FINANCIAL AID
Columbia College’s financial aid program exists to make education affordable for all students who qualify. The College believes that if students desire to attend college they should not be prevented from doing so simply because they lack sufficient funds. Financial aid is not intended to cover all student expenses. While the primary financial responsibility for education rests with the students and their fami-lies, Columbia College is committed to helping stu-dents bridge the gap between the cost of a college education and what the student can afford to pay.
Financial aid is monetary assistance to help the student meet the expenses of attending college. Aid may be in the form of grants, work, loans or a com-bination thereof.
APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AID
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is accepted after January 1 of the year students plan to attend college. To apply for financial assistance at Columbia College:
1. Complete an application for admission and sub-mit with the required one time non-refundable $35 application fee to the Admissions Office. 2. Complete the Columbia College Evening
Financial Aid Assistance and Scholarship Application and return it to the Student Financial Services Office.
3. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and indicate the Columbia College school code, 002456. Completing the FAFSA electronically is recommended. Students may electronically apply by accessing the FAFSA through the Financial Assistance segment of the Columbia College website, www.ccis.edu or www.fafsa.ed.gov. Paper FAFSA applications may be obtained from the Student Financial Services office.
The FAFSA is used to gather information about the financial resources of a student and his or her family. From this information, a parent contribution (for dependent students) and a stu-dent contribution are calculated. These two fig-ures together total the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for federal aid purposes. State aid is also awarded based on information obtained from the FAFSA. The FAFSA must be
received by the U.S. Department of Education, Central Processor, by April 1 in order to be considered for state aid.
4. If selected for verification, the student may be
required to submit additional documentation such as a copy of the family’s federal tax forms prior to receiving federal aid.
Students must reapply each year for financial aid. Contact the Student Financial Services Office for annual deadlines.
ELIGIBILITY FOR FINANCIAL AID
The Columbia College financial aid application determines eligibility for institutional forms of aid while the FAFSA determines the student’s eligibility for Federal and State need based financial aid. When the student completes the FAFSA, the Federal gov-ernment analyzes the student and family income, family size and assets to determine financial need. Most federal and state aid is based on financial need. A student must be enrolled in six semester hours per session to be considered full-time and three semester hours per session to be considered half-time. To be eligible for federal and state financial aid, students must be:
1. A U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
2. Pursuing a degree or diploma and enrolling in coursework required for the degree and diplo-ma. If students are considered non-degree seeking, they are not eligible for federal financial aid. If students have previously earned an undergraduate degree, they are not eligible for institutional aid.
3. Making satisfactory academic progress.
FINANCIAL AID STANDARDS OF
ACADEMIC PROGRESS
According to United States Department of Education regulations and Missouri Department of Higher Education policy, all students applying for fed-eral and/or state financial assistance must maintain satisfactory progress in a degree program to receive federal and/or state funds. Satisfactory progress is measured in terms of qualitative, quantitative, and maximum time frame standards. All course work at Columbia College is applicable to those standards.
QUALITATIVE MEASURE
The quality of a student’s progress is measured by grade point average. The minimum cumulative grade point average for financial aid recipients is the same as the academic standard for Columbia College:
Cumulative Minimum Cumulative Grade Attempted Hours Point Average
0-30.9 1.75 31-45.9 1.90 46 or more 2.00 Graduate Program 3.00
QUANTITATIVE MEASURE
The quantity of a student’s progress is measured by the Cumulative Completion Rate (hours earned divided by hours enrolled). The minimum Cumulative Completion Rate for financial aid recipients is 2/3 per semester (or two eight-week sessions in the Evening Campus). For example, a student who enrolls in 12 hours (six hours per consecutive term) must complete at least 8 of those hours to maintain satisfactory progress and retain financial aid eligibility (12x2/3=8). Students who receive an I, F, W, or WE for a course in a semester or session will have those courses included in the total of semester hours attempted but not completed. This Cumulative Completion Rate will be calculated in December and in May to determine eligibility for financial aid for the following semester or session. Summer courses will be included with the December calculation. If a student falls below the 2/3 Cumulative Completion Rate, he or she will be subject to Financial Aid Suspension (see below). Please note the following special considerations:
Repeated courses will add total hours attempted but
not hours completed; the grade will simply be replaced. The new grade will be included in the GPA calculation, which will be considered when progress is again checked.
