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DIXIE STATE COLLEGE
Office of Financial Assistance
Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to— 5:00 p.m., except Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. A varied and comprehensive program of financial assistance is available to all students at Dixie State College. The general qualifications include acceptable scholastic standing, talent and/or financial need. A U.S. citizen or a permanent resident of the United States may apply for assistance under these programs. Financial assistance is designed to encourage students who have excelled in their studies or talents and to help bridge the gap between what the student and his/her family can be expected to pay and what it will cost to attend Dixie State College. Financial resources at Dixie State College include funds from institutional, state, and federal sources and are awarded in the form of merit-based scholarships, need-based grants, work, and loans. Merit-based aid is available to students who have excelled in their studies and talent awards are given to students who have developed exceptional talents that they are willing to share at Dixie State College. Need-based aid is available and awarded to students whose family contribution is judged to be less than Dixie’s total cost, thus demonstrating a need for assistance. These calculations are determined through completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Funds are awarded in the form of grants, employment and student loans. In addition, government-subsidized loans for students and parents are available for students who do not qualify for other need-based aid, but who lack the financial resources to pay for their education. There is no discrimination because of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, pregnancy-related condition, handicap or being a disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era. Scholarships (Merit-Based Aid and Talent Awards) Merit-based scholarships (academic scholarship) are awarded to students who have excelled in their studies at the time of admissions to the college. Therefore, students should apply for admissions to Dixie State College as early as possible. Talent Awards. Departmental awards are made from each of the academic divisions. Talent awards are offered to those students who have special talents and abilities. These awards may require tapes, portfolios or auditions. Talent awards are generally awarded by April 1. Contact the individual department for further information. The following departments offer talent awards:
Private Scholarships. A few other private scholarships are also available. Please visit our website. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE (Need-Based Aid) Federal Financial Aid. Federal financial aid includes grants, employment, and loans for students and/or parents. Application for federal financial aid is made through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which is available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov, high school guidance counselors or college financial aid offices. Once that application is completed, additional documentation may be requested by the Dixie State College Office of Financial Assistance. Further information regarding eligibility and availability of federal financial aid can be found in The Student Guide which is available through high school guidance counselors, college federal financial aid offices, or published on line at http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/student_guide/index.html.
Applying for federal financial aid, from beginning to disbursement can
take six to eight weeks, depending on how quickly documents are
submitted. Students should apply as early as possible. The priority
deadline at Dixie State College for federal financial aid funding is
April 15th. Pell Grant and student loans are entitlement funding and are
still available after the priority deadline as long as a student meets
other eligibility requirements. This is a brief explanation of programs available. For additional information, contact the Office of Financial Assistance. Federal Pell Grant. Federal Pell Grant is an entitlement program provided by the Federal Government to eligible students. The amount of the award is based upon the expected family contribution, the cost of attending Dixie State College, and a payment schedule issued to colleges by the U.S. Department of Education. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) program is for students with exceptional need. At Dixie State College, exceptional need is defined as being eligible for Pell Grant. Combined will Pell Grant, SEOG is an additional resource to help meet educational expenses. State Grants. The purpose of the Utah State grant programs is to make grant funds available to eligible Utah resident students with documented need. State grants are usually combined with other forms of financial assistance and generally go to the students with exceptional need. Federal and State Work Study Programs. The Federal Government and the State of Utah offer work study programs which provide jobs for students who need to work to pay part of their educational expenses. If possible, a student will be placed in a job according to his/her skills, background and major course of study. The wage paid is equal to or above the current minimum wage. Federal Perkins Loan. Federal Perkins Loans are available for students with exceptional need. At Dixie State College, exceptional need is defined as being eligible for Pell Grant. Repayment begins nine months after a student graduates or drops below half-time enrollment. A minimum payment of $40 per month is required when the loan becomes due; however repayment amounts are determined by the actual amount of Perkins loan borrowed. The interest rate for Perkins is a fixed 5%. Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL). Dixie State College participates in the Federal Family Education Loan Program. Under the FFEL program loans are made from private lenders such as banks and credit unions. These programs consist of Stafford Loans for students and PLUS Loans for the parents of dependent undergraduate students. A subsidized loan is awarded on the basis of financial need. The government “subsidizes” the loan and interest will not be charged nor repayment required while the student is enrolled in school at least half time. An unsubsidized loan is not awarded based on need. The interest will be charged from the time the loan is disbursed until it’s paid in full. The interest rate on FFEL loans is variable (changes each year) but does not exceed 8.25 %. Interest rates are adjusted each July 1st. Dixie State College requires that the FAFSA be completed prior to certification of any of the FFEL loans. Repayment begins six months after the student is no longer enrolled at least halftime. Eligibility and loan certification are determined through the Office of Financial Assistance at Dixie State College. The Federal PLUS Loans are available to parents of dependent undergraduate students who are enrolled at least halftime. Generally repayment must begin within 60 days after the final loan disbursement for the period of enrollment for which the parents borrowed. The interest rate could change each year but does not exceed 9%. OTHER FEDERAL AID ELIGIBILITY ISSUES Special Circumstances. If a student feels he/she has special circumstances that are not reflected on the FAFSA, he/she should contact the Office of Financial Assistance directly. Ability to Benefit. Students who are beyond the age of compulsory education who have not graduated from high school or passed the high school general equivalency exam (GED) will be required to pass an ability to benefit exam that has been approved by the Department of Education in order to be eligible for federal aid. In Utah, the compulsory education requirement is that a student has either reached age 18 or has been formally released from public education by a proper official. The approved test given frequently at Dixie State College is the Computer Placement Test (CPT). Cost and times for the administration of this test are available from the testing center and 435/652-7692. If a student has taken any other approved ability to benefit tests prior to application for federal assistance, the test may be submitted to the Office of Financial Assistance for approval. Passing scores will be determined for each examination based on the guidelines in the law. Contact the Office of Financial Assistance or the Dixie State College Testing Center for more information. Satisfactory Academic Progress. To receive federal financial aid at Dixie State College of Utah, a student must be enrolled in an eligible program, be in good standing at Dixie State College and maintain satisfactory academic progress measured by grade-point average, number of credits completed and a maximum time frame for completing each program. To be in good standing means that a student is eligible to continue in attendance and is in compliance with the accepted and approved enrollment standards and practices of the institution and the office of financial assistance. To maintain satisfactory academic progress and retain full eligibility for federal financial assistance, a student must hold a cumulative point average (GPA) of 2.0 (C) or better and have earned credits (completed credits which count towards the students degree) of 2/3 (.667%) the number of hours the student has attempted. Satisfactory academic progress is checked at the end of each semester. Maximum Allowable Credit. A student is eligible for a maximum of 150% of the credit hours required to complete his/her first program of study. The maximum is based upon the number of attempted credit hours earned by the student. Example: An Associate of Science degree requires 63 credit hours to complete the program. A student is allowed 150% or 95 attempted credit hours in which to complete that program. However, if a student has completed less than the maximum number of credit hours he/she may receive aid for one additional semester even if the total hours in the ending semester exceed the limit. In addition to the above credits, a student enrolled in an eligible program may receive aid for a maximum of 30 attempted credit hours of necessary remedial course work. The remedial credits are not counted in the maximum time frame, but added to the respective maximum limit of attempted credit hours. Subsequent programs will be evaluated at 125% of the credit hours required to complete the course. A subsequent program includes the completion of one program and being admitted into another as well as changes from one program to another without completing the first program. Attempted credit hours include F grades, repeated classes, withdrawals, pass/fail classes, CLEP credit, advanced placement credit, transfer credit and classes that have been tested out. In addition to total available credits, a student must complete the minimum number of credit hours specified for his/her category of enrollment status. The credit hour requirements for each enrollment status each semester are as follows: Full time: 12 credit hours; three-quarter time: 9 credit hours; half time: 6 credit hours; less-than-half-time: 1 credit hour. Termination. No additional financial assistance will be paid at the end of the probationary semester in which the student has not maintained a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher, and/or the student has not completed the required number of credit hours. Consortium Agreement. Dixie State College of Utah has signed consortium agreements with Southern Utah University, Utah State University, Weber State University and state schools working with the Utah Electronic College in order to allow students who are working for a degree or a certificate from one of these institutions to combine credits and receive financial aid at any one school for credits taken at other schools. Under consortium agreement, the institution from which the student is obtaining the degree is generally considered to be the school to pay the financial aid. If a student requests Dixie State College to pay financial aid through consortium agreement for credits or degrees from other schools, students must have a complete financial aid file and consortium agreement on file with the office of financial assistance. Consortium agreement forms can be picked up at the office of financial assistance at Dixie State College or at the institution from which classes will be taken. The Consortium form must be completed to show that the student has been admitted into an eligible program at one institution and that classes taken at the other institution are counting towards that degree. The institution where the student will obtain the financial aid will disburse the financial aid. Individual consortium agreements may be available with other institutions not listed on a case-by-case basis. The Office of Financial Assistance may be contacted for additional information. Appeal. Any student has the right to appeal a decision regarding his/her financial aid. A student’s written appeal should be made to the Office of Financial Assistance within the first three weeks of the next semester of attendance. The appeal will be reviewed by a financial aid Appeals Committee. Veteran’s Benefits (VA). Students eligible for veteran’s benefits (VA) under federal legislation commonly known as the “GI Bill” may receive the necessary advisement on this program by contact the veteran’s coordinator in the office of admissions and records (registrar) at (435) 652-7703. Dixie State College is a member of SOC (Service members Opportunity Colleges).
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