Frequently Asked Questions
St. Philip's College School Code: 003608
General
Where is the Student Financial Services office and what are
the hours that the office is open?
- Sutton Learning Center (SLC), Room 117
- Regular hours are 8 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday
What is St. Philip's College's address?
St. Philip's College, 1801 Martin Luther King Drive, San Antonio, TX 78203
What is the St. Philip's College federal school code?
003608
What is financial aid?
Financial aid is any form of money for your college
education that comes from resources outside your family. Scholarships can be
awarded by St. Philip's College, the Alamo Community Colleges or by an
outside donor, such as a civic club, church or business. Grants are based on
financial need and do not have to be repaid. Self-help aid, including loans
and work-study employment are also considered financial aid, even though you
have to pay back the loan or work for your stipend.
I'm not sure whether I will qualify for need-based aid. Is it
worth my time to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)?
Yes. We recommend that all student file the FAFSA. You
can't assume that you will or will not qualify for aid based on your family
income alone. Many factors are considered in calculating need. You will need
to complete the FAFSA after January 1 --we recommend prior to March 1-- to
receive a financial aid award. After your first year, you will need to
complete a "renewal application" every academic year that you attend school
to process your financial aid at the institution you will be attending.
What is considered in calculating how much my family can
afford to contribute to my education?
The Department of Education has created a formula that
takes a number of factors into consideration. Among them are a family's
total taxable and nontaxable income including the student's income, family
and student assets, the number of persons supported by the family income,
the number of dependents in college, and the age and marital status of the
parents/student.
What is an EFC number? How does it determine my financial aid?
The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) reflects how much
money you can provide toward your education, based on the information
supplied on your FAFSA. A student is eligible for Pell Grant assistance if
the EFC number is between 0 and 4041. Therefore, knowing your EFC number,
you know whether you are federal grant eligible or not, before your file has
been processed. You must be enrolled in at least three (3) credit hours to
receive a Pell Grant.
How long will it take to process my Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)?
Processing can take 4-6 weeks. St. Philip's College
processes files in date order, based on the completion date. Your completion
date is determined once all paperwork is received and your FAFSA information
is correct. Loan requests are also processed in date order. If you have any
questions about this process, please contact our office at (210) 486-2600.
Is there a fee that I have to pay when I apply for financial
aid?
No. Applying for federal financial aid is free. Make sure
you are on the correct website,
www.fafsa.ed.gov . There are several websites with similar names that
may charge a fee. Remember, you should not pay to receive grants or
scholarships. Please contact our office at (210) 486-2600 if you have any
questions.
Do I need a PIN to apply for the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA)?
No. You can submit the FAFSA form online without a PIN,
and then print, sign and mail your signature page to the Department of
Education. However, when you are completing the application online, you can
request a 'real time' PIN, which can be used immediately. The PIN website is
www.pin.ed.gov. Having a PIN allows you
to submit your FAFSA quicker.
Do I need to file my taxes before completing my Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)?
No. You are not required to complete your taxes before
completing your FAFSA; you may complete your application using estimated tax
information. However, it is important to be as accurate as possible; the
likelihood of being selected for verification of your application increases
when using estimated information. If you are selected for
verification, you will need to bring in additional
documents to the Student Financial Services office before your financial aid
can be awarded.
What is Verification?
Verification is a process used to confirm and verify the
information you provided on the FAFSA application. The U.S. Department of
Education selects some FAFSA applications for verification. The Student
Financial Services may request verification information due to discrepancies
submitted on FAFSA applications.
I am over the age of 18, living on my own, and paying my own
bills. Why do I have to provide parent information on the FAFSA? Shouldn't I be
considered independent?
According to the Department of Education, students are
required to provide parent information unless they are 24, married, a
veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, supporting children or other dependents,
both parents are deceased, or were a ward/dependent of the court. If you
feel you have unusual circumstances, or cannot obtain parent information,
please contact our office at (210) 486-2600 for further information.