Total withdrawals, including excused withdrawals,
will count toward hours attempted for the Cumulative Completion Rate, and are subject to the same reinstatement and/or appeal proce-dures.
MAXIMUM TIME MEASURE
Financial aid recipients remain eligible to receive federal and state aid for courses attempted up to the maximum allowable time of 150% of the hours required to complete the degree. All attempted, with-drawn, and/or transferred credits count toward this maximum time limit, regardless of changes in pro-gram, until a certificate or degree has been awarded. For example, a student pursuing a bachelor’s degree requiring 120 semester hours may attempt up to 180 hours before financial aid eligibility is suspended (120 x 150% = 180).
FINANCIAL AID PROBATION OR
SUSPENSION
Failure to meet minimum academic progress requirements will result in Financial Aid Probation or
Suspension. The first time a student fails to meet the minimum requirement, he/she will be placed on financial aid probation. Probation is a warning, in writing, that subsequent failure to meet the minimum requirement will result in financial aid suspension. The second and subsequent time a student fails to meet the minimum requirement will result in loss of financial aid for the following term(s) of enrollment.
If placed on Financial Aid Suspension, notifica-tion will be sent to the student and all forms of Title IV federal and state aid will be withdrawn for the next session(s) in which the student enrolls. The Financial Aid Office will review the academic progress of finan-cial aid recipients twice per academic year: once in December and again in May. Please read the rein-statement and appeal policies that follow.
REINSTATEMENT
Financial aid may be reinstated when one of the following conditions have been met:
1. The student completes courses in one or more sessions at Columbia College with the cumula-tive GPA at the required standard.
2. The student files an appeal and the Campus Hearing Board approves the appeal (see appeal procedures).
It is the student’s responsibility to notify the Student Financial Services Office when reinstate-ment conditions have been met.
APPEAL PROCEDURE
Students who have been suspended from finan-cial aid may make a written appeal for reinstatement of eligibility if extenuating circumstances have con-tributed to their inability to meet the requirements for satisfactory progress. Extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Death of an immediate family member
• Severe injury or illness of the student or an immediate family member
• Emergency situations such as fire or flood • Legal separation from spouse or divorce • Military reassignment or required job transfers or
shift changes
Students who do not meet the above criteria and/or cannot thoroughly document such situations, must reestablish eligibility through reinstatement before any additional federal or state aid will be dis-bursed.
Students who do meet one of the above criteria may appeal using the following procedure:
2. The completed appeal packet is presented to the Campus Hearing Board for review.
3. The student is notified in writing of the board’s decision and recommendations. The commit-tee’s decision is final.
THE APPEAL PACKET
The student is responsible for completing an appeal packet containing the following:
1. A Financial Aid Suspension Letter of Appeal (form can be obtained in the Student Financial Services Office or completed electronically at www.ccis.edu/offices/financialaid/forms). 2. Documentation to support extenuating
circum-stance.
Incomplete packets will not be considered.
DETERMINATION OF FINANCIAL AID
AWARD
Financial need is determined in the following manner:
Costs of Attendance (tuition, room and board, books, supplies, personal items, transportation) - Student's Expected Family Contribution (EFC as
determined from the FAFSA) = Student's Unmet Need
Once the Expected Family contribution and financial need have been determined, a financial aid coordinator will review the student’s information and prepare a financial aid package. The student will be offered a combination of financial aid that may con-sist of grants, loans and employment through work-study funds, to meet unmet need. Students who qualify for need based aid may be offered the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work Study, Federal Family Education Loan Program and/or the Gallagher Grant (formerly the Missouri State Grant).
Students are responsible for reporting to the Financial Aid Office all assistance received from outside sources, as federal law requires that all outside assistance be considered as part of the financial aid package. These types of assistance
include such aid as Veteran’s Benefits, outside scholarships, military or corporate tuition assistance, Vocational Rehabilitation or other state aid. Federal guidelines require that a student not exceed the Cost of Attendance in the amount of aid they receive.
