Financial Aid FAQs

Am I Eligible for Financial Aid?

In order to receive financial aid, all students must meet certain general requirements. The first step toward receiving federal and state financial aid is to complete the FAFSA and TAP applications on time every year! Each application becomes available on October 1 and students are encouraged to apply as early as possible!

Students must also:

• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen

• Have a valid Social Security Number

• Be a high school graduate, have a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) or High School Equivalency (HSE)

• Be registered for the Selective Service (if required)

• Provide additional documentation when necessary according to federal, state and College policies and regulations.

• Enroll in an approved program through the Admissions Office.

• Attend the classes that you are registered for.

• Not be in default on any previous student loans.

• Have never been convicted of a drug-related offense while receiving federal financial aid.

• Maintain Good Academic Standing and demonstrate Satisfactory Academic Progress toward a certificate or degree. Please visit the pages for federal and state aid requirements for more information.

• Inform the Office of Financial Aid of any changes in your financial resources.

How Much Financial Aid is Awarded?

Each financial aid award is based on need, eligibility, and available funds. First consideration goes to students who apply early and show the greatest need. Need is determined by comparing the cost of attending Dutchess Community College with the expected family contribution as calculated by a federal formula. Budgets used for financial aid vary depending upon your status, residency, and program. Standard budgets used for awarding financial aid are available from the Office of Financial Aid.

The following is an estimated budget for fall 2020 and spring 2021, for a dependent full-time student living at home in Poughkeepsie and the surrounding areas:

• Tuition - $4350

• Fees - $400 - $600

• Books - $1450

The actual amount awarded may be different from the estimated award. The actual award may be adjusted based on additional information, revised regulations, or changed student status. Financial aid will only be paid for classes that you are currently attending and that are required (applicable) for your degree. Standard budgets used for awarding financial aid are available from the Office of Student Financial Services.

My family’s financial situation has changed since last year.  What do I do?

You should complete a Change in Circumstance Form and submit it to the Office of Student Financial Services. You should also provide the requested documentation to support your special circumstance(s).  The Office of Student Financial Services will review the new information and if possible recalculate your financial aid eligibility. Consideration for a Change in Circumstance is April 30, 2021. Please be aware that a Change of Circumstance evaluation can take up to 6-8 weeks to review.

What happens if I drop or don't attend classes?

Dropping classes or failing to attend classes for which you are registered may result in loss of or adjustments to your financial aid, even after you have received it.

View information on Student Responsibilities and Maintaining Eligibility for financial aid.

How and When is Financial Aid Paid Out?

Financial aid is disbursed (paid) as follows:

1. If you have been informed of a financial aid award, the College may defer the cost of your tuition and fees in the amount of your financial aid. This means that you will only need to pay the college the amount you will owe after financial aid is applied to your account. (Please note that if you are selected for verification and your financial aid award changes after the verification process is complete, you may owe additional funds to the college.)

2. If you have been awarded more aid than you need for tuition, fees, and other College charges, Student Financial Services will issue you a book voucher electronically, through your myDCC email. You may use this to purchase textbooks and supplies, currently only at the DCC Bookstore. Deadlines for using a book voucher will be published each semester.

3. After tuition, fees, bookstore costs and other authorized charges are covered, any remaining financial aid will be disbursed to you. Dates for the disbursements will be published each semester. 

   You will need to cover your own expenses until you receive your payout.
   

• • For a student loan to be disbursed, a student must be registered and in attendance for at least six credit hours of coursework.

  • Payments will be disbursed based only on courses that are required (applicable) for degree completion.

  • The Pell Grant award is based on the courses required for your degree for which you are in rolled and attending at the end of the add/drop period.

  • For New York State aid to be disbursed, you must be registered for and attending the required number of credits specific to that aid program at the end of the add/drop period.

  • Any disbursement will be sent to you through your BankMobile account based on the refund choice you selected. In order to make the selection that is best for your refund preference, please visit www.refundselection. If you do not make a selection with BankMobile, a check will be mailed to your from BankMobile approximately 21 days after the College has forwarded your refund to BankMobile.

  • Financial aid will be disbursed only if:

• • • You are in a degree program.

