the last 12 months. With the new FAFSA, financial information will be required from the parent(s) who provided the most financial support to the student.

When required, families must now report the value of their small business or family farm. If the family farm includes the principal place of residence, applicants should determine the total net value of all farm assets and subtract the net value of their principal residence to determine the final value of their farm assets.

  • Maximum Pell Grant Eligibility: ability of a student to receive a maximum Pell Grant (amount determined annually by Congress) which depends on annually published federal poverty guidelines; the U.S. tax return adjusted gross income (or the equivalent for foreign tax filers); state of legal residence; family size; and tax filing status.

 

  • Minimum Pell Grant Eligibility: ability of a student to receive a minimum Pell Grant depending on annual published federal poverty guidelines, Adjusted Gross Income (or the equivalent for foreign tax filers), state of legal residence, and family size.

FAFSA Verification Info

Please review our full FAFSA verification policy in the Verification Policy PDF.

Files completed for verification by the July 1 priority deadline will be given first consideration for processing in order to allow earliest possible disbursement of student aid refunds. After July 1, files are processed based upon receipt date and completion of financial aid file.

It is strongly recommended that you attempt to use the IRS Data Retrieval tool. If not eligible to use the tool, you will need to request your Tax Return Transcript directly from the IRS via Web or phone (1-800-908-9946).

  • Verification Packet/Worksheets (These will be requested and made available in your MySCC Portal)
  • Tax Return Transcript
  • W-2s

When a student files the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the U.S. Department of Education will send results of the FAFSA (the Student Aid Report) to the student via U.S. mail or by email. This report will indicate if the student has been selected for the verification process. Not all students are selected by the U.S. Department of Education for verification. The Financial Aid Office will also receive notification from the U.S. Department of Education and will contact the student as well. It is imperative that the student check their MySCC Portal for this reason.

The verification process requires the college to collect additional documents from the student and his/her family in order to verify information provided on the FAFSA. Along with verification worksheets, the student will need to provide the Financial Aid Office with all required documents and information indicated on the verification worksheets. Depending on individual situations, additional documents may be requested as needed. It is the student's responsibility to make sure the Financial Aid Office receives the items requested in a timely manner.

  • Use the IRS Data Retrieval tool when completing your FAFSA.
  • Complete your verification packet as soon as possible.
  • Request your IRS tax return transcript directly via Web or phone, 1-800-908-9946.
  • Provide all W-2s for each person whose income is reported on your FAFSA.
  • Amounts reported on the Verification Packet are to be annual/per year figures, not monthly, unless otherwise indicated.
  • Complete all items (do not leave blank).
  • All applicable parties must sign the verification packet.
  • If you or your parents marked separated or divorced as the marital status on the FAFSA, but filed a joint return, you will need to provide a copy of all W-2s.
  • If there are further discrepancies on the packet regarding other income information reported, additional documents could be requested at a later date.

A Professional Judgement a.k.a. 'Special Circumstance' appeal allows for a financial aid adjustment due to extenuating circumstances that may have significantly reduced current or prior year income compared to the tax data reported on the FAFSA. Please review our full Special Circumstance/Professional Judgement policy in the Special Circumstance/Professional Judgement PDF.

Qualifying special circumstances include:

  • Recent unemployment of a direct family member (mother or father) of dependent student
  • Recent unemployment of an independent student or their spouse
  • Forced reduction in income
  • Marital status change resulting in loss of income
  • Death of a dependent student's parent
  • Death of an independent student's spouse
  • Unusually high medical expenses not covered by insurance
  • Primary/Secondary education tuition costs
  • Circumstances related to Covid-19
    • Involuntary loss of income due to reduced hours or shutdowns as a result of Covid-19 during 2020 or 2021
    • Loss of income effective 2020 or 2021 due to disability
    • Significant medical expenses not covered by insurance during 2020 or 2021 as a result of Covid-19


Reasons not considered special circumstances:

  • Voluntary loss/decrease in income
  • Student or spouse reducing hours or quitting job to go to school
  • Excessive consumer debts
  • Thinking you should qualify for a Federal PELL Grant
  • FAFSA EFC is already '0' (You may find the EFC on your Student Aid Report)


How do I submit a Special Circumstances Appeal?

