Student Financial Aid

The purpose of financial aid is to provide assistance to students who, without such aid, would find it difficult or impossible to attend the Center.  The Center adheres to a nationally established policy and philosophy of financial aid for education.  The basis of this policy is that students and parents have the primary responsibility for financing an education.  Financial aid programs are intended to supplement the efforts of the family.  It is the belief of the Tennessee Technology Center at Nashville that no qualified student should be denied the opportunity of an education because of financial need, provided that the need is determined to be real and the student is willing to work with the Financial Aid Office.  To demonstrate financial need, students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  The information reported on the FAFSA is used in a formula, established by the US Congress, to calculate a student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC), an amount the student and student’s family is expected to pay toward the student’s education.  The EFC is used by the Financial Aid Office to determine a student’s financial need.

Financial Aid Awards are calculated on an academic year basis.  An academic year is for a 12 month period beginning each September 1 and ending each August 31.  Renewal of financial aid is not automatic; students must file a FAFSA each year.

All interested student are encouraged to apply for financial aid.  To qualify, the individual must meet the eligibility requirements specified by the particular program desired. In general, you are eligible for Federal and/or State aid if you meet the following requirements:

  1. You are enrolled as a regular student in an eligible program.
  2. You are a U.S. citizen/national or an eligible non-citizen.
  3. You are making satisfactory academic progress in your course of study and meeting attendance standards.
  4. You are not in default on a Federal Perkins/ National Direct Student Loan, Federal Family Education Loan, Federal Plus Loan, Federal Direct Student Loan, Income Contingent Loan or a Consolidation Loan, and you do not owe a refund or repayment on a Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Tennessee Student Assistance Award, Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant and/or a Byrd Scholarship or have documented satisfactory repayment arrangements if in default or owe a refund/repayment.
  5. You are registered with the Selective Service if you are required to register.
  6. Have not been convicted of any offense involving possession or sale of illegal drugs for an offense that occurred while you were receiving federal student aid; unless successfully completed an approved drug rehab program or completed the time of ineligibility.
  7. Have a signed state of education purpose saying that the student will use the money only for expensed related to attending the Center (Usually collected on the FAFSA)
  8. Have a high school diploma, GED, approved home school certification or be beyond the age of compulsory school attendance in Tennessee (18 or older), and able to benefit from education according to guidelines established by the Department of Education.

Financial Aid Available

Federal Pell Grant
A Federal Pell Grant is an award to help undergraduates pay for their education after high school. For the Federal Pell Grant Program, an undergraduate is one who has not earned a bachelor’s or professional degree. The amount of Pell Grant received is calculated based on the student’s expected family contribution.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
A Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant is for undergraduates with exceptional financial need, as determined by the Center. Priority is given to Federal Pell Grant recipients with a minimum or zero EFC.  The amount of the FSEOG award is $200.00 per term for full-time students and $100.00 per term for part-time students.

Federal Work-Study Program (FWS)
The FWS program provides part-time jobs for students who have financial need. Students will generally work on-campus after class in staff support jobs.

Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP)
This program enables the student to borrow at a low interest rate directly from a bank, credit union or other participating lender.  The loan is insured by a Guaranty Agency or by the Federal Government.  THE LOAN MUST BE REPAID.  There are two different types of loans in this program:  the Federal Subsidized Stafford Loan and the Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan.   Eligibility for the Federal Subsidized Stafford Loan is based on a student’s financial need.  Borrowers do not have to pay interest on Federal Subsidized Stafford loans while enrolled in school or during a period of deferments.  Eligibility for the Federal Unsubsidized Stafford loan is not based on a student’s financial need.  Borrowers will have to pay interest on Federal Unsubsidized Stafford loans while enrolled in school and during a period of deferment.    For both loans you will receive a “grace period” of six months after you leave school or begin attending less then half-time before beginning repayment of the loan.  When you leave the Center, you must contact your lender to establish a repayment schedule.  The amount of your monthly payment depends upon the amount that you borrow.  The minimum monthly payment is $50.00.

Tennessee Student Assistance Award (TSAA)
The Tennessee Student Assistance Award is a state grant program that awards students based on the cost of tuition and the need of the student.

Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant (WNTSG)
The Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant is a part of the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Program.  The WNTSG is a grant that is available only to Tennessee residents that attend a Tennessee Technology Center. 

Applying for Assistance

General Procedures for applying

Deadlines: Students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA application as soon after January 1st as possible.   

Pell Grant- The FAFSA must be received by the processor no earlier than January 1st and no later than June 30th of the following year. All required forms must be received by the Financial Aid Office by June 30th or your last day of enrollment, whichever comes first.

Wilder Naifeh Technical Skills Grant- Students must have a processed FAFSA on or before the following deadline dates to be eligible for the award. Students whose applications are processed after the deadline date may be eligible for the WNTSG for subsequent terms.
                        Fall term deadline- November 1st
                        Spring term deadline – March 1st
                        Summer term deadline- June 1st

Tennessee Student Assistant Award-Student’s whose FAFSA is filed and processed on or before May 1st will be given priority in determining awards. Applications processed after May 1st will be considered in the order that they are processed to the extent that funds are available after making awards to students who met the priority deadline.

Additional Rules and Requirements for the Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant

Eligibility: To be eligible to received funds from the Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant (WNTSG) a student must meet the following eligibility requirements in addition in to those listed above.

