Jefferson Davis Community College offers a comprehensive financial aid package for eligible students who attend. Financial aid comes in the form of federal as well as institutional funds. Programs, processes and rules of use are detailed on this page.

Federal Programs

Federal Work-Study: Provides part-time jobs on campus and in the community for needy students. Students must apply for the Federal Pell, but may be awarded work-study even if he/she does not qualify for Pell. Awards are made on first-come, first-serve basis. Job placement will be to campus openings first.

 Federal Grants

Federal Pell Grant:  A federally-funded gift aid to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's or professional degree. Students receiving a Pell Grant should apply for aid on an annual basis. Applications are available in the Public Library, local high schools and through the JDCC financial aid office.

Federal Academic Competitive Grant (ACG) – The Federal Academic Competitive Grant is an entitlement program designed to offer additional grant aid to Pell-eligible citizens who have graduated high school with an advanced diploma or completed other approved rigorous secondary school programs. Students who graduated high school after January 1, and enroll in a degree program, maintain full-time attendance as well as a 3.00 or higher cumulative grade point average are eligible for this award.

Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant: Program for undergraduate students with exceptional need. Priority is given to the most needy Pell-eligible students. No separate application is required.

The Application Process

Students may file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid with the College or it may be filed on the web. To complete the application on the web, access the U. S. Department of Education's web site at www.fafsa.ed.gov . (The Title IV institution code for JDCC is 001021). Income information must be provided and the application must be signed. A signature page must be printed and mailed to validate the electronic application process or a pin number for student and/or parent may be used. During the application process, submitted data will be matched with the social security, selective service and immigration data bases.

Male students are required to register with the Selective Service System between the ages of 18 and 25. This requirement is in effect for admission as well as financial aid.

Help is Available

Assistance is available for filing necessary financial aid forms. Financial Aid office hours are Monday -Thursday, 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.; Fridays, 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Please call for an appointment at 251-809-1511 or 368-8118. Vanessa Kyles, financial aid director, Delinda Hurry, financial aid officer, or Kim Fleming, financial aid assistant will be glad to assist you. Students should bring income information from the most recently completed tax filing year to get help with completing the required forms. Income information includes federal income tax returns for the student and his/her spouse or parents and proof of untaxed income in the form of social security, child support, AFDC, etc.

Atmore Campus Hours

Financial Aid Staff are on the Atmore campus each Wednesday and the following additional days.

• Monday, November 10, 2008 
• December 17 and 19, 2008
• December 19, 2008 last day to apply for financial aid for spring enrollment
• January 6-8, 2009               
• January 12-14, 2009 
• February 18-19, 2009 
• May 15, 2009 last day to apply for financial aid for summer enrollment
• May 19-21, 2009 
• May 26-27, 2009 

Verification Process

Other Resources of Interest

Students are encouraged to use all resources possible in securing financial aid assistance. A great deal of information may be accessed in an electronic form by following the links below.

There's also information on HOPE Scholarships and other education tax credits and provisions, as well as links to other higher education resources for students. Kentucky Higher Education www.kheaa.com A guarantee agency for the state of Alabama. This site provides numerous links for students and parents and also gives access to Getting In, the college resource for high school seniors. Students can use Getting In to compare colleges in Alabama on a head-to-head basis.

Alternative Loan Program

Jefferson Davis Community College does not participate in the Federal Family Educational Loan Program (FFELP), but does offer students the possibility of seeking loan funds through a company which offers alternative loans.  The interest rate is different and other rules apply.  Students are encouraged to access the company's website to get the most current information about the program. The company is Wells Fargo Bank  www.wellsfargo.com  which offers the Collegiate loan program.  Jefferson Davis Community College is in the process of working with Sallie Mae to offer another option for our students.  That information will be updated as it is finalized.

