Financial Aid

Tuition and Fees

Since the Catalog must be published well in advance of the beginning of each school year, it is not always possible to anticipate fee changes. If the tuition and fees printed here have to be revised, every effort will be made to publicize the changes as far in advance as possible.

The most current tuition and fees are available at any Cashier Office or on the College Web site: www.EdisonState.edu.

The College accepts cash, check, money order, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover or debit cards. Payment may be made in person at any campus Cashier Office or online through the College’s Web registration system. The College also offers a Tuition Installment Plan (TIP). TIP is available online at my.EdisonState.edu and may only be accessed after a student has registered for courses. The College reserves the right to drop a class, or classes, from a student’s registration if fees are not paid in full by the payment due date. All fees are payable by the date shown on the student’s fee receipt unless enrolled in TIP.

Students who withdraw from classes and received financial aid may have to repay all or part of their financial aid award. Students who receive financial aid should check with the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from any classes.

Student financial responsibilities include library fines, book replacement costs, parking and traffic fines, returned checks, short-term loans, veteran deferments, employer or other third-party delinquent payments and return of borrowed equipment. Official transcripts of the student’s record will not be made unless all college-related financial responsibilities have been satisfied.

How to Apply for Financial Aid

The Office of Student Financial Aid provides financial assistance to qualified students to attend Edison State using the programs administered by the College. Students who apply for financial aid, and demonstrate need, will be issued a financial aid package, also known as an award letter, made up of one or more of the four basic sources of financial aid: loans, grants, student employment and scholarships. Application for student financial assistance is made by filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Informational brochures and materials are available at all Financial Aid Offices at Edison State College, or at www.EdisonState.edu. Students may log in to the myEdison State Portal at www.EdisonState.edu and click on the Student Services tab for information on their financial aid status.

Fee Payment Information

1. Checks should be made payable to Edison State College for the amount of fees. Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express credit cards are also accepted at Cashier Office or through the Web registration system at www.Edison.edu.
2. Veterans who are eligible to receive monthly educational benefits should be prepared to meet ALL expenses since the first checks are often delayed until after a semester is in session.
3. The College reserves the right to withhold students from classes, final examinations, and graduation unless fees are paid in full. No grades, degrees, statements of honorable dismissal, or transcript of credits will be issued until satisfactory settlement of college fees and other financial obligations have been met. This includes loans to students.
4. The cost of books and supplies varies with the program of each student.
5. The College reserves the right to change its fees at any time without notice.

Recreation and Leisure, Seminars, Conferences and Other Self-supporting Programs

Fees will be determined for each activity and will be listed in the individual activity announcement.

Student Access/ID Card $15.00

Students are charged a College access/ID fee each term.

Nursing Comprehensive Testing Package:

Types of Financial Aid

A variety of financial resources are available for those who need assistance to attend college. Assistance is awarded to degree seeking students enrolled for six (6) or more credit hours in Fall and Spring semesters on the basis of financial need, scholastic achievement, and character. Limited funds are available to qualified students for the Summer semester. FAFSA applications for assistance received after May 1, 2009, will be considered only if funds are available. In order to remain eligible for scholarships, work-study, loans and grants, a student must successfully meet the requirements of the Standards of Academic Progress (SOAP) for financial aid recipients (see Academic Policies and Procedures Relating to Students ).

Loans

Edison State College Short-Term Loan Fund: The College makes short-term loans available to students who need temporary assistance paying their tuition when their financial aid eligibility is pending. Applications are available at the Financial Aid Offices. A small service fee will be charged and the loan balance is due on a set date, prior to the end of the term.

Federal Family Education Loans: Long-term loans are available through the federal government’s Stafford Loan program. Students must complete an annual FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form and a loan counseling entrance interview at the College. Eligibility and certification for loans are determined by the Financial Aid Office.

Grants

All students must complete an annual FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at www.fafsa.ed.gov to establish qualification for federal and state grants. Final eligibility for all grants is determined by the Financial Aid Office.

Federal Pell Grant: The federal government provides Pell grants to students with demonstrated financial need. Students may be eligible for a Pell Grant if they are enrolled less than half-time. Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG): FSEOG funds are provided by the federal government to assist students with high financial need. Students need to be enrolled at least half-time to be considered for this grant.

Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG): This grant program is federally funded for Pell Grant recipients that meet academic criteria. First year students are awarded $750 and second year students are awarded $1300.

Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG): These grants are awarded to Florida residents who are fulltime students with financial need. Funds for part-time students may be available on a limited basis.

Work Study Programs

Students enrolled for six (6) or more hours toward a degree program and who meet federal requirements of financial need and are capable of maintaining adequate grade point averages may be employed in part-time jobs to help meet expenses. Jobs are available on campus. Off-campus employment opportunities for community service are also available. The College is an equal opportunity employer.