Note: Students may enroll as full-time or part-time.  There is no income limit for eligibility.  Students may receive the WNTSG for all coursework required for completion of the certificate or diploma. 

Calculation of WNTSG Award: The maximum WNTSG award may vary from year to year. This amount is subject to availability of funds from the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship program. The WNTSG funds will be paid each term in the academic year. The amount of the award will be prorated based on the number of scheduled hours for each term.  The amount of the award will be rounded to the nearest whole dollar.

Receipt of student financial aid from other sources will not reduce the WNTSG award as long as the student’s total aid does not exceed the total cost of attendance. In the even that a student’s total aid exceeds the cost of attendance, the school shall, to the extent it does not violate applicable federal regulations, reduce the excess by reducing the student’s WNTSG.

Retention of WNTSG Award: To continue to be eligible for WNTSG funds a student must meet the following requirements.

Note: Once the student becomes ineligible for WNTSG for any reason, the student shall not be eligible to regain the WNTSG.

Financial Aid Disbursement

Awards will be disbursed at least once each trimester.  In some instances there may be multiple disbursements in a trimester as determined by the student’s enrollment date.  Awards will be credited to a student’s account or disbursed by check to the student no earlier than the 35th calendar day of the trimester or the end of the trimester, whichever comes first.  Students may pick up their check at the TTCN Business Office by showing their student id badge.

Satisfactory Progress for Financial Aid

If the withdrawal results in the student not completing 90.3% of the scheduled hours for the disbursement period, the student will not receive financial aid the subsequent disbursement period.

Students may continue to receive Title IV Financial Aid until they have been enrolled 150% of their scheduled hours.

The following formula should be used: Length of Program x 150% = Maximum Hours of Eligibility
(Example:  1296 x 150% = 1944)

A student may make two (2) program changes and still be eligible to receive financial aid.  At each program change, the student will establish a new time frame for completion of that program.

Any student who wishes to appeal the satisfactory progress standards due to mitigating circumstances encountered during the trimester or disbursement period must submit the appeal in writing to the Financial Aid Administrator by the deadline given in the notification of the failure to make satisfactory progress.  Students appealing unsatisfactory attendance due to mitigating circumstances are responsible for documentation of all hours missed during the trimester.

If a student’s financial aid probation appeal is approved, the hours above the 9.7% excused absence policy will be deducted from the current or subsequent disbursement period whichever is applicable.

Miscellaneous Appeals

Any student who wishes to appeal a decision made by the Financial Aid Administrator may request a review and/or hearing by submitting in writing a request for such to the Director of the Center, who may elect to refer the appeal to the Financial Aid Advisory Committee.  The written request from the student must be submitted within five (5) days of notification by the Financial Aid Administrator.

Benefit Programs

TTCN is approved to provide training to students who have been determined eligible for the following benefit programs:  Veterans Administration programs, Vocational Rehabilitation, the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) program, and others.
Eligibility determination must be established by agencies outside the Center.  Eligible students are normally referred to the Center by the appropriate program agency.

Veterans Assistance

This program assists eligible veterans and dependents of veterans by providing educational benefits through the Veterans Administration.  Appropriate forms to be completed should be obtained from the Financial Aid Office/VA Certifying Official prior to enrollment.

Veterans must submit transcripts/certificates of previous education/training from colleges, technical or vocational schools, military, etc., in order to apply for benefits.

Upon enrollment, veterans should present their DD214 form and/or their Notice of Eligibility, to the Financial Aid Office where paperwork will be processed and forwarded to the Veterans Administration. Veterans will receive their benefit checks directly from the Veterans Administration approximately six to eight weeks from their enrollment date.

If you are receiving benefits based on your status as a service person, veteran, or reservist you must verify your enrollment at the end of each month in order to receive benefits.  Benefits are paid after each month of school is completed.  Verification can be done beginning the last day of the month by using the Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE) at https://www.gibill.va.gov/wave or by calling toll free at 1-877-823-2378 and using your touch tone phone.  Both of these systems are available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
If you are receiving VEAP or dependents Educational Assistance (Chapter 35), benefits are sent automatically at the end of each month.

Service-members, Veterans, and dependents of veterans who are eligible beneficiaries of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs education benefits or other governmentally funded educational assistance, subject to the conditions and guidelines set forth in the Tennessee Code Annotated 49-7-104 as amended, may elect, upon formal application, to defer payment of required tuition and fees until the final day of the term for which the deferment has been requested.  Application for the deferment must be made no later than 14 days after the beginning of the term, and the amount of the deferment shall not exceed the total monetary benefits to be received for the term.  Students who have been granted deferments are expected to make timely payments on their outstanding tuition and fees balance once education benefits are being delivered, and eligibility for such deferment shall terminate if the student fails to abide by any applicable rule or regulation, or to act in good faith in making timely payments.  This notice is published pursuant to Public Chapter 279, Acts of 2003, effective July 1, 2003.

Vocational Rehabilitation Department of Human Services

The Tennessee Department of Vocational Rehabilitation provides funds for students who are physically or mentally impaired and can demonstrate that they may benefit from training.  Eligibility should be established prior to enrollment.

Workforce Investment Act (WIA)

Eligible students may receive federal assistance for books and supplies, transportation, and day care services. Students should be assessed and certified by the WIA office prior to their enrollment.

For more information contact:

Cara Suhr CSuhr@ttcnashville.edu

 

 

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TTCN Admission Student Financial Aid