Students who wish to apply for a Federal Stafford Loan or parents applying for a Federal PLUS loan should contact the Student Financial Services Office for an application. Forms are also available electronically: www.ccis.edu/offices/financial aid. Loan amounts are determined from information
received on the FAFSA. If a student has less than an academic year remaining in the degree program, the loan will be prorated per Federal guidelines. Grade levels are determined as:
Grade Level Cumulative Hours Amount (toward degree) 1 0-23.9 $2,625 2 24-51.9 $3,500 3 52-83.9 $5,500 4 84+ $5,500
NOTIFICATION OF AWARD
College email addresses are assigned to all Columbia College students. The financial aid office corresponds with students primarily via email regard-ing the status of their financial aid application and notification of financial aid estimated awards. Correspondence sent via email is not sent via postal mail and constitutes student notification of such. Students should check their college email on a regu-lar basis.
Students may access their financial aid award estimate(s) through the E-services like on Columbia College’s website, www.ccis.edu/eServices/login.php. The financial aid electronic award notifications and associated links contained therein discuss eligibility requirements and other important information and constitute student notification of such. Students should carefully review their award notifications and are responsible to read and understand all informa-tion included. Students need to report a change to the award notification only if they do not accept all the types of aid offered, or they are receiving an out-side form of financial assistance not listed in the award notification. The awards are generally for the entire academic year.
ATTENDANCE
Financial aid is awarded to a student with the expectation that the student will attend school for the period for which the assistance is awarded. If a stu-dent does not begin attendance in all of his or her classes, the aid must be recalculated based on the actual attendance. Students who are not in atten-dance for the courses in which they enrolled are not eligible to receive financial aid.
AID DISBURSEMENT
Except for employment through the Federal Work-Study Program, a student’s financial aid is credited directly to the student account in the Student Financial Services Office and applied to tuition and fees each term. Aid funds may be credited for other charges with authorization from the student.
Federal Work-Study funds are paid in the form of bi-weekly paychecks on the 15th and last workday of each month. Funds are paid for hours worked.
When a student registers for courses, he/she may deduct the amount of aid that has been awarded (except Federal Work-Study) from what is owed the College. If a student’s financial aid awards exceed his/her charges, the student will receive a refund. Refund dates are posted and are available from the Student Financial Services Office or the Columbia College website at www.ccis.edu/offices/financial aid/important.asp. The student whose aid does not cover all expenses should be prepared to pay the dif-ference from personal funds. Any student unable to do so is required to complete a deferred payment contract for the unpaid balance.
The Student Financial Services Office has infor-mation on payment plans allowing students to extend payments over a prearranged period of time. For more information about the Deferred Payment Plan, contact the Student Financial Services Office, Columbia College, 1001 Rogers, Columbia, Missouri, 65216 or call (573) 875-7252.
RETURN OF TITLE IV FUNDS
This policy applies to students who complete 60% or less of the enrollment period (i.e., Fall, Spring or Summer session) for which they received Federal Title IV aid. A student who drops a class but still completes one or more classes does not qualify for the Return of Title IV Funds policy. The term “Title IV aid” refers to the following federal financial aid pro-grams: Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans, Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal PLUS (Parent) Loans, Federal Pell Grants, and Federal SEOG (Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant).
To conform with the policy, Columbia College must determine the student’s withdrawal date. The withdrawal date is defined as the date the student began the withdrawal process or officially notified Columbia College of his/her intent to withdraw. For all other withdrawals without notification, the with-drawal date is the last date of attendance at an aca-demically-related activity by the student.
The calculation required determines a student’s earned and unearned Title IV aid based on the per-centage of the enrollment period completed by the student. The percentage of the period that the stu-dent remained enrolled is derived by dividing the number of days the student attended by the number of days in the period. Calendar days (including weekends) are used, but breaks of at least 5 days are excluded from both the numerator and denomi-nator.
Until a student has passed the 60% point of an enrollment period, only a portion of the student’s aid has been earned. A student who remains enrolled beyond the 60% point is considered to have earned
all awarded aid for the enrollment period.
Earned aid is not related in any way to institu-tional charges. In addition, the College’s refund pol-icy and return of Title IV Funds procedures are inde-pendent of one another. A student who withdraws from a course may be required to return unearned aid and still owe the College for the course. For more information on Columbia College withdrawal and institutional charges, please refer to the Fees section of the Catalog.
