金融援助 Dictionary
There are many resources available to help you secure financial aid on your Koala Journey. Find explanations for our most-used terms below to better understand your needs, your opportunities, and the tools you can use to pay for college.
- 学年: The academic year spans Fall and Spring semesters. It begins in August and ends in May.
- 援助 Eligibility: 援助 eligibility refers to a student’s academic standing. 某些奖学金和助学金有GPA要求和学分要求，以保持援助资格. 访问 Federal Student 援助 for more information.
- Citizen/Eligible Noncitizen: 接收U.S. federal aid, a student must be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.
U.S. citizens include students who were born in the United States, 美属萨摩亚, or Swains Island, and students born to parents who are citizens of the United States abroad.
Eligible noncitizens include U.S. 持有外国人登记收据卡的永久居民和持有美国入境-离境记录(I-94)的学生.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) showing specific designations. - 成本 of Attendance: 成本 of attendance (COA) is the price associated with the total expenses of being a college student. Some of the items are listed on the student bill, including College tuition and 费用, housing (for on-campus residents), and food (for students with meal plans). The other items included in the COA are calculated estimates for books, course materials, 供应, 运输, and personal expenses.
- Degree-Seeking Status: 学生必须被哥伦比亚大学的学位学习项目录取，并且至少修满一半的学分，才能获得“学位学习状态”，并有资格获得联邦财政援助.
- Expected Family Contribution (EFC): 期望家庭贡献(EFC)是一个指数，用于确定你的联邦援助资格，该指数基于教育部建立的FAFSA内的公式计算. 你的EFC是基于你的收入和资产以及你父母的，除非你被认为是独立的. This number should not be viewed as a dollar amount you will be required to contribute to educational expenses; your out-of-pocket expenses may be more or less than your EFC. The Student 援助 Index (SAI) will replace the EFC no later than July 1, 2024. For more information, visit the Federal Student 援助 website.
- 财务需要: Per The Office of Federal Student 援助, “经济需求是指在一所学校的就读成本(COA)与你的预期家庭贡献(EFC)之间的差额。. While COA varies from school to school, your EFC does not change based on the school you attend.”
金融援助 常见问题
- Why can’t I see my loans or scholarships on my student account?
If your award requires a document, it will not show on your student account until the document is complete.
- 什么是佩尔??
美国.S. 教育部通过使用学生免费申请联邦学生援助(FAFSA)上提供的信息来确定一个人是否有资格获得佩尔助学金。. For every institution of higher learning in the nation, the maximum Pell award for the 2023-2024 academic year is $7,395.
- 什么是SEOG?
联邦补充教育机会补助金(SEOG)是一项联邦拨款，提供给大学，用于支付被确定为有重大经济需求的学生. 学院根据学生无力支付个人学费的情况来确定个人是否有重大的经济需求, 费用, and room and board if the student has on-campus housing. SEOG is applied to assist the student in paying for their educational costs.
- What is the South Carolina 学费 Grant?
南卡罗来纳学费助学金是一项旨在为南卡罗来纳最贫困的学生提供额外经济支持的助学金. The financial aid office administers this grant, and the students must have a FAFSA on file. The maximum funds awarded for the current academic year is $4,800. 它是颁发给全日制学生的，如果学生留在学校，则用于学费和杂费以及食宿费.
- What is a State 援助 Affidavit?
根据州法律，所有南卡罗来纳州援助受助人每年都必须填写一份州援助宣誓书，才能获得州资金. Funds covered by this affidavit are: SC 学费 Grant, LIFE Scholarship, Palmetto Fellows, HOPE Scholarship, LIFE Enhancement Scholarship, and Palmetto Fellows Enhancement.
- What are institutional scholarships, and how are they awarded?
Institutional 奖学金 are scholarships awarded by the institution to assist students in paying tuition, 费用, and room and board for those who live on campus. 哥伦比亚大学奖学金是在申请联邦和州助学金和/或外部奖学金后颁发的.
- Why did I receive less scholarship money than I was promised in a letter I received this past summer?
学院对学生奖学金的承诺是，在所有州和联邦拨款申请支付学费后，尽可能多地提供经济援助, 费用, and room and board if the student resides on campus. 学院颁发的奖学金金额视情况而定，并可能根据学院的酌情决定进行调整.
- If I was promised a certain amount of scholarship dollars, how could the college take away my money?
The excess funding from federal loans is only 退款able to the borrower. A scholarship awarded by Columbia College is not 退款able, and the student’s account will be adjusted to $0 if his or her application generates a credit. 奖学金 that are awarded from other agencies (i.e., businesses, churches, organizations, etc.) reserve the right to advise how scholarships are designated. 一些奖学金明确规定了资金的分配方式，以及在全额支付学杂费后应该如何处理多余的资金. 例如, some scholarships specify that the funding is only to be used towards books or tuition and 费用. 除了, some scholarships require that any excess funds after tuition and 费用 have been fully covered be returned.
