2024-2025 Financial Aid Award Letter Guide | Southwestern Illinois College

Types of Financial Aid

Descriptions

  • Grants: need-based gift aid, student does not pay back
  • Scholarships: talent-based gift aid, student does not pay back
  • Federal and Regular Work Studies: campus jobs to earn money for educational expenses
  • Loans: student MUST pay back
    • Subsidized: government pays interest while student is enrolled at least half-time in financial aid eligible classes
    • Unsubsidized: student is responsible for interest while enrolled at least half-time in financial aid eligible classes

Federal Financial Aid

  • Pell Grant: based on financial need
  • FSEOG: based on financial need
  • Subsidized Loans: unmet need based on student’s cost of attendance and other aid
  • Unsubsidized Loans: non-need based
  • Parent PLUS Loans: Parental credit check required

State Financial Aid

  • MAP Grant: financial need and Illinois residency; details at isac.org

Institutional Financial Aid

  • Scholarships: academic/talent-based

Visit the SWIC financial aid handbook for additional information on types of financial aid.

Impacts to Aid Award

Your award may change if your cost of attendance changes, federal/state funding is limited, you drop or withdraw from a course or a course is canceled.

Add the items below for Cost of Attendance:

  • Tuition (changes based on the number of enrolled credit hours)
  • Books/supplies
  • Loan fees
  • Room and board
  • Transportation
  • Personal expenses

Financial Aid Eligibility Based on Enrollment

Credit Hours in an Eligible Financial Aid Program

Total Aid Eligible for Credit Hours
12 or more credit hours
9-11.5 credit hours
6-8.5 credit hours
0.5-5.5 credit hours

Classification for Aid Eligibility
Full-time award
Three-quarter award
Half-time award
Less than half-time award

Loan Processes

To activate your student loan, you must complete:

  1. Accept the offered loan on your eSTORM Student Center
  2. Master Promissory Note (MPN): the agreement to repay the loan in full
  3. Entrance counseling: an online session explaining the loan process

To complete MPN and entrance counseling visit studentaid.gov.

Students must be enrolled actively in six financial aid eligible credit hours.

Census Date

The census date is the second Friday after the start of classes in the fall and spring semesters and the first Friday after the start of classes in the summer semester.

ALL enrollment and program changes must occur by the census date to ensure financial aid awards accurately reflect your aid eligibility!

Veteran Services

Veteran Services is now located in IS 1035 to assist eligible veterans and their dependents with their federal and state education benefits.

State Benefits

  • IVG: military tuition entitlement based on active military service; details at isac.org
  • ING: tuition scholarships for active drillist in Army/Air National Guard; details at isac.org
  • MIA/POW: tuition scholarships for family members of service missing in action or prisoner of war; details at isac.org

Federal Benefits

  • Montgomery GI Bill® (Ch. 30)
  • Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserves (Ch. 1606)
  • Vocational Rehabilitation (Ch. 31)
  • Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Ch. 33)
  • Post 9/11 GI Bill® Transfer of Entitlement (Ch. 33 TOE)
  • Survivor and Dependents Educational Benefits (Ch. 35)

Visit the SWIC Veteran Services page for additional information on veteran services.

Bookstore

Financial aid must be awarded before students can charge books to their accounts.  Students must press the big green button (“Apply Financial Aid Charges” on the eSTORM Student Center Financial Aid award page) to use their award funds for books.

SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress)

Three Academic Requirements

  1. Maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA
  2. Complete at least 67 percent of all attempted credit hours
  3. Complete a program of study within 150 percent of the timeframe allotted for your particular program of study

Visit the Satisfactory Academic Progress page for details regarding SWIC’s financial aid SAP policy.

Repeats/Remedials

  • Students receiving aid may repeat a course once after receiving a passing grade. If a student decides to repeat a course with a passing grade for a second time, the student is responsible for payment.
  • FA will pay up to 30 credit hours of remedial courses (course numbers below 100). Students exceeding 30 credit hours are responsible for payment.

Refund Dates

Make sure your address is up to date with Enrollment Services.

Grants

Fall

Spring

Summer

Sep. 27, 2024

Feb. 21, 2025

June 27, 2025

Loans

Fall/Spring

Fall Only

Spring Only

Summer: Prior Borrower

Summer: First Time Borrower

Sep. 27, 2024 & Feb. 21, 2025

Sep. 27 & Nov. 1, 2024

Feb. 21 & Apr. 1, 2025

June 27 & July 11, 2025

July 3 & July 11, 2025

Notes

  • Grants and loans are disbursed weekly, after the first disbursement.
  • There is a second loan disbursement for fall-, spring-, and summer-only loan students.
  • Dates reflect when refund checks are submitted to BankMobile. You will receive a refund if you have excess funds after tuition/fees/bookstore charges are paid. Visit refundselection.com to set up your preference for an electronic payment or check by mail.
  • Please make sure your address is up to date with Enrollment Services.

Return of Financial Aid Refunds

Students who withdraw or are withdrawn by an instructor from all financial aid-eligible enrolled hours are affected.

Visit the SWIC financial aid handbook for more information.

Be Sure to Check Your Accounts

All communications from the Financial Aid, Veteran Services, and Student Employment will be sent to your SWIC email. Check your eSTORM account for award activity.

Contact the Financial Aid Office

Student in Financial Aid Office Belleville Campus help from Greg Mask

Email: fin_aid@swic.edu

Belleville Campus Room IS 1035: 618-235-2700, ext. 5288

Sam Wolf Granite City Campus: 618-931-0600, ext. 5288

Financial Aid Room 420

Veterans Services Room 435

Toll-Free in Illinois: 866-942-SWIC (7942), ext. 5288

Please visit the SWIC Financial Aid page and click on the drop-down menu for additional information on all topics discussed in this brochure.

Complete your FAFSA now