Financial Aid

Donna Jones-Searle, Director of Financial Aid

Asnuntuck Community College makes available to its students a variety of financial assistance programs. The objective of the student financial aid program at ACC is to provide financial aid to those students who, without such assistance, would not be able to pursue their program of study at the College. For this reason, all grant aid awarded by the College is based on financial need. Financial need is determined through the use of a financial need analysis system approved annually by the U.S. Department of Education. Utilizing federal, state, and institutional dollars, the College operates grant, work-study, and loan programs.

GRANT PROGRAMS:

Grants are gifts of aid to students, which normally would not have to be repaid. However, if a student completely withdraws from classes before the 60% point of the semester, the student will owe a partial repayment to the Federal government for any Title IV funds received (Federal PELL Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)),* and Federal Direct Loans. Other available grants include Connecticut Aid for Public (CAP) College Students Grant and Asnuntuck Community College Grant (ACC).

*For more detailed information, see Refunds/Return of Title IV Funds in the current Program and Course Schedule or contact the Financial Aid Office.

WORK-STUDY PROGRAMS:
The College offers opportunities for employment on campus in various departments to eligible financial aid recipients. Jobs include custodians, office assistants, library assistants, and peer tutors, all at competitive pay rates.

LOAN PROGRAMS:
All loans issued or certified by the College must be repaid. Terms and interest rates vary significantly among the different programs. The College participates in the Federal Family Education Loan Program: Direct Loans (Subsidized and Unsubsidized), and Parents’ Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

In accordance with Federal regulations, a Student Financial Aid Ombudsman has been appointed. The Ombudsman will work with student loan borrowers to informally resolve loan disputes and problems from an impartial and independent viewpoint. The Ombudsman helps borrowers having problems with Direct Loans, Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans (for parents) and Consolidation Loans. If your student loan complaint is justified, the Ombudsman will work with you and the office, agency, or company involved in the problem to seek a reasonable and fair solution.  On your behalf, he/she will contact offices within the U.S. Department of Education, private lenders, banks, and loan guaranty or servicing agencies. The Ombudsman’s Office recommends solutions, but does not have the authority to reverse decisions.

To contact them, call (877)557-2575, visit their Web site at www.ombudsman.ed.gov, or write to:

Office of the Ombudsman, FSA
Student Financial Assistance
U.S. Department of Education
Union Center Plaza-3, Room 411/MS-5144
830 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20202-5144

GRADUATION RATE AND JOB PLACEMENT DISCLOSURES:

The Gainful Employment Act requires institutions of Higher Education to disclose their total program costs, loan repayment rates, graduates' debt-to-earnings ratio and other critical consumer information to help students better choose the gainful employment program that's right for them.

Please use the link provided to access the information for Asnuntuck Community College and the Connecticut Community Colleges System.

http://www.commnet.edu/planning/GainfulEmployment.asp

HOW TO APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID:
Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Students Financial Aid) or the Renewal FAFSA, if you filed last year. Although you may complete a paper FAFSA, FAFSA on the Web is recommended for best results.

FINANCIAL AID INSTRUCTIONS & ELECTRONIC FILING
Once your information is processed, it will be sent to us electronically. You will then receive a letter or e-mail from us requesting documents necessary to complete your Financial Aid file.

To view your application or award status, go to https://my.commnet.edu/cp/home/displaylogin.  Enter your NetID and password and click Login.  Choose the Student tab.  Click the Student Self Service link, choose Asnuntuck and then choose Financial Aid.