Financial Aid Steps

Apply for admission to Columbus State Community College.

Note the Important Disbursement Information

Know criteria for Federal Student Aid (i.e. Federal Pell Grant and Loans)

Know eligibility criteria for Columbus State Scholarships

Plan your budget for the upcoming academic year. See Tuition & Fees

Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) for the applicable term each year. FAFSA workshops are available!

Now that you have completed the FAFSA and have been admitted to Columbus State, the next step is to ensure that your financial aid application is complete.

In some cases you may have to provide additional information on the FAFSA or submit documentation to our office- be sure to check both your student and personal email frequently as additional documentation may be required to complete your financial aid.

Respond to any requests for additional information quickly!

Responding to the FAFSA:

The FAFSA that you submitted is processed by the U.S Department of Education and generates a printed Student Aid Report (SAR). The following are some helpful hints to ensure that you have a valid SAR.

Responding to Columbus State:

Based on your responses to the questions on the FAFSA, we may need additional information to validate your financial aid application. If additional information is requested, you will receive an email from our office indicating the item(s) needed to complete your file.

Some of the more common documentation requests include:

• Verification of income Verification of Social Security information
• Verification of previous Federal loan amounts borrowed
• Verification of Selective Service registration
• Verification of Immigration and Naturalization status

Your financial aid award cannot be completed until all requested information and documentation are submitted and reviewed by the Financial Aid Department.

Once your financial aid file is complete, you will receive an email confirming your award notification and your award letter will be visible on your Cougarweb account under Financial Aid Self Service.

• Review your award carefully as you will need to accept or decline your loans.
• If your award letter includes loans and you would like to accept those loans but have never borrowed as a student at Columbus State Community College you will need to complete a Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling at www.studentloans.gov.

If you have received an award letter, your funds are ready for disbursement to your student account. Check the "Manage My Account" section on your Cougarweb account to view your bill. Financial Aid will disburse 10 days before the start of the semester. If your semester funds are in excess of your semester charges (a negative balance), you will receive the excess in the form of a refund check. The check will be mailed, or you may create a student direct deposit bank account on CougarWeb. Some common things that prevent your aid from being disbursed to your student account:

• Master promissory notes have not been completed and submitted for Direct and/or Parent PLUS loans.
• Enrollment must be at least half-time in order for student loans to disburse.
• Entrance Counseling has not been completed and submitted for Direct loans.

To view your Financial Aid awards or to complete required documents, please continue to check both your CSCC student email and Financial Aid Self-Service located on your CougarWeb account.

Once you have been awarded you can check "My Awards" on Financial Aid Self-Service to verify which semesters have been awarded. If you plan to attend the Summer semester and do not see available aid, please click on "Summer Financial Aid" for additional information.