Types of financial aid available include state and federal grants, scholarships, Federal Work-Study programs and Federal Direct Student Loans. Grants are based upon financial need and do not have to be repaid. Scholarships do not have to be repaid and are based upon several criteria, including merit, talent and financial need.
How to Apply for Financial Aid
You must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at https://fafsa.ed.gov/ to apply for the following:
Federal and State grants (funds that do not need to be paid back).
Any Palm Beach State College Scholarship.
Federal Work-Study job, which allows students to earn money for their education through on-campus or community service jobs.
If you are seeking a Federal Direct Loan or Parent PLUS Federal Loan, additional information is available at www.studentloans.gov.
Please consult the College website (www.palmbeachstate.edu) for important details on specific financial aid programs stemming from federal, state and institutional sources
You must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Complete your FSAID at https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.html
Complete the FAFSA at https://fafsa.ed.gov/
If you need one-on-one assistance in completing the FAFSA, please attend a FAFSA Workshop at the campus nearest you.To view dates, times, locations and documents needed, visit palmbeachstate.edu/financialaid/FAFSA-Workshops.aspx.
For valuable financial aid information, view the FA TV videos: https://pbstate.financialaidtv.com/browse.
The Office of Financial Aid will receive the result of the FAFSA to determine your grant loan and scholarship eligibility. (Keep abreast of all financial aid email sent to your school email account.)
For additional questions and answers, visit our Financial Aid webpage and view the Q & A section: palmbeachstate.edu/FinancialAid.
VERY IMPORTANT: Monitor your College email account for notices sent to you by the Office of Financial Aid. If you have red flags, you may need to provide additional documents.
***Please confirm that your contact information is up to date with the Registration Office. Your official name as listed on your Social Security card should be used on the FAFSA. Once you submit your FAFSA, the Department of Education will conduct a background check to confirm your name and date of birth with the Social Security office.
Note: After submitting your FAFSA, you may get selected for verification by the Department of Education. The Financial Aid Office retains the right to request any additional documentation deemed necessary to complete the review or verification of an application.
What do I have to do if I have been selected for Verification?
See Verification information on FA TV: https://pbstate.financialaidtv.com/play/36532-verification/8454-what-do-i-have-do-if-i-have-been-selected-verification
General Eligibility Requirements
Students must have a standard high school diploma or GED.
The student must be enrolled at the College as a degree-seeking or certificate-seeking student, in an eligible program of study to receive a financial aid award. Only courses which apply to the student’s degree at the College may be used to determine enrollment status for federal and state aid programs. Courses not part of the program will not be counted towards financial aid.
Students can receive funding from only one school at a time; however, students may be considered under the consortium/ transient agreement to have award amounts adjusted if they qualify for dual enrollment. See the campus Office of Financial Aid for details.
Students in default on a federal loan are ineligible for federal and state financial aid.
Finally, as always, eligibility for financial aid depends upon meeting the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Please visit the Financial Aid webpage for additional information on SAP. Students must meet SAP to be eligible for Financial Aid. What is Satisfactory Academic Progress? See SAP policy on FA TV: https://pbstate.financialaidtv.com/play/54455-satisfactory-academic-progress-sap/39632-what-satisfactory-academic-progress-sap-and-how-does-it-apply-me
Students who are registered for remedial courses can only receive financial aid for up to 30 remedial credits. Seek financial aid advisement to determine how remedial courses relate to ensuring Satisfactory Academic Progress and the 150 percent of maximum timeframe.
Important Student Responsibilities
Complete all classes for which you are registered each term and/or understand academic policies and dates relating to dropping courses or withdrawals; be responsible for any unpaid charges following the deduction of all financial aid funds, external payments or similar awards.
What happens if I withdraw from all of my classes?
When a student withdraws, or his/her enrollment is otherwise terminated, the College will not only calculate the amount of tuition/fees that will be refunded to the student (if any), but also the amount of federal financial aid (aka “Title IV”) that must be returned to the Federal Student Aid Programs (if any). This process is referred to as “Return of Title IV” (R2T4). The calculation of R2T4 has no relationship to the tuition and fees that the student may be charged by the College. The R2T4 calculation is performed using forms and/or software compliant with the U.S. Department of Education guidelines. Please meet with a Financial Aid advisor before completely withdrawing from all your courses and learn how R2T4 will impact future attendance at the College.
Financial Aid Disbursement
Disbursement of financial aid awards to students begins in September for the fall term, late January for the spring term, and June for the summer term. Awards are disbursed when the student has submitted all required information and/or documentation and meets all eligibility criteria, including the Standards of Academic Progress for Financial Aid recipients.
Disbursements will continue throughout the semester for eligible students. If the total amount of aid disbursed for the term exceeds the cost of tuition, fees, obligations and books (if any), the student may receive a financial aid refund after all tuition, fees and book charges are paid in full and the credit balance is obtained.
Direct bank deposit is highly recommended and is available to all students. The sign-up form is available on PantherWeb, www.palmbeachstate.edu/PantherWeb.
Enrollment Status
Financial aid awards are subject to change depending on the student’s enrollment status at the time of disbursement; this excludes courses that are not yet in progress. For the purpose of awarding and adjusting financial aid, the following chart is used to determine the enrollment status for financial aid recipients. Most financial aid programs permit part-time enrollment status.
| Status |
Credit Hours Required |
| Full-time |
12 or more |
| Three-quarter time |
9 to 11 |
| Half-time |
6 to 8 |
| Less than half-time |
1 to 5 |
* Certificate students enrolled in 24 instructional hours per week in clock hour programs are considered full-time. Attendance is a federal requirement for students enrolled in Title IV Approved Clock Hour programs. Instructors must also take attendance and report it to Financial Aid before authorization to disburse grants and loans are made.
Gainful Employment
Palm Beach State College has voluntarily elected to adopt the early rescission of the 2014 Gainful Employment regulations in their entirety in accordance with the Department of Education, June 29, 2019 Electronic Announcement #122. This declaration is effective June 28, 2019 and has been recorded in the School’s official records.
Veteran Services
The College is state approved for veterans training. Veterans and eligible dependents who plan to attend under any of the various veterans’ training laws should go to the College’s webpage, www.palmbeachstate.edu/Admissions, to apply for admission.
Veterans should note that required and/or core courses for some academic programs may be available only at a specified campus. However, the pertinent General Education courses may be taken at any campus. Palm Beach State College is also in compliance with the Section 702 of the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 (“Choice Act”). All Honorably Discharged or VA education benefit recipients who physically reside in Florida will be granted a waiver for the out-of-state cost of tuition. Palm Beach State College also offers student veterans priority registration. Please see the Veterans Services webpage for details on the various VA benefits and application instructions, www.palmbeachstate.edu/VeteransServices.
In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679 subsection (e), this school adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA. This school will not:
Prevent the student’s enrollment;
Assess a late penalty fee to the student;
Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding;
Deny the student access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.
However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:
Produce the VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) by the first day of class;
Provide a written request to be certified;
Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies
Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of TA funds originally awarded. To comply with the Department of Defense (DOD) policy, RCTC will return any unearned TA funds on a prorated basis through at least the 60% portion of the period for which the funds were provided. TA funds are earned proportionally during an enrollment period, with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending.
Updated August 28, 2019