​The York College Financial Aid program exists to help any student who has academic potential and limited financial resources. The direct objective of aid is to provide opportunities for those who would not be able to complete their college education without financial assistance.
Persons of any race, color, sex, national/ethnic origin or religions that are serious in purpose and are in sympathy with the ideals and purposes of York College are encouraged to apply for financial aid from York College. Applicants will receive notification of aid eligibility immediately after meeting all requirements for admission and completion of the financial aid application process. Aid will be in the form of scholarships and grants, loans and/or campus employment.

York College funded scholarships and grants are based on merit and financial need. Each applicant is first considered for all grants and scholarships for which (s)he may be eligible. Any remaining need may be met with loans/or campus employment.

Steps to Apply for Financial Aid

1. Complete an application for admission (including a high school transcript, GED, or other proof of graduation).
2. Complete the FAFSA. Indicate that you would like York College to receive the results by using the following address and our Federal School code of 002567:
   York College
   1125 E. 8th Street
   ​York, NE 68467
3. Submit all requested documentation required for verification.

Federal Financial Aid Student Eligibility Requirements:

To be eligible to receive Federal Financial Aid, a student must:

1. Be a citizen or eligible non-citizen
2. Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an eligible program
3. Be a regular student in an eligible program
4. Not owe a refund or repayment on any Title IV funds
5. Sign a statement of educational purpose
6. Sign a statement of registration for Selective Service (if required)
7. Submit Financial Aid Transcripts from previously attended schools (as required)
8. Be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
9. Must not have borrowed in excess of loan limits
10. Must meet the drug conviction eligibility regulation
11. Must sign Final Award Letter

Financial Aid Need Determination

A student’s financial aid need is determined by the following formula:
Cost of Attendance (COA) Budget - Expected Family Contribution (EFC) = Need
The federal methodology is used by the Central Processor to determine the EFC (the amount the student and his/her family are expected to contribute to his/her education based on the FAFSA).

Verification

In certain instances, the student may be asked to verify certain information on their application. This is a federal requirement, and is determined at the time the application is processed by the Central Processor. York College may verify other applications if conflicting documentation is realized.
​
Documents which may be asked for:  

• IRS tax transcripts or signed copy of tax return
• Documentation of Social Security and VA Benefits
• Documentation of untaxed income
• Verification worksheet
• Proof of Independent Status

Required verification items include: 

• Household size
• Number enrolled in college
• U.S. income tax paid
• Adjusted gross income
• Child support paid 
• Other documentation as needed

Documents must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office within 30 days of written request. If a student is unable to meet the 30-day deadline, the Financial Aid Director will make allowances on a case by case basis. If deadlines are not met, the student may be required to make monthly payments on his/her account. 
​
If corrections are necessary, the Financial Aid Director may submit the corrected application electronically. If certification results in a change in aid awarded, a new award letter will be sent to the student. York College will not disburse any aid or certify any Federal Student Loan until the verification process is complete.

Types of Financial Aid

Scholarships

York College Scholarship Policy
​
York College Scholarships are offers made to full-time students who have special qualities and/or talents. Institutional scholarships are awarded to students during recruitment efforts. For the most part, excluding athletic scholarships, Departmental Grants and Trustee Scholarships, York College scholarships are renewable to the recipients for each semester at York College as long as SAP for financial aid is met.

York College funded scholarships consist of both merit (non-need) and need-based scholarships. Recommendations are given to the Director of Financial Aid for awarding. Each applicant is first considered for all grants and scholarships for which (s)he may be eligible. Any remaining need may be met with loans and/or campus employment as eligibility permits.

Students receiving institutional scholarships and grants are expected to represent York College in a positive and respectful manner. Students experiencing discipline problems may lose scholarships based on disciplinary actions.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is required to keep all scholarships. For renewable scholarships, a student not maintaining SAP may apply for reinstatement of the scholarship after one year without the scholarship. Reduction of any scholarship may be appealed to the Scholarship Committee for review. A written letter of appeal must be submitted to the Director of Financial Aid.
Satisfactory Academic Progress for financial aid is defined:

