Not all programs/courses qualify for financial assistance. Pell, FSEOG, MAP, Federal Direct Loans and FWS cannot be used for enrollment in Advanced Electrical Automotive, CISCO Network Associate Certificate, Computer Support Associate, Database Associate, Non-Degree Seeking, Nurse Aid, noncredit courses and audited courses.
Determining Your Financial Aid Enrollment Status
The amount of your aid eligibility is determined based on the number of hours in which you are enrolled as of the ninth calendar day of the semester. If you add classes after the ninth day, your bill may be increased; however, your aid will remain the same. If you drop classes after the ninth day, your aid will not be adjusted unless you totally withdraw and are subject to the refund policy. There are some exceptions to these general rules for students who are enrolled in courses that only meet for part of the semester (such as eight-week courses) that start after the ninth day of classes.
Federal Pell Grant
To receive the full-time award, the student must be enrolled in 12 or more credit hours. Partial awards may be prorated as follows:
9 to 11.5 credits = 75%
6 to 8.5 credits = 50%
1 to 5.5 credits = 25%
ISAC State of IL MAP Grant (Est)
You must be enrolled for at least 15 credit hours in a semester to receive the full amount of the State of IL MAP Grant (Est) awarded.This award may only be applied to tuition and the registration fee. If you're enrolled in less than 15 credits, the award is prorated to:
Award ÷ 15 x credits enrolled
State of IL MAP Grants (Est) will be applied to student accounts once payment is received from the state.
Federal Direct Loans
You must be enrolled for six or more credit hours to receive loans. The loan amount is calculated at the time the loan is requested and prior to disbursement. The actual loan amount will be determined using a recalculated budget based on the student's actual enrollment and awards.
Developmental Hours
A student is limited to 30 developmental credit hours while receiving federal financial aid. Federal financial aid will not cover any developmental courses taken after the student has reached the maximum of 30 hours. These courses include but are not limited to: Math 090, Math 093, Math 096, Math 098, Math 099, English 094, English 098, Reading 090, Reading 092 and Reading 096.
Repeated Courses
Students may receive financial aid for repeating courses. However, if retaking a previously passed course, financial aid can be used only for one repeat of the course. Any courses repeated will be used in the calculation of a student's Satisfactory Academic Progress status. Each repetition will count toward the enrolled hours; however, only the course(s) being counted in the GPA calculation will be counted in completed hours for SAP.
Eligible for Awarding
Financial aid will be awarded once all documents have been received and reviewed and the student is deemed eligible. Documents submitted become the property of the Financial Aid Office and will not be returned.
Release of Financial Assistance Information to Another Agency
You must complete and sign a Financial Aid Information Release form for the current school year before any information will be released to another agency, parent or spouse. On the release form, you must indicate for which semester(s) you want the financial assistance information released. You must allow 10 days for this processing. Information regarding fees and bookstore charges must be obtained from the Business Office. Your signature on a loan application authorizes Carl Sandburg College to release to the lending institution, subsequent holder, the guarantor, U.S. Department of Education or the agents, any requested information pertinent to your student loan(s).