General Information
The objective of John A. Logan College in maintaining a student financial assistance program is to assist in the removal of barriers to postsecondary education. To accomplish this goal, the College endeavors to provide financial assistance designed to complement the financial resources of students rather than financing their education in full. Financial assistance at John A. Logan College is available in the form of grants, part-time employment, and scholarships. Information concerning assistance may be obtained from the John A. Logan College Student Financial Aid Office.
Students seeking to become eligible for financial assistance programs must be aware of, and comply with, the following:
- Be enrolled or accepted at John A. Logan College as a degree- or certificate-seeking student and maintain “satisfactory academic progress” as defined by John A. Logan College.
- Must have a high school diploma (or equivalent) with a graduation date or GED certificate on file with John A. Logan College to be eligible for financial assistance.
- Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at studentaid.gov. In the current award year, JALC will receive FAFSA data within 3 to 5 business days. Upon receipt of the FAFSA data, a financial aid offer will be emailed to the student listing estimated awards and any required documents.
- Have not earned a bachelor’s degree.
- Complete the FAFSA to apply for a Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grant, from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), and a Federal Pell Grant. The FAFSA is also required for private loan consideration.
- Students interested in applying for the Federal Work Study Program or part-time employment at John A. Logan College will need to complete the Student Employment Request Form through the Career Services Office. All applicants must complete a FAFSA.
- Students interested in scholarships administered by John A. Logan College may submit an online scholarship application through the Foundation Office.
Financial aid will be awarded for the total number of hours required for a student’s degree/program. Financial aid does not apply to students who are non-degree seeking at John A. Logan College. Students electing to take courses not required for their program will be responsible for covering any cost associated with the courses.
Workforce development courses, as well as adult and continuing education courses are not eligible for financial aid. The nursing assistant program (NAD 101 ), and short-term certificate programs are also not covered by financial aid.
Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress
John A. Logan College will follow The Code of Federal Regulations - Title 34: Education, Part 668 - Student Assistance General Provisions Subpart C - Student Eligibility to develop financial aid standards of progress for students receiving Title IV funds. The College shall maintain reasonable satisfactory academic progress procedures for determining whether an otherwise eligible student is making satisfactory academic progress in his/her educational program and may receive assistance under the Title IV HEA programs. Students who have at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average, complete at least 67% of attempted coursework, and have not attempted more than 150% of credits required for their program meet all aspects of the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress policy. The procedures for standards of progress are published in Administrative Procedure 833, Satisfactory Academic Progress and located under Policies on the John A. Logan College Financial Aid webpage.
Student Loans
Student loans are educational funds that must be repaid with interest. Student loans should be considered after all other forms of financial assistance have been exhausted. John A. Logan College is no longer participating in the Federal Direct Student Loan program. Students in need of loan funds should apply for a Private Alternative Student Loan. Contact your local bank, credit union, or search the web for “Private Alternative Loan Providers” to find a lender. All students who apply for a private, alternative loan must first submit a FAFSA using John A. Logan’s federal school code 008076.
Return of Funds
Students who receive Federal Title IV Funds (Pell Grant, SEOG Grant) and stop attending classes, withdraw from classes, receive all failing grades, or a combination of withdrawals and failing grades are subject to a Return of Title IV Funds. This may result in the student owing a refund to the College, to the Federal Student Aid Program, or both. Please refer to Return of Title IV Funds in the Financial Aid Handbook.
Please refer to Return of Title IV Funds policy here.
Veteran Benefits Policies
Students receiving veteran benefits must follow the academic policy for satisfactory academic progress.
Beginning August 1, 2019, and despite any policy to the contrary, John A. Logan College will not take any of the four following actions toward any student using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) (GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill) or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while their payment from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs is pending to the educational institution:
- Prevent their enrollment;
- Assess a late penalty fee to;
- Require they secure alternative or additional funding;
- Deny their access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.
However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:
- Produce the VA’s Certificate of Eligibility by the first day of class;
- Provide a written request to be certified;
- Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies (see our VA School Certifying Official for all requirements).
Withdrawals Prior to 60% Completion Point
Students that stop attending before the 60% point in a semester are reported by instructors to the Admissions and Records Office, along with their last dates of attendance. The last date of attendance is also reported by the instructors if the student receives a failing grade and stopped attending prior to the end of the semester. The earlier date will be used to determine Return of Funds calculations.
If students withdraw prior to the 60% completion point, the Return to Title IV Funds calculation will determine the sum that must be returned to the College. Students will be responsible for this amount and must repay funds to the institution before registering for classes.
Before withdrawing from the college, the student who has received financial aid should notify the Student Financial Aid office of his or her decision. The Financial Aid Office will perform the Return of Funds calculation and send notification to the student of funds refunded back to the Department of Education by the college and, in turn, owed by the student to his or her account with John A. Logan College. A notification is sent within 30 days of the school’s determination of the student’s withdrawal. The institution must return these funds within 45 days.
