Office of Financial Aid
Although we offer one of the lowest tuition rates in the state of of Ohio, financing the college experience still presents itself as an obstacle to degree attainment. The Office of Financial Aid at Terra State Community College provides several options for financial assistance to help students overcome financial burdens. This aid includes grants, loans, internal and external scholarships and work study programs. The Office of Financial Aid works hard to administer these these programs under policies established by the state and federal governments.
Terra State’s Office of Financial Aid is located on the first floor of Roy Klay Hall, Building A. Assistance is provided to students and parents with general financial aid questions. Please know that due to federal privacy laws we can only provide answers for specific questions about financial aid to students or people listed on the FERPA release with the Record’s Office. To add someone on the FERPA release: 1. Go to my.terra.edu 2. Click on Links. 3. Click on Banner Self-Service. 4. Enter your Username and Password. 5. Click on Student Tab. 6. Click on Student Account. 7. Click on FERPA consent and follow directions.
Financial Aid Eligibility for Federal Student Financial Aid
To receive any type of federal financial aid, a student must:
- Be a United States citizen or an eligible non-citizen;
- Be accepted for admission to and enrolled in the college;
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP);
- Comply with Selective Service requirements;
- Have a high school diploma or a GED.
- Apply for financial aid and have financial need, based on the FAFSA information;
- Be enrolled as a regular student in an eligible program;
- Not be in default on a Perkins Loan (or National Direct Loan), Federal Direct Loan (or Guaranteed Student Loan), PLUS Loan or Supplemental Loan for Students (SLS);
- Not owe a refund on a Federal Pell Grant or Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
- Accurately verify income and other application data if requested by the Office of Financial Aid;
- Agree to use any federal student aid received for educational purposes; and
- Comply with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act. Eligibility for any of the programs may be suspended or terminated by a court as part of a conviction for possessing or dispensing illegal drugs.
Financial Aid Application Procedures
The starting point to determine financial aid eligibility is completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To complete the FAFSA, students should visit https://studentaid.gov. There will be basic instructions provided to gather information to determine eligibility in all financial aid programs sponsored by the Federal government. Based upon the information provided, the United States Department of Education will determine eligibility for federal student financial aid. Upon completion of the FAFSA, notification will be sent providing eligiblity determination. Additionally, the FAFSA will determine whether a student is considered dependent or independent.
The school code for Terra State Community College is 008278. Students who do not have Internet access may complete the FAFSA by visiting the Office of Financial Aid. Computers with Internet access are available there.
Financial aid is awarded for one academic year, summer fall and spring. Students should reapply for financial aid prior to each academic year. It is highly recommended that you fill out the FAFSA as soon as you can after October 1st each year, to ensure that you do not miss out on available aid. Do not assume you are not eligible for financial aid. Review the information below and apply for financial aid today!
Financial aid application processing may take several weeks. To ensure timely processing, we strongly encourage students to complete the FAFSA no later than six weeks before the start of the term. If the student does not complete the FAFSA in a timely manner they will need to contact the College Cashier’s Office to make any necessary payment arrangements.
Enrollment Requirements for Financial Aid Recipients
Financial Aid awards are adjusted each semester to correspond to the student’s enrollment status. Enrollment status is evaluated and determined on the 15th calendar day of each session during each semester.
Enrollment changes before the date could affect award amounts. In order to help ensure all financial aid is received, contact the Office of Financial Aid prior to dropping, withdrawing, or adding a class.
The Federal Pell Grant recognizes four primary enrollment levels:
- Full-time (12 or more credit hours)
- Three-quarter time (9-11 credit hours)
- Half-time (6-8 credit hours)
- Less than half-time (1-5 credit hours)
Federal Direct Loans and Parents Plus Loans recognize the following enrollment levels:
- Full-time (12 or more credit hours)
- Three-quarter time (9-11 credit hours)
- Half-time (6 -8 credit hours)
- Students enrolled in 5 or less credit hours are not eligible to receive Federal Direct Loans.
Annual Maximums for Direct Loans
First Year Dependent Student - $3,500 for a subsidized interest loan. Combination of subsidized and unsubsidized interest loan or an unsubsidized interest loan, and an additional $2,000 unsubsidized interest loan
Second Year Dependent Student - $4,500 for a subsidized interest loan. Combination of subsidized and unsubsidized interest loan or an unbsubsidized interest loan, and an additional $2,000 unsubsidized interest loan.
First Year Independent Student - $3,500 for a subsidized interest loan. $6,000 for an unsubsidized interest loan.
Second Year Independent Stuent - $4,500 for a subsidized interest loan. $6,000 for an unsubsidized interest loan.
A first-year student is a student with 0 - 30 completed credit hours in an eligible program. A second-year student is a student with 31 or more completed credit hours in an eligible program.
The FAFSA determines if a student’s status is Dependent or Independent and determines eligibility for Direct Subsidized or Unsubsidized Loans. Subsidized Direct Loans are awarded based on financial need. With a Direct Subsidized Loan, the governmant pays the interest on the loan while the student is in shcool and during the six-month grace period. First-time borrowers taking out Federal Direct Subsidized Loans on or after July 1, 2013 are subject to the 150% Direct Subsidized Loan Limit, which limits the amount of time a student is eligible to borrow subsidized loans to 150% of their published program length.
