Nothing has fundamentally changed for winter quarter with regard to financial aid, according to Sandy Meadows, the assistant director of Financial Aid.
The only new change is a minor one that applies to students transferring to Sinclair, Meadows said. Students transferring into the college are now required to meet with an academic advisor.
“We used to ask for them to do that after a certain number of quarters or credit hours,” Meadows said. “Now we ask for that upfront, because we need to know how many of the transfer hours they’re bringing in are actually going to be used here at Sinclair.”
The guarantee date for students is Nov. 15. Having the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and any other financial aid documents requested by the Financial Aid office turned in by that date guarantees the financial aid office will have a response for you by Dec. 17.
Meadows said that the office isn’t guaranteeing aid. They only guarantee that everything is filed.
Meadows said because of the busy periods the office always faces, she recommends students start the process early.
“We’re up 50 percent in applications,” Meadows said. “We knew the volume would increase. But people should always start early.”
The office will still attempt to process a student’s financial aid information if they miss the date, but there is no guarantee the student will have a response before quarterly payment is due, according to Meadows.
Once a student turns in their FAFSA, they should contact the financial aid office after a few days to see if they need additional documents from the student, Meadows said. Sometimes they might need a tax return, a social security card or something similar.
Meadows said that in the last few years the amount of available money in grants or scholarships has gone up. She said she recommends all students use the STARS Scholarship System. Information on STARS can be found at http://www.sinclair.edu/services/finaid/scholarships/stars.
Meadows said the office can offer something to basically anyone. Sometimes it can be aid, other times a student loan. Grades are also important, because students applying must have a 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) and also must complete 75 percent of the credit hours they enroll into.
Students also should rely solely on the office for information regarding their financial aid, because every student is different, according to Meadows. What worked for a friend might not apply to you, she said.