Cumulative GPA 

• Freshmen 1.60
• Sophomore 1.80
• Junior 2.00
• Senior 2.00

2017/2018 York College Scholarships
​

Need-Based Financial Aid

Federal Pell Grant 
This Federally funded grant is intended to be the "floor" of the financial aid package. The recipient must maintain SAP and must not have met the academic requirements of a Bachelor’s degree. The amount of the grant is determined based on a formula developed annually by the Department of Education and approved by Congress. No repayment is required. The Federal Pell Grant dollar amounts range from $0 to $6,195 in the 2019-2020 school year. Application is made by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) 
This grant is available to Federal Pell Grant recipients that are at least half-time students. This grant is renewable upon application to the Financial Aid Office if the student meets satisfactory academic progress requirements and continues to demonstrate exceptional financial need. The grant assistance does not require repayment. Awards will range from $0 to $500 for the 2019-2020 academic year as funds allow.

Nebraska Opportunity Grant  
Nebraska residents attending York College, full-time, may be eligible for this grant. This grant is administered through the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Post-secondary Education. Grants for York College students’ range from $0 to $750, depending on need and available funds.  Students with Expected Family Contributions below $5,757 (as determined by the FAFSA) and who show exceptional need are eligible for the Nebraska Opportunity Grant. Grant amounts may be larger or smaller than the average depending on funds available at the time the student applies.

Federal Work-Study 
This employment allows students with demonstrated need to work as many as 20 hours a week in various departments on campus. Students will need to apply for work-study jobs. Students are advised of job assignments and number of hours to be worked each week. Students will be released from a job for failure to do work satisfactorily. The wage is the current minimum wage applicable to educational institutions. The dollar amount shown by semester on the Award Letter is the maximum amount the student can earn. All student wages are paid by check monthly. Work-study awards are part of a financial aid package to help defray the costs of attending York College. York College offers students the option of applying earnings to any outstanding balance on the student’s account. The average award for the 2019-2020 academic year will be $1,350 (4.5 hour per week). See section on Campus Employment for further information. 

​​ ​
Federal Subsidized Stafford Student Loan: This loan is available to students with demonstrated need. This loan is actually granted by the U.S. Department of Education; however, the application must be approved through the Financial Aid Office. Students with demonstrated need may borrow $3,500 for the Freshman year, $4,500 for the Sophomore year, and $5,500 per year for the Junior and Senior years, not to exceed the aggregate of $23,000 (effective for loans disbursed on or after July 1, 1993). The interest is paid by the federal government while the student is enrolled at least halftime. The interest rate is set by the Federal Government. For borrowers after July 1, 1994, the interest rate is variable. Repayment may be made over a ten-year period, depending on the outstanding loan balance. Deferment provision explanations are provided by the lending institutions. The dollar amount of this loan is the gross figure on the Financial Aid Award Letter. The chart below shows estimated monthly payments and total interest charges for 8% Stafford loans of varying amounts, with typical repayment periods:

​Total Indebtedness	​Number of Payments	Monthly Payments	Interest Charges	Total Repaid
​$2,000	64	$50.00	$614.60	$3,214.60
$4,000	119	$50.00	$1,972.48	$5,972.48
​$7,500	120	​$93.52	$3,722.07	$11,222.0

Non Need-Based Financial Aid

​Institutional Work-Study: Same as Federal Work-Study, but funded totally by York College.

Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (FPLUS): This loan is available to parents through the U.S. Department of Education and can be used only to meet the dependent undergraduate’s educational expenses.

Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Student Loan: Students, regardless of income, will be able to obtain a student loan. The interest rate and loan limits for the Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan are the same as for the subsidized Federal Stafford Loan. A borrower may receive a combination of the subsidized and the unsubsidized loans for the same loan period. The combined total of both programs may not exceed the annual limits for the Federal Stafford Loan Program. Interest begins accruing the day the loan is disbursed. The borrower is responsible for interest that accrues throughout the life of the loan including in-school and deferment periods. Interest payments can be paid monthly or quarterly or can be capitalized by the lender at the request of the borrower and added to the loan principle. Students may be denied a student loan if they demonstrate an unwillingness to repay. Students requesting funds beyond direct costs may be asked to submit a budget for default management purposes.