Unsubsidized Direct Loans are loans with interest that is not paid by the government. The borrower is responsible for the interest on an unsubsidized loan from the date the loan is disbursed, even while the student is in school. Students may defer paying interest while they are in school by capitalizing the interest, which increases the overall payoff amount of the loan.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant can be awarded to Pell-eligible students with at least one credit hour. FSEOG awards are for students who have the most need, based on the FAFSA information.
Federal Work Study employees must be enrolled in at least six credit hours. Notification of eligibility does not guarantee the attainment of FWS employment. All student employment is dependent on availability of funding. Students interested in the FWS employment should contact Human Resources or visit http://agency.governmentjobs.com/terracc/default.cfm for available positions.
Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy
The Office of Financial Aid monitors Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) at the end of each semester (including summer) for recipients of federal and state financial aid.
- At the conclusion of each semester, students who do not meet the minimum SAP requirements are notified and either placed on Financial Aid Warning (“FA Warning”) or Financial Aid Suspension (“FA Suspension”).
- Students placed on FA Warning have one semester to meet SAP eligibility or they will be placed on FA Suspension the following semester. FA Warning students are eligible for financial aid and do not need to appeal.
- Students placed on FA Suspension are no longer eligible for federal financial aid.
Minimum Requirements
- Students who receive federal and/or state financial aid must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Minimum qualitative and quantitative standards must be met to maintain eligibility for all federal/ state financial aid programs.
- The minimum required cumulative grade point average (GPA) is 2.0. GPAs are not rounded up.
- The minimum Completion Rate (CR) is 67%. Completion Rate is defined as the percentage of credit hours earned out of credit hours attempted.
- Grades listed in the Grading System segment of the Academic Practices, Policies, and Procedures section (i.e. W, AU, CR, etc.) count as credit hours attempted for federal student aid standards even though they do not count in the college’s calculation of cumulative grade point average.
- The minimum required Maximum Time Frame (MTF) is 150% of the academic program’s required credits, with an aggregate ceiling of 200 Terra State credits. MTF is defined as the maximum amount of time a student has to complete a federal aid eligible program (degree or certificate) while receiving federal financial aid.
MTF examples are outlined below:
| Total Credits to Complete Program |
Maximum Number of Credits Allowed |
| 30 |
45 |
| 60 |
90 |
Appealing to Regain Financial Aid Eligibility
Students with extenuating circumstances (see chart below) can appeal being suspended from receiving federal financial aid by completing the SAP Appeal form. To do so, you must complete the following steps:
- Meet with an Academic Advisor to complete the academic plan section on the appeal form, including a written explanation detailing the circumstances which led to the current SAP status. This explanation should address each semester that did not meet SAP standards;
- Attach any applicable supporting documentation, per the chart below.
If the appeal is approved, the student will be placed on SAP appeal approved status and will be eligible for financial aid. However, in order to continue eligibility, the student must meet all conditions associated with the approval of the appeal.
Approved Appeals
Approved appeals require the student to successfully follow the approved academic plan (as completed on the appeal form), which includes:
- Taking only courses listed on the academic plan;
- Not withdrawing from any courses;
- Earning a “C” or better in all courses.
- Incompletes will be considered non-passing grades and will result in loss of Federal Financial Aid eligibility.
Extenuating Circumstances
| The extenuating circumstances that may be considered include: |
Supporting Documentation Required (must be on letterhead, signed and dated): |
| Medical Condition of Self or Immediate Family Member |
- Statement from physician
- Medical documents
|
| Death of Immediate Family Member |
- Obituaries or death certificate indicating relationship to student
|
| Change in Employer Requirements |
- Statement from one’s employer/supervisor
|
| Caregiver Obligations |
- For relationship other than dependent, statement form physician of relationship and obligations of caregiver
- Statement or document from third-party and obligations of caregiver (i.e.: hospital, school, company, etc.)
|
| Change of major |
- Statement indicating new major
|
| Transfer of credits from another institution |
- Copy of Terra State courses and grades (unofficial transcript)
|
If you are suspended from financial aid due to reaching maximum time frame as a resut of; changing your program, graduating but coming back to Terra State Community College to acquire a new credential, or transferring credits from another institution, contact the Office of Financial Aid.
Financial Aid Payment
All federal and state aid is sent directly to Terra State Community College. Financial Aid is posted on the students’ account for payment of tuition, books and eligible fee charges. Awards are disbursed and tuition and fees are charged for one academic semester/term at a time. If financial aid is greater than the tuition and fee charges, students may utilize a certain portion of that credit to purchase educational books and supplies at the College Store. Excess funds will be provided to students beginning no sooner than the sixth week of the term. Students should pay close attention to their account via Banner Self-Service. Once financial aid has posted to an account, refunds of any excess aid will be made within 14 days.