    • For federal student loan purposes, if you have completed your online Entrance Counseling and Promissory Note.

    • NYS Aid for Part Time Study (APTS) will not be disbursed until the end of the semester. Student must be registered and attending at least 3 non-remedial credits.

If I have financial aid, how can I buy my books?

If the amount of your financial aid exceeds your tuition and fees you could be eligible for a Book Voucher to use at the campus bookstore. Check your Banner account for the amount of your financial aid credit. A voucher will be issued to the student directly from Student Financial Services that they can use to purchase books & supplies from the DCC Bookstore.

Will there be money left for my personal expenses?

If your financial aid exceeds your tuition, fees, and bookstore charges, you'll get the remainder as a refund to be used for other education related expenses. The amount of the refund will be based the number of credits for courses that:

• You are currently attending (not courses that have been dropped or start later in the semester)

• Are required for your degree

What if I would like to decrease or cancel my loans after I have accepted them?

If you accepted your loans in full and would like to either reduce the total amount or cancel them in full, please click here. Simply print out the form or pick up a copy from our office, complete it and hand it in!

What if I would like to accept my loans after I have declined them?

If you originally declined your loans or only accepted a partial amount, you can complete a form to reinstate or increase your loan by clicking here. This form can also be completed in our office.

How do I keep my Federal Financial Aid?

In order to maintain your eligibility for federal aid, you must be meeting satisfactory academic progress. Your satisfactory academic progress is evaluated at the end of each semester of the academic year. There are three requirements that you must meet in order to maintain eligibility. You must have an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher, you must have completed 2/3 of the credits that you have attempted, and you must not have taken more than 150% of the credits it takes to get your degree. For a more detailed explanation of our satisfactory academic progress policy, please click here.

To view your current status, please go to myDCC.

What can I do if I am not meeting satisfactory academic progress for federal aid?

If you fall below the required completion rate or GPA requirement, you will be given a one-time Warning Status semester to regain eligibility. After the Warning Status semester, if you have not regained eligibility, you may apply for a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal with the Dean of Student’s Services Office if you are able to document extenuating circumstances.

How do I keep my State Financial Aid?

Full-time community college students may receive six semesters of New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) aid. To maintain eligibility, you must achieve the following TAP standards by the end of each semester. To view your current status, please click here

To review the New York State Full Time (TAP) eligibility rules please see NYS Academic Progress Chart

To review the New York State Part Time (APTS) eligibility rules please see NYS Academic Progress Chart. 

If you lose your eligibility for State Financial Aid, you will be notified by letter and email from the Office of Financial Aid. You may apply for a NYS Academic Progress Waiver with the Dean of Student’s Services Office if you are able to document extenuating circumstances.

What happens if I withdraw from one or more courses?

Withdrawing, even from a single course, could affect your eligibility for aid, now and in the future! Depending on the date that you drop the course(s), your aid may be reduced or removed from your course. You may even owe money back to the school depending on your situation. Withdrawing from courses also affects your 2/3 completion rate which could put your satisfactory academic progress in jeopardy. For more information on how withdrawing from courses could affect you, please click here.

What happens if I’m in default of a student loan?

Default generally occurs on a federal student loan when a borrower doesn't make a payment for 270 days. During the delinquency period, the loan servicer must make repeated efforts to locate and contact the borrower about repayment. If the lender is unsuccessful, steps will be taken to place the loan in default. Borrowers should avoid default at all costs! Unlike other consumer loans, student loans usually cannot be discharged through bankruptcy and will likely stay with borrowers for the rest of their lives.

A borrower with a defaulted loan faces these consequences:

• Payment of entire loan balance (principal and interest) becomes due immediately

• Garnished wages and federal and/or state tax refunds

• Withheld Social Security retirement benefits and disability benefits

• Additional charges, late fees, and collection costs

• Lawsuits

• Ineligibility for additional student aid

• Damaged credit rating and lower credit score (which could prevent obtaining a mortgage, buying a car, or borrowing other consumer loans in the future)

• Loss of eligibility for loan deferments (such as for in-school, unemployment, etc.)

For more information on default and tips for what you can do if you’re struggling or already in default, please click here.

More Questions?

Check out our FATV page!