Scholarships

Edison State College Foundation, Inc.

The mission of the Edison State College foundation, Inc. is to enhance Edison State College’s programs and services through positive community relations and the development of private funds and partnerships that will advance the education and welfare of the institution, its students, its faculty and staff, and the community it serves.

The Edison State College Foundation, Inc. is a direct support organization Edison State College authorized through the Florida Statute 1004.70 Community college direct-support organizations. The not-for-profit, IRS approved 501 (c)(3) corporation was chartered in 1966 to receive, hold, invest and administer property and to make expenditures to, or for the benefit of, Edison State College.

Institutional Scholarships

Edison State College offers a variety of institutional scholarships to students based on academic status and/or financial need. Students may apply through the appropriate program or directly to a Financial Aid Office on each campus.

Florida Bright Futures

Florida Bright Futures Scholarship awards are determined by the Florida Department of Education and may be used for tuition expenses at Edison State. Florida Academic and Florida Medallion awardees may have their tuition paid by the program at 100 percent of allowable charges. Florida Academic recipients receive $600 each year or the amount designated by the Florida Department of Education for other expenses. Vocational Gold Seal recipients will be reimbursed for 75 percent of tuition charges each term of the award. Funds will be disbursed to students as soon as they are available from the Florida Department of Education.

Scholarship Search Information

Some of the best sources of scholarship information are available through free search services on the Internet at www.fastweb.com.

The Lee Campus Financial Aid Office has a Resource Center that students may use to access the Internet for scholarship searches or financial aid information. Internet access is also available at all Learning Resource Centers.

Endowed Scholarships

Students who have been awarded scholarships from a private organization may have those funds administered by the College Financial Aid Office. The applications forms for all endowed scholarships are located in each financial aid office, the Hendry/Glades office, and on the Edison State College Web site: www.EdisonState.edu. Criteria for the scholarship programs will vary, but leadership, school and community involvement, special recognition, skills, talent, financial need, or field of study can be considered. Certain scholarships may require the student to submit letters of recommendation or additional statements. All students must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be eligible to receive institutional scholarship funds.

Endowed scholarships are provided by the Edison State College Foundation, Inc. Tuition and book scholarships are awarded to several hundred students each year from endowments established by community residents. The following endowed scholarships are currently offered:

Policies Governing Financial Aid

Standards of Academic Progress for Financial Aid Recipients

Federal and state regulations require students to meet minimum standards in order to be eligible to receive financial aid funds. The minimum standards at Edison State College are applied uniformly to all financial aid programs administered by the College, except those programs whose eligibility requirements are restricted to institutional funds or outside donor restrictions. Some scholarship programs carry their own academic standards for renewal of eligibility.

1. Students must meet the academic requirement of at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
2. Students must make progress toward their degree or certificate. Minimum progress toward a degree requires initial year financial aid applicants who have previously attended the College to have earned 67 percent of registration attempted at the College.
3. Minimum progress toward a degree or certificate requires continuing financial aid recipients to earn 67 percent of credit hours attempted during the current academic year for renewal eligibility.
4. Students must complete their educational objective within a given time frame:
   1. All AA and AS degree seeking students have a maximum of 90 attempted credit hours. Students in bachelor’s degree programs have a maximum of 180 attempted credits.
   2. All certificate degree seeking students are limited to no more than 150 percent of the published length of the program.

All transfer credits will be included as attempted credit hours as well as all Edison State College attempted coursework regardless of whether the courses are applicable toward the student’s degree program.

Withdrawals from any course(s) will be counted in the total hours attempted and may result in failure to meet the standards of progress. Students must follow the official withdrawal procedures established by the College. Students may owe a refund to the federal program as a result of a withdrawal from a course. Students should contact the Financial Aid Office for information prior to withdrawing from a course.

Funding for remedial coursework is limited to 30 credits of assistance by federal financial aid programs.

Reinstatement

If a student is denied/suspended from financial aid assistance, the student must attend a semester without financial aid and earn a minimum of six (6) credits with a semester GPA of 2.0 or above. Students will be required to file an appeal after the term without aid is completed for reinstatement of eligibility.

Review of Continued Eligibility

Satisfactory progress is reviewed at the end of the student’s academic year. Notification will be sent to students at the end of the Spring or Summer semester of termination of aid eligibility.

Appeal

Students may request an appeal by the Financial Aid Office if financial aid funding has been terminated. The student must file a petition form with the Office of Financial Aid. On that form the student must state the circumstances that prevented satisfactory progress to occur and provide documentation of the circumstances. Once the review has been made the student will be notified of the result of the review.

Class Attendance

Financial aid recipients must attend all classes they are registered for to receive a financial aid award. Failure to demonstrate attendance in classes will result in a reduction or cancellation of financial aid funds.

