Financial Aid

The student financial aid program at Alvin Community College provides financial assistance in the form of grants, scholarships, loans and work/study jobs according to financial need, Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), and academic load. A student’s personal and family resources are considered in determining the student’s financial need. Students who apply for financial aid must:

• Complete requirements for admission to the College, including providing academic transcripts from all previous colleges attended;
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the TASFA;
• Choose a program of study (degree or certificate);
• Submit all requested documents to the Financial Aid Office.

Students must apply for financial aid online or submit a new TASFA application for re-evaluation each year. A FAFSA or TASFA should be submitted as early in the year as possible to ensure funds are available for the payment deadline. All information remains confidential. Individual assistance is available to assist students with completing the financial aid application.

Tuition and fees must be paid in full, or a payment plan set up, before a student may attend classes. If a student’s financial aid is not available when tuition payment is due, the student is responsible for tuition and fees.

Applications are accepted throughout the year, however, some funds are limited and awarded on first come first serve basis. Apply Early!

Financial Aid Disbursements

Financial Aid will be disbursed to the student’s account according to the number of credit hours enrolled by term. For example, if a student is enrolled in a total of 12 credit hours, 6 for the 16 weeks and 6 for the M2, the student will receive a partial disbursement at the census date of the 16 week term and the rest on the census date of the M2.

Federal and State Assistance Programs

Federal Pell Grant

This grant makes funds available to eligible undergraduate students who are enrolled in classes leading toward an approved ACC degree or certificate program. Students who desire to participate in this program must submit a FAFSA.

Year Round Pell allows a student to receive a Federal Pell Grant (Pell Grant) fund for up to 150 percent of the student’s Pell Grant Scheduled Award for an award year. Note that any Federal Pell Grant received will be included in determining the student’s Pell Grant duration of eligibility and Lifetime Eligibility Use, (LEU). Grants do not have to be repaid, except under certain circumstances. Students who totally withdraw from classes may be subject to repayment of Federal Pell Grant.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants

Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) is awarded to students on a first come first serve bases and must be Pell eligible. Although these funds are limited, students applying for the Federal Pell Grant will automatically be considered for this program.

Federal Work-Study Program

This program provides on-campus and off-campus employment opportunities for students who qualify on the basis of financial need. To be considered for employment under this program, the student must first fill out the FAFSA, be enrolled at least half-time, and meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

Loans

Direct Lending Program (DL) - funds come directly from the federal government. Eligibility rules and loan amounts are identical under both programs, including need requirements. Students must complete a FAFSA for the appropriate year to begin the process of applying for a loan. Federal loans may be deferred (no payments required) for students that are enrolled in at least six hours per semester.

Return of Federal Title IV Funds

Alvin Community College returns unearned funds received from Federal student assistance programs to the proper program accounts or lenders in accordance with Federal Title IV student assistance regulations, as amended, under 34CFR, section 668.22 (d) of the Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965, with rules of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and with board policies.

The student receiving assistance from Federal Title IV programs is required to complete a minimum number of hours for which assistance was received. If the student completely withdraws from school during the semester, or quits attending, but fails to officially withdraw, the student may be required to return the unearned part of the funds which were received to help pay educational expenses for the semester. Liability for return of Federal Title IV funds will be determined according to the following guidelines:

1. If a student remains enrolled and attends class beyond the 60% mark of the semester in which aid is received, all federal aid is considered earned and not subject to this policy.
2. If a student completely withdraws from all classes before completing 60% of the semester, a pro-rated portion of the federal aid received must be returned to the federal aid programs equal to the percentage of the semester remaining.
3. If a student does not officially withdraw classes and stops attending all classes, a prorated portion of the federal aid received, based on the documented last date of attendance, must be returned to the federal aid programs.
4. If a student ends the term with grades of all “FX” or combination of “FX or W” they are considered to have unofficially withdrawn, attendance in each class will be checked. A pro-rated portion of the federal aid may be owed.

