The Department of Education requires all students receiving financial aid to have earned a high school diploma or GED prior to receiving financial aid funds. Therefore, the Financial AId Office requires the official high school transcript or GED to be on file with the Registrar's Office prior to processing and awarding funds.
How long will it take to process my financial aid?
Processing can take 4-6 weeks. Amarillo College processes files in date order, based on the completion date. Your completion date is determined once all required paperwork is received, and the FAFSA information is correct. Loan requests are also processed in date order. If you have questions about this process, please contact our office.
How do I find out how much financial aid I've been awarded?
An award notice is emailed to your college generated email address after your file has been awarded any grants or loans. You can access the award letter by logging in to AC Connect, or speak with a Financial Aid Representative. Our office cannot give you any dollar amounts over the telephone.
I know that my check has been mailed, but I still haven't received it. What do I do?
We are required to wait 2 weeks from the date the check was mailed before the check can be voided, and a new one issued. This includes loan checks. After 2 weeks have passed, the student must come to the Financial Aid Office to complete and sign the void check request form. Please consider applying for direct deposit.
The website to fill out my FAFSA states there's a charge. Isn't it free?
Yes. Applying for the federal financial aid is free. Make sure you are on the correct website, www.fafsa.gov. There are several websites with similar names that may charge a fee. Remember, you should not have to pay to receive grants or scholarships. Please contact our office, if you have questions.
Do I need a PIN to apply for the FAFSA online?
Yes. Students and Parents must each have a PIN to electronically sign the FAFSA application. 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.gov.
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 you supplied on the FAFSA. A student is eligible for Pell grant assistance if the EFC number is between 0 and 5157. Therefore, by knowing your EFC number, you know whether you are federal grant eligible or not, before your file has been processed.
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: 24 yrs old, married, a veteran of the U.S. Armed forces, provide more than half of the support for children or other dependents, both parents deceased, under legal guardianship, or a ward/dependent of the court since age 13. If you feel you have unusual circumstances, or cannot obtain parent information, please contact our office.
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.
I live with my grandparents. Can I provide their tax information instead of parents?
No. According to the Department of Education, grandparents, foster parents, legal guardians, aunts and uncles, are not considered parents on the FAFSA unless they have legally adopted you. 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.
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 FAFSA?
Although you may have filed a joint tax return, report only your income, based on your W2s. If you need assistance, please contact our office, and we can assist you in completing a Tax Return Adjustment form.
How can I transfer my financial aid to another school or have it transfered to Amarillo College?
Financial Aid cannot be transferred. Each school awarding grant money must have their own copy of your FAFSA form and award you themselves. You do not need to fill out a new FAFSA, just add the new school code to your current FAFSA application. Also, it's important that the original school be notified to remove all financial aid for the semester you will not be attending.
If I'm taking 6 hours at Amarillo College and 6 hours at WTAMU, can I receive a full time disbursement of my grant money, because I'm enrolled in 12 credit hours?
No. 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 would 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.