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| What
is the status of my financial aid? |
If
you turned in all of your paperwork by the application
deadline, your application will be processed before
the quarter begins. After your file is processed and your eligibility
determined, you will be sent an award letter. If you missed the
application deadline, your file is processed in order of date received,
so you may or may not receive an award letter by the beginning of
the quarter.
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| Will
I have enough to pay my tuition and fees? |
The
best way to determine if your financial aid will pay for your tuition
and fees is to look at your award letter. The amount that you receive
is identified quarter by quarter and by financial aid program. Compare
the amount of aid awarded for the quarter with the tuition
and fees to determine if you be responsible for part
of the costs. If you qualify for Work Study, you will have to earn
the award through a job, which means that the money isn't available
to pay tuition and fees. Loans are also available to help meet college
costs.
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| When
will I receive the balance of my aid? |
The balance
of your aid, after it has been applied to your tuition and fee payment,
is to be used for your books and other educational expenses, such
as room and board. You can pick up your check on the first day of
class or five days after you have signed your award letter which
ever comes later. You will need to submit a Proof
of Attendance form signed by one of your teachers.
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| What
happens if I fail a class? Can I take an incomplete? |
You
are required to make Satisfactory
Academic Progress
each quarter as a condition to receiving financial aid. Both quantitative
(quarterly number of credits completed) and qualitative (quarter
grade point average) measurements are used in this determination.
The minimum GPA is a 2.00 while the credit completion expectation
is tied to the enrollment status of the student (half-, three- quarter,
or full-time). Failing a class or getting an incomplete can mean
that you are placed on financial aid probation or that your aid
is terminated. If you are placed on probation or termination because
of an incomplete grade, the file can be cleared when the incomplete
has been changed to an acceptable grade.
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| I
had to withdraw. Will this affect my financial aid? |
If
you withdraw or do not complete any credits for the quarter, you
will be sent a termination letter. You may be required to repay
some of the aid depending on the withdrawal date. If you had extenuating
circumstances, you may complete an appeal
process to request that your aid be reinstated.
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The
Financial Aid Office will send you an award letter once your scholarship
has been processed. The award letter must be signed and returned
to the financial aid office before a check can be generated, which
usually takes five workdays. If a coach, faculty or staff member
promised you a scholarship and you have not received an award letter,
you should contact that individual directly.
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| I
am now separated or divorced, do I have to claim my spouses's
income? What if I filed a joint tax return last year? |
If
you are divorced or separated at the time you complete your federal
application, you should only report your income, not your spouse's
income, even if you filed a joint tax return. If you become divorced
or separated after you applied for financial aid, contact the Financial
Aid Office.
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| If
I miss the deadline, can I still get financial aid? |
The
Financial Aid Office has established application
deadlines for each quarter. If you miss the application
deadline, you are still encouraged to apply for financial aid. If
you are eligible and have paid your tuition, you will be reimbursed
after the quarter begins.
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| I
was told that I have to be full-time to receive financial aid.
Is that right? |
No, you do
not have to be enrolled full-time to receive financial aid. For
most programs you can receive funding for half-time time (6-8
credits), three-quarter time (9-11 credits) or full-time (12 +
credits). You may be enrolled less than half-time and be eligible
for some federal financial aid programs. Based on the enrollment
status information that you provided when you applied, the Financial
Aid Office will process your award. If you change your enrollment
plans, you should contact the Financial
Aid Office immediately.
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| What's
the difference between grants and scholarships? |
Grants
are given to students who demonstrate financial need. Most
grants come from federal or state sources. Scholarships
usually recognize the student's academic achievement. Some scholarships
consider other factors in addition to academic achievement such
as major or program of study, community/school involvement, residency,
etc. Some scholarships also consider financial need as criteria.
Both grants and scholarships are considered "gift aid" because the
money does not need to be repaid.
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| My
parents (or I) make too much money to qualify for financial
aid, right? |
If
you feel that you need some assistance meeting college costs, you
should apply for financial aid. It doesn't cost anything to apply,
and an application is required to determine your eligibility for
loans should you choose to apply for them.
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| What's
Work Study? Do I get paid for studying? |
Work
Study is included as part of a student's financial aid award if
he or she is eligible, requested work study on the FAFSA and funds
are still available. There are two Work
Study programs; one is federally funded, the other
is funded by the State of Washington. As a work study student, you
are not paid to study; rather, you are paid to perform specific
job duties. There are a variety of work study positions both on-
and off-campus.
