Financial Aid Programs

The Federal Pell Grant is for US citizens or eligible non-citizens who:

• Are enrolled in an eligible program

• Demonstrate financial need

• Are making Satisfactory Academic Progress

• Meet eligibility requirements

Application method: FAFSA
Award amount: Is based on eligibility.
Students are awarded for the fall, spring, and summer terms of each academic year.

The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is for US citizens or eligible non-citizens who:

• Are enrolled in an eligible program
• Demonstrate financial need
• Are making Satisfactory Academic Progress
• Meet eligibility requirements

Application method: FAFSA
Award amount: Up to $600 per year

Finish Line Grants are grants of up to $1,000 awarded to community college students who are at least 50% complete with their education or training and are faced with an unanticipated financial hardship that may prevent them from doing so. Too often, financial emergencies – like unexpected healthcare costs, childcare expenses, or car breakdowns – prevent students from completing their programs. Finish Line Grants are awarded to eligible students facing these unforeseen challenges. Grants can be used for course materials, housing, medical needs, dependent care, or other financial hardships that students face through no fault of their own.

Who is eligible for Finish Line Grants?

To be eligible for a Finish Line Grant, a student must:

• Be enrolled in a North Carolina community college in a curriculum program or an eligible workforce continuing education course leading to an industry-recognized credential;
• Be in good academic standing as defined by the community college. Threshold may not be higher than a 2.0 grade point average; and
• Have completed at least 50% of the degree of credential program (or be enrolled in the courses that will constitute 50% completion).

To apply, please complete the Finish Line Grant Application.

SCC works with Moore County Transportation to assist students in need of transportation get to and from class.  Limited funds are available each year. 

To get started:

1. Contact Moore County Transportation. They will have the documents you need to complete.
2. Contact our office once your paperwork is complete with Moore County Transportation. The SCC Financial Aid Office with disburse tokens to you each week.

Contact Information

Jennifer Santiago
Financial Aid Advisor
128C Stone Hall
(910) 695-3743
santiagoj@sandhills.edu

The North Carolina Community College Grant (NCCCG) is for North Carolina residents who:

• Are enrolled at least half-time (six credit hours or more) in an eligible program
• Have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC)* figure that falls within a range determined each academic year
• Are making Satisfactory Academic Progress
• Meet eligibility requirements as deemed by the State of North Carolina

Application method: FAFSA
Deadline: Until funding is exhausted
Award amount: Determined by the state of North Carolina

NCCCG is only available for fall and spring semesters and is not funded for summer terms.
*As defined by the Department of Education, the EFC “is a measure of your family’s financial strength and is calculated according to a formula established by law. Your family’s taxed and untaxed income, assets, and benefits (such as unemployment or Social Security) are all considered in the formula. Also considered are your family size and the number of family members who will attend college during the year.  Your EFC is not the amount of money your family will have to pay for college nor is it the amount of federal student aid you will receive. It is a number used by your school to calculate the amount of federal student aid you are eligible to receive.”

The North Carolina Education Lottery Scholarship (NCELS) is for North Carolina residents who:

• Are enrolled at least half-time (six credit hours or more) in an eligible program
• Have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC)* figure that falls within a range determined each academic year
• Are making Satisfactory Academic Progress
• Meet eligibility requirements as deemed by the State of North Carolina

Application method: FAFSA
Deadline: Until funding is exhausted
Award amount: Determined by the state of North Carolina

NCELS is only available for fall and spring semesters and is not funded for summer terms.
*As defined by the Department of Education, the EFC “is a measure of your family’s financial strength and is calculated according to a formula established by law. Your family’s taxed and untaxed income, assets, and benefits (such as unemployment or Social Security) are all considered in the formula. Also considered are your family size and the number of family members who will attend college during the year.  Your EFC is not the amount of money your family will have to pay for college nor is it the amount of federal student aid you will receive. It is a number used by your school to calculate the amount of federal student aid you are eligible to receive.”

The North Carolina Longleaf Commitment Grant is for North Carolina residents who:

• Are a 2020-2021 school year North Carolina high school graduate enrolled in the 2021-2022 academic year or
• Are a 2021-2022 school year North Carolina high school graduate enrolled in the 2022-2023 academic year
• Are enrolled at least half-time (six credit hours or more) in an eligible program
• Have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $15,000 or less as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Are making Satisfactory Academic Progress
• Meet eligibility requirements

Application method: FAFSA
Deadline: No deadline
Award amount: $700 to $2,800 for full-time enrollment

The Federal College Work-Study (FWS) Campus Based Program provides jobs for students who need additional financial aid while providing an opportunity to gain valuable work experience.

