Financial Aid Programs

The primary function of the Financial Aid Office is to provide financial aid to students who would otherwise be unable to attend college due to economic limitations.

Capital Community College provides a variety of financial aid programs in the form of scholarships, grants, loans and jobs to eligible students. The amount and type of aid received is dependent upon the student’s financial need as well as annual federal and state allocations.

Financial Aid Office personnel are available to assist students in all phases of the financial aid process and in the financial planning aspects of higher education. They will answer any questions pertaining to financial aid and give counsel as needed.

In Order to Receive Financial Aid Students Must:

• Be accepted for admission to the college and enrolled in a degree or eligible certificate program;
• Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or Trust Territories;
• Be in good academic standing and making satisfactory academic progress;
• Be in compliance with draft regulation requirements;
• Not be in default on any previous student loan;
• Not owe a refund to any Title IV Higher Education Grant Program (i.e., Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work Study, State Student Incentive Grant) at any institution.

All application materials must be received on or before the dates listed below to ensure that an award decision will be made prior to the registration periods and the commencement of classes.

Applications are accepted on a continuing basis throughout the year. However, since funds are limited, applicants are urged to file early and plan in advance. Financial aid is granted on a one-year basis; students must apply for assistance each year.

A student may become a candidate for financial aid by completing the following:

1. All admissions requirements to the college and have been accepted into a degree or certificate program. Students should contact the Admissions Office for information and an application.
2. A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov, with Capital Community College designated as the college you plan to attend. (Title IV Code: 007635) A step-by-step guide to help you through this process is available to you on our website at www.capitalcc.edu.
3. Students who adjust their course load or withdraw from the College will be subject to an automatic adjustment in their financial aid award. The adjustment is determined by a federal government formula.

Please feel free to e-mail us at CA-FinAidHelp@capitalcc.edu or call us at 860-906-5090 if you need further assistance.

Information on the cost of attendance, refund policy, academic standing, and admission requirements may be found in other sections of this catalog.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Student Financial Aid Recipients

Recipients of financial aid under the Title IV programs or other financial aid programs directly administered or certified by the college must maintain satisfactory academic progress towards the completion of a certificate or degree program. Students must be cognizant when selecting a program that certain certificates are not eligible for financial aid. The progress standards within are determined in accordance with a student’s current primary curriculum in a certificate or degree program.

Satisfactory academic progress for financial aid recipients in both certificate and degree programs is determined using a student’s cumulative academic history at the college, by means of Cumulative Grade Point Average (qualitative) and Cumulative Pace (quantitative) components. A student must successfully complete the designated pace percentage (earned credits/attempted credits) according to their program of study. For financial aid purposes, all attempted credits resulting in either an academic grade or administrative transcript notation will be included in the quantitative calculation. Incomplete courses, course withdrawals, course repetitions, noncredit remedial courses (with appropriate credit equivalency evaluation), and ESL courses are also included in this assessment. Transfer credits are counted as both attempted and earned credits in the calculation for determining satisfactory academic progress.

For students who change majors or change between certificate and degree programs, a cumulative academic history is still considered and assessments will be performed based on the primary program of study. A student’s cumulative academic history will be evaluated at the end of each payment period and prior to the subsequent term’s financial aid disbursement. This policy will be used to evaluate all students uniformly, regardless of their enrollment level. In order to graduate, a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 is required in all courses that are applicable to the program of study.

Advising Requirement

For students falling below a cumulative GPA of 1.7 and/or a minimum completion pace of 50%, they will be required to meet with advising staff prior to continuing to receive financial aid.

Repeat/Audit Coursework

Financial aid recipients are limited to one repetition of a previously passed course in their program of study. The second repetition of a previously passed course will not be eligible for financial aid payment. Audit courses are not financial aid eligible.

Communication

Students will receive notification prior to the start of a period of enrollment via postal mail or email that will describe any changes to the status of their academic progress. Updates to academic progress status will also be made available to students through myCommNet (http://my.commnet.edu).

