Summer Sessions Financial Aid

HOW TO APPLY FOR SUMMER 2010 FINANCIAL AID

1. Complete the 2009-2010 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply for a Summer 2010 Federal PELL. (If you already applied, do not apply again.) New federal legislation has increased the amount of PELL grant available to students. This allows receipt of funds for the summer, for eligible students, even if PELL was received on a full time basis for the fall and spring semesters.

For the 2010 summer session only: Ulster County Community College offers two summer sessions in an effort to be responsive to the needs of the student body. For the purposes of the federal Pell Grant program, the separate sessions are combined into one “Cross-Over Payment Period”.
The summer 2010 session will be attached to the 2009-2010 academic year. Students interested in receiving federal financial aid for summer must have completed the 2009-2010 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

If eligible, a student will be able to receive all or a portion of second scheduled Pell Grant within an award year.
• For the First Scheduled Pell Grant Award, a student must:
o Be Pell Grant eligible.
o Be enrolled at any enrollment status (full-time, ¾ time, ½ time, or less than ½ time)
o The amounts received will count toward the aggregate lifetime limit.

• To Qualify to Receive a Second Scheduled Award within the same award year, a student must:
o Continue to be Pell Grant eligible (remember we check for “Satisfactory Academic Progress” at the end of the spring semester.)
o Have received 100% of the First Scheduled Pell Grant Award.
o Be enrolled on at least a half-time basis.
o The amounts received in summer 2010 will count toward the aggregate lifetime limit.

2. The income information for this application is from the student/spouse and parents' 2008 Federal income tax return, W-2's and other untaxed income sources (Social Security, Social Services, etc.). Submit the application online at FAFSA . You can request PIN Numbers for parent/student at www.pin.ed.gov. Students receive a Student Aid Report (SAR), which may be handed in to the Financial Aid Office. The electronic institutional student information report (same as the SAR), income documentation, and all other required documentation must be received by June 30, 2010 or the last date of enrollment, whichever date comes first.

3. Complete the Federal Family Education Loan Program/Stafford Loan Application: Master Promissory Note* (available at www.hesc.com) and complete a Federal Stafford Loan Cover sheet (available in the Financial Aid or here) to apply for a loan. Loan applications cannot be mailed out until the 2009-2010 Student Aid Report information is verified. Loan processing takes 14-21 days. Students must complete the Entrance Interview online at www.mapping-your-future.org.

* If you will be reaching 6 credits (the minimum attendance to receive a loan) during the Summer II session you will be contacted by the Financial Aid office to complete a Direct Loan application and told how to proceed with the process.

4. NEW YORK STATE FINANCIAL AID

The TAP grant provides grant assistance to undergraduate students who are NYS residents.  The awards are based on the enrollment of the student and all NYS eligibility criteria.
To receive a NYS TAP award for the summer, complete the 2010-2011 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) . Look for the link to the TAP On The Web (TOTW) application once you have completed your FAFSA. 
Go to www.hesc.com for a complete description of the eligibility criteria, to change a TAP school code, to make an address change, and to view your award.

At Ulster County Community College TAP for summer is considered an accelerated term per NYS guidelines. The following are the criteria for receiving Summer TAP:

• Students qualify for accelerated study only upon earning 24 credits applicable to their degree program.
• The student must be enrolled full time for each of the fall 2009 and spring 2010 semesters.
• The 24 credits earned can be any full time combination per semester. Example would be 9 credits out of 12 credits successfully completed in the fall 2008 semester and 15 credits out of 15 credits successfully completed in the spring 2009 semester, thus completing 24 credits in the 2008-2009 aid year and therefore eligible for Accelerated TAP for the summer.
• The prior 24 credits must have been earned from Ulster County Community College.
• The clock starts new for each year of accelerated study, meaning a new 24 credits earned must be completed in the previous fall, spring semesters to be eligible for Accelerated TAP for the summer term.

5. Attend a Financial Aid Workshop to receive help in completing the FAFSA.
Call 687-5058 for information and to make a reservation.

Special Note: All students must be matriculated, in good academic standing, and meet all eligibility criteria before financial aid applications can be processed in the Financial Aid Office. Students may be selected for verification and be required to provide 2007 or 2008 tax returns and associated income and asset documentation.