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The
application deadlines
for applying for financial aid are established annually Contact
the Financial Aid Office for current information.
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| What
is your school code? |
The Federal
School Code for Clark College is 003773.
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| Do
I bring my FAFSA to your office? |
No, you should
mail your FAFSA in the envelope that was included in the packet,
or submit your application over the Internet.
The Financial Aid Office
has computers for students to use for this purpose.
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| I
received my Student Aid Report (SAR) in the mail. What is this
report and do I turn it into your office? |
The
information contained on this document indicates your eligibility
to receive financial aid. It may also indicate additional information
that you need to provide to the federal processor or the school.
Since schools receive an electronic version of the SAR, you do not
need to turn it in.
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The
DRN is your Data Release Number. It is used as a personal identification
number for individual student applications. Please note: It is
not the same number as the PIN you may have used to sign
your FAFSA electronically.
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| When
I originally applied for financial aid I did not list Clark
College. How do I now list Clark? |
Contact the
Financial Aid Office
and provide your DRN and Social Security numbers. We will be able
to add Clark College to your application
so that we can obtain your financial aid information.
You can also add Clark's Federal School Code to your Student Aid
Report electronically or on the paper version.
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| I
received my SAR in the mail. It indicates that I have been chosen
for verification and that I need to submit certain financial
documents. What do I do? |
If
you are selected for verification, our office will send you a letter
requesting certain documents to complete the verification process.
If the documents received verify the information on the SAR, no
corrections will be necessary. If there is conflicting information,
the Financial Aid Office will correct the SAR prior to processing
your aid award.
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| I
did not keep a copy of my tax return. How do I request a copy? |
You
can obtain a copy by contacting the Internal Revenue Service at
(800) 829-1040. We accept copies of your 1040 EZ, 1040 A, 1040,
1040PC or IRS-produced tax summaries. Be sure to sign the document
before you submit it to the Financial Aid Office.
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| What
is the proof of attendance? How do I get it? Why do I need it? |
The federal
government requires the Financial Aid Office to ensure that the
student is attending classes at the time the student receives
aid. To show that you are attending classes, a Proof of Attendance
form must be completed and returned to the Financial
Aid Office on the date that the aid is to be picked
up. The form may be completed by a teacher the day before or the
day of it's submission (it is only good for one day after it is
signed.). A Proof
of Attendance form may be obtained on-line or from
the Financial Aid Office.
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| Can
I receive financial aid if I already have a bachelor's degree? |
If
you hold a bachelor's degree, you are not eligible to receive grant
funds, but are potentially eligible for loans and work study. Students
who hold a bachelor's degree from a foreign or unaccredited institution
are ineligible for grants as well.
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| What
is the maximum financial aid that I can receive? |
Generally,
the maximum amount of financial aid is governed by the student's
total need, the student's enrollment level, financial aid program
rules and Clark College financial aid policies. The amount varies
from student to student.
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| What
is the difference between a grant and a loan? |
Grants
are considered gift aid while loans must be repaid. There are several
grant and loan
programs available.
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| I
just moved here from another state. Do I have to pay out of
state tuition? |
If
you do not meet the definition of a "Washington resident" (12 months
in WA with appropriate WA documents for 12 months), you can qualify
for a non-resident waiver. Instead of paying the non-resident tuition,
you will pay the resident tuition plus a small surcharge. You must
be either a U.S. citizen, refugee, or immigrant to be eligible for
this waiver. Once you meet the definition of a Washington
resident, you should bring appropriate documentation
to the Admissions Office in order to be classified as a "resident"
and eliminate paying the surcharge. Students who are financially
dependent on a parent will have their residency status determined
by either parent's residency situation.
If
you moved to one of the following counties in Oregon, you will be
able to pay the resident tuition after only 90 days, according to
the "border bill":
- Multnomah
- Clackamas
- Washington
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|
All Oregonians
need to complete a "reciprocity" application, which is available
in the Admissions Office in Gaiser Hall. If you live in an Oregon
county other than one of the 5 above, you must live there 12 months
before you can qualify for the Oregon reciprocity agreement, which
allows you to pay the resident tuition plus a small surcharge
per credit. Any questions regarding reciprocity should be referred
to the Admissions Office.
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| Do
I have to tell the Financial Aid Office if my personal or school
information has changed? |
Yes,
if any of the following things have changed, you must submit a Change
Form
to the Financial Aid Office:
- Enrollment
Status
- Address
- Phone Number
- Major
- Graduation
Date (if you have a loan)
- Receipt
of Outside Funding
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