Maximum Credit Hours

Students may receive financial aid for any attempted credits in his/her program of study that do not exceed 150% of the published length of the student’s educational program at the college. For example, students enrolled in a 60 credit degree program may receive financial aid for a maximum of 90 attempted credit hours. Similarly, students enrolled in a 30 credit certificate program may receive financial aid for a maximum of 45 attempted credit hours. Any attempted credits at the college must be included in the calculation. The 150% maximum credit hours rule is applicable to students who change majors, programs, or who pursue a double major.

Financial Aid Warning

Students who fail to meet the minimum satisfactory academic progress standard will be placed on Financial Aid Warning only once during their academic career at the college. Students on Warning may continue to receive financial aid for one payment period despite a determination that the student is not maintaining satisfactory academic progress. The Warning period will be the student’s next semester or period of enrollment at the college. Those students who achieve Satisfactory Progress after a Warning period but fail the academic standards at a later date will have an Unsatisfactory Progress status. The college will communicate the Warning status to these students and inform them that they must meet the academic progress standard by the end of the subsequent enrollment period in order to maintain eligibility to participate in the financial aid programs at the college.

Unsatisfactory Progress

Students who fail to meet the minimum satisfactory academic progress standard at the end of the Warning period will become ineligible from the financial aid programs at the college. The college will communicate a status of Unsatisfactory Progress to students and inform them of the available Reinstatement and Appeal processes.

Reinstatement Process

A student’s financial aid eligibility will be automatically reinstated at such time as the student meets the minimum satisfactory academic progress standard. Reinstatement to the financial aid programs may also occur upon a successful appeal by the student (see Appeal Process below).

Financial Aid Probation

Any student who fails to meet the minimum satisfactory academic progress standard at the end of the Warning period will become ineligible from the financial aid programs at the college. Ineligible students have the opportunity to file an appeal regarding their unsatisfactory progress within the assessment for financial aid programs. Students that have failed the academic progress standard and have been approved with a successful appeal will be considered on Financial Aid Probation. The terms of Financial Aid Probation are set by the college during the Appeal Process.

Appeal Process

Students may request consideration for reinstatement to the financial aid programs through the following Appeal Process:

If a student feels their failure to meet the minimum satisfactory academic progress standard was the result of an unusual or extraordinary situation that affected successful progression, the student may appeal to the Financial Aid Office. Examples of personal mitigating circumstances could include illness or injury of the student or dependent of the student, a death in the family, or other undue hardship as the result of special circumstances. An appeal form is available in the Financial Aid Office.

To provide consistency in decision-making, a designated administrator or committee at the attending institution will make all appeal decisions in a timely manner upon review of the appeal form and any applicable documentation. The student must:

1. In writing, explain the extenuating circumstances causing the non-compliance;
2. In writing, give a detailed explanation of specifically what has changed that will allow satisfactory progress to be demonstrated at the next evaluation; and
3. Substantiate it with third party documentation (i.e., physician’s note).

Should an appeal be approved and the student is not mathematically able to return to satisfactory academic progress at the conclusion of the subsequent enrollment period, a designated administrator at or committee at the attending college will devise an appropriate academic plan for the upcoming semester with the student. For example, the terms of an academic plan may be as follows:

1. Register and successfully complete a minimum of six (6) credits; and
2. Successfully complete these courses with a minimum GPA of 2.0.

At the end of the semester, grades will be evaluated. If the student has met the required terms of the academic plan, the student may remain on Financial Aid Probation and continue to receive financial aid the following semester. If the student fails to meet the terms of the academic plan in any subsequent semester, the student will become ineligible to participate in all financial aid programs until the student is able to once again meet the minimum requirements for academic progress. Student progress will continue to be monitored at the end of each semester with the same terms in place until the student is in compliance with this policy.

If the student’s appeal is denied and the student is already registered for the upcoming semester, the student is responsible for any monies owed to the college. If the student pays for the next semester and successfully completes all classes with a GPA of 2.0 or better, the student may appeal again after that semester.

