Financial Aid

• Appeal Process

• Availability of Funds

• College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Tests

• Eligibility

• English as a Second Language (ESL)

• Evaluation Periods and Communication

• Grants

• HOPE Scholarship

• Loans

• Nursing Students

• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

• Scholarships

• Status

• Students’ Rights and Responsibilities

• Unusual Enrollment History (UEH)

The Office of Financial Aid has two locations: 1) First floor of Carlton Center (Tifton) and 2) Mobley Administrative building (Bainbridge). Please visit the office nearest you. Through a program of institutional, state and federal aid, ABAC can assist a qualified student in obtaining a college education. Students with limited resources can be offered a package which will help further their education beyond the high school level. One purpose of the Financial Aid Program is to recognize students who appear to have outstanding potential (merit-based awards). Another purpose is to provide assistance to students who, without such aid, would be unable to attend college (need-based awards).

Financial aid is awarded on the basis of financial need and scholastic achievement. The college uses the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine financial need. The FAFSA is available online at http://www.FAFSA.gov. Male students receiving state financial aid are required to comply with the Selective Service registration procedure. Students must certify that they are not in default on any Title IV educational loans, do not owe a repayment on any Title IV educational grants, and have not borrowed in excess of loan limits. Students must be working toward a degree to receive federal financial aid. The school defines an academic year as 24 credit hours and 30 weeks of instruction for financial aid purposes and a student must take 12 or more credit hours each semester to be considered as a full-time student.

Applicants for financial aid are requested to have the results from the FAFSA and all other required documentation in the Office of Financial Aid by May 1 for returning students and July 1 for new students to ensure completed processing for fall term. Applications received after this date will be considered provided funds are available, in the order of the date of receipt. Students enrolled less than full-time will receive full consideration for financial aid. In planning for their college years, students should understand that all financial aid programs operate on a first come, first served basis. Students are encouraged to make application for financial aid (merit or need-based) at least 10 weeks in advance of the time they intend to enroll. Failure to apply on a timely basis may significantly reduce the amount of aid students receive.

Eligibility for receiving financial assistance at ABAC is determined by comparing the cost of attending college with the ability of the students (and parents or spouse) to satisfy these expenses. Cost of attendance is calculated for each of several groups of students at ABAC using criteria such as resident status and living accommodations. For each of these student groups, cost of attendance includes anticipated expenses such as room and board, books and supplies, personal expenses, and the ability of the students (and parents or spouse) to contribute to college expenses. The ability of the students (and parents or spouse) to contribute to college expenses (also called the Expected Family Contribution) is determined by the U.S. Department of Education using criteria established by that agency. Factors used in determining ability to pay include, but are not limited to, all appropriate assets and income (earned and unearned). The factors vary from year-to-year.

A FAFSA must be filed for each year that students wish to be considered for aid. Awards for each year are based upon proper completion and timely filing of the FAFSA; completion of the verification process, if warranted; the availability of federal, state and/or institutional funds; and eligibility for the individual programs for which students are applying and the applicant’s continued enrollment and ability to maintain satisfactory academic progress. The amount of assistance may increase or decrease from one year to the next depending upon educational costs, the financial circumstances of the family and the level of program funding. Eligibility does not carry over from one year to the next.

A number of applications are randomly selected for verification purposes each year. When students’ applications are selected, they will be required to submit documentation as requested to verify specific information from their financial aid application. Failure to submit the appropriate documentation in a timely manner will prevent the award of federal financial aid.