Fees are established for non-credit courses in keeping with Florida statutes. A complete description of fees set for non-credit activities can be found in the college policy manual.
Refund Policy for Credit Classes
Students are responsible for all fees for courses not dropped by the student during the published drop/add period. Refunds result from 1) classes dropped by the student by the end of the published scheduled drop/add period for each term; 2) classes dropped prior to the first day of class for courses that do not begin during the scheduled drop/add period; and 3) for classes that are cancelled by the college. A refund of fees paid will be given if the proper procedures are followed. Refund checks are mailed within two weeks after the end of the published drop/add period each term.
A drop is different from a withdrawal. A drop will result in the elimination of the class(es) from the transcript record. A dropped class does not affect the standards of academic progress; however it may affect the amount of financial aid awarded. A withdrawal will result in a letter grade of “W” in each class from which the student withdraws; withdrawals are included in the calculation of academic progress.
A student who discontinues enrollment after the published drop/add period may be granted a refund if proper procedures are followed. Procedures for requesting a refund are:
Supporting documentation must include one of the following:
Refund requests must have supporting documentation to be considered. Refunds may be approved by the Vice President of Student Support and Enrollment Management after the six week period if there was an administrative error by the college.
The drop/add period for registration for non‐credit activities is course‐specific and, therefore, may occur any time during any term. All refunds are calculated by calendar days. When a refund day falls on a calendar day in which the Office of Center for Business, Continuing and Community Education is closed (e.g. Saturdays, Sundays, holidays), the refund will be based on the following workday. The refund process is initiated by a drop request by the student through Center for Business, Continuing and Community Education. Telephone and/or written requests are accepted; however, the refund is based on the work day the drop request is received by the Office of Center for Business, Continuing and Community Education. Refund checks are mailed to the student registered for the non‐credit activity.
A refund for an official drop request made before the first day of the activity is 100 percent. Drop requests received on or after the first day of the activity provide no refund. In cases where the first day of the activity is Sunday, drop requests must be received by 4:00 p.m. on the Friday before. In cases where the college must guarantee payments associated with a non‐credit activity, a confirmation registration date may be indicated, after which no refund is provided. A student who submits a written request to the Office of Center for Business, Continuing and Community Education will receive a 100 percent refund of the activity fee at any point in the semester if any of the circumstances noted in the section “Refunds (Credit Classes) exist.”
Gulf Coast offers a variety of financial assistance for students. Students may apply based on financial need or merit. Financial assistance may be awarded from one or any combination of federal and state grants; part‐time employment; institutional, state, and private scholarships; and student loans. Information and applications are available on the college website at www.gulfcoast.edu or contact the GCSC financial aid office in the Enrollment Services Building.
Students should check their official Gulf Coast student email for Financial Aid correspondence.
Federal Pell Grant:Grant funds are designed to assist students with financial need. Eligibility is determined by student and/or family financial status and is based on information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). A need analysis determination is performed by the U.S. Department of Education and the results are reported to the school and the student. Interested students may apply at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Awards are based on student and/or family prior year income from the federal income tax form. Award amounts are based on the number of hours enrolled each semester. Costs of tuition, books, and miscellaneous educational expenses may be covered by the Pell grant. Students must reapply each year when tax forms are filed.
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG): A supplement to Pell eligible students who meet the priority consideration deadline of May 15. Students must have maximum eligibility for Pell (Expected Family Contribution equals zero).
Florida Student Assistance Grant: A Florida grant for students who show exceptional need as determined by information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and who meet the May 15 priority consideration deadline. Other eligibility criteria include:
Florida Student Assistance Grant‐Certificate Education (FSAG‐CE): A Florida grant program for students pursuing a certificate. To be eligible, students must be at least half‐time, must complete the FAFSA application, and meet other state and college requirements. A limited number of grants will be awarded. For more specific eligibility information, contact the Financial Aid Office.
Federal Work-Study: Federal funds provided to students for part-time jobs on and off campus. Students must apply using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Participants must show some financial need and meet the priority deadline of May 15, to be considered for the work-study program. Contact the financial aid office for more information.
Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program: A Florida scholarship program awarded to high school students who meet the academic requirements. Bright Futures pays most of a student's tuition. Students need to make sure any unpaid balances are paid by the due date. Students are now responsible for repaying Bright Futures funds for withdrawn classes. Students withdrawn due to illness or emergency should contact the Financial Aid office about the appeal process. Bright Futures recipients should consult the GCSC website at www.gulfcoast.edu, click on Financial Assistance and Financial Aid and Bright Futures. Current information on Bright Futures scholarship requirements, student eligibility, and renewal requirements is available at www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org.
Florida First Generation Matching Grant (FGMG): Jointly funded by GCSC/Foundation and the Florida Department of Education, this grant provides assistance to low‐income Florida residents who are the first in their family to attend college. Recipients must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours and must have financial need as determined by the FAFSA. To apply, students need to complete the FAFSA application as early as possible. They will be notified if they are awarded the grant.
Gulf Coast State College Foundation Scholarships: GCSC Foundation Scholarship opportunities are open to all students attending or planning to attend Gulf Coast State College. The deadline for applying is March 1. Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher and a valid GCSC student ID number. All interested parties must visit the Foundation's STARS Online scholarship website and set up a student account. The web address is https://stars.gulfcoast.edu/stars. Foundation scholarships are not meant to cover 100% of a student's educational cost. Awards are only intended to supplement a student's education needs. Foundation scholarships can also be used in conjunction with federal and state grants, Bright Futures, College Prepaid programs, and other scholarship awards. Foundation scholarships are awarded for one academic year only (fall and spring semesters) and recipients must reapply each year unless otherwise noted.
State of Florida Employee Fee Waiver: Per Section 1009.265, Florida Statutes, GCSC will waive tuition for state employees to enroll for up to (6) six credit hours of courses per term on a space‐available basis. State employees are eligible for registration for courses during the colleges published drop/add period. State employees must complete all admissions requirements, including the application for admission, placement testing, transcripts, and proof of prerequisites. After registration, state employees must present the State Employee Waiver Intent to apply and Agency Authorization Form to the Business Office for fee payment.
Federal Stafford Loans: Need‐based funds available to eligible students to borrow for educational expenses. Students may use the funds now and delay repayment until they graduate or attend less than half‐time. Interested students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine need and complete entrance counseling, the promissory note, and loan request form.
To qualify applicants must have a 2.0 overall GPA and a 67% completion rate for any post‐secondary courses attempted. The 3 step loan application process is located on the GCSC website at www.gulfcoast.edu. Click on Financial Assistance, then Financial Aid. All steps must be complete before processing can begin.
Parent Loan Program (PLUS): Loan funds are available only to parents of dependent undergraduate students and are based on the credit worthiness of the parent. Dependent undergraduate students may apply for unsubsidized funds only after the PLUS loan is denied.
Short Term Emergency Loans: GCSC emergency loans are administered by the GCSC financial aid office and are available to pay 80% of tuition and fees up to a maximum of $600. Loans are not credit based, but do require a co‐signer. Loans must be repaid within 60 days in a 16 week semester. In a semester that lasts 10 weeks or less, loans are due within 30 days. Late fees will be assessed and holds will be placed on the transcript and registration for failure to repay the loan by the due date. Contact the financial aid office for more information. Loan funds are borrowed and must be repaid.
Applications for financial aid should be filed as early as possible for the following academic year. Applicants should apply online at www.fafsa.ed.gov as early as possible after completion of 2010 income tax forms no later than May 1. This is a free application! If you are asked for a credit card number or to pay a fee, you are on the wrong website.
Failure to provide accurate information will cause unnecessary delays in the evaluation of the student's need.
Students planning to use financial aid to pay tuition must have complete files by:
July 1 for fall 2011
November 1 for spring 2012
General Eligibility Requirements
All financial aid is dependent upon the availability of federal, state, and institutional resources. To be eligible for aid at GCSC, a student must:
Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (FASAP)
The FASAP policy will be changing July 1, 2011, due to federal regulation changes. Please refer to http://www.gulfcoast.edu/finance_assist/student_responsibility.htm for the update policy.