- I have always received a 退款. Why am I not getting one now?
在过去几年里, some students were 退款ed the remaining scholarship dollars after tuition, 费用, and room and board were covered. In keeping compliant with federal standards and industry best practices, the college will only award scholarship monies to assist a student with tuition, 费用, room and board if all are not fully covered once federal and 状态 grants have been applied.
- When can I expect a 退款?
当学生帐户上可退还的资助金额超过其学费时，将产生退款. If this happens, 退款s are generated within 14 days of the credit being on a student’s account.
- How do I receive my 退款?
The business office will notify you to inform you if you are getting a 退款. Refund dates are posted in the Koala Connection portal for your convenience.
- What are student loans?
学生贷款是联邦政府在学生入学期间借给学生的钱. Loans are monies that must be repaid once the student has stopped attending at least 6 credit hours, 毕业, and/or exhausted their grace period, which may vary based on the individual. 学生可以获得的学生贷款金额直接取决于他们的学业和抚养状况.
- What is a Priority Deadline?
The date by which your FAFSA must be received to be considered for first-come, 联邦工作学习和联邦补充教育机会补助金(FSEOG)等优先服务基金. Columbia College’s priority deadline is March 15th of every year.
- What is Verification?
Verification is a process initiated by the U.S. 教育部要求财政援助办公室验证学生FAFSA上的所有信息. 如果家长和/或学生没有使用位于FAFSA内部的IRS数据检索工具，则需要填写额外的表格，并提供学生和家长的国税局(IRS)纳税记录副本. Students are selected randomly by the Department of Education, and up to 85 percent of a school’s population can be selected for this process.
- How do I know if I am eligible for Federal Work Study?
If you are eligible to receive federal work-study, you will be sent an email to apply in Handshake.
- I received an email that I have Federal Work Study. How does Federal Work Study (FWS) Work?
- Students must apply in Handshake.
- Once the applications are received, supervisors will contact students for an interview. If the desire is to hire the student, 雇主将签署学生的授权书，同意他们被选中在他们的领域工作.
- 学生和雇主收到来自FWS办公室的“授权工作”电子邮件(学生在收到此电子邮件之前不得开始工作).
- Students are paid monthly.
- 学生和雇主负责跟踪FWS奖励余额(学生的支付不会超过他们获得的奖励).
- How much do I get paid for FWS?
If you work on campus, you will be paid $12.00 /小时. If you work in a community service position, you will be paid $15.00 /小时.
- What is the e-verification process?
E-Verify是一个基于互联网的系统，用于比较雇主从雇员的I-9表格中输入的信息, 就业 Eligibility Verification, to records available to the U.S. Department of 首页land Security and the Social Security Administration to confirm employment eligibility. All students must be e-verified in order to begin work.
- What is Satisfactory 学术 Progress (SAP)?
联邦和州法规要求经济援助接受者保持令人满意的学术进步(SAP)，以获得公认的学位. SAP applies to all undergraduate and graduate students who may or may not receive most types of federal, 状态, and institutional financial aid administered by the college. At the conclusion of each term or payment period, 火博体育官网(CC)审查所有当前注册的CC学生，以验证他们是否符合SAP要求.
- How do I maintain SAP?
To maintain SAP, you must meet the requirements below:
Cumulative Attempted Hours
(with transfer credit)*Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average
at Columbia College (GPA)1-17 1.70 18-34 1.80 35-51 1.90 51岁及以上 2.00 Graduate students must maintain a 3.02年平均绩点.
All students must have a completion rate of .6665 or 67%.
- Who do I contact with questions about my SAP?
You should contact your academic advisor for questions about your SAP status. If you have questions on how SAP affects your financial aid, you should contact the Office of Financial aid at fa@forumost.net.
- What happens with my Federal 援助 if I withdraw from the College?
获得联邦财政援助资金(第四章资金)的学生在学期或入学期结束前离开学校, 联邦法律要求哥伦比亚大学计算必须返还给联邦政府的“未赚”经济援助资金的百分比和金额. For more information on Columbia College’s withdrawal policy, please visit the withdrawals section of the 金融援助 Policies webpage.
- How do I resolve disputes with my federal student loans?
教育部的联邦学生援助监察员帮助解决与联邦学生贷款有关的争议和其他问题. The FSA特派员 encourages borrowers to make every effort to resolve their student loan problems. When a solution cannot be reached, the FSA特派员 has a process and the resources to assist borrowers.
Contact Information:FSA STUDENT LOAN OMBUDSMAN’S OFFICE - U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
FSA特派员
830 First Street N.E.
华盛顿特区.C. 20202-514
电话:202.377.3800
免费电话:877.557.2575
传真:202.275.0549- Who do I contact when I have questions about my 金融援助?
The Office of 金融援助 at fa@forumost.net or (803) 786-3612.
- Who do I contact when I have questions about my balance, 1098 - t形式, 退款, or need to make a payment?
The Office of 学费 Accounts at ta@forumost.net.