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TVCC Admissions Office

FINANCIAL AID

Student Services Center - (541) 881-5833, or email finaid@tvcc.cc 
Treasure Valley Community College makes every effort to ensure that students with financial need have access to programs and courses of study. Answers to general questions may be found on the Financial Aid webpage at https://www.tvcc.cc/financialaid/. For more specific questions, contact the Financial Aid office located in the Student Services Center at (541) 881-5833 or email finaid@tvcc.cc. Students are strongly encouraged to submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible after Oct. 1 prior to the school year for which they are applying for aid (e.g. for 2024-25 school year students will submit their FAFSA October 1, 2023 using their 2022 income taxes). Please see studentaid.gov for more details.

Who May Be Considered for Financial Aid?

In order to comply with general federal eligibility provisions at TVCC, students must:

  • be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen with appropriate documentation;
  • have a high school diploma, a GED certificate or complete a home school program at a secondary level;
  • be enrolled as certificate-seeking or degree-seeking students with declared majors at TVCC;
  • maintain satisfactory academic progress;
  • certify that they are not in default on a federal student loan and that they do not owe money on a federal student grant;
  • and be registered with the Selective Service, if required.

In order to receive aid from TVCC, Students must complete the application materials, including the FAFSA, each year; be eligible according to applicable criteria; and be enrolled in and attend credit-bearing classes at TVCC.

How Student Aid is Distributed

On the second Friday of each term, referred to as the "census date," enrollment is frozen and financial aid is applied to the student's account based on enrollment level.  Aid is applied first to tuition, fees, authorized bookstore charges, and room/board for on-campus students. Any remaining funds are refunded to the student. Work-study earnings are paid each month through the College's normal payroll process.

Eligibility for Student Aid

Three components are used to determine financial need and eligibility for financial aid: Cost of Attendance, Expected Family Contribution (EFC), and Enrollment Status.

Each school develops its own average Cost of Attendance Budget(s) with consideration for tuition, fees, books and supplies, room and board, transportation, dependent care expenses, loan origination fees, and personal allowance (or miscellaneous expenses). Your cost of attendance budget will depend on where your permanent address is (state of residency), your housing plans while in school, the number of dependents you have (if any), and your enrollment status (the number of credits you take each term.) TVCC financial aid uses standardized amounts or calculations for each of these budget items and customizes your budget for your situation.

Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is computed by the U.S. Department of Education's processing center using the information provided on the FAFSA application. Your EFC will usually appear on the Student Aid Report (SAR). Your EFC is the basis for determining Pell Grant eligibility, and is subtracted from your personalized Cost of Attendance budget to determine your Financial Need.

NOTE: Your EFC does not necessarily indicate actual out-of-pocket expenses; it is merely a tool based on averages used to calculate your financial aid eligibility.

From these elements, TVCC will first determine the student's eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant and then attempt to meet the remaining unmet need with other funds as available and according to the school's awarding policies.

Students will receive notification of their Cost of Attendance Budget, EFC, Financial Need, and the financial aid funds they are eligible for in an award notification from TVCC Financial Aid.

Eligibility for certain awards and award amounts are determined, in part, by enrollment status. Awards are adjusted or prorated according to the program rules for each award. Student financial aid recipients should maintain a close relationship with their academic advisor and register for classes early in order to allow the TVCC Financial Aid office adequate time to make quarterly adjustments if necessary. For more information regarding enrollment status requirements for each award program, contact TVCC Financial Aid.

Note - Maintaining Eligibility for Financial Aid

TVCC Financial Aid is required by the U.S. Department of Education to publish Standards of Academic Progress (SAP) and monitor all students' progress as described in these standards. Please use the following link to view the full policy http://catalog.tvcc.cc/current/financialaid/financial_aid_faq.cfm. Steps for regaining financial aid eligibility are outlined in the policy.

Withdrawal Penalty/Repayment Requirements

Students who receive federal financial aid and who:

  • Subsequently completely withdraw, stop attending classes, or are expelled; or
  • are enrolled in a combination of module and full-term classes and drop or stop attending all full-term classes

may be subject to repayment of unearned financial aid. A Title IV return calculation determines, based on withdrawal date, the amount of federal aid the student has earned. The amount of federal aid earned, under the federal aid return policy, may be less than tuition and other charges. This means that upon withdrawal, a student may owe TVCC tuition and other charges in excess of net student aid. The student is responsible for payment of charges not covered by student aid. Withdrawal from classes after the tuition due date may affect completion rates that are required for Standards of Academic Progress (http://catalog.tvcc.cc/current/financialaid/financial_aid_faq.cfm). At the time of complete withdrawal, students can request an estimated Title IV refund/repayment calculation from the Financial Aid office. 

How to Apply for Financial Aid

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) may be submitted as early as Oct. 1 for the upcoming fall, winter, spring, and summer award year. Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible, as some funding is limited. Continuing students must reapply each academic year by completing a FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA. TVCC's federal Title IV school code is 003221. 

All students may complete the FAFSA online at https://studentaid.gov/A paper FAFSA is available in .pdf format at the same website.

The Financial Aid Office can provide additional and detailed information about various financial aid programs. For further information, the student should:

  • Go to www.tvcc.cc/financialaid
  • send an email to finaid@tvcc.cc
  • send a letter to TVCC Financial Aid, 650 College Blvd, Ontario, OR 97914; or
  • call (541) 881-5833.