I live with my grandparents. Can I provide their tax
information instead of parents?
No. According to the Department of Education,
grandparents and legal guardians are not parents. Therefore, you must
provide parent information, even if you do not live with your parents. If
you have unusual circumstances and cannot obtain parent information, please
contact our office at (210) 486-2600 for further information.
What is our previous year's income is greater than our income
will be this year?
First complete the FAFSA with the requested information, then
contact our office at (210) 486-2600. You may be eligible for an income
reduction under special conditions. Often, projected year income can be
considered. These considerations are made at the student/family's request and
are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Please refer to our
Special Conditions page for further information.
My parents are divorced. Which income do I provide on the
FAFSA?
Answer the questions about the parent you lived with or
provided more financial support to you during the past 12 months. If this parent
is remarried, provide income information about that parent and the stepparent.
What if neither I nor my parents will file an income tax
return?
You may complete the FAFSA application at your earliest
convenience after January 1st of each year. There is a question on the
application where you will indicate that you nor your parents will not be filing
a tax return.
I am recently married. Do I need to provide spouse income,
even though we weren't married last year?
Yes. According to the FAFSA, report your and your spouse's
income and assets, even if you were not married in the previous tax year.
I am recently separated/divorced/widowed. How do I answer the
tax questions on the FAFSA?
Although you may have filed a joint tax return, report only
your income, based on your w2s. If you need assistance, please come by or call
our office at (210) 486-2600.
What if I forgot to list St. Philip's College as one of the
institutions to receive my student aid report on my FAFSA application?
You may call 1-800-433-3243 or 1-800-4FEDAID. You can speak
with a representative and add St. Philip's College school code to your
application.
How do I find our how much financial aid I've been awarded?
An award notice is sent to you via your student email address
after your file has been awarded any grants or loans. You can access this notice
in Student Services or speak with a Student Financial Services representative.
Our office cannot give you any dollar amounts over the phone.
Why am I on financial aid suspension?
The Department of Education has requested all colleges to
implement a Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy. According to St. Philip's
College policy, you may be put on suspension due to having too many academic
hours (99 or above) or low academic performance (less than 2.0 GPA or not
meeting 67% completion rate). You will need to submit a
Financial Aid Appeal to the Student Financial
Services office.
How can I transfer my financial aid to another school or have
it transferred at St. Philip's College?
Financial Aid cannot be transferred without cancellation. Each
school awarding grant money must have their own copy of your FAFSA form and
award you themselves. You do not need to fill our a new FAFSA, just add the new
school code to your current application. Also, it is important that the original
school be notified to cancel all financial aid awards for the semester you will
not be attending.
If I'm taking 6 credit hours at St. Philip's College and 6
credit hours at another ACC college, can I receive a full-time disbursement of
my grant money, because I'm enrolled in 12 credit hours?
Yes. However, you can only receive financial aid at one
school per semester. All schools receive their grant money from the same
place, the Department of Education; therefore, if one college has already
awarded money to you, the other college will not be able to access more
funds for a 2nd awarding. You can take classes at both schools, but you can
only receive financial aid at one. If St. Philip's College is your primary
school, you would need to bring in your tuition bill from the other school
to the Student Financial Services office in order to provide grant money to
pay for your cross-enrollment tuition.
Loans
How do I apply for a student loan? Is there a separate
application?
You must complete a separate Federal Family Education
Loan Program Stafford Loan application in the St. Philip's College Student
Financial Services office in order for your loan to be certified through
your intended lender. There are three types of loan programs offered at St.
Philip's College: Federal Stafford Subsidized loans, Federal Stafford
Unsubsidized loans and Parent PLUS loans.
What is an Online Entrance Loan Counseling session?
If you are a first-time borrower of a Federal Stafford
loan at St. Philip's College, you will be required to complete an online
entrance loan counseling session at
www.mappingyourfuture.org.