Federal Aid

Pell Grant Program

The Pell Grant Program is the largest federal student aid program. For many students, these grants provide a foundation of financial aid to which aid from other federal and non-federal sources may be added.

Federal Direct Stafford Loan Program

This program provides low interest loans to students seeking assistance in financing their education. The loans are administered through the Federal Government. The interest rate is variable and may change every July 1, but may never exceed 8.25%. There are two types of Federal Stafford Loans. A subsidized Stafford Loan is awarded on the basis of financial need. You will not be charged interest before you go into repayment or during authorized deferment periods. An unsubsidized Stafford Loan is not awarded on the basis of need. You will be charged interest from the time the loan is disbursed until it is paid in full. These loans are available to students who are enrolled at least half-time and maintain satisfactory academic progress.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant is designed to assist students with exceptional financial need. Students must be Pell Grant eligible in order to receive this grant.

Federal Work Study Program (FWS)

The Federal Work-Study Program provides jobs both on- and off-campus to students who demonstrate a need for financial aid. Students have the opportunity to seek employment in Community Service positions in the local area.

Federal Direct Plus Loans

The Federal Plus Loans are loans for parents to borrow. This type of loan enables parents with a good credit history to borrow a loan to pay for the education expenses for each of their dependent undergraduate children who are enrolled at least half-time and maintain good academic satisfactory progress.

State and Institutional Aid

Roberta B. Willis Scholarship, Need and Merit-Based Program (Awarded by the CT Office of Higher Education)

This program is available to any Connecticut resident who is a full-time or part-time undergraduate student pursuing their first associates degree. The Office of Higher Education shall determine eligibility and make awards based on financial need by family contribution and merit based on high school academic achievement or performance on standardized aptitude tests.

Roberta B. Willis Scholarship, Need-Based Program (Awarded by Capital Community College)

This scholarship program provides grants in varying amounts to Connecticut residents demonstrating financial need who are full-time or part-time undergraduate students pursuing their first associates degree.

Capital Community College Grant

This program provides grants in varying amounts to students demonstrating financial need. Eligibility requires that a student be a Connecticut resident.

Student Employment

Recipients of financial aid from CCC may be assigned a part-time job as part of their financial aid package of assistance. Jobs have been established in all areas of the College and hours are flexible and can be arranged to suit a student’s academic schedule. Depending upon their financial need and the availability of funds, students may work a maximum of fifteen hours per week during academic periods and up to thirty-five hours during vacation periods.

Student Labor

Job opportunities, other than those funded by the federal and state governments, may be available to students who have a desire to earn money to help pay their educational expenses. Visit the Financial Aid Office to learn more about these opportunities.

Hartford Foundation for Public Giving Scholarship

Awarded to Greater Hartford area residents (preference to those who reside in Hartford) with financial need as determined by the Financial Aid Office at CCC. Students must be matriculated in a degree-granting program.

Student Senate Emergency Fund

The Student Senate has allocated funds to students for emergencies. These funds comprise a modest sum and the amounts available will vary at different times. Loans made from this fund are limited to short periods and are interest-free. Inquiries should be referred to the Director of Financial Aid.

Foundation Scholarships

The College’s nonprofit Foundation maintains annual and endowment funds donated by businesses, organizations and individuals in support of students who attend Capital or seek transfer to the baccalaureate level. Information and applications are available in the Office of Financial Aid in the fall semester.

Transfer Scholarships

Students graduating at the end of each academic year who plan to transfer to a four-year college are encouraged to apply for various transfer scholarships. Each scholarship program has specific requirements that must be met. The following is a list of existing scholarship programs:

• Dr. Arthur C. Banks, Jr., Transfer Scholarship
• University of Hartford President-to-President Scholarship
• Central Connecticut State University/Community College Scholarship
• Eastern Connecticut State University
• Dr. Jai Smith Memorial Scholarship

Applications and further information are available in the Financial Aid Office