At the end of each semester, every financial aid recipient who has attempted 12 credit hours or more will have their academic progress evaluated. If the student has not met the required standards at the end of that semester, they will be placed on Financial Aid Warning for one semester. The student will remain eligible for one semester.If that student is still not meeting the minimum academic standards, they will be placed on financial aid suspension and they will not be eligible for federal financial aid. Their Financial Aid will continue to be suspended until they return to FASAP (see standards below).
Note: Student in the Educator Preparation Institute (EPI) will be evaluated based on credits taken in that program.Students receiving financial assistance must maintain minimum standards in three categories: Grade Point Average (GPA), completion rate, and maximum time frame. These are evaluated cumulatively, meaning that every college credit attempted, including transfer credits, will be included in the evaluation.
Appeals Process and Reinstatement
A student who loses eligibility for financial aid has an opportunity to appeal. Appeals must be submitted in writing to the financial aid office with supporting documentation. The student may file the appeal based on mitigating circumstances as defined below:
The completed appeal form and/or graduation contract along with supporting documentation will be considered by the Assistant Coordinator or Coordinator. This process can take 2-4 weeks. The student will be notified in writing of the decision.
If mitigating circumstances are found to exist and the appeal is granted, the student will be put on financial aid probation. Their eligibility will be restored for one semester. If the conditions of the appeal are met after that semester, their probation will be continued. If the conditions of the appeal are not met, their financial aid is suspended until the minimum academic standards are met.
Should the student receive a denial, the student may appeal the denial by submitting a written notice of disagreement to the Director who will then form a committee to review the appeal. If the student receives a denial by the committee, the student may request in writing that their appeal be forwarded for further review by the Director of budget and student financial services, whose decision is final.College Preparatory (Development/Remedial) Classes
Required developmental coursework is counted when determining a student’s enrollment status for financial aid purposes. However, federal guidelines state that students are limited to 30 credit hours of funded developmental coursework.
Withdrawing and Paying Back Federal Aid
Students receiving federal financial aid (Pell Grant, SEOG, ACG, and Stafford Loans) who withdraw or stop attending all of their classes will be required to repay a portion of their financial aid if they have not attended more than 60% of the semester. Federal law states that federal student aid is awarded based on the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire semester. When a student does not attend more than 60% of the semester, they have not earned all of their aid and must repay what they have not earned. This is the law and there are no appeals!
Applicants who plan to attend college under veterans benefits should consult the veterans affairs (VA) certifying official to obtain all necessary VA application forms before enrolling. To learn more about veteran benefits, go to www.gibill.va.gov.
To be eligible, students must be degree seeking with all of their coursework leading towards that degree. Their enrollment must be reported to the VA certifying official each term.
Gulf Coast State College will adjust its VA certification procedures to the changing dynamics of the Veterans Administration without prior notification to students. Students on probation for two consecutive terms of enrollment who receive VA educational benefits will have their benefits terminated. VA benefits will be reinstated when the student is no longer on academic probation.
Credit for previous education and training will be evaluated and granted, if appropriate, with the training time shortened and tuition reduced proportionally with the VA and the veteran or eligible person so notified. Since the first VA checks are delayed, it is advisable for the veteran to be prepared to meet all expenses for approximately two months. For further information call the Veterans’ Office at Gulf Coast State College at 747-3210.
Veterans’ Fee Deferment Policy
In accordance with Florida Statutes 1009.27, only one deferment per calendar year will be granted, except where the veteran’s certifying officer concurs that extenuating circumstance were present, then additional deferments may be granted.
Any person eligible to receive veteran educational benefits who wishes to pursue an approved program of education at Gulf Coast State College will be granted upon request a sixty (60) day deferment during the fall and spring semesters and a thirty (30) day deferment for summer semesters for full payment of fees from the first day of classes, provided the period of deferment shall not extend beyond 10 days before the end of the term.
No eligible person who has received a deferment and who has failed to pay the deferred fees shall be allowed to re-enroll until such indebtedness has been satisfied.
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