What kind of Financial Aid is available at Vernon College (VC)?

VC offers various types of financial aid, including: Pell Grant, Texas Public Education Grant (TPEG), Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP), Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Toward EXcellence, Access and Success Grant (TEXAS Grant), Texas Educational Opportunity Grant (TEOG), Stafford Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, Parent Plus loan for undergraduate students (PLUS), Work Study, and Scholarships.

I am new to Financial Aid. What forms and documents will I need to apply for the Pell Grant, all these other grants, student loans and scholarships?

Scholarship applications are available at http://www.vernoncollege.edu/forms.html.  For any grant, including the PELL Grant, work study and student loans, you need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. You should also be prepared to provide VC with copies of various documents, if requested. For student loans, you must also complete additional forms, including a Master Promissory Note. Many of the required forms are available at our website www.vernoncollege.edu/forms.html.

Are there any other requirements?

Yes. There are several general eligibility requirements financial aid recipients must meet. A student must: be a US citizen or an eligible noncitizen; be registered with selective service; show documented financial need; be enrolled in an eligible program, and working toward a degree or certificate offered at VC; not be in default on a student loan or owe a refund on any educational grant; and not have a conviction for violating any federal or state drug possession or sale law while the student was receiving federal student aid.

What if I have a drug conviction?

A drug-related conviction does not necessarily make you ineligible for aid; call 1-800-433-3243 or go to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov to find out if you are eligible.

So, is that all I need to know?

In order to obtain financial aid at VC, you will need to complete an Admissions application and have your High School or G.E.D transcript on file at the Registrar's Office. If you have been to any other college or trade school, you must also have current academic transcripts from those schools on file at the Registrar's Office. If you have attended VC previously, you must demonstrate satisfactory academic progress.

What is Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)?

Students who receive federal and/or state funds administered by the VC office of Financial Aid must demonstrate satisfactory academic progress in order to remain eligible. The students academic record at VC is used to measure satisfactory progress and all periods of enrollment at VC must be counted, including any semesters in which the student did not receive financial aid. Some financial aid programs have additional satisfactory academic progress requirements.

How can I make an address change, make corrections, request a duplicate copy, check the status of my application, or list VC on my Student Aid Report?

You can call 1-800-433-3243, or you can make those changes over the Internet at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov once you have a PIN. Instructions are available at the website.

What is a PIN?

Once you have applied for financial aid, you will be emailed or mailed a PIN. This allows you access to your information. To protect the privacy of your information, you must keep your PIN secret. If you need a PIN, have lost or forgotten your PIN, or if you think someone else knows your PIN, you can request a new one at www.pin.ed.gov.

How will I get my money?

All grants and scholarships are electronically credited to your student account. You can also provide written authorization to charge your books and supplies purchased through the campus bookstore to your financial aid account.

What if I still have a balance on my account after all of my institutional charges are paid?

Your balance check will be mailed to your home address. Therefore, it is very important that you notify the admissions office if you have a change of address.

When does the financial aid office determine my enrollment status?

If the student enrolls in a compressed semester (Fall I, Fall II, Spring I, Spring II, Summer I or Summer II) or in a minimester that is included as part of the previous semester (December or May mini), the student's final enrollment status for determining grant eligibility that semester is the census date for the semester of the last course taken. If a student drops, withdraws from or adds a class before the census date, the student's enrollment status will be adjusted and the student's grant eligibility recalculated based upon any changes in enrollment status through that census date. Recalculations will include both increases and decreases in enrollment up to the census date of the student's last class.

When will I get my balance check?

They will be disbursed by the business office approximately 30 days after the beginning of the semester.

How do I determine my enrollment status?

A full-time student is enrolled in 12 or more hours. A three-quarter time student is enrolled in 9-11 hours. A half-time student is enrolled in 6-8 hours. A less-than-half time student is enrolled in 1-5 hours.

I noticed my award letter is for full-time enrollment. What happens if I enroll in fewer hours?

Your awards may be decreased. If you would like to know your award for less than full time enrollment, use the following percentages to get an approximate award amount: three-quarter time students multiply the award by 75%, half-time students multiply the award by 50% and less-than-half-time students multiply the award by 25%. Not all students that qualify for a Pell Grant at full-time enrollment will qualify for one at less-than-full-time enrollment.

I have not passed the TASP test. Will financial aid pay for remedial classes?

Financial aid will pay for 30 hours of remedial coursework. Remedial hours attempted beyond the 30 hour limit will not be included in course load for the determining enrollment status. You will not receive any financial aid if you are only enrolled in remedial classes.

Will financial aid pay for all the classes I want to take?

In order to receive financial aid, you must be taking classes that work toward a degree or certificate offered at VC. If a student is enrolled in courses that do not count toward their degree or certificate, they can not be used to determine enrollment status.

What happens if I withdraw from school?

Federal regulations require a portion of the student's financial aid be returned if the student withdraws or stops attending before completing over 60% of the semester. This could result in you owing money to VC and or the federal government. The required calculation is based on the date the student began the withdraw process, the student's last date of attendance at an academically related activity or midpoint of the semester for a student who leaves without notifying VC.

I am thinking about also going to school during the summer. Will I receive financial aid?

Texas Public Education Grants and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, unless otherwise stated, are for the Fall and Spring semesters. They will not be carried forward to the Summer semester. Funding for summer TEXAS Grants depends on the availability of funds. If you do not earn your maximum full-time Pell grant award during the Fall thru Spring semesters, your Pell Grant may be carried forward for the summer semester. Before the summer semester starts, contact the financial aid office to determine if you have any remaining eligibility.

I still owe money for the installment plan. Will my financial aid be applied to my remaining balance?

Yes. When your financial aid is posted to your account, any unpaid institutional charges (tuition and fees, books and dorm) will be paid before you receive any cash money.

Do I have to apply for financial aid each year?

YES! We like to tell students to apply for financial aid the same time they complete their tax returns.

Where can I call for more information?

For questions concerning Veteran's Benefits, please call Debbie Alexander at: (940) 696-8752. For any other questions concerning Financial Aid, please call the Financial Aid office in Vernon at (940) 552-6291 or in Wichita Falls at (940) 696-8752.

When is the Financial Aid office open?

Regular office hours are: 8:00 a.m. -- 5:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 8:00 a.m. -- 12:00 p.m., Friday. Summer hours are 7:45 a.m. -- 5:15 p.m., Monday through Thursday and Closed on. Friday.

What is your address?

Our address is:

Vernon College
4400 College Drive
Vernon, Texas 76384