Financial Aid Programs

To be considered for most types of financial assistance, you must first complete a form called the "Free Application for Federal Student Aid" (FAFSA) each year before the Fall Semester. Northeast Alabama Community College encourages students to apply as soon as possible after January 1 for the upcoming academic year, with July 15 as the priority deadline. (The academic year begins with the fall semester and ends with the summer semester.)

Due to a recent change in the Pell Grant program, students now have a lifetime limit of 12 full time semesters or equivalent to receive a Pell Grant. This lifetime limit applies no matter when a student received the first Pell award.

High school seniors and others planning to begin in the summer: you can apply for Financial Aid for the current year (2012-2013) for summer, in addition to applying for the coming year (2013-2014) for fall/spring. Pell Grants are available for up to two terms of full-time study in one academic year, so you may apply for summer if (and only if) you have not already received a Pell Grant for two terms in the year.

You may apply electronically at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Please use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to expedite the time in getting the Pell Award.

Help sessions are held every Wednesday at 1:00pm in SC111. Financial aid personnel will be available to assist you in applying. If possible, bring your most recent tax return forms.

Ask Financial Aid staff members any questions you have, either at the help sessions or by contacting them.

The following video presentation is very helpful (courtesy of the University of California, Santa Barbara):

7 Easy Steps to the FAFSA

Northeast Alabama Community College’s Code is 001031 (section six [6] on the FAFSA). Obtain a pin number at www.pin.ed.gov.

Any prospective or enrolled student may apply for financial aid. A financial need is established when it is determined that the resources of the family (expected family contribution, the primary source of student finances) do not meet the cost of attending a particular college. For Financial aid purposes, the cost of attendance budget for a dependent or independent student is $11,550. Financial assistance can be offered only after the student has been accepted for admission or is already enrolled. If your financial needs change after you apply, contact the Financial Aid Office to see how to submit your new information.

See the menu above for more information about financial aid at NACC.

For Northeast scholarships not based on need, see Institutional Scholarships.
For other opportunities and information, see Affording Your Education.
To see the cost of attending Northeast, see Net Price Calculator.

FINANCIAL AID OFFICE
The objective of the Financial Aid Office is to assist students who have financial need by providing an aid package that may include scholarships, grants, loans, and work on campus.

“We help as many students go to college as we can,” says Nicky Willmon, Director of Financial Aid at NACC. “If a student comes in or calls, we will help if there is any way possible. We genuinely care about our students and we let them know that we are here to help them.”

“We try to help students receive as much Pell Grant as possible because this is money you do not have to repay,” explains Willmon. “Pell Grants are based upon several factors, the most important being family income. Full Pell Grants pay enough for tuition and books, but unfortunately some students receive partial Pell or just miss receiving any Pell at all. Our Direct Loan Program assists these students in paying for school. We realize that debt is not something to be taken lightly, and we emphasize to our students to only borrow what they need.”

“We also realize education will earn you more money for the rest of your life. For example, if you can spend $10,000 to purchase something worth $200,000, what should you do?” adds Willmon.

Financial Aid Office Staff

Full policies of Northeast Alabama Community College are published in the Faculty and Staff Handbook (employment policies), or the Catalog (academic and student policies), or can be obtained from the Office of the President. While this website attempts to present information accurately, it does not constitute the complete statement of policies of Northeast Alabama Community College. Contents are subject to change without notice.