  1. Complete the FAFSA Verification process (see the section above for required items)
  2. Complete the Special Circumstances Appeal in Eforms. Select the appropriate form based on the academic year you are applying for.

Please view our full Unsusual Circumstance/Dependency Override policy in the Unsusual Circumstance/Dependency Override PDF.

As outlined on the FAFSA, federal regulations define the criteria you must meet to be considered an independent student. If you do not meet any of those criteria, you may ask your school's financial aid office to re-evaluate your status. The law governing the Federal Student Aid programs is based on the premise that the family is the first source of the student's support, and the law provides several criteria that decide if the student is considered independent of their parents for aid eligibility. Note that a student reaching the age of 18 or 21 or living apart from their parents does not affect their dependency status.

The Dependency Appeal is the process that SCC uses to review your situation and determine if you are eligible to be considered an independent student. Note: this review is on a case-by-case basis.

Conditions, singly or in combination, which do not qualify for a dependency override include:

  • Parents refuse to contribute to the student's education.
  • Parents are unwilling to provide information on the FAFSA or for FAFSA verification.
  • Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes.
  • Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency.

If a student would like to request consideration of dependency appeal, please submit a Dependency Appeal form via Eforms in the portal.

SCC does not provide Direct Unsubsidized Loans for dependent students without parent support being included on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).


 

About Financial Aid

Except for visiting students, all SCC students are eligible to apply for financial aid benefits at SCC. Your eligibility and level of support will be determined by the benefits program to which you are applying.


Visiting students—those who are earning their degrees elsewhere—should check with their home institution to see if their existing financial aid benefits will cover the cost of their SCC classes through a consortium agreement.

 

Last day to receive a 100% tuition refund for dropped courses

Fall 2024 Refund Dates

Term Term Start Term End Last Date for 100% Tuition Refund
FA MAIN (full term) Aug 19 Dec 9 Aug 31
FA1 (Accelerated #1) Aug 19 Oct 9 Aug 24
September Term Sep 9 Dec 7 Sep 18
FA2 (Accelerated #2) Oct 16 Dec 10 Oct 21
Winter Mini Dec 16 Jan 3 Dec 17

 

 

Why tuition refund dates matter for FA

  • Remaining in a course past this date means you may be responsiblefor the charges if the course is not financial aid eligible.
  • Remaining in a course past this date means it will be counted inyour FA Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) measures, which canaffect future FA eligibility. For more information on the FA SAPpolicy, please see the FA SAP web page and FA SAP Handbook
  • Withdrawing from a course after this date will result in alowered completion ratio.
  • If you do not withdraw from the course and receive an 'F' grade,this will both lower your completion ratio and lower your GPA.

There is one PELL Recalulation Date in a semester. Your enrollment on this date determines the number of credit hours used to calculate your PELL disbursement. Courses added after this date will not be considered for PELL disbursement. Likewise, courses dropped prior to this date will not be considered for PELL disbursement.

  • The 2024 Fall Pell Recalculation Date is September 11
  • The 2025 Spring Pell Recalculation Date is February 13
  • The 2025 Summer Pell Recalculation Date is June 19

Enrollment only in Modules

Modules are shortened terms that do not span the entire length of the payment period (a.k.a MAIN term). Examples of modules are: Accelerated #1, Accelerated #2, Late-Start and Mini terms. If your first enrollment for the payment period occurs after the MAIN PELL recalculation date, then your PELL eligibility will be determined using a cutoff date equal to the final add/drop date of the earliest module in which you enroll. Refer to the "Last day to add a class" under "Mini-Mester Dates" on the term-specific PDF calendars located on the Academic Calendar web page.

