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It is the official policy of the Alabama State Board of Education and Southern Union State Community College that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, disability, gender, religion, creed, national origin, marital status, or age, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program, activity, or employment. Persons requiring reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should contact the Southern Union State Community College ADA Coordinator at (334) 745-6437 extension 5351.
Financial Aid Representative Picture with FAFSA Form
Ellen Canada - Financial Aid Director
General Information
Through institutional, state, and federally subsidized assistance programs, Southern Union State Community College provides financial aid to students of academic promise and financial need. Part-time employment, scholarships, and grants assist students who have difficulty meeting the financial obligations of college.

All students must apply for financial aid each academic year. The academic year begins with fall semester. For federal aid students should apply after January 1 each year.

Eligibility
To be eligible to receive aid, a student must meet the following requirements:

  1. Have high school diploma or GED, or demonstrate ability-to-benefit for certain technical courses.
  2. Be enrolled as a regular student in an eligible program working toward a degree or certificate.
  3. Be enrolled at least half-time. (Some students may qualify for federal aid if enrolled less that half-time).
  4. Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
  5. Make satisfactory academic progress.
  6. Have a valid social security number.
  7. Not owe a refund on a federal grant or be in default on a federal educational loan.
  8. Be registered with selective service, if required.
  9. Provide financial aid transfer information if required and have a clear record in the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). This system provides history of financial aid received at prior colleges. Students are responsible for clearing transfer information.

All students applying for financial aid under any of the programs in which aid is awarded on a "need basis" must apply using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students may apply using the paper application or apply on the Internet at www.fafsa.ed.gov.


All students applying for financial aid should make sure their official application file contains a completed application form and the required high school transcript or GED certification, or if a transfer student, an official college transcript. Any student who does not meet these requirements may register under special provisions provided in "Admission Requirements" but must be responsible for his/her own expenses. No financial aid will be disbursed until all requirements are complete in the Records Office. Transient students are usually ineligible to receive federal financial assistance.

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Academic Standards of Progress

All students receiving federal financial aid (Pell Grant, College Work Study, Supplemental Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant or Federal Family Education Loans) must make satisfactory academic progress.  Academic progress must be monitored for all terms of enrollment, whether or not financial aid was received.  In accordance with federal guidelines, students receiving federal financial aid at Southern Union must meet the following requirements:

1.   Time frame:  Students may receive financial aid for a period of time not to exceed 1½ times the normal length of their specific program of study.  For example, students in an Associate in Science Degree requiring 64 credit hours will have a maximum of 96 hour to complete the program.  Students who transfer from other colleges will have all credit hours taken at other schools included in the 96-hour total.  The length of programs may vary.

2.  Qualitative measure:  Each student will be expected to meet or exceed the following GPA at the indicated points in his/her program of study:
Credit Hours
Minimum Cumulative GPA
12-21 semester hours
1.50
22-32 semester hours
1.75
33+ semester hours
2.00


3.  Quantitative measure:  Each student must earn two-thirds of all the hours he/she attempts in order to complete a program in the time frame allowed.  For example, a student who has taken 30 hours should have earned at least 20 hours.  If a student repeats a course which was previously successfully completed, the credit hours obtained the second time the course is attempted do not count toward the minimum number of academic hours required for program completion.  Withdrawals count as hours attempted but not earned.

4.  Developmental courses:  A student may not enroll in the same developmental course more than three times and continue to receive financial assistance.  A federal financial aid recipient may not receive aid for more than 30 semester hours of developmental work.  Also, developmental hours taken will not be included when calculating the hours taken to complete the student’s program of study (will not be counted as part of the maximum time frame limit).

5.  Academic suspension:  When a student is suspended, whether the student serves the suspension or is readmitted upon appeal, the student is not eligible to receive financial aid for the duration of the suspension.  To regain eligibility, the student must attain the minimum cumulative GPA required for the number of credit hours attempted, or make a 2.0 GPA for the term (taking 12 or more hours for that term).

6.  Change in program:  A student may change his/her program of study; however, this may cause the student to exceed the maximum time frame for financial aid.  The student would then be allowed financial aid only for those classes required to complete this specific program.

7.  Review process:  Academic progress will be assessed at the time a student is awarded financial aid, and reviewed each academic year.

8.  Regaining eligibility:  In order to regain eligibility, a student must attend Southern Union at his/her own expense until the standards outlined in this policy are met.

9.  Appeal process:  A student who loses his/her financial aid because of a failure to meet these academic progress requirements may appeal if there are extenuating circumstances.  Appeals must be submitted in writing and will be reviewed by the Financial Aid Committee.  Each student will be notified in writing as to the outcome of his/her appeal.

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PACT Students

We are requiring PACT students to complete an authorization form each academic year so that we may verify remaining eligibility and to make sure that each student actually wants to use his/her PACT at Southern Union instead of saving it for a four-year institution.  Please review the terms of your contract in order to determine how you want to use this program.

You may print the PACT Authorization Form (see links at the top of the page) off this web site and submit as instructed prior to the payment deadline.  All students should check each term to ensure that their account is in "Paid Status."  You may come by the Financial Aid Office or call 256-395-2211 or 334-745-6437 if you have questions.

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Academic Competitiveness Grant Program

Students who graduated from high school January 2005 or after and successfully completed a rigorous program of study while in high school may qualify for an Academic Competitiveness Grant.  To qualify, a student must also be a U.S. citizen, be attending college as a full time student, and qualify for a Pell Grant.  There is also a grade point average requirement for renewal of this grant. 

Students who think they qualify must contact the Financial Aid Office on either the Wadley or Opelika campus for a determination to be made.

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Contact Us

The financial aid office can be contacted by calling (256) 395-2211 during normal workings hours (8:00am to 4:00pm) Monday through Friday. If you need to contact financial aid outside of normal hours you can email us at financialaid@suscc.edu.

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