Financial Aid Procedure for Withdrawal or Non-Attendance in All Courses
A student who withdraws from (or) stops attending ALL COURSES before the 60% point in a semester WILL have their Financial Aid Award adjusted. Students earn financial aid by attendance. Once a student has attended beyond the 60% point of a semester, the Department of Education allows the student to keep ALL of the awarded aid. If the student stops attending or withdraws from ALL courses before the 60% point the Financial Aid Office is REQUIRED to calculate the aid earned by the student. That will change the financial aid award. A percentage of the aid that was awarded or could have been awarded after the non-attendance or withdrawal date must be sent back to the Department of Education. The student will then owe the college a percentage of the aid that was disbursed or could have been disbursed to the student because the student didn’t earn all of the aid awarded. The amount owed will depend on the last date of attendance or the official withdrawal date of the student.
Post Withdrawal Disbursements
In some cases, a student may be eligible to receive a “post-withdrawal” disbursement after the student completely withdraws from the school. This is possible when the amount of aid awarded and processed is less than the amount of aid disbursed. In such cases, the Student Financial Aid Office will notify the student within 30 calendar days of the “post-withdrawal” disbursement by mail. The student must respond within 14 days from the date the school sends notification to deny a post-withdrawal disbursement.
Financial Assistance Procedures
- The Pell Grant results of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form will be released to the Financial Aid Office directly from the U. S. Department of Education as long as students list John A. Logan College as one of their college choices on the FAFSA application. The information will be used to assist students seeking financial aid through the John A. Logan College Foundation Scholarship program, the Illinois State Monetary Award program, the Pell Grant program, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), and the student employment program.
- John A. Logan College Foundation scholarships, Pell Grants, FSEOG, and student employment payments administered by the College will be made available to the student by depositing payments into the student’s account of choice.
- Tuition awards authorized by the Illinois State Monetary Award program, the National Guard Grant program, the Illinois Veterans’ Grant program, and other agencies are credited to the recipient’s account. Any refund resulting from such awards will be made available in the student’s account of choice. Refund dates are listed on the Financial Aid webpage under Important Financial Aid Dates.
- Normally, any financial aid award is contingent on the actual receipt of funds or authorization appropriated to John A. Logan College by federal or state agencies.
- Current or prospective students receiving financial assistance through John A. Logan College have the right to inquire about the following topics:
- names of accrediting/licensing organizations
- academic programs, facilities, and faculty
- cost of attendance and Refund Policy 7320
- financial assistance availability
- financial assistance application procedures
- financial assistance recipient selection criteria
- financial need determination
- amount of financial need met
- payment of financial assistance
- student-worker job responsibilities
- loan responsibilities
- academic progress determination
- facilities and services for the disabled
- Current or prospective students receiving financial assistance through John A. Logan College have the following responsibilities:
- be familiar with program requirements
- accurately complete and submit financial assistance applications
- meet all financial assistance application deadlines
- provide requested financial assistance application documentation
- read and understand all forms requiring student signatures
- comply with loan promissory note provisions
- notify the College of changes in name, address, or attendance status
- perform work agreed upon in student worker assignments
- understand the College’s Refund Policy 7320
Special Circumstances and Financial Aid
Students apply for financial aid by completing the FAFSA using income from two years prior. In some cases, income from two years ago does not accurately reflect the current financial situation of the family. Independent students, or dependent students whose parents were affected by any of the following situations, are encouraged to contact the Financial Aid Office to determine if a Special Circumstance is warranted.
Those situations include:
- Illness which affected the family’s income
- Change in employment status, income, or assets
- Change in housing status (e.g., homelessness)
- Medical, dental or nursing home expenses not covered by insurance
- Student or Parents’ separation or divorce
- The death of a family member which has negatively affected the household income.
- Child or dependent care expenses
- Tuition expenses at an elementary or secondary school
- Other changes or adjustments that impact the student’s costs or ability to pay for college
A financial aid counselor will meet with you privately to discuss your situation and determine if you qualify for a Special Circumstance. Students who qualify for a Special Circumstance will be asked to provide documentation, so their financial aid eligibility can be determined based on the current household income.
Scholarship Opportunities
Students only need to complete the online application once to be considered for hundreds of scholarship opportunities with the JALC Foundation. Click on the Scholarships tab on the JALC website. Select one of the two banners at the top of the page. “Current JALC Students” or “High School, Dual Credit, or Prospective Students”
“Current students using the site for the first time will need to set their password then follow to steps to access AwardSpring. If you have already set your password, then just sign in to access AwardSpring. Your student dashboard is now open. Click on “Apply” to complete the general application for scholarships.
High School, Dual Credit, or Prospective students will need to click on the register tab, create your account using your personal email, and check the box to accept the terms and privacy policy. AwardSpring will open to the student’s dashboard. Once there click on “Apply” to complete the general application for scholarships.
Students receiving a scholarship will receive an email to their volmail account.
You can find a complete list of available scholarships on the Foundation page.
If you need assistance completing the application, or have questions about scholarships, please contact the Foundation office at 985-3741 ext. 8355 or stop by our office, B33 and we will be more than happy to help you.
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