The responsibility to repay unearned Title IV aid is shared by Columbia College and the student. For example, the calculation may require Columbia College to return a portion of federal funds to the Federal Title IV programs. In addition, the student may also be required to return funds based on the calculation. A student returns funds to the Federal Stafford Loan programs based on the terms and con-ditions of the promissory note of the loan. A student who receives a Federal Pell Grant may be required to repay 50% of the funds received. The return of federal aid is in the following order: Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans, Subsidized Federal Stafford loans, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal PLUS (Parent) Loans, Federal Pell Grants, and Federal SEOG (Supplemental Educational Oppor-tunity Grant).
Students who owe funds to a grant program are required to make payment of those funds within 45 days of being notified that they owe this overpay-ment. During the 45 day period students will remain eligible for Title IV funds. If no positive action is taken by the student within 45 days of being notified, Columbia College will notify the U.S. Department of Education of the student’s overpayment situation. The student will no longer be eligible for Title IV funds until they enter into a satisfactory repayment agreement with the U.S. Department of Education.
During the 45-day period, the student can make full payment to Columbia College of the overpay-ment. The College will forward the payment to the U.S. Department of Education and the student will remain eligible for Title IV funds. Please make the check payable to Columbia College, attn: Director of Accounting.
If a student is unable to pay the overpayment in full, he/she can set up a repayment plan with the U.S. Department of Education. Before doing this the stu-dent should contact the Columbia College Home Financial Aid Office to confirm that his/her situation has been referred to the U.S. Department of Education before any repayment plan can be set up.
U.S. Department of Education
Student Financial Assistance Programs P.O. Box 4222
For examples of the Return of Title IV Funds cal-culations or questions regarding the overpayment policy, please contact the Student Financial Services Office.
STATE FINANCIAL AID
Charles Gallagher Student Financial Assistance Program (formerly Missouri Grant)
This grant of up to $1500 is available to residents of Missouri and is based on financial need. Application is made by completing the FAFSA before April 1. Students must be enrolled full-time at Columbia College to be eligible.
FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID
Federal Pell Grant
The Federal Pell Grant is available to undergrad-uate students and ranges from $400 to $4,050 per academic year based on the financial need of the student.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
SEOG is a grant available for undergraduates and ranges from $200 to $1500 per academic year based on the financial need of the student.
Federal Perkins Loan Program
Perkins Loans are low-interest (5%) loans that must be repaid. The maximum annual loan amount is $1500 for undergraduate students. This program is based on financial need.
Federal Work-Study Program
This program provides jobs for students who demonstrate financial need. Students work either on or off campus earning minimum wage or above. This program is based on the financial need of the student. Information is available from the Student Financial Services Office.
Federal Stafford Loan Program
This program provides subsidized or unsubsi-dized loans to students. The government pays the interest on a subsidized Stafford Loan while the stu-dent is enrolled and during their grace period. The student is responsible for paying the interest that accrues on an unsubsidized Stafford Loan. Loans must be repaid and are based on credits applicable to the student’s degree program. Students must be enrolled at least half-time (three hours per session) to be eligible. Loan application forms are available from Student Financial Services. Students may also apply electronically at www.ccis.edu/offices/finan-cialaid.
Federal PLUS Loan Program
This is an unsubsidized loan made to parents and must be repaid. If a student’s parents do not
qualify for a PLUS loan, the student may be eligible for additional Stafford Loan funds.
SUMMER AID
Financial aid is available during the summer pro-gram in the form of Federal Pell Grant, Federal Work-Study (if funding permits), Federal Perkins Program (if funding permits), and the Federal Stafford Loan Program. Specific information and application mate-rials for summer assistance may be obtained in the Student Financial Services Office.
ONLINE CAMPUS
Federal financial aid may be available for Online Education. Information regarding individual eligibility is available in the Student Financial Services Office.
FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION
If you have any questions about the College’s financial aid program, call the Student Financial Services Office for assistance at (573) 875-7390.Additional financial aid is available at Columbia College’s web site: www.ccis.edu
SCHOLARSHIPS, GRANTS AND
AWARDS
Scholarships, awards and grants are forms of “gift” assistance that do not require repayment. Some awards are automatic based on specific criteria. Other scholarships, awards and grants are made available in recognition of performance or special tal-ent. Generally, scholarships, awards, and grants are non-need based forms of financial assistance. Students must submit the Columbia College Application for Financial Assistance to be considered for any of the following scholarships, grants or awards. (Consideration for any state and/or federal programs also requires completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid- FAFSA.)
