How To Apply for Financial Aid

Financial aid is funding that will help you and your family meet college expenses such as tuition, fees, books, supplies, etc.
The basic sources of aid are grants, scholarships, employment, and loans.

You and your parents (if you are dependent) are considered the primary sources of funding for these costs.
Financial aid is intended to fill the gaps where you and your parents might fall short in paying for your education.

Follow these steps to apply for financial aid at GTCC:

APPLY FOR ADMISSION TO GTCC IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE SO.

SUBMIT THE FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA): All students who wish to be considered for financial aid must complete a FAFSA. Apply online at www.fafsa.gov. The FAFSA should be completed as soon as possible after January 1 for the upcoming academic year using your/your parent's prior year federal tax information. GTCC priority filing date for the federal processing center to RECEIVE your FAFSA is MARCH 15. FAFSA's received by the priority filing date are given first consideration for federal and state financial aid programs that have limited funds. The toll free phone number for the federal processing center is 1-800-433-3243.

GTCC School Code: 004838

Seven Easy Steps to the FAFSA - A Video Tutorial

"A Student's Guide to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid" tutorial

IRS Data Retrieval Tutorial for the FAFSA

Video Tutorial

Priority Date to file the FAFSA: March 15.

Retain

RETAIN the printout of your confirmation page after submitting your FAFSA online.
This is your proof that you applied.

RETAIN a copy of the information you submitted for your files.

Student Aid Report (SAR)

You will receive e-mail notification that your FAFSA has been received and processed.  If no e-mail address is provided, approximately two weeks after submitting your FAFSA online (or four weeks after mailing the paper FAFSA), you should receive a SAR indicating that your FAFSA has been processed and sent to the institutions you designated. Check the SAR for accuracy and make sure that GTCC is listed as a recipient of your information.

Submit All Requested Paperwork

Upon receipt of your FAFSA data from the Department of Education, we will e-mail you at your Titan Live email account requesting documents needed to complete your file. SUBMIT all requested documentation promptly (see deadlines below) which may include copies of tax return transcripts or other documentation to complete your financial aid application.  If you are not eligible for grant programs, you must still submit all requested documents to be eligible for other aid, including scholarships, work-study or loans.

FALL

FALL DOCUMENTS DEADLINE:                     May 1
FALL II DOCUMENTS DEADLINE:                 September 1

SPRING

FAFSA DEADLINE:                                     November 21
DOCUMENTS DEADLINE:                            December 7

SUMMER

FAFSA DEADLINE:                             April 15
DOCUMENTS DEADLINE:                    May 1

Award Notifications

Financial aid award notifications are emailed to students once their request for aid was processed.   This email will give students information on how to view and print their award letter in WebAdvisor.

Awards Conditions and Responsibilities

Be sure to read ALL materials accompanying your award letter for conditions attached to your award.

Scholarships

Your FAFSA is also your application for GTCC scholarships.  No need to fill out a separate form! However, make sure you submit all requested paperwork for your file. An incomplete file will prevent your application from being considered. Priority is given to students whose FAFSA is filed by March 15 and whose financial aid file is complete by May 31. Throughout the year, other scholarship opportunities may become available. Check our TitanCruiser announcements section often for new scholarships.

Throughout the year, other scholarship opportunities may become available. Check our GTCruiser announcements and scholarship bulletin board outside our office often for new scholarships.

Loans

You must request a loan - we will not automatically award a loan to you. You can apply for federal Stafford/PLUS loans AFTER all follow-up paperwork has been submitted to GTCC. Returning students who were previous borrowers at GTCC can submit their loan request via WebAdvisor for the upcoming fall semester. New GTCC Stafford loan applicants are required to complete several steps for entrance counseling purposes.  Please review these steps on our How to Apply for Federal Loans page.   Students must be enrolled at least six (6) credit hours each term to apply for and receive a Stafford loan.

Federal Work-Study

You must indicate interest in the Federal Work-Study program by answering Yes to question 31 on the FAFSA.  Federal Work-Study is not awarded automatically to all interested students, as funds are limited.  You will be notified by the Financial Aid office if you are awarded Federal Work-Study funds and the steps you need to take to obtain a work-study job.

Financial Aid Disbursement

Financial aid is awarded by the Financial Aid Office, but is disbursed by the GTCC Finance Office.  Aid awards made for the academic year are disbursed in two installments, one each semester, assuming you are registered for the number of hours on which your financial aid award was based.   You will be able to charge your books and supplies along with your tuition and fees to this account.  Any remaining funds will be deposited to your bank account or mailed to your home address.  To sign up to use direct deposit, please go to WebAdvisor.

Summer School Financial Aid

Funding for summer school is limited to students who have remaining Pell or loan eligibility not used during the previous fall and/or the current spring of the given academic year.

If You Don't Have A Computer

We have computers available for student use in Enrollment Services.  We are located on the second floor of the Medlin Campus Center, Jamestown Campus.  If you have any questions, please stop by to see us.

Important Facts about Financial Aid

Remember, grants are gift aid. They do not need to be repaid. Work-Study programs require the student to work in order to receive an award. LOANS MUST BE REPAID! Financial aid funds are limited. It is possible that not everyone who qualifies will receive funding from these sources. Early application for financial aid is encouraged.