The financial aid office ensures the proper amounts are returned to the appropriate Title IV programs in a timely manner, and notifies the student within 15 days of the notice of withdrawal of his or her obligation to repay funds. The business office also notifies the student of his or her obligation to repay any funds owed at the end of each semester.

The ACC business office tracks repayment. The financial aid office monitors the timing and responsibility for referring over-payments to ED.

Students can repay any funds owed through the business office. The business office accepts cash, money order or credit card. Student must contact the Business Office/Cashier at 281-756-3593 or in person at the cashier window in Building A.

Students who owe a balance to the College will have a hold placed on their student record. The hold can be released by the business office when the balance has been satisfied. Students who have an overpayment will be reported to NSLDS by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.

Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements

Federal regulations require standards of satisfactory progress for students who receive federal or state funds. NOTE: Even if a student has not yet applied for financial aid or has applied but is not receiving aid, these regulations will affect the student’s future eligibility for aid.

General Information

This information is subject to change without notice.

• The Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements apply to all hours (ACC, transfer hours, and other hours as listed below) and degree/certificate programs that have been attempted, regardless of whether or not financial aid was received for those hours.
• Official transcripts from all previous schools must be received and evaluated within the first semester of enrollment at ACC.
• ACC checks Satisfactory Academic Progress at the end of each semester (fall, spring, and summer).
• Financial aid may fund only one repeat of a previously passed course.
• Students may only receive aid at one institution per semester.
• Financial aid may be used for mini semester courses if the student has funds remaining from the term in which the course is taken.
• Satisfactory Academic Progress cannot be determined for students that receive a grade of “I”. A final grade must be posted before eligibility for aid can be determined.

Drops, Withdrawals, F and FX

• Students are required to contact the ACC Financial Aid Office before dropping or withdrawing from classes.
• Students who drop, withdraw, or receive F or FX in courses, may have to repay financial aid.
• Dropping, withdrawing, and receiving F or FX has a negative effect on a student’s completion rate, GPA, and may affect eligibility for aid.
• Reevaluation may result in the student being placed on Financial Aid Warning or Probation based on the Satisfactory Academic Progress calculation.

Completion Rate

• Students must maintain a 67% overall completion rate of all hours attempted.
• All attempted and completed hours from ACC and previous schools will be calculated in the completion rate. This includes all letter grades (A, B, C, D, F and FX), withdraws (W), incompletes (I), credit by exam and prior learning credit (S), and in-progress classes (IP). Grades of F, FX, W, I and IP will have a negative effect on the completion rate calculation.

Minimum GPA

Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA while attending ACC.

Penalties for Failing to Meet the Minimum Completion Rate or GPA

Financial Aid Warning

• Students will be placed on Financial Aid Warning status if they do not maintain an overall 67% completion rate and a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
• Students will be notified via email of the Financial Aid Warning status.
• Students will be eligible to receive financial aid for one semester while on Financial Aid Warning status.
• If a 67% overall completion rate and 2.0 cumulative GPA are not met by the end of the semester that the student is placed on Financial Aid Warning, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation.

Financial Aid Probation

• Students will be placed on Financial Aid Probation if the 67% overall completion rate and 2.0 cumulative GPA requirements are not met by the end of the semester that the student was placed on Financial Aid Warning status or exceed their time frame of 150% of attempted hours to complete their degree/certificate.
• Students will be notified via email of the Financial Aid Probation status.
• Students may submit a written appeal (form available on the ACC website) to request reinstatement of their financial aid eligibility. Only students with documentable and extenuating circumstances will be considered. (Example: death or illness of a loved one). Appeals submitted without documentation will not be considered.
• An appeal must include a thorough explanation of the circumstances with documentation, and an explanation of what circumstances have changed that allow the student to meet all requirements in the future.
• Grades of “I” cannot be appealed. A final grade must be posted before eligibility for aid can be determined. Students must meet with an Pathways Advisor to establish an academic plan to determine recommended future enrollment in order to complete their degree/certificate while meeting all Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements. A copy of the academic plan must be submitted with an appeal. As part of the appeal decision, the ACC Appeal Committee has the authority to limit the number of courses students enroll in and require that they enroll in certain courses.
• Students may only appeal once at ACC. The appeal will be reviewed by the ACC Appeal Committee. Students are notified via email of the appeal decision. The decision of the ACC Appeal Committee is final.