Transfer Student Evaluation

Transfer students applying for financial aid must have at least a 2.0 grade point average after transfer credits are evaluated to be eligible to receive financial aid funding. To qualify for aid in subsequent terms students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.

All transfer credits will be included as attempted credit hours for standards of academic progress regardless of whether the courses are applicable toward the student’s degree.

Prior Baccalaureate Degree

Students who have completed a baccalaureate or professional degree from an institution, regardless of whether the institution is an unaccredited or foreign school, are not eligible for Pell, FSAG or FSEOG funds. Whether the degree is accepted or recognized by Edison State College does not change the student’s eligibility status.

Student Fees

Student fees are payable by the date shown on the schedule receipt. Financial aid recipients may have their fees covered by approved financial aid funds. The student’s financial aid award process must be finalized to have tuition covered by this process. Financial aid recipients that receive funds that exceed the charges to their student account will receive a refund. The Finance Office will notify students of the refund options through debit or check.

Repayment of Title IV Funds

Recipients of federal financial aid funds that withdraw from classes prior to completion of 60 percent of the term will be required to repay a portion of funds received as defined by the federal regulations. The Financial Aid Office distributes specific information with financial aid awards.

Procedure for Cancellation or Withdrawal of Classes for Financial Aid Recipients

Students who withdraw or have a class cancelled after the regular registration period (see College Calendar  for the last date to drop a class with a refund) should consult the Financial Aid Office as they may incur a financial liability. Students who receive an administrative refund for classes will have their financial aid adjusted or cancelled and will be required to pay all funds received that are determined to be owed back to the federal, state, or private donor that provided the funds. All students who withdraw or drop classes are required to do so as directed by the Office of the Registrar. Students are not automatically withdrawn from classes.

Students wishing to change their course registration by adding or dropping a course must follow registration procedures. Financial aid recipients are responsible for completing the change in registration for payment to be made by a financial aid program.

Veterans Education Benefits

The Financial Aid Office, Lee County Campus, serves as the Veterans Affairs Office for Edison State College. Veterans or dependents of a veteran who are eligible for educational benefits should:

1. Contact the Veterans Specialist well in advance of enrollment to process eligibility forms.
2. Apply for admission as a degree seeking student.
3. Submit the Certification of Eligibility or a copy of a DD-214 (separation paper) to the Veterans Specialist for certification of enrollment. Submit additional forms if requested for certification to the Veterans Specialist.
4. Contact the Veterans Specialist when registering for classes each semester, changing a course schedule or degree program or making a change of address.
5. Contact the Veterans Affairs Office with a schedule receipt as soon as possible before the beginning of each term to avoid a delay in receiving benefits.

National Guard Fee Exemption

Recommended National Guard enlistees may be eligible to receive a fee exemption for a percentage of their tuition costs. Contact the National Guard Education Officer. Eligibility for the exemption must be processed by the Veterans Specialist, Financial Aid Office, Lee County Campus.

Veterans Dependents

Wives, widows, or dependents of deceased or 100 percent disabled veterans should contact the Veterans Affairs Office for the appropriate forms.

Veteran Transfer Students

A transfer student must have a transcript(s) from the previous college(s) forwarded to Edison State College before transferring. The Veterans Administration (VA) must be notified of any credits accepted by the College. The student’s certification for benefits will not be processed by the VA office until the transcript(s) is received and evaluated by Edison State. Failure to have the certification finalized will delay the veteran’s benefit check.

Approved VA Programs

The student must be working toward an approved degree in order to receive VA benefits. Students should contact the College Counseling or Advising Centers to ensure that the classes they plan to take are required for the degree selected. This will avoid the possibility of overpayment for classes not required for the degree. A student will not be paid for a course repeated to earn a higher grade, unless the student received an “F” in the course, or a “D” when a “C” is required.

Deferment of Tuition

Veterans and other eligible students may receive one deferment each academic year if there is a break (failure to return in a subsequent semester) in the VA benefits. Veteran deferments are processed by the Veterans Specialist on the Lee County Campus.

Change of Status and Attendance

Veterans who withdraw, drop or add a class should notify the Veterans Affairs Office immediately. Such a change could result in an incorrect payment from the VA. Withdrawals and grades of “W” are retroactive to the beginning of the term, and the VA does not pay for courses in which the student receives a grade of “W.”

Standards of Progress for Veteran Educational Benefit Recipients

Veterans must maintain a “C” (2.0) grade point average to remain in good standing. If the veteran does not have a 2.0 after attempting 12 credit hours, the student will be placed on academic warning. After attempting 24 credit hours, if the veteran still has less than a 2.0 GPA, the veteran’s benefits will be terminated by the VA.