The purpose of this session is to provide students with information about
the Federal Family Education Loan Programs. Discussion will include
information about student's rights and responsibilities, repayment options,
deferments, and the consequences of default.
Can I borrow less on my Stafford Loan than the amount listed
on the loan application?
Yes. You can borrow any amount, up to the amount listed
on the loan application.
What are the interest rates on the Stafford loans and Parent
PLUS loans?
For Stafford loans originating after July 1, 2008, the
interest rate is fixed at 6%. The Parent PLUS loan has a fixed interest rate
of 8.5% for loans originating after July 1, 2008.
What is the difference between between subsidized and
unsubsidized loans?
Subsidized Stafford loans are based on financial need,
and the government pays the interest to the lender while you are in school
at least half-time, as well as during any deferment periods. Unsubsidized
Stafford loans, on the other hand, are not based on need, and borrowers are
responsible for all interest accrued on the loan. Interest payments can be
deferred until graduation and then will be capitalized and added to the
principal of the loan. You also can make payments on the interest which in
school by contacting your lender.
What is a Parent PLUS loan?
The PLUS loan is the Parent Loan for Undergraduate
Students. Parents may borrow a PLUS loan on behalf of their dependent
undergraduate student to help fund educational expenses.
Where can I get my loan deferment form completed?
You can have your loan deferment form completed at the
St. Philip's College Records and Registration office in the Sutton Learning
Center (SLC), Room 100.
When do I have to repay my loan(s)?
Repayment of your loan(s) begins six months after you
graduate, withdraw from school, or drop below half-time status.
If I take a leave of absence from school, do I have to start
repaying my loans?
Not immediately. The Stafford loan has a grace period of
6 months before the student must begin repaying the loan. When you take a
leave of absence from school, 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 runs out in the
middle of your leave of absence from school, you will have to start making
payments on your loans.
Where can I find information on my past loans?
To find the most up-to-date information about your loans,
please log onto www.nslds.ed.gov. The
National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) is the U.S. Department of
Education's central database for student aid. It receives data from schools,
agencies that guarantee loans, the Direct Loan program, the Pell Grant
program and other U.S. Department of Education programs. NSLDS provides a
centralized, integrated view of Title IV loans and Pell grants that are
tracked through their entire cycle, from aid approval through closure. You
will need your PIN to access this database. You can obtain your PIN at
www.pin.ed.gov.
Scholarships
I want to apply for a scholarship. Do I have to fill out the
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)?
No. However, to be considered for scholarships where
financial need is part of the criteria, you must complete the FAFSA to
determine eligibility.
I received an outside scholarship. Should I report it to the
Student Financial Services office?
Yes. If you are receiving any kind of financial aid
awards from other sources other than St. Philip's College, you must report
the scholarship to our office so that your account can be credited
accordingly.
What different types of scholarships are there?
There are a variety of scholarships available from both
St. Philip's College and external sources. For help in finding scholarship
opportunities, please review our
Scholarship page and the
ACC Student
Financial Services website. Most are based on academic merit and some
are also based on financial need.
What is the difference between a scholarship and financial
aid?
A scholarship is a financial aid award based on merit,
excellent academic performance or perhaps community service or leadership.
Financial aid is a grant based on financial need, as documented by family
income, assets and other factors.
Federal Work Study
What is Federal Work Study and how do I apply?
The Federal Work Study (FWS) program provides funds for
employing students who qualify for financial aid. Please refer to our
College Work Study page for more
information.
Who is eligible for Federal Work Study?
You may be eligible for work study if you are eligible
for a pell grant and are enrolled at least six credit hours each semester of
employment. You must also maintain satisfactory academic progress and have
financial need.
How many hours can a work study student work?
Work study students can work up to 20 hours a week during
the school year.
How much are students paid under the work study program?
Students participating in the work study program
are paid $7.25 per hour. Students can pick up a paycheck the 15th of every
month at the St. Philip's College Bursar's office.
Page last updated: 12/11/2008