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General Questions about Eligibility and Applying
Thank you for your interest in Dutchess Community College. We are proud to let you know that DCC has the lowest tuition of any college or university in the state.
Applying for financial aid to help you pay for college can be a confusing process. We have compiled this list of questions that students frequently ask about the financial aid process to help you as you research ways to help pay college tuition.
I probably don't qualify for aid. Should I apply for aid anyway?
Yes. Many families mistakenly think they don't qualify for aid and prevent themselves from receiving financial aid by failing to apply for it. In addition, there are a few sources of aid such as unsubsidized Stafford and PLUS loans that are available regardless of need. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the main form you must fill out to apply for aid, is free. There is no good excuse for not applying for aid, and you may be surprised that you do in fact qualify.
Do I need to be admitted to the college before I can apply for financial aid?
No. You can apply for financial aid any time after January 1. To actually receive funds, however, you must be admitted, matriculated (matriculated students are those who have applied to the College, declared a major, and have been accepted for admission), and enrolled at DCC.
Why can't I submit my financial aid application before January 1?
The need analysis process for financial aid uses your family's income and tax information from the most recent tax year (the base year) to judge your eligibility for need-based financial aid during the upcoming academic year (the award year). Since the base year ends December 31, you cannot submit a financial aid application until January 1. After all, your parents might earn a year-end bonus or realize capital gains from selling stocks on December 31. If you submit the financial aid application before January 1, it will be rejected.
Do I have to reapply for financial aid every year?
Yes. Most financial aid offices require that you apply for financial aid every year. If your financial circumstances change, you may get more or less aid. After your first year you will receive a "Renewal Application" which contains preprinted information from the previous year's FAFSA. Note that your eligibility for financial aid may change significantly, especially if you have a different number of family members in college. Renewal of your financial aid package also depends on your making satisfactory academic progress toward a degree, such as earning a minimum number of credits and achieving a minimum GPA.
How do I apply for a Pell Grant and other types of need-based aid?
Submit a FAFSA. To indicate interest in student employment, student loans and parent loans, you should check the appropriate boxes. Checking these boxes does not commit you to accepting these types of aid. You will have the opportunity to accept or decline each part of your aid package later. Leaving these boxes unchecked will not increase the amount of grants you receive.
Are my parents responsible for my educational loans?
No. Parents are, however, responsible for the Federal PLUS loans. Parents will only be responsible for your educational loans if you are under 18 and they co-sign your loan. In general you and you alone are responsible for repaying your educational loans.
On the other hand, if your parents (or grandparents) want to help pay off your loan, you can have your billing statements sent to their address. Likewise, if your lender or loan service provides an electronic payment service, where the monthly payments are automatically deducted from a bank account, your parents can agree to have the payments deducted from their account. But your parents are under no obligation to repay your loans. If they forget to pay the bill on time or decide to cancel the electronic payment agreement, you will be held responsible for the payments, not them.
I want to apply for New York State aid as well. How do I do that?
If you are a full-time student and list at least one New York State school on your paper FAFSA, you will be sent a separate ETA (Express Tap Application) to complete and send back to NYS Higher Education Services Corporation. If you apply online for your FAFSA, you can link directly to the NYS website for TAP to complete the application online.
If you are a part-time student, you need to contact the Office of Financial Aid directly to apply for Aid For Part-Time Study (APTS), which is the New York State form of aid for part-time students.
If I take a leave of absence, do I have to start repaying my loans?
Not immediately. The subsidized Stafford loan has a grace period of six months and the Perkins loan a grace period of nine months before you must begin repaying the loan. When you take a leave of absence you will not have to repay your loan until the grace period is used up. If you use up the grace period, however, when you graduate you will have to begin repaying your loan immediately. It is possible to request an extension to the grace period, but this must be done before the grace period is used up.
If your grace period has run out in the middle of your leave of absence, you will have to start making payments on your student loans.
I got an outside scholarship. Should I report it to the Office of Financial Aid?
Yes. If you are receiving any kind of financial aid from university or government sources, you must report the scholarship to the DCC Office of Financial Aid which will adjust your financial aid package to compensate. Nevertheless, the outside scholarship will have some beneficial effects. At some colleges outside scholarships are used to replace loans instead of grants.
Where can I get information about Federal student financial aid?
Call the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or 1-800-730-8913 (if hearing impaired) and ask for a free copy of The Student Guide: Financial Aid from the US Department of Education. This toll free hotline is run by the US Department of Education and can answer questions about federal and state student aid programs and applications. You can also write to
Federal Student Aid Information Center
PO Box 84
Washington, DC 20044
Are work-study earnings taxable?
The money you earn from Federal Work-Study is generally subject to federal and state income tax, but exempt from FICA taxes (provided you are enrolled full time and work less than half-time).
Federal Work-Study earnings during the calendar year should be included in the totals for AGI and Worksheet C on the FAFSA. Work-study earnings should only be included in Worksheet C when they represent financial aid to the student, since the answer to this question is used as an exclusion from taxed income. The student should also be careful to report amounts based on the calendar year, not the school year.
Is it legal for a 17-year-old student to sign a promissory note for a student loan, even though the student has not yet reached the age of majority?
Normally, a minor cannot be held liable for a contract that they sign. However, in 1992 the Higher Education Act was amended to permit eligible students, defined as per Title IV regulations, to sign promissory notes for their own Federal student loans. As such, student loans represent one of the few exceptions to the so-called "defense of infancy". The specific citation is section 484A(b)(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 USC 1091a(b)(2)).
Several states have also passed similar laws that consider minors to be competent to enter into a contract for an education loan. This extends similar protection to private and non-federal loans. All private education loans require a cosigner when the student is under the age of majority, just to be safe.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Questions
Where can I get a copy of the FAFSA?
You can ask your guidance counselor for a copy. You can also get the FAFSA from the financial aid office at a local college, your local public library, or by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID. The online version of the form is available at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Are photocopies of the FAFSA acceptable?
No. Only the original FAFSA form produced by the US Department of Education is acceptable. Photocopies, reproductions, facsimiles and electronic versions are all not acceptable.
How soon after January 1 should the FAFSA form be sent in? Is it better to wait until the income tax forms have been completed?
At DCC, we prefer that students complete the FAFSA with accurate tax information, so the forms should be completed as soon as the base year tax returns are completed. However, if you are applying to other colleges in addition to DCC, it is very important that you adhere to the application deadlines at those institutions.
I sent in my FAFSA over four weeks ago but haven't heard anything. What should I do?
If you haven't received a Student Aid Report (SAR), call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (toll free) or 1-319-337-5665. You must provide them with your Social Security number and date of birth as verification.
You can also write to
Federal Student Aid Programs
PO Box 4038
Washington, DC 52243-4038
to find out whether your FAFSA has been processed or to request a duplicate copy of your SAR.
Federal PIN Numbers
Why do I need a federal pin number?
You apply for a federal pin number at www.pin.ed.gov and the number is used as an electronic signature when you want to complete your FAFSA online or to make any corrections online.
Does my federal pin number expire?
No it does not. You can use it now and for years to come.
I am a dependent student. Can my parents use my pin number?
No. Your parent(s) must apply for their own pin number and can use it when required to sign the forms electronically as your parent.
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