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When students complete the FAFSA, their eligibility for federal loans will be determined. Students do not need to complete a separate application (except for the PLUS loan). When they go into Web Advisor to review their Financial Aid Awards, they will be able to accept or reject the student loans offered. The amount of loan will be limited to $5,500 for a 1st year student and $6,500 for a 2nd year student. Independent students may qualify for more and should contact the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office for more information.
If students accept the loans, they will receive an e-mail outlining the steps needed to complete the loan process. This could include completing Promissory Notes. Students new to Sinclair and new to the loan program will be required to complete the Loan Entrance Counseling Session available online at www.studentloans.gov.
Note: If students do not have an offered loan on Web Advisor, they may not be eligible for a loan. Contact a financial aid representative for more information.
Once you are registered for the term, scholarships and/or state grants will be applied toward tuition. Ten (10) days before the term begins, your accepted federal financial aid will be applied toward any remaining tuition and fees. If students have accepted the awards but the balance has not been paid, they need to contact the Financial Aid office. If you are only registered for B term or late starting classes, federal aid will not pay until ten (10) days before the start of your B term or late starting classes.
Please note that first time student loan borrowers will not be eligible for federal loan funds to disburse until the 31st day of the term after the student begins classes. If funds are remaining after tuition and fees have been paid the student may, if authorized, use the funds to buy books. After the start of the term, any federal financial aid not used on tuition, fees, and/or books will be eligible for refund. Refunds are issued by the Bursar during the term after verification of attendance is established. Please visit refund information and policy webpage for more information, as well as steps to select how you want your refund delivered.
The financial aid will still be processed as quickly as possible. However, students may have to pay tuition charges by the payment deadline date or enroll in the Payment Plan at paymentplan.sinclair.edu. Check the NelNet Payment Plan web site for the enrollment deadline dates. Once the financial aid process is complete, students may be reimbursed up to the amount of the accepted awards, if any.
Yes, a student’s course schedule may impact eligibility of Federal financial aid awards. The following information only applies in the consideration of the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Federal Direct Loans, and Federal Work-Study.
For a course to be considered in the eligibility determination of a student’s Federal financial aid, the course must be required for the student’s eligible program of study or a remedial course that meets the federal financial aid eligibility requirements.
The credit hours for eligible coursework impacts the amount of Pell Grant a student can receive. Additionally, it can impact a student’s eligibility for Federal student loans and Federal Work Study if the student is not enrolled in at least 6 eligible hours. If the eligible hours are less than full time, the federal financial aid may be adjusted and as a result, may affect the student’s refund or in some cases, may cause a balance.
Sinclair offers students part-time employment opportunities on campus. Students can look for job postings and apply for positions in JobLink.
Positions are categorized as Regular or Work Study. Any student can apply for regular positions. Students must have a Federal Work Study award on Web Advisor to apply for Work Study Only positions. Students who do not have a Federal Work Study award may contact a financial aid representative to see if you qualify. Learn more about work study here.
Also available are internship opportunities. Working as a student not only offers income to help pay for classes, but also provides resume building experience.
Scholarship applications are available at www.sinclair.edu/scholarships. Scholarships may also be included in your financial aid package.
The guarantee date is the date that all required documents must be received by the Financial Aid office in order for the financial aid process to be complete by the payment due date. Please visit the Priority Guarantee Dates link on our webpage.
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.gov. List Sinclair as the school to receive your information (School Code: 003119).
View help video: How do I apply for financial aid?
After tuition and fees are paid, students may use remaining federal financial aid or scholarships up to a maximum of $1000 per term to purchase books in the Sinclair Bookstore. Students must show their Tartan Card for identification. Book charge dates can be found at sinclair.ecampus.com. More information on Financial Aid for textbooks can be found here www.sinclair.edu/finaid-textbooks.
View help video: Will financial aid pay for all of my expenses?
Assistance given to students to help meet the difference between the student’s costs and the amount they are able to pay. Financial aid can be one of four types:
View help video: What is financial aid?
This is the application the federal government, the state agency and the school uses to determine your eligibility for financial aid.
View help video: What is the FAFSA?
The financial aid staff provides workshops to help students complete the application online. The workshop dates and locations are available in the financial aid office and at www.sinclair.edu/enroll/how-to/fafsa-workshops/.
The results from the FAFSA will be received electronically. Students will be sent an e-mail to their Sinclair e-mail address if additional documentation is needed to complete the file.
Students will be sent an e-mail to their Sinclair e-mail address when their file is complete and their financial aid awards are available to review on Web Advisor at my.sinclair.edu. They will need to accept the awards before the funds will be available to pay their tuition.
It is possible to use financial aid for all three terms. State grants and federal loans can be used for all three terms. The Federal Pell Grant will be awarded over two terms with a possible option for the third term if student meets eligibility requirements for a second scheduled Pell Grant award. The number of terms in which scholarships are awarded will vary based on the criteria of each scholarship.
Students are not required to attend full time, but most financial aid is prorated for students enrolled in fewer than 12 credit hours per term. Some financial aid requires the students to be enrolled at least 6 credit hours--such as loans, some scholarships, work study, etc. Contact a financial aid representative for more information.
View help video: Do I have to be enrolled full-time to receive financial aid?
Apply once each academic year. The academic year at Sinclair Community College starts with fall term and ends with summer term. The FAFSA is available after January 1 for the next year at www.fafsa.gov .
View help video: Do I have to reapply for financial aid each year?
Subsidized: The federal government pays interest while borrower is in school or under a deferment status.
Unsubsidized: Borrower is responsible for interest during life of the loan.
PLUS+: Loan available to parents of dependent students.
The parent must complete the Parent Loan form to apply for the PLUS loan. These forms are available in the Financial Aid & Scholarships office or on the web site. The parent will also be required to complete promissory notes.
View help video: What is the difference between a subsidized and an unsubsidized loan? | What is a PLUS Loan?
Since the class is no longer on the students’ schedule, financial aid may need to be adjusted. Depending on the time of the term, you may be able to add a class to avoid any changes with your financial aid. Students will be responsible for updating their schedule or paying any balance caused by a reduction in financial aid.
There are several points to consider before dropping classes. These are reviewed on the “Dropping a Class” flyer at www.sinclair.edu/www/assets/File/Hom-EnrAid-FinAid/DropClassflyer12.pdf. Please contact a financial aid representative before dropping a class.
Sinclair Community College students receiving federal financial aid are required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) according to federal law. Academic records are reviewed for all students receiving federal financial aid or being considered for federal financial aid from the following sources:
The review of a student's SAP status is based on the entire academic record. The SAP status is monitored after each term's grades are posted. Being eligible to enroll in classes does not mean the student is maintaining SAP for federal financial aid.