ALMM/PLA WOMEN’S ACHIEVEMENT SCHOL-ARSHIP
Criteria: Presented to a day, evening or nursing stu-dent who is female, age 25 or over with at least a 2.75 GPA.
CAROL FROBISH SCHOLARSHIP
Criteria: Presented to a returning female business major with at least a 3.0 GPA.
EVENING CAMPUS SCHOLARSHIP
Evening Campus.
Criteria: Awarded to a student in the Evening Campus, 25 years of age or older, with a 3.5 or high-er cumulative G.P.A., who has earned at least 42 credit hours from Columbia College. When more than one student qualifies, G.P.A., financial need, and service to the College or community will be con-sidered.
FRANK WESTLING SCHOLARSHIP
This award was established in 1998 to honor and memorialize Frank S. Westling, former Dean of the Extended Studies Division of Columbia College, by his family and friends.
Criteria: Awarded to an ESD student attending a branch location at the time award is given, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, who has met the residence requirement for the degree being sought.
JACKOLYN LOIS BARNHOUSE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
This award was established in 1999 to honor and memorialize Jackolyn Lois Barnhouse who was “a woman, good without pretense, blessed with plain reason, and with sober sense.” -Alexander Pope Criteria: Awarded to an Evening Campus student who is a single mother concentrating her studies in Humanities, with a minimum of 24 hours completed at Columbia College and a 2.5 GPA or higher at Columbia College.
LIZBETH BRYDGES METSCHER SCHOLARSHIP
This award was established in 1983 by several mem-bers of the College staff in honor of Lizbeth Brydges Metscher, a valued and respected member of the Evening faculty who has provided encouragement and support to evening students.
Criteria: Awarded to a returning female Evening stu-dent 30 years of age or older, who has a 3.0 or high-er cumulative grade point avhigh-erage and who has earned 42 or more credit hours from Columbia College.
MARY ALICE ROBERTSON SIMON-MERIDETH SCHOLARSHIP
Criteria: Presented to a major in either mathematics or science. Student must have at least a 3.0 GPA.
MARY ISABEL OMER SCHOLARSHIP
Criteria: Junior or senior day or evening students majoring in psychology (counseling) or education (w/strong emphasis in psyc). Must have grade point averages of 3.0 or higher and show evidence of need. (Cross-listed with Education and History & Social Sciences).
ROBERT M. MCDANIELS SCHOLARSHIP
This award was established in honor of Robert M. McDaniels, class of ‘76, former Director of the Evening Campus, in recognition of his many years of excellent leadership of the program.
Criteria: Awarded to a returning, full-time, non-tradi-tional Evening student who is 25 years of age or older, has a 3.0 or higher cumulative grade point average and who has earned 42 or more credit hours from Columbia College.
ROSE LAMB ACCOUNTING SCHOLARSHIP
This award was established in honor of Rose Lamb, class of ‘98, a former Evening accounting student. Criteria: Awarded to an Evening accounting student who has 12 hours of accounting with a minimum 3.25 G.P.A.; an overall G.P.A. of 3.0; and evidence of financial need. A Letter of Application stating the student’s goals and need for the scholarship must be submitted along with the application.
TWO-IN-FAMILY GRANT
These grants of up to $200 per academic year are available to students who apply and have an imme-diate family member who is also a student at Columbia College. This is not a need-based award but students must be enrolled full-time to qualify.
OUTSIDE SOURCES
Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits
Students with physical or mental disabilities may be eligible to receive benefits from the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation. Assistance may include counseling; training for vocational, technical, or pro-fessional employment; and funding for books, sup-plies, maintenance, medical services, and trans-portation. To apply, students should contact the regional Department of Vocational Rehabilitation. Missouri residents may write to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
War Orphans or Armed Services Benefits
If students are dependents of veterans who died or were permanently disabled as a result of military duty, are between the ages of 18 and 26, and are enrolled on a full-time basis, they may be eligible for educational benefits. Students may contact their regional Veteran's Administration office or the Veterans Coordinator, Columbia College, (573) 875-7504.
GI Educational Benefits
For additional information and application materials, contact the Veterans Coordinator, Columbia College, (573) 875-7504.
Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA)
Students may be eligible to receive benefits from JTPA. Assistance may include counseling; training for vocational, technical, or professional employ-ment; and funding for tuition and books. To apply, contact the Work Connections Office in your area.
