Financial Aid
A student’s financial resources should not limit his or her educational opportunities. Although the primary responsibility for financing rests with the student and his or her immediate family, it is recognized that many students will require additional assistance in order to finance their educational goals. The objective of the financial aid program at VC is to provide financial assistance, based on documented financial need, to students unable to attend college without such aid.
Application Process
Each student interested in applying for financial aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.studentaid.gov. Vernon College’s school code is 010060. Eligible students who complete the FAFSA form are applying for all types of federal and state grants, work-study and loans. The application process can take several weeks; therefore, students are urged to file the FAFSA and submit required documents well before the deadline dates provided below. It is extremely important that the student carefully read and follow the instructions provided on these forms. Inaccurate or incomplete information will cause delays in processing.
For determination of aid eligibility, the FAFSA must be completed for each award year. The VC award year is defined as fall thru summer. Students selected for verification must provide additional documentation which may include the following: verification worksheet, IRS tax returns or transcripts for the student, spouse and/or parents, W2 forms, verification of identity and statement of educational purpose, and verification of high school completion status. If the student’s FAFSA is flagged for unusual enrollment history, the student must submit the required unusual enrollment history form and official academic transcripts from all schools attended during 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20. Students must complete the verification process by the deadline published in the Federal Register. The 2020-21 deadline is September 12, 2021, or 120 days after the last day of the student's enrollment, whichever is earlier. For this reason, students should submit complete verification documentation no later than at least two weeks prior to these non-negotiable deadlines.
Vernon College needs a reasonable amount of time to complete the verification process prior to the 120-day or September 12th deadline. Missing the 120-day or September 12th deadline will mean that the student forfeits financial aid for the 2020-2021 award year. The Financial Aid Office has the right to verify any information pertinent to the student’s financial aid application. Additional documentation may be requested to resolve conflicting information. If necessary, the Financial Aid Office will request from and/or provide the student with any additional required form(s).
A student’s financial aid cannot be determined until all required forms have been verified by the Financial Aid Office for completeness and accuracy, and until the student has applied for admission to Vernon College. After the application information is confirmed and eligibility determined, the student will receive a financial aid offer via their Vernon College student e-mail account. The level of federal and/or state financial aid provided to students is based upon demonstrated financial need. This is the difference between the student’s cost of attendance and the expected family contribution (EFC), as calculated by the Department of Education. The average cost of attendance at Vernon College is available at www.vernoncollege.edu/financial-aid-home-page. www.vernoncollege.edu/financial-aid-home-page.