Interest rates information for the above loans can be found on our Grants and Loans page
​
Federal TEACH Grant: The U.S. Department of Education’s TEACH Grant Program provides grant funds to postsecondary students who are completing or plan to complete coursework that is needed to begin a career in teaching, and who agree to serve for at least four years as a full-time, highly qualified teacher in a high-need field, in a school serving low-income students. Eligible full-time students may receive up to $4,000 per year in TEACH Grant funds, up to a maximum of $16,000 for undergraduate. If you receive a TEACH Grant but do not complete the required four years of teaching service within eight years after completing the coursework for which you received the grant, or if you otherwise do not meet the requirements of the TEACH Grant Program, all TEACH Grant funds that you received will be converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford/Ford Loan (Direct Unsubsidized Loan) that you must repay in full, with interest, to the Department. Once a TEACH Grant is converted to a loan, it cannot be converted back to a grant.

Payments of Awards

An academic year is defined as two consecutive 16-week semesters and 24 credit hours beginning in late August and ending in May. A payment period at York College is considered to be one semester. Federal Grants, Scholarships, and Federal Loan awards are credited each semester to the recipient’s account when all application, loan counseling and registration requirements are completed. Checks requiring the recipient’s endorsement are issued for the Federal Stafford Loans and the FPLUS Loans. Proceeds are credited to the endorser’s account with the Business Office each semester. The student will be notified when the loan proceeds are received from the lender. Federal Work-Study and Institutional Work-Study checks are issued monthly for hours worked and are available in the Business Office. Summer terms are considered part of the preceding academic year, and any payments made for summer school are considered as such. Payments of direct costs are considered to be made with the following priority of funds: (1) Federal Pell Grant, (2) FSEOG, (3) State Grant, (4) TEACH Grant, (5) Outside Scholarships, (6) Institutional Scholarships, (7) Federal Stafford Student Loans, (8) Federal Work-study, (9) FPLUS, (10) Endowments, (11) Institutional Work-study, (12) York College Need-Based Loans, (13) Private Loans, (14) Cash Payments.​

FFEL Deferment

FFEL deferment for service under Peace Corps Act, Domestic Volunteer Service Act, other volunteer tax-exempt community service

• Loan Cancellation/Deferment Options for Teachers
• Loan Cancellation for Childcare Providers

Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements

​Federal legislation governing the administration of the Federal Pell Grant, the Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), the Federal Work-Study Program (FWS), the Federal Stafford Loan, the Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (FPLUS), and the Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan requires that eligible institutions define and enforce standards of progress for students applying for and/or receiving financial aid. To comply with that legislation, the following standards have been established at York College. All applicants for the above mentioned forms of financial aid as well as all state and institutionally funded programs must meet these standards to be eligible.

Full-time students seeking an Associates degree normally acquire the number of credit hours necessary for graduation in four semesters. A full-time student is one who is enrolled for 12 or more credit hours a semester. The maximum time frame allowed for completion of an Associate degree is six semesters. This limit is prorated for longer periods of time for students enrolled as three-quarter or half time students. Transfer student’s credits and GPA are calculated by the registrar and these students have 150% of the published time to complete their degree based on the number of credits transferred in to York College. York College allows for one recalculation because of a change in major.

Those seeking a Baccalaureate degree are allowed a maximum of twelve semesters for degree completion. Students should accumulate an average of 16 credit hours every semester to graduate in eight semesters.

Minimum standards require the following cumulative Grade Point Averages:

Cumulative Credit Hours Earned	​Cumulative GPA
​1-27  hours	1.60
28-59  hours	1.80
​60 hours & above	2.00

​Full-time students must successfully complete at least 20 credit hours each academic year. Credit hour requirements are prorated for students enrolled as three-quarter or half time students. Three-quarter time student is defined as 9, 10, or 11 hours of enrollment per semester. Half time is defined as 6, 7, or 8 hour of enrollment per semester. For example, part-time students enrolled on a three-quarter time basis (9, 10, or 11 semester credit hours) must have successfully completed at least 9 credit hours each semester. Part-time students enrolled on a half-time basis (6, 7, or 8 semester credit hours) must have successfully completed six credit hours each semester.

Withdrawals from class are considered to be "Hours Attempted" but are not considered "Hours Completed". Repeat classes are not considered in "Hours Completed" for SAP. At any time a student does not successfully complete the appropriate complement of hours (non-inclusive of repeat course work), (s)he will be considered to not be making SAP, and all probationary and termination standards apply. Official course withdrawals do not change enrollment status. This has no effect on academic probation.

SAP is checked at the end of each spring semester.

