How to Apply for Financial Aid

To determine your eligibility for Financial Aid at Palm Beach State College, you must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.Use the federal school code 001512 for PBSC.  Financial aid can help cover your tuition cost and if eligible, may also provide a bookstore credit to assist with purchasing books and supplies.

Creating a StudentAid.gov Account

Every contributor—anyone required to provide information on the FAFSA (you, your spouse, a biological or adoptive parent, or your parent's spouse)—must have a StudentAid.gov account to access and complete their section of the online form. We recommend creating these accounts before starting your FAFSA.

When creating your account, enter your name and Social Security number (SSN) exactly as they appear on your Social Security card. You and your contributors will use your usernames and passwords to log in.

Note: Parents and spouses without an SSN can still create a StudentAid.gov account to complete their portion of the FAFSA online.

To start the FAFSA, select “Start New Form.” You’ll be taken to the Log In page to enter your username and password. After logging in, choose your role: Student or Parent. Students should select Student. Parents completing a dependent child’s FAFSA should select Parent.

For important details on specific financial aid programs, please visit www.pbsc.edu/FinancialAid.

Financial aid at Palm Beach State College includes the following:

• Fderal and state grants – Funds that do not need to be repaid.
• Palm Beach State College scholarships – Awards based on merit, talent, or financial need.
• Federal Work-Study jobs – Students earn money for their education through on-campus or community service jobs.
• Federal Direct Loans and Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loans – If you are seeking a student loan, additional information is available at https://studentaid.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 required documents, visit www.pbsc.edu/FinancialAid.

It is highly recommended that you seek assistance when completing the FAFSA to ensure you can use the Financial Aid Direct Data Exchange (FA-DDX), which helps expedite the awarding of aid. 

For additional information on the financial and other valuable resources, view the FA TV videos: https://pbstate.financialaidtv.com/browse.

The Office of Financial Aid will receive your FAFSA results to determine your eligibility for federal and state grants, Federal Direct Student and Parent PLUS Loans, and scholarships. Be sure to monitor your Workday student portal to check your financial aid status.

For additional questions and resources, visit our Financial Aid webpage and click on Financial Literacy & Resources at www.pbsc.edu/FinancialAid.

VERY IMPORTANT: Monitor your Workday inbox for notices from the Office of Financial Aid. If you have Action Items in your Workday portal that require your attention, act promptly by uploading any requested documents, and/or items needed for the processing of your aid.

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 verify your name and date of birth with the Social Security Administration.

Note: After submitting your FAFSA, you may be selected for verification by the Department of Education. The Office of Financial Aid reserves the right to request any additional documentation deemed necessary to complete the review or verification of your application.

What do I have to do if I have been selected for verification?

Learn more about the federal verification process at Palm Beach State College by clicking: https://www.pbsc.edu/financial-aid/verification.php

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 toward 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 and the new changes effective Fall 2021: A graduated GPA has been implemented, and the College will be reviewing SAP status at the end of each payment period. Students must meet SAP to be eligible for financial aid. What is Satisfactory Academic Progress? See SAP policy and video by clicking: https://www.pbsc.edu/financial-aid/sap.php

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 time frame.

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 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 financial aid funding received that may need to be returned and can possibly create a tuition balance owed to the College. Visit the Financial Aid webpage to learn more of R2T4 by clicking: https://www.pbsc.edu/financial-aid/return-to-title-iv.php

Additional information and useful financial aid websites:

If you are seeking a Federal Direct Loan or Parent PLUS Federal Loan, additional information is available at https://studentaid.gov.

Please consult the College website (www.pbsc.edu) for important details on specific financial aid programs stemming from federal, state and institutional sources.

Complete your FSA ID 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 www.pbsc.edu/FinancialAid.

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 completed FAFSA to determine your grant loan and scholarship eligibility. (Keep abreast of all financial aid emails sent to your Workday inbox account).

For additional questions and answers, visit our Financial Aid webpage at: www.pbsc.edu/FinancialAid 

Very Important Information:

Financial aid awards are subject to change depending on the student’s enrollment status, faculty verification of participation in Workday, and the time of disbursement. Aid disbursement does not include courses that are not yet in progress. Federal Direct Loan disbursement is based on 6 eligible enrolled credits at a minimum. Beginning July 1, 2026, federal student loans will be disbursed based on a student’s enrollment status. As a result, students may no longer borrow the full annual loan amount unless they are enrolled full‑time. In addition, Federal Pell Grant disbursement is processed based on a student’s eligible coursework as determined by the Enrollment Intensity formula.

The following chart shows how enrollment intensity is calculated for the purposes of federal aid disbursement.