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Financial Aid ~ FAQs
What does a specific term mean?
What types of Financial Aid are available at RVCC?
- Federal Pell Grant - Applied for by filling out the FAFSA application
- NJ Tuition Aid Grant - Applied for by filling out the FAFSA application
- Federal Stafford Student Loans - After filling out the FAFSA,students should come to the RVCC Financial Aid Office to fill out student loan forms.
- RVCC Academic Scholarships - Filling out the FAFSA application is not required.These scholarships are awarded based on a student's academic achievement, not their financial need. However, some RVCC scholarships require financial need, so filing a FAFSA application is always advisable.
- Outside Scholarships - You should search for these on your own. These scholarships are not affiliated with RVCC.
- Federal Work Study - If, after filling out the FAFSA application, you have unmet financial need, you may apply for Federal Work Study.
Are there deadlines for applying for Financial Aid at RVCC?
No, You can apply for Financial Aid anytime during the semester in which you wish to receive aid. However, bills for each term are due a month before the term begins. You should apply for aid several weeks before this bill due date. If you wait until the last minute to apply for aid, you will need to set up a payment plan to hold your classes. This will prevent your classes from being dropped by the college while your aid eligibility is being determined by the FA office.
Are there separate applications for State & Federal Grants?
No, when a you fill out the FAFSA application, you are applying for both Federal and State aid at the same time. The state will ask you for additional information after you complete the FAFSA. Please submit any additional information as soon as possible.
Can I use my Financial Aid to purchase books?
Yes, if you have excess financial aid funds beyond your tuition and fees, you may use this credit in the bookstore 10 days prior to the start of the semester. After the 10th day of the semester, the bookstore will no longer accept financial aid book vouchers. If you still have financial aid money left over after book purchases, you will receive a refund check for the excess in mid October (Fall Semester) or early March (Spring Semester).
What if I drop a class? What if I drop all of my classes?
Please refer to our Using your Financial Aid page to determine how your financial aid will be disbursed to your student account. If you drop classes during the semester your financial aid maybe reduced if you did not begin the course or if your dropped the course before the end of the refund period. If you withdraw from all of your courses you will be considered to have withdrawn for the semester and the Financial Aid Office will determine how much of your financial aid you are eligible to receive. Please click here for more information.
Are non-credit courses covered under Financial Aid?
You are eligible to receive aid for ESL & remedialcoursework. Courses offered through Corporate & Continuing Education are not eligible for financial aid.
How is Dependent/Independent status determined for Financial Aid?
This status is determined by the answers you give in Step 3 ofthe FAFSA application.
- Were you born before January 1, 1984?
- At the beginning of the next school year, will you be working on a master's or doctoral program?
- As of today, are you married?
- Do you have children who receive more than half of theirsupport from you? Do you have dependents (other than children or spouse) who live with and who receive more than half their support from you, now and through June of this school year?
- Are both your parents deceased, or are you or were you (until age 18) a ward/dependent of the court?
- Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?
If you answer YES to any question in Step 3, you're Independent, if you answer NO to all the questions, you are Dependent.
Can I take out a Stafford Student Loan without having filled out the FAFSA?
NO. You must fill out the FAFSA application before you canproceed with the Stafford Student Loan
If the information on my FAFSA application doesn't reflect my current financial situation, what can I do?
After getting back the results of the FAFSA, you may use our Request for Professional Judgment Form from our Forms Page to the request that we make adjustments to your FAFSA. TheFinancial Aid Office will review your documentation and make any necessary adjustments.
Do I have to be a full-time student to receive Financial Aid?
You do not need to be enrolled full time for most forms of financial aid. The only forms of financial aid that require a fulltime course load are the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG), the NJSTARS program and certain Galileo Scholarships.
What is RVCC?s Federal School Code?
RVCC's Federal School Code is 007731
Do I have to pay back Pell Grant or Tuition Aid Grant money?
No, you do not have to pay back any Grant money your receive.
