How to Apply for Financial Aid

You must first complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at https://fafsa.ed.gov/ to begin the process of knowing whether you are eligible to receive financial assistance at Palm Beach State College. It is very important that you understand you are seeking financial assistance to assist covering your tuition and may possibly receive a bookstore credit to help with purchasing books and supplies. 

For important details on specific financial aid programs please consult the College website (www.pbsc.edu/FinancialAid).

Financial Aid includes the following:

• Federal and state grants (These are funds that do not need to be paid back.)
• Palm Beach State College scholarships
• Federal Work-Study jobs (Students earn money for their education through on-campus or community service jobs.)
• Federal Direct Loan or Parent PLUS Federal Loan (If you are seeking a student loan, additional information is available at https://studentaid.gov.)

Complete a new FSA ID account at https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.html.

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.

It is highly recommended to seek assistance when completing the FAFSA to ensure you can use the IRS Data Retrieval Toolkit to expedite the awarding of aid.For additional information onthe financial section of the FAFSA click: https://pbstate.financialaidtv.com/play/45863-2019-2020-fafsa-tutorial/63579-fafsa-providing-tax-information

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 federal and state grants, and Federal Direct Student and Parent (PLUS) loans and scholarship eligibility. (Stay abreast of all financial aid emails sent to your Workday inbox account.)

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

VERY IMPORTANT: Monitor your college Workday inbox account for notices sent to you by the Office of Financial Aid. If you have action items required in your Workday account, you may need to upload 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 Office of Financial Aid 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?

Learn more about the federal verification process at Palm Beach State College by clicking: https://www.pbsc.edu/financialaid/verification.aspx

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/financialaid/SAP.aspx

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/financialaid/R2T4.aspx

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.palmbeachstate.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 verifying participation in Workday and 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.

* Career Certificate Program (CCP) 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 verify participation in Workday and as important must also take attendance and report it to Financial Aid before authorization to disburse grants and loans are made.