Federal Work-Study Basics

• Pays an hourly wage from an annual award amount, maximum of 15 hours/week.
• You are paid directly on a monthly basis.
• Can be on-campus ($15.00/hour).

To be eligible, you must:

• Be a high school graduate.
• Have a completed FAFSA for the current academic year.
• Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards.
• Be initially enrolled in at least 6 credit hours in a program of study that is eligible for financial aid.
• Have “unmet” financial aid need as determined by the Financial Aid Office.

To Apply:

1. View the current list of Work-Study Job Descriptions.
2. Complete an Application for the position you are interested in.
   • Avoid using a phone or tablet for this purpose.
3. Email your application to the Work Study Coordinator
   • Email from your student email only.
4. If selected for an interview, the supervisor for the FWS position will contact you via phone or email, using the contact information you provided on the application.

While you may apply for more than one work-study position, you can only be hired for ONE of those positions.

**Please note: Submitting an FWS application does not guarantee to hire for a Federal Work-Study position. Placement into a position is contingent on job availability, the student’s qualifications, selection by a supervisor, and program funding.**

Contact Information

Sarah Barber
Financial Aid Advisor
125 Stone Hall
(910) 695-3952
barbers@sandhills.edu

A limited number of jobs are available for Institutional Work-Study. Usually those students who do not qualify for Federal Work Study fill these positions.

Institutional Work-Study Basics

• Pays an hourly wage from an annual award amount, maximum of 15 hours/week.
• You are paid directly on a monthly basis.
• Can be on-campus ($15.00/hour).

To be eligible, you must:

• Have a completed FAFSA for the current academic year.
• Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards.
• Be initially enrolled in at least 6 credit hours in a program of study that is eligible for financial aid.
• Have “unmet” financial aid need as determined by the Financial Aid Office.

To Apply:

1. View the current list of Work-Study Job Descriptions.
2. Complete an Application for the position you are interested in.
   • Avoid using a phone or tablet for this purpose.
3. Email your application to the Work Study Coordinator
   • Email from your student email only.
4. If selected for an interview, the supervisor for the FWS position will contact you via phone or email, using the contact information you provided on the application.

While you may apply for more than one work-study position, you can only be hired for ONE of those positions.

**Please note: Submitting an IWS application does not guarantee to hire for a Institutional Work-Study position. Placement into a position is contingent on job availability, the student’s qualifications, selection by a supervisor, and program funding.**

Contact Information

Sarah Barber
Financial Aid Advisor
125 Stone Hall
(910) 695-3952
barbers@sandhills.edu

Requirements

Listed below are the requirements for the grant:

1. Must be a North Carolina resident.

2. Applicant must be enrolled in at least 6 face-to-face credit hours within their program of study.

3. A history of Satisfactory Academic Progress (2.0 GPA & 67% completion rate) is required and must be maintained to continue receiving childcare assistance.

4. Up to two children per household may be covered with the budget.  This is subject to change due to budget changes.

5. Children in daycare must be ages 0-5 and children in aftercare programs must be ages 5-12.

Application Process

To apply for the grant, students must complete the Child Care Application, by logging into Etrieve using their SCC username and password, and attach all other required documents. Applications are received on a continuous basis during the school year, and a waiting list is maintained when needed.  Students must reapply each academic year.          

In addition to the application, students are also required to submit the following items:

1. FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) for upcoming academic year.

2. Birth Certificates for children listed on application.

3. DSS Waitlist/Approval/Denial letter from their county of residence.

4. If you already have a daycare/aftercare selected, please provide the name, address, phone number, name of director, and tax ID#, weekly charge, etc.

Approval Process

Student applications are reviewed continuously throughout the year.  Students with the most need will be awarded first.  Need will be based on the FAFSA.  Once all funds are exhausted, the remaining applications will be moved to the waiting list. Funding for the year determines the number of students who will be approved for the academic year. 

Approval is also based on the student’s choice of daycare.  Once approved, the Coordinator contacts the student via telephone, email, or personal contact.

Contact Information

Jennifer Santiago
Financial Aid Advisor
128C Stone Hall
(910) 695-3743
santiagoj@sandhills.edu

Upcoming Deadlines:

Summer 2023: May 4, 2023

Fall 2023: July 13, 2023

All loan documentation must be completed and submitted to the Financial Aid Office by this date in order for the loan certification to be processed by the last day to pay. Loan requests received after this date will be processed after the beginning of the semester.

As a college student, you are eligible to receive education tax credits that can help reduce the expense of your education. The American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning Credit are credits that can be applied to your federal tax returns.  For more information, please visit the Internal Revenue Service’s website.

• Education Credits–AOTC and LLC
• IRS Flyer: “Students and parents – Why Form 1098-T is important to you?”