Student Consumer Info

Student consumer information is provided by Financial Aid and is the responsibility of the director of Financial Aid to oversee. Publications are reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis. Information may be provided to the media for publication.

• Methods of Disseminating Consumer Information
• Procedures and Forms Required to Apply for Financial Aid
• Student Eligibility Requirements
• Professional Judgment and Dependency Overrides
• Criteria for Selecting Recipients and Determining Award Amounts
• Study Abroad
• Availability of Forms and Instructions
• Rights and Responsibilities of Students for Financial Aid
• Available Aid Programs
• Cost of Attendance
• GGC Bookstore and Textbook Information
• Refund Policy
• Withdrawal Procedures
• Repeating Courses
• Academic Programs Offers
• Student Demographics
• Student Retention, Completion and Graduation Data
• Information for Students with Disabilities
• Complaint Process
• Student Right-to-Know Act
• Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Information and Policies
• Crime Statistics
• Clery (Campus Security) Act
• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
• Availability of Employees for Information Dissemination
• Information on Accreditation
• Voter Registration
• Satisfactory Academic Progress
• GGC's Attendance Policy
• Copyright Information
• Immunization Policy
• Establishing and Maintaining an Information Security Program
• Misrepresentation
• College Navigator

Methods of Disseminating Consumer Information

Financial Aid disseminates information through various channels, including our public website where all programs, application processes and deadlines are listed. Financial aid information is also included in various GGC media, including the student portal, MyGGC (login required). Financial Aid also has various information pieces that are emailed to the student’s GGC email account. Financial Aid uses this as the primary means for contacting a student. New students are sent paper letters until they have registered for courses. Financial Aid also utilizes the college’s student portal, public website and social media sites. Targeted and general announcements are posted in these media venues, in addition to sending student emails. Financial Aid sends notifications once per academic year to all students. Students should receive a notice in their first semester of enrollment for the academic year if they are enrolled prior to the mid-point of the semester.

Procedures and Forms Required to Apply for Financial Aid

All students who wish to receive federal or state funds must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students may be asked to submit documentation such as tax returns, birth certificates and Social Security cards, along with other items necessary to verify financial or dependency status. Students who do not wish to submit requested documentation will not receive a financial aid award.

Students who are chosen for verification by the Department of Education are required to supply additional information to Financial Aid. Verification of related documents include items such as a verification form and tax forms, including but not limited to, tax return transcripts, W2 forms, 1099 forms or 1040X forms. Should additional information be required to complete the verification process, Financial Aid contacts the student via various media, including the college email system and the student portal.

Students are notified at the beginning of each year by email that it is time to reapply for financial aid. Notifications are also posted across campus and through various media, including but not limited to social media.

Student Eligibility Requirements

The Student Eligibility Requirements are listed on the Admissions page and they are as follows:

• must be enrolled in or admitted to GGC and be a high school graduate, or have a GED.
• students who wish to receive student loans must be enrolled in at least six hours. Pell, HOPE and other grants may vary, based on the number of hours enrolled.
• must not be in default or owe a refund on any Title IV aid program from any source.
• cannot receive aid for audit courses.
• must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards.
• must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. National or an eligible non-citizen (documentation of status may be required).
• must have a completed financial aid file.
• must be in an eligible program of study.

Professional Judgment and Dependency Overrides

The Higher Education Act of 1992 allows financial aid administrators to make professional judgment decisions for special or unusual family or student circumstances. These circumstances must be documented by the student.

Criteria for Selecting Recipients and Determining Award Amounts

Students who have a completed financial aid file are reviewed for financial aid eligibility. Award amounts for Direct Loans are determined by the student's grade level and remaining eligibility from need and budget limits. Pell EFC determines Pell eligibility. FSEOG is awarded to students who demonstrate extreme financial need and are chosen by a random selection. Students who are interested in working FWS positions must apply through Human Resources and eligibility for funds will be reviewed at that time.

Study Abroad

View information on GGC's study abroad programs and policies.

Availability of Forms and Instructions

The FAFSA is available in paper form in Financial Aid, through FAFSA online, and provided by the processor as a renewal to students who have previously filed. A federal PIN is provided by the processor.

Rights and Responsibilities of Students for Financial Aid

Student Responsibilities

Each student must:

• complete all requested forms completely, accurately and in a timely fashion.
• use all financial aid received solely for educational expenses related to GGC attendance.
• submit, in a timely manner, all additional documentation requested by Financial Aid.
• meet all Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards (SAP).

Student Rights

Each student has the right to:

• know how financial need was determined.
• know how financial aid will be distributed.
• request an explanation of programs in the financial aid package.
• refuse any financial aid offered.
• request an explanation of GGC’s refund policy.
• know what portion of financial aid is a grant and what portion must be repaid, and if the loan(s) is accepted, know the interest rate and loan repayment options and procedures.
• examine the contents of aid records, provided a written request is made to Financial Aid. Students may not review confidential records submitted by parents without the written consent of the parent whose information has been submitted.
• appeal financial aid decisions regarding Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Available Aid Programs

Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 governs the federal student financial aid programs of any institution. GGC is authorized to participate in federal Title IV programs.

HOPE Scholarship

GGC participates in the state-run, lottery-funded Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE) Scholarship Program. Students may apply for this merit-based scholarship by the completion of a current-year FAFSA or the state application, GSFAPP. Students are reviewed for eligibility upon matriculation, at the end of each spring term and when the student crosses the 30-, 60- and 90-hour checkpoints. Georgia Student Finance Commission is the state agency who administers the HOPE Scholarship Program. More information is available at GAfutures.org.

Federal Pell Grant

GGC participates in the federally-funded, need-based Pell Grant Program. Students who have a completed financial aid file, demonstrate financial need and have not yet earned a baccalaureate degree are considered for the grant. More information is available at http://studentaid.ed.gov/types.

Student Loans

GGC participates in the Direct Loan Program. Students who have a completed financial aid file and demonstrate financial need are considered for the William D. Ford Direct Subsidized Loan Program. Students who have a completed financial aid file are considered for the William D. Ford Direct Unsubsidized Loan Program. Parents of dependent students may pursue a William D. Ford Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS). Any loan offered to a student must be accompanied by the student accepting the terms and conditions in the student portal, completing federal entrance counseling and master promissory note at StudentAid.gov and the student actively accepting offered loans in the student portal. Parents, who have a student who is offered the PLUS Loan, must also complete the application and master promissory note at StudentAid.gov. More information is available at http://studentaid.ed.gov/types.

Other Aid Programs

GGC participates in a variety of GI Bill Educational Benefits Programs. View the Veterans Success area of our website for more information.

GGC participates in the Federal Work-Study Program (FWSP). Students who have a completed financial aid file, demonstrate financial need, and have successfully applied, interviewed and been hired for a FWSP position may participate in the program.

GGC has institutional scholarships and grants. Students who have a completed financial aid file, demonstrate financial need or academic merit or meet other award requirements are considered. Find additional information about GGC Scholarships.

GGC's Financial Aid works with students to honor any private scholarships or private/alternative loans a student may have secured.

Cost of Attendance