Reinstatement of Financial Aid Eligibility

If an appeal is denied, students must pay out-of-pocket for school until they have met all of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements.

Degree/Certificate Plan

• Students must have a declared program on file (degree or certificate) in order to receive financial aid.
• Students are only allowed to have one active degree program at ACC. Students may declare associated certificates within the same degree program.
• Students can only enroll in classes that are required for their ACC degree/certificate plan.
• Financial aid may be reduced or cancelled if enrolled classes are not required for the ACC degree/certificate plan on file.
• All attempted and completed hours from ACC and previous schools will be calculated in the attempted hours towards a degree/certificate plan. This includes all letter grades (A, B, C, D, F and FX), withdraws (W), incompletes (I), credit by exam, nontraditional experience credit (S), and in-progress classes (IP).

Maximum Time Frame to Complete Degree/Certificate

• Students must complete their degree/certificate program by attempting no more than 150% of the hours required for the degree/certificate program. Example: A degree requires 60 hours to complete, so a student must finish the degree requirements with no more than 90 hours attempted (60 x 1.5 = 90 hours).
• All hours attempted at ACC and previous schools will be calculated in the attempted hours. This includes all letter grades (A, B, C, D, F and FX), withdraws (W), incompletes (I), credit by exam, nontraditional experience credit (S), and in progress classes (IP).
• Students are considered to have met the maximum time to complete their degree/certificate plan, and are no longer eligible for aid, when the number of hours required to graduate with the degree/certificate is greater than or equal to the number of hours remaining in the maximum time calculation for the degree/certificate plan.
• Students will be notified via email if they have exceeded the maximum time to complete their degree/certificate.
• Students who have exceeded the maximum time frame for completing the ACC degree/certificate on file, may submit a written appeal (available on the ACC website) to request an extension of financial aid eligibility.
• Students may only appeal once at ACC. The appeal will be reviewed by the ACC Appeal Committee, and students are notified via email of the decision. The decision of the ACC Appeal Committee is final.

State Assistance Programs

Texas Public Education Grants (TPEG)

This grant is available to all Texas residents and eligible undocumented students who are Texas residents. These funds are limited, and awarded on a first come first serve basis. Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours to be eligible for these funds.

Texas Education Opportunity Grant (TEOG)

TEOG is also a need-based grant authorized by the State of Texas. To receive consideration, students must be a Texas resident, be enrolled at least half-time (6 hours) in a certificate or associate degree plan at a two-year institution, demonstrate financial need, not have been convicted of a felony or crime involving a controlled substance, not have an associate degree or baccalaureate degree, and not be eligible for a Texas Grant.

Texas Work-Study Program

This program provides on-campus and off-campus employment for students who qualify on the basis of financial need. To be considered for employment under this program, the student must first apply for the Pell Grant, be enrolled at least half-time, show a need for the earnings to pay for college expenses.

Tuition Exemptions

Exemptions are a type of financial assistance allowing some Texas residents to attend a public college or university in Texas without paying tuition or, in some cases, tuition and fees. Detailed information regarding exemptions may be found at College for All Texans, http://www.collegeforalltexans.com.

Scholarships and Other Programs

A variety of scholarships are available from private and public sources. Scholarship selection criteria may be based on demonstrated financial need, academic merit, college major, or other specific qualifications. The funding organization determines the scholarship amount, criteria, and deadlines for application. Visit the Paying for College section in The POD.

Workforce Investment Act of 1998

The Houston-Galveston Area Council, through the WorkSource in the Gulf Coast area, provides tuition, fees, books, career counseling, and other services related to employment. To determine eligibility, individuals should contact the nearest WorkSource office.

