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What is considered
full-time enrollment for an Ada?
Adas are considered to
be enrolled full time for any semester in which they are enrolled for 12
or more credits as of the 15th day of classes.
What is considered
half-time enrollment for an Ada?
Adas are considered to
be enrolled half-time for any semester in which they are enrolled for 8-11
credits as of the 15th day of classes.
Can I get financial
aid if I take fewer than 8 credits in a semester?
An Ada MUST be enrolled
in 8 or more credits on the 15th day of classes in order to be considered
for any institutional financial aid. To be considered for federal aid an Ada must be enrolled in at least 6 credits.
What happens to my
aid and bill when/if I change the number of credits I'm enrolled in?
The bill is based on
the number of credits in which you are enrolled on the 15th day of classes.
If enrollment does not
change between full and part time then the tuition charge and aid change
will offset and the amount you owe/get as a refund will not change.
If you are changing enrollment
status between full and part-time you should come in during drop-in hours
to speak with a director. State and Federal aid as well as college aid
may change in ways that will affect the amount you owe/get as a refund.
What if an enrollment
change takes place after the 15th day of classes?
Aid and tuition will
not change, as they are set as of the 15th day of classes.
Can I have financial
aid to buy a computer?
Federal regulation allows
us to increase your student expense budget by actual cost of the computer
and you may then be able to borrow additional loan to pay for the computer.
Note: total loan eligibility is set by the federal government based on
your class level as well as your cost of education and other aid.
Contact our office for
more information about your own particular case and options available to
you.
I have extra expenses-
what can I do?
Again, you can borrow
to fund these if they are documented, reasonable and necessary to your
education. Complete an Ada Budget Sheet
to apply for these additional loans.
The type of loan depends on what you are already borrowing.
If you are not at the yearly maximum for the Federal Direct Loan, that
would be the first option. If you are at the maximum, then
you may want to consider an alternative student loan, available from a
number of private lenders. Most of these loans require a co-signer and
all require that the borrower have good credit. You should come in to see
a director to talk about your own situation and what resources might be
available to you.
You also can use any outside
scholarships to defray these expenses.
What if I want to
turn my work-study into a loan?
Again- this can be done
only if you are not at the yearly maximum for a Federal Direct Loan or
want to take an alternative loan. It may be possible to expand your student
expense budget as noted above and allow you to work and borrow additional
funds. There are many good opportunities for Adas
to work and earn some employment money and we encourage you to look into
these before you increase your borrowing.
I have credit card
debt from before- help!
In some cases, students
have been able to take out an alternative student loan to consolidate previous
debt. We recommend that you try to start college with as little debt as
possible, but if you are in this situation you should come see a director
to discuss options. We cannot increase grant aid or federal loans to cover
previous debt. Also, some students in this situation work with a Consumer
Credit Counselor to restructure their previous debt.
Can Adas study abroad?
Yes- an Ada who goes
on any Smith approved study abroad program is billed full tuition; not
by the credit.
Can Adas participate
in the PRAXIS Internship program?
Yes (link to PRAXIS).
How is a state grant
treated in the aid package- is it outside aid?
State grants are considered
to be entitlement (need, not merit based) aid and as such reduce your eligibility
for Smith Grant per the college's outside aid policy. The only exceptions
are state merit grants such as the Massachusetts Performance Bonus Grant
which is treated as outside merit aid.
The state says I am
ineligible based on income -why do you say I have a grant?
Because you are returning
to school and have indicated a lower academic year income, we have used
professional discretion to base your eligibility for aid on academic year
income. The state will send us a roster and we will use that to send them
the new income information and certify your eligibility.
Why does the state
say I'm ineligible, when I should be eligible?
If you are a Massachusetts
state resident, you should have received a reply form along with the ineligibility
letter. Use this form to correct erroneous information with the state.
The state of MA has
denied my grant because I don't have a MA state driver's license. Can they
do this?
Yes- your license must
be MA if you are in fact a MA resident.
These conflicts occur
when you list your state of legal residence as MA on the FAFSA, but have
on out-of-state license. You should resolve this by either:
If you are NOT a resident
of MA- Correcting your state of residence with our office and providing
proof that you are only living in MA to attend school, do not receive any
other state based benefits, and intend to leave the state when you complete
your education.
If you are a legal MA
resident- change your license and send proof to the state as specified
in section C of the reply form.
MA state is only if
full-time (12+) in the semester; and I think I will be taking 8 credits
per semester- what do I do with the acceptance form?
Accept the grant, just
in case you go to 12 later; we are required to certify enrollment each
semester, so if you stay in 8 credits, you won't get the grant.
I missed the state
grant deadline- what do I do?
We cannot replace estimated
state grant with smith grant, you need to write a letter of appeal to the
state.
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