Questions and Answers
Q. What other
sources of aid are available?
A. There are many local, state and national organizations that grant
scholarship funds each year. You may conduct scholarship searches on the
Internet by visiting BRCC's web site at www.brcc.edu.
Q. Who has access
to the information on the forms filed as part of the financial aid
application?
A. Only the financial aid office staff at BRCC has access to
this confidential information.
Q. If my parents
are separated or divorced, do they both have to contribute to my
education?
A. For federal student aid (Pell grant, SEOG, and work-study), the
custodial parent and current spouse, if any, must complete the FAFSA. The
non-custodial parent is not required to report information for federal
student aid purposes.
Q. How do I become
an independent student for federal aid purposes?
A. If you meet one of the following: are 24 years old, are a veteran of
the U.S. Armed Forces, are married, are a ward of the court, have no
living parents and have no legal guardian, or have a legal dependent who
gets more than half of their support from you. The Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has more details about these categories.
Q. What is my
Expected Family Contribution (EFC)?
A. Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is the amount you and your family
are expected to contribute toward your education. You receive an EFC based
on the processing results of your Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA).
Q. What if I have
a credit balance on my student account?
A. If you have a credit balance in your account (after tuition and, if
applicable, textbook charges have been paid) you will be mailed a check
during the fifth week of the semester.
Q. How do I get a
work-study job?
A. You must first complete a FAFSA form. All eligible financial aid
applicants will be mailed a BRCC Federal Work-Study Application. If you
are interested, complete the form and submit it to our office. Once all
current positions are filled we will start a waiting list. Students often
drop or change jobs during the year, thus vacancies may arise.
Q. When and how do
I get paid for my student job?
A. You will be paid twice a month for the hours that you work. It is your
money to spend as you see fit on your education related expenses.
Q. Do I have to
work if I am given a job as part of my financial aid package?
A. The job is an opportunity to earn money to pay for ongoing personal and
book expenses during the year. One can decide not to work and pay for
these expenses some other way, such as through summer job earnings or work
during vacation periods.
Q. When do I apply
for Summer Work-Study?
A. Notify the Financial Aid Office during the first week of March if you
are interesting in summer work-study. One must have financial need as
defined by the Federal need analysis methodology, which is applied to the
information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
This form is available in the Office of Financial Aid.
Q. Will I have to
pay back any financial aid money if I drop out or withdraw from school?
A. If you receive federal financial aid and drop out or withdraw from
school during the first 60% of the semester you may be required to repay a
percentage of the aid that you received.
Q. Will my
financial aid award be reviewed while I am at BRCC?
A. Each year you will be asked to re-apply for aid by completing the
current FAFSA form so that changes in your family's financial situation
and changes in BRCC’s fees can be considered.
Q. How do I apply
for a Pell grant?
A. When you complete a FAFSA, you are automatically considered for a Pell
grant.
Q. What do I do
with a Student Aid Report (SAR) that I receive in the mail?
A. Submit it to the Financial Aid Office if you did not list BRCC on your
original FAFSA application. If you listed BRCC on your application we will
receive your information electronically and you should keep your original
Student Aid Report for your records.
Q. Why did my
financial need change from last year?
A. Since need represents the difference between total costs of attending BRCC and the ability of you and your family to contribute; any change in
your family's situation or in BRCC’s charges may mean a change in need.
Q. What is the difference between the Business
Office and the Office of Student Financial Aid & Scholarships?
A. These two offices are located in different locations and are separate
from one another administratively. The Office of Student Financial Aid
Services awards grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study. The Business
Office sends bills and collects payments for college charges not covered
by aid. The Business Office also mails your financial aid balance checks
to you.
Q. If my or my family’s current year income
will be drastically lower than last year’s income what do I do?
A. Contact the Financial Aid Office and request a Reduced Income Statement
Form. Complete and submit the form, along with the appropriate
documentation, to the Financial Aid Office for consideration. Often
projected year income can be considered. These considerations are made at
the family’s request and on a case by case basis.
Q. What is BRCC’s
Title IV Code?
A. Our Title IV School Code is 006819.
Q. If I have
corrections that need to be made to my Student Aid Report, can I bring the
forms into the Financial Aid Office for electronic submission?
A. Yes, Make all the necessary corrections and make sure you have the
required signatures on Part 2 of your SAR. Drop off your SAR and we will
submit the corrections electronically. We normally receive the corrections
back in about a week. It is also a good idea to submit copies of your tax
returns to our office so that we may verify the corrections.
Q. What is my Data
Release Number (DRN)?
A. Your Data Release Number is a four-digit number assigned to your
application by the U.S. Department of Education and printed on the top
right corner of your Student Aid Report (SAR). Anyone wanting to receive
or change your FAFSA information must have your DRN in order to do so. Do
not give out your DRN to anyone unless you have agreed to give him or her
access to your FAFSA information.
Q. What is a PIN?
A. Formerly known as the Electronic Access Code (EAC), a PIN is the code
that you need to: Sign your FAFSA electronically; Retrieve your Renewal
FAFSA information over the Internet; File your Renewal FAFSA using the
FAFSA on the Web site; Access the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)
web site and view information about other federal student aid you may have
received. Your PIN is similar to the PIN you use to access your bank
account. To protect the privacy of the information you are submitting, you
must keep your PIN secret. If you need a PIN, have lost or forgotten your
PIN, or if you think someone else knows your PIN, you can request a new
one at
http://www.pin.ed.gov/
Contact Information:
Office of Student
Financial Aid Services
Houff Student Center
Box 80
Weyers Cave, VA 24486
E-mail:
finaid@brcc.edu
Local Exchanges: (540)
453-2241/213-7027/941-3747
Other areas in VA: 8888-750-2722, ext. 2241
FAX: (540) 453-2437
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