Financial Aid Information & Forms
1. Applying
The first step to applying for financial aid is completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). (If you are a DACA student, military dependent, or fall under the Tuition Equity Provision and would not be eligible to complete the FAFSA, you will want to consider completing the VASA application. www.vasaapp.org) Information provided on the FAFSA is calculated by the U.S. Department of Education to determine your financial need before sending the results to P&HCC. The Financial Aid Office has a June 1 priority deadline for guaranteed award notification for the beginning of each academic year. All students meeting this deadline will be processed in time for fall registration in August. Financial aid applications received after June 1 are still processed on a first-come, first-served basis; however, they may not be processed in time to receive aid before fall classes begin. For assistance completing the FAFSA, view step-by-step instructions or online videos.
By submitting your FAFSA you automatically are considered for any of P&HCC’s state or federally funded grants. Grants are funds that do not need be repaid. They are awarded based on qualifications specified by each individual grant.
’Students considering loans, which are borrowed funds that must be repaid, should seek private/alternative student loans as P&HCC does not participate in the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program.
2. Processing of FAFSA
After submitting the FAFSA, it normally takes approximately 3-5 business days for the U.S. Department of Education to process it.
Additionally, approximately 30% of applicants are randomly selected for a verification process. If selected, the applicant is contacted by P&HCC to provide additional information. Once the additional information is submitted by the applicant, it can take an additional 10-14 business days to receive the results.
3. Award
Once a decision is made, the award notification will be sent to the student’s Message Center. Any award(s) will post for the student to view in the Student Service Center and allow them to charge tuition and/or books based upon the award amount. First-time students are also sent an email, requesting that they log into their student account to view messages.
4. Register
Once the award has been received, students are encouraged to receive academic advising to assure the classes being taken are in their program of study. An academic advisor will instruct students on how to register for classes. If a student registers for classes before receiving financial aid, it’s the student’s responsibility to pay for classes. If payment is not made, then the student may be backed out of classes and have to register again.
5. Refunds
Any balance after classes are paid for is refunded to the student approximately the sixth week of classes. Find information about your account by logging into the student SIS portal and selecting Manage Refunds in the Student Center.
6. Withdrawals and Returns
If you withdraw or cease attending, you may be required to pay any “unearned” portion of your aid back to the school. In some cases, this may also generate a debt to the Department of Education. Based on the dates of your attendance, a calculation will be made to determine your "unearned" portion.
If you do not repay the portion of financial aid funds for which you are responsible, you may be reported to the state for collection. This applies to all students who receive Federal and/or State funds (i.e. Pell Grant, SEOG, COMA, VGAP) and have ceased attending classes. Thus, you should always speak to an advisor before you stop attending. The Financial Aid Office can discuss with you how enrollment changes will impact your grant funds.
Important Links
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Work-Study
Financial Aid Award Package Information
Cost of Attendance
Work Study
Looking for a job that will work with your class schedule? Work study positions are a great option!
What: As a federally sponsored program, Work Study is designed to provide temporary part-time employment for college students.
Where: Employment opportunities are on various P&HCC sites and with some off-campus non-profit organizations.
How: After completing the FAFSA, you simply complete the Work Study Application for any area that interests you.
The program ‘Terms and Conditions’ are included in the application. Signing the application is an acceptance of these terms.
Note: Applications are reviewed by the financial aid office for eligibility. Those who are eligible are scheduled for interviews in the area of their choice. If the interviewing supervisor determines the student is a good fit for their area, the student is directed to request an appointment with Human Resources to begin the required paperwork for payroll.
What are the various types of Financial Aid?
Under this federal program, students are entitled to financial aid that varies according to the student’s financial need and to the cost of education. The grant is made to students who are enrolled in an eligible program of study and is prorated according to the number of credits enrolled each semester.
Federal Pell Grant students with the lowest expected family contribution (EFC) will be eligible for FSEOG of at least $200 from federal funds. All applicants for financial aid who complete a FAFSA and are eligible for the Pell Grant are given consideration for the FSEOG funds if funding is available.
This is a state grant that will assist with tuition only. Students who are enrolled at least half-time, are domiciliary residents of Virginia, and demonstrate financial need will be considered for this grant if funding is available.
This grant assists with tuition for students who are entering college for the first time. They must enroll full-time, be graduates of a Virginia high school, have a GPA of at least 2.5 and demonstrate financial need. This grant is renewable if full-time status and GPA of at least 2.0 are maintained.
This grant assists eligible students who enroll for 1 to 8 credits, who generally, because of their less than half-time status, do not qualify for other forms of financial aid. This grant also assists with tuition only and based upon available funding.
The G3 Program is a tuition assistance program for any Virginia resident who qualifies for instate tuition and whose family income falls below an identified threshold. Eligible students may enroll in designated programs leading to jobs in high-demand fields.
This federally sponsored program provides students part-time employment on the college campus or with off-campus non-profit organizations to help with educational costs while attending college. Students must be enrolled for at least six credit hours that are in their program of study, demonstrate financial need, and maintain academic progress to be considered. Students desiring this form of assistance should complete the Work-Study application and fill out the FAFSA for that academic year.
Loans are borrowed funds and require repayment according to the creditor’s guidelines. By accepting a loan, students have a legal responsibility to pay the loan amount as instructed in their Promissory Note. Patrick & Henry Community College does not participate in the Federal Family Education Loan Programs (Federal Stafford, Federal Perkins, and Federal Plus). Students who may need to consider loans to attend P&HCC will need to seek private student loans (sometimes referred to as alternative student loans).
Provided funding is available, the P&HCC Foundation provides scholarships which are financial awards to students on the basis of grades, community service or other requirements set forth by individual scholarship donors. Gifts from individuals and local community organizations have made the following scholarships possible. They are available to all qualified students enrolled at P&HCC. See our P&HCC scholarship page for more details.
Scholarships outside of P&HCC are scholarships of which Patrick & Henry Community College has been made aware. Scholarships listed on this site are through outside lenders, businesses, foundations, or individuals and may be used not only at Patrick & Henry Community College but any college that meets the qualifications. Go to our outside scholarships page to see just a few.
Contact
P&HCC’s Financial Aid Office
Call: 276-656-0317
Fax: 276-632-0189
finaid@patrickhenry.edu
Walker 246
Mon– Fri: 8am – 5pm