Financial Aid Policies

A Student cannot receive Pell at two colleges during the same semester. He/she must choose one school or the other. He/she may, however, transfer the Pell grant if he/she transfers before the end of the academic year. Please contact the financial aid office if you need help with this. You may call the Pell processor at (319) 337-5665 to request a duplicate student aid report. Any student who fails to pre-register between fall and spring semesters or spring and summer will be required to sign a Financial Aid Enrollment Certification Form certifying that he/she will not enroll at any other college and will be responsible for any overpayments that may result from a dual enrollment. · The financial aid year is traditionally August through May (two semesters per year). This means that your summer term will probably not be covered by your financial aid. You need to plan for that term if you intend to enroll then. Your award will be adjusted to cover summer if you start in a later semester or if you are not full-time throughout the year. Please also note that financial aid does not carry forward to another year. You must apply each year as early as you file your income tax return or no sooner than January 1 of any year. Additional SEOG funds may be available during the summer. You must contact the financial aid office beginning March 12, 2008 to check on the availability of funds. Federal Financial Aid is not fully earned until the student has completed at least sixty percent of the term in which he/she is enrolled. 1. If you choose to withdraw from school before you complete sixty percent of the term, you will be required to return unearned funds to the Federal Government immediately. 60% Dates for the 2007-2008 year are as follows: Fall – October 17, Spring – March 18, Summer – July 8. 2. Prior to withdrawing from school, you must come by the financial aid office to complete an exit interview. You will be informed of the amount required to be returned (repaid) at that time. · Your Federal Monies (Pell and SEOG) will be issued by mail (some time during the first month of the semester) after drop/add is closed. A current address must be maintained with the admissions office. If you will be living in on-campus housing, you may consider updating your address to reflect that. All bookstore charges must be made within the first week of class. You will need to return books for any canceled class or classes dropped during drop/add so that the charges will be credited to your Pell or SEOG account. Students will not be allowed to charge books after the first week, there will be no exceptions to this rule! · You will be able to charge institutional charges to your federal financial aid. This includes tuition, fees, books and on-campus housing. It is your responsibility to make sure that the business office and bookstore personnel charge your tuition, fees, and books to the correct financial aid resource. · Attendance is mandatory, but you may withdraw from a class if you find it necessary. Your Pell amount is based upon your verified (through individual instructor notices) enrollment status at the end of drop/add. Full-time status is 12 semester hours or more, three quarter time is 9 to 11 hours, one half time is 6 to 8 hours and 5 hours or less is considered part-time. · If you are awarded a scholarship from an outside source it is your responsibility to notify the financial aid office of the award so that the necessary steps can be taken to avoid any potential over awards. It is also your responsibility to notify the business office personnel when you register that you want your tuition and fees charged to the scholarship or to your Pell.

JDCC OFFICIAL ATTENDANCE POLICY

Class attendance is an essential part of the educational process at Jefferson Davis Community College. Academic success derived by a student is directly proportional to class participation. Each student has individual responsibility for attending classes and for meeting course objectives. Instructors who have additional attendance requirements over and beyond this policy will clearly outline the requirements in the course syllabi. Participation grades may be negatively impacted by absences. Students are expected to attend 85% of all class meetings. Students who decide not to continue attending a class or classes should initiate the withdrawal process. It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw from courses (see withdrawal policies and procedures outlined in the college catalog). Students who are absent in excess of 15% of the total class meeting time (twice the number of times a class meets in a week) may be removed from the course as an unofficial withdrawal and assigned a grade of W. Additionally, students will be responsible for the repaying of any portion of unearned financial aid that results from a complete withdrawal.

· Students who withdraw before the sixty percent portion of the term are subject to a repayment calculation. You must also return any books that were purchased with financial aid funds to the financial aid office. If you are subject to repayment of your Pell Grant you will be notified in writing.

· The standards of satisfactory progress are outlined in the current college catalog or the Jefferson Davis Community College home page www.jdcc.edu. Please pick up a catalog for your reference. You will receive a letter if you are affected by these standards after grades have been posted each term. Nondiscrimination Policy It is the official policy of the Alabama State Department of Postsecondary Education and Jefferson Davis Community College that no person in Alabama shall, on the grounds of race, color, disability, sex, religion, creed, national origin, or age, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under a program, activity or employment.

Financial aid personnel are eager to provide services to you. If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact the financial aid office at

 (251) 809-1511 or (251) 368-8118.