The office of Financial Aid at Sinclair Community College, located on the third floor of Building 10, is intended to be a resource for students who have questions or need information about scholarships, grants and loans.
Often students don’t use the Financial Aid Office as their first source for information about financial aid, said Tina Bunch, financial aid scholarships Officer.
“Make sure that you’re checking with us because there’s a lot of misinformation out there,” said Bunch, adding that any financial aid question or issue is best directed to that office.
Bunch said that the primary problem occurs when students do not check their gmail accounts, offered through the my.sinclair portal, or the written communication sent to them through the mail.
“It’s really important to read your emails,” said Bunch, adding that they “contain a lot of valuable information” about financial aid, including a student’s eligibility and an annual update.
Bunch explained that students will come to the main office to speak with a Financial Aid staff member about an issue and then wait for a long period of time only to learn that their question could’ve been answered in an email.
Bunch said that the office is working to resolve this issue by asking students who come in to the office with questions if they have read their email.
Bunch said students should check with Financial Aid before dropping a class. If a student has a warning on their account and they drop a class, the aid they have been receiving could be suspended for the following quarter.
Bunch acknowledges that there are students who register for classes and then drop all of them to receive the refund check in the mail as a means to supplement income.
“Unfortunately not everyone is here to get an education,” said Bunch, who added that “the hope is while they’re here there’s something that clicks” and they realize they would like to set an educational goal.
Students who do this often do not realize that they may end up paying the money back, said Bunch. All students are required to attend their courses for a certain period of time during the quarter to retain their aid, said Bunch.
Bunch also mentioned that paying attention to priority dates is important.
Bunch said, when the Financial Aid office say “priority” they mean the date by which a student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) should be finished and, if applicable, any forms that have been requested by the Financial Aid office should have been turned in.
It is also important that any additional forms requested be completed properly and signed, said Bunch. The forms requested, such as a Federal Tax Return, are intended to verify that the information on the FAFSA is correct, Bunch said.
Bunch encourages all students to file a FAFSA, even if they think they won’t receive any aid, adding that some scholarships are awarded through a FAFSA.
The priority deadline for Spring Quarter is Feb. 15. However, Bunch added that if a student does not plan on filing taxes, they can file a FAFSA as early as Jan. 1.
Students with questions can call (937) 512-3000 to be directed to a Financial Aid specialist or can visit the Financial Aid office in person.