Athletic Grants-in-Aid

For information on athletic grants-in-aid, contact the ACC Athletic Director.

Veterans Benefits/TA/GI Bill® (Federal)

Alvin Community College is approved for veteran’s educational training. Students who are veterans or eligible veterans’ dependents should contact either the VA Regional Office or the ACC VA Certifying Official(s) in the Registrar’s Office via email at veteranservices@alvincollege.edu. Students are encouraged to apply for benefits online at www.vets.gov/education. Eligibility to receive benefits is determined by the Veterans Administration. Certification of enrollment is not an automatic process; veterans must request certification each semester. All students receiving federal benefits must have an active degree plan on file. Only courses on the degree plan can be certified. Courses are not eligible for certification if they have already been successfully completed with a grade of D or better unless it is determined by the department chair that a particular course requires a higher grade for program admissions or degree completion. Only then, will that course be eligible for recertification.

Veterans may also be eligible to receive federal financial aid. Veterans will receive additional information regarding loans and federal aid via email. Students who plan to receive VA benefits must meet with a Financial Aid Advisor prior to receiving loans. Pathways advising is mandatory for all veterans. Student Accessibility Services, Career Counseling and individual counseling are available to veterans upon request. Please contact the Veterans Certifying Official at veteranservices@alvincollege.edu for more information. All recipients of benefits must comply with standards of academic progress as follows:

Standards of Academic Progress for VA Students

Satisfactory Progress

VA students must maintain a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.0.

Probation

Failure to maintain a 2.0 (CGPA) will result in the student being placed on probation. Students under probation status who achieve a 2.0 semester GPA can remain under this status until the CGPA rises above a 2.0.

Unsatisfactory Progress

Probation students who fail to maintain a semester GPA of 2.0 will be placed on VA suspension. Any student making a 0.0 GPA will automatically be placed on VA suspension. Suspensions will be reported to the VA and the student will not be certified for benefits.

Reinstatement of VA Education Benefits

Students under VA suspension may submit a written appeal to request reinstatement of the Veterans Benefits. Students must prove extenuating circumstances to be considered for an appeal. The appeal will be approved by the Vice President of Student Services. Students may only appeal once at ACC. If the student again fails to meet Satisfactory Academic Process the student will no longer be eligible to receive VA benefits at ACC.

HAZLEWOOD ACT (STATE OF TEXAS)

The Hazlewood Exemption provides exemption of payment for tuition and certain fees to honorably discharged or separated Texas veterans and to eligible dependent children and spouses of Texas veterans. Veterans must meet the following requirements:

• Show DD-214
• Confirm entrance (home of record or place of entry) from the State of Texas
• Letter of ineligibility for the Montgomery G.I. Bill from the Department of Veterans Affairs, if discharge was post 9/11
• Receipt of an honorable or under honorable conditions discharge
• Served at least 180 days of active duty (excluding basic training time)
• Resident of Texas for a minimum of 12 months prior to college registration
• Not in default for any TX educational student loan
• Submit official transcripts from all TX regionally accredited colleges or universities.

The “Hazlewood Legacy Act” permits eligible veterans to assign their unused hours to their children.

All Hazlewood applicants and recipients must meet the institutions financial aid requirements for satisfactory academic progress.

To apply for Hazlewood Benefits, email a scanned copy of the application, along with the supporting documentation to veteranservices@alvincollege.edu by the deadline.

Hazlewood Application Deadline

New applicants

First time Hazlewood veterans and/or their dependents must apply two weeks prior to the payment deadline of the term they plan to attend. If the application is submitted by the deadline, but not yet approved for whatever reason, the student must pay from personal funds to avoid being dropped for non-payment. Once approved, the student will be reimbursed. Applications submitted after the census date of the intended term will be processed for the following term.

Previous Recipients

Students who have used their Hazlewood benefits previously at ACC may apply through late registration.

The Veteran’s Specialist processes the application for benefits and notifies the student by email. For additional information, go to: https://www.tvc.texas.gov/education/hazlewood/.