 

2024-2025 Pell Pro-Ration

Pell Grant amounts are based on both degree-eligible credit hours and financial need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FA Offer Letters in your portal display full-time awards. If you are enrolled in less than 12 credit hours, your PELL amount will be pro-rated based on "Enrollment Intensity" defined in the chart below. Your Cost of Attendance can be found on your FA Offer Letter (labeled "Budget").

Credit Hours Enrollment Intensity
12 or more 100%
11 92%
10 83%
9 75%
8 67%
7 58%
6 50%
5 42%
4 33%
3 25%
2 17%
1 8%

 

Census dates are the dates that financial aid eligibility is confirmed. A snapshot of your course schedule, active degree program and attendance/participation on the census date will determine your eligibility for an award. Exception - See the "Pell Recalculation Date" section directly above for rules on PELL eligibility.

How Census Dates are Determined

  • MAIN term = End of 4th week of the term
  • Accelerated terms = 10th day of the term
  • Winter Mini, May Mini and August Mini = 5th day if the term

Note: Summer term census dates generally follow the 10th day guideline.

Fall 2024 Census Dates

Term Term Start Term End Census Date
FA1 (Accelerated #1) Aug 19 Oct 9 Aug 28
FA MAIN (Full term) Aug 19 Dec 9 Sep 11
September Term Sep 9 Dec 7 Sep 18
FA2 (Accelerated #2) Oct 16 Dec 10 Oct 25
Winter Mini Dec 16 Jan 3 Dec 20

 

Why census dates matter for FA

  • Adding a course after the census date could mean you areresponsible for the cost of the course.
  • After the census date, any degree program changes will NOT beconsidered for FA eligibility in the current term.
  • Attendance records must reflect that you are activelyparticipating in a course in order to receive financial aiddisbursement. If instructor reported attendance records show thatyou ceased participation in the course before the term census date,you may forfeit financial aid eligibility for that course.
  • Important Note: If you are in at least oneMAIN term course, the MAIN term census date will be used to determineyour FA eligibility. In other words, aid will not be re-calculatedat a later date within the term even if you add a mini-termcourse.

Last day to withdraw from a course and receive a 'W' instead of a letter grade. Note, these are not the deadlines for tuition refunds. Please see Tuition Refund Dates on the academic calendar for refund deadlines.

 

Fall 2024 Withdrawal Dates

Term Term Start Term End Last day to receive a 'W'
FA1 (Accelerated #1) Aug 19 Oct 9 Sep 27
FA MAIN (Full term) Aug 19 Dec 9 Nov 14
September Term Sep 9 Dec 7 Nov 18
FA2(Accelerated #2) Oct 16 Dec 10 Nov 25
Winter Mini Dec 16 Jan 3 Dec 29

 

Why withdrawal dates matter for FA

Although a 'W' will lower your SAP completion ratio, withdrawing before this deadline can prevent a lower GPA.

 To maintain your financial aid, you must
  • Submit a FAFSA for each academic year you are enrolled
  • Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is assessed by both your GPA and the number of credit hours you attempt and earn. All students must maintain the minimum academic standards explained below to qualify for aid, according to the Federal Title IV Student Aid (article 668.34 of the Higher Education Act).

 

 

Types of Aid

This program provides full tuition coverage for recent high school graduates who earned their diploma from a designated A+ Missouri high school and meet the eligibility requirements. 

Learn more>> 

SCC offers several academic and athletic scholarships to outstanding incoming students. 

 Learn more>> 

SCC offers Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans to qualified students. To get started, you’ll need to submit a FAFSA and complete loan entrance counseling, following the rest of the steps on the Student Loans page.  

Learn more>>

This new financial aid program helps adults pursue a certificate, degree, or industry-recognized credential in an area designated as high need.

Learn More>>

 

SCC awards Pell and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), which students never have to repay. Awards vary from $200 up to the full cost of tuition.

Learn more>>

SCC has numerous resources for its students who are veterans or active military personnel.

Learn more>>

The Federal Work-Study Program provides need-based campus and community service employment opportunities for eligible students. 

Learn more>> 

The Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development and other state agencies offer additional scholarship and aid programs.

Learn More>>