Return of Federal Student Aid Calculations
Federal student aid is provided to students on a term-by-term basis to make progress towards a degree or eligible certificate program. Financial aid is awarded based on the premise that a student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Title IV funds that the student was originally scheduled to receive Students, therefore, have the responsibility of attending and being academically engaged in their courses in order to earn all of their aid. Federal regulations mandate that all institutions return certain amounts of unearned aid to the Department of Education if they completely withdraw from a term and do not earn their aid If a student never attends classes, all aid will be returned. If a student stops attending classes, or officially (or unofficially) withdraws from all classes during the term, the College calculates the amount of unearned aid and returns it to the appropriate program, i.e. Pell, Federal Direct Subsidized Loan, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, etc.
For example: a student enrolls full-time for fall semester and receives $2500 of federal student aid. Fall semester has 112 calendar days. The student officially withdraws from all classes on the 56th calendar day of the term. The student earns 50% of the $2500 ($1250). The other 50% has to be returned to the aid program. This may create an outstanding balance owed to Terra State Community College. Students are responsible for repaying this liability to the College Cashier’s Office. Please note that students cannot appeal any charges related to the return of federal aid as returning unearned aid is required by law.
It is recommended that federal student aid recipients consult with a financial aid advisor prior to withdrawing from all classes. Students should contact their instructors to discuss current progress and possible solutions to academic challenges. Students are also encouraged to visit the Academic Success Center to seek out free services (Math Lab, Writing Lab, or tutoring) for help in developing proficiencies in weak academic areas.
Terra State Community College Scholarships
Terra College Foundation Scholarships
The development activities of the Terra College Foundation support scholarships which range in award from $250 to $1000. Please visit http://terra.edu_us/terra_college_foundation/foundation_scholarships.php for a list of all Terra College Foundation Scholarships.
Scholarship Application Procedures
- Apply for admission to Terra State Community College.
- Submit your official high school transcript to the College’s Admissions Office.
- Complete the ACCUPLACER assessment or ACT college examination. The ACCUPLACER assessment is available free of charge through Terra State.
- Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Terra State’s school code on the FAFSA is 008278. Assistance with applying for FAFSA on the web is available from the College’s Office of Financial Aid.
- Complete the Terra State Community College Scholarship Application on the Terra State student application portal.
- The application priority deadline is March 1. Applications received after the March 1 priority deadline may still receive consideration as funds are available.
Veterans Educational Benefits Information
Students with veteran eligibility through the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) may be certified to receive VA educational benefits by speaking to one of the School Certifying Officials (SCO). Contact the Registar’s Office in A200 for the current official’s contact information.
How To Apply For Benefits
Veterans or eligible dependents wishing to enroll should:
- Identify on your Terra application as a veteran or eligible dependent and contact Admissions for the SCO’s information.
- Complete the VA Application Form for Education Benefits. The VA application form is available online at www.gibill.va.gov. This form should be completed, and submitted, to the VA as early as possible before the start of the enrollment period.
- Provide a copy of the following to the SCO
- COE (Certificate of Eligibility) or NOBE (Notice of Basic Eligibility)
- Veteran’s DD214 (Authorization for Separation from Active Duty)
- Indicate the applicant’s VA Claim Number on the application, if a prior claim was filed with the VA.
- Meet with an Academic Advisor every term to register in courses meeting the curriculum requirements in the student’s program of study.
Every term, the Veterans Resource Center reviews and certifies each veteran identified as receiving benefits for the number of credit hours taken.
Change of Program/Objective
Veterans who have used VA benefits in the past and have entitlement remaining may change their original objective or program of study by completing the Request for Change of Program or Place of Training (VA Form 22-1995) online at www.gibill.va.gov. or by requesting a paper copy from the SCO on campus. Please bring a copy of this form to the SCO.
Change of Course Schedule
Veterans who wish to change their course schedules during the term should meet with their Academic Advisor to understand the options available and consequences that will occur with your VA benefits if you choose to drop a class.
Re-enrollment
Veterans who wish to enroll for classes following a complete withdrawal or lapse in enrollment should reapply to Terra State and meet with an Academic Advisor so the correct classes may be registered for based on your degree and proper certification can be made by the SCO.
Responsibilities of Veteran Students
Veteran students should be sure to:
- Consult an Academic Advisor each semester and enroll in courses meeting the curriculum requirements of the program of study.
- Attend classes regularly and complete course requirements satisfactorily to continue receiving VA benefits.
- Notify the School Certifying Official when they want to:
- Add classes
- Drop or withdraw from classes
- Stop attending classes
- Change name, address and/or telephone number
- Change educational major
- Have any concerns or questions about benefits
Credit for Military Training
Terra State Community College recognizes the value of military training and experience and accepts the American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations for credit. There is no charge for the evaluation of military experience credits. In order to receive credit for military training, a Veteran must request an official transcript be sent to the College’s Records Office.
Transcripts from the Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy are available at jst@doded.mil. Air Force transcripts are available at www.au.af.mil/au/ccaf/transcripts.
Veteran Credit Hour Payment Status
| Credit Hours Per Term |
VA Payment Status |
| 12 or More |
Full-time |
| 9-11 |
Three-quarter-time |
| 6-8 |
Half-time |
| 5 or less |
Less-than-half-time |
|