Financial Aid Suspension with Appeal
​A student is considered to be on Financial Aid Suspension with Appeal (loss of ALL financial aid including institutional, state, and federal) if:

• The student is full-time and does not complete 20 credit hours
• The student has completed 1-27 credit hours and does not have a 1.6 GPA*
• The student has completed 28-59 credit hours and does not have a 1.8 GPA*
• The student has passed at least 60 credit hours and does not have a 2.0 GPA*

*Career GPA

A student who has been denied financial aid because the above requirements were not met may appeal that decision as follows:
Only unusual circumstances, such as undue hardship caused by a death of a relative, illness or injury experienced by the student or other special circumstances would justify an appeal for federal aid. An appeal for YC scholarships may be made for other reasons.  A student must contact the Director of Financial Aid for an appeals form that they will complete and return to the Financial Aid Office along with any necessary documentation (i.e. documented personal family emergency or documented medical problems). All appeals will be reviewed by the Financial Aid Leadership Team and the student will be informed of the action taken. The decision of the Financial Aid Leadership Team shall be final.

Financial Aid Probation
If an appeal is approved by the Financial Aid Leadership Team, financial aid will be reinstated for the term in question on a probationary status. The student must set up an academic plan with the Financial Aid Office outlining how they plan to reach SAP while on probation. If a student does not meet SAP, appeals, and is put on probation, their grades will be checked at the end of the fall semester to ensure they are reaching the SAP requirements.

Financial Aid Suspension without Appeal
A student is considered to be on Financial Aid Suspension without Appeal (loss of ALL financial aid including institutional, state, and federal) if the student was on financial aid probation the previous year and does not reach SAP for a second time.

If a student is denied financial aid due to lack of academic progress, courses must be taken at the student’s own expense until the minimum requirements are met. The student’s credit hours and cumulative GPA will be checked at the end of each semester to determine if they have reached the minimum requirements.  Failure to attain the minimum requirements will cause the student to be ineligible for any further financial aid. All students who are denied financial aid but choose to re-enter York College will do so on a probationary status and must have the permission of the Business Office.

Academic/ACT Scholarship Loss
Academic and ACT scholarships under half tuition require a GPA of 3.00 to be maintained in order to keep the Academic and the ACT scholarships. Academic and ACT scholarships of half tuition or more require a GPA of 3.50 to be maintained in order to keep the scholarship. GPA will be checked at the end of every spring semester. Reduction of any scholarship may be appealed to the Financial Aid Leadership Team for review. A written letter of appeal must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office.

Graduate Satisfactory Academic Progress

​Students in the graduate program will earn the grade of B or above in all coursework. Students may continue in their program with a GPA of 3.0.  By the end of the second semester full-time students are required to have successfully completed 12 hours.

The Rights and Responsibilities of Students Receiving Financial Assistance

1. Financial aid applicants have the right to fair equitable treatment in the awarding of all financial assistance.
2. All applicants will be treated in a non-discriminatory manner with respect to financial aid awards.
3. Applicants have the right to appeal any decisions made in regard to their eligibility for financial assistance.
4. Financial aid is not automatically renewed. Application for aid must be made prior to each academic year.
5. Financial aid recipients must maintain SAP toward program completion according to the standards and practices of York College.
6. Any student required to register with the Selective Service must do so to be eligible for financial aid.
7. Financial aid recipients must sign a Statement of Educational Purpose and a Certification Statement on Refunds and Defaults.
8. Any aid received from sources other than York College must be reported to the Financial Aid Office. Other financial assistance may reduce awards eligibility from York College.
9. Falsification of information on any part of the financial aid application will result in cancellation of aid, the return of all aid improperly received, and referral to the appropriate judicial body.
10. Financial aid applicants who have attempted college level study must meet all SAP requirements before any financial aid will be awarded, although no financial aid was received during a period of prior enrollment.
11. Financial aid adjustments can be made as necessary if the student drops or adds hours during the semester.
12. It is the obligation of the student to notify the Financial Aid Office upon withdrawal form York College.
13. The student and his/her family are solely responsible for paying any remaining balance due York College. Arrangements for payments can be made only through the York College Business Office.
14. Financial aid recipients are responsible for repaying any funds received that cannot reasonably be related to attendance at York College. The amount of repayment will be based on regulations established by the U.S. Department of Education.
15. Failure to comply with the above policies may result in the loss of financial aid eligibility.