Withdrawing from courses can only be done after Drop/Add period has ended. It is strongly recommended students consult with their instructor, mentor and a Financial Aid advocate before doing this. Withdrawals affect SAP status, repayment of unearned financial aid, HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship, Pell Grant and other aid on a short- and long-term basis.
Both are federal loans and must be paid back. Subsidized loans do not accumulate interest as long as the student is enrolled for at least six hours/semester. Unsubsidized loans start charging interest to the student as soon as the loans are disbursed. If enrollment drops below six hours/semester, the repayment period begins.
Satisfactory Academic Progress. For students to receive financial aid (state, federal, institutional) they must meet satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards. This involves making the required GPA within a specified timeframe, successfully completing 67 percent of all classes attempted and not exceeding 186 attempted hours. Failure to meet all required parameters will result in a SAP failure and financial aid suspension until SAP requirements are met or the student has a granted appeal. For additional information, please visit Financial Aid eligibility requirements.
A payment plan option a student can use to break up payments for tuition and fees over a specified number of months. Nelnet is a third-party vendor GGC uses to provide this service. There are deadlines for application for each semester. Depending on when the student applies determines whether a down payment is needed (and if so, how much) and the number of payments involved. See more information about Nelnet.
Master Promissory Note. This is an agreement with the federal Department of Education where a student/parent promises to repay accepted loans at the agreed-upon interest rate. It must be completed by the student and/or parent if either party wants the loans to be issued.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This is a financial aid form that a student completes to apply for federal and state aid. Deadlines and instructions can be found at the GGC financial aid webpage or FAFSA website.
Entrance Counseling. An exercise to help students understand consequences of accepting loans and repayment options. Exercises include determining monthly budgets with a common expense including loan repayment. It must be completed by the student and/or parent if either party wants the loan(s) to be issued.
A period of several days at the beginning of each semester during which students may adjust their schedules without penalty. This action may increase the tuition charges on a student’s account if a course is added or decrease charges if a course is dropped. The number of credits a student attempts also may affect the amount of their financial aid award.
Unique identification number given to all students/faculty/staff.
Student information system, accessed from MyGGC (login required). Check your degree audit, review your financial aid award, add or drop classes and more.