In all correspondence with the Financial Aid office, students should include their name and TVCC Student ID number.

What Types of Aid Are Available?

Financial aid is money awarded to students to help pay for tuition, fees, books, room and board, and transportation while they are working on a certificate or degree. There are four types of financial aid programs available: scholarships, grants, loans and work-study.  These funds come from various sources.  Program details, including eligibility criteria and dollar amounts, may differ from the following descriptions if applicable laws or regulations governing such programs change after printing of this material.

Scholarships

The TVCC Foundation has three primary types of scholarship programs, based on need, merit and individual criteria as determined by private donors. Scholarships are a type of gift aid.

Grants

Grants are awards on the basis of financial need. Grants do not have to be repaid and are another type of gift aid. Student financial aid packages include grant funds whenever student eligibility and funding levels permit. Funding for the grant programs administered at TVCC comes from the Department of Education and the state of Oregon.

Federal Pell Grant (limited to 18 quarters)

The Federal Pell Grant program was established to provide financial aid for eligible undergraduate students with financial need. Eligibility for other federal aid is determined after the Pell Grant is taken into consideration. Grant awards in the current academic year range from $593 - $5,920 annually depending on financial eligibility and enrollment. Students with a prior bachelor's degree are not eligible.

Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

FSEOG awards are federally funded. TVCC is responsible for selecting eligible students and determining the amount of the award. The FSEOG is for undergraduates with exceptional financial need and gives priority to students who receive Federal Pell Grants. The current FSEOG grant is $750 and depends on federal funding allocations. The FSEOG is not available for summer term.

Oregon Opportunity Grant (OOG)

Oregon Promise is a state grant that covers most tuition at any Oregon community college for recent high school graduates and GED recipients. Eligibility is determined by the Oregon Student Access Commission. Students must be a recent Oregon High School graduate or GED recipient; document a 2.5 cumulative high school GPA or higher, or a GED score of 145 or higher on each test; plan to attend at least half-time at an Oregon community college within 6 months of high school graduation or GED completion; be an Oregon resident for at least 12 months prior to attendance; file a FAFSA or ORSAA application and list at least on Oregon community college; and must not have more than 90 college credits completed or attempted.  Funding for Oregon Promise is subject to Oregon Legislative approval. 

Loans

Note: Students are encouraged to borrow only the amount needed to cover educational expenses. Loan entrance and exit counseling are required for student loan borrowers.

Federal Direct Loan Programs (DL)

To be eligible for a Federal Direct Loan, students must be enrolled in at least six credit hours and must not be in default on a prior loan or owe a grant repayment. All loans must be repaid. Students must sign a promissory note (a legal agreement to repay) with the Department of Education before any loan money can be disbursed. The promissory note contains detailed information about the terms, responsibilities and repayment of the loan. Because students must repay educational loans, this kind of assistance is generally referred to as self-help aid. Federal Direct loans are accessed through the normal financial aid process.

Three specific types of Federal Direct Loans are available:

  1. Federal Direct Subsidized Loan program. The Direct Subsidized Loan provides fixed interest (currently 5.5%) federal loans through the Department of Education. Maximum annual loan limits are based on financial need, but cannot exceed $3,500 for freshmen and students in certificate programs and $4,500 for sophomores. Effective July 1, 2013, new Direct Subsidized Loan borrowers are limited to borrowing up to 150% of the length of their current academic program. Loan repayment begins six months after a student ceases to be enrolled at least half-time. Monthly payment amount and length of repayment depend on the cumulative amount borrowed, but will be set up with an initial 10-year repayment.
  2. Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan program. The Direct Unsubsidized Loan provides fixed interest (currently 5.5%) federal loans through the Department of Education. The Direct Unsubsidized Loan is available to students who do not qualify for some or all of the need-based Direct Subsidized Loan. Awards cannot exceed $3,500 for freshmen and students in certificate programs and $4,500 for sophomores for an academic year. In addition, dependent students as defined by the Department of Education are eligible to borrow up to $2,000 in Direct Unsubsidized Loans and independent students, up to an additional $6,000. Student borrowers will be responsible for payment of the interest that accrues on these loans while they are in school and during periods of deferment. Loan repayment begins six months after a student ceases to be enrolled at least half time. Monthly payment amount and length of repayment depend on the cumulative amount borrowed, but will be set up with an initial 10-year repayment.
  3. Federal Direct PLUS Loan. The Direct PLUS Loan is a non-need based, loan to parents. Loans may range up to the published cost of attendance for the institution minus other student aid. A loan origination fee of 4.228 % (currently) is deducted at the time of disbursement. The annual interest rate is fixed at 8.05% (currently). Parent borrowers will also be evaluated for adverse credit history. For more information on the Direct PLUS visit https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/plus.

Work-Study and Student Employment

Federal Work-Study (FWS) is a program that provides employment opportunities to students who apply for financial aid and are eligible for the Federal Work-Study program. Availability is based on federal fund limits. In addition to providing income, students may acquire work experience in jobs related to their academic interest. Students cannot be placed in a work-study job until they receive a financial aid award that includes work-study, and by securing a position via the Work-Study application process. Students will not receive any Federal Work-Study funds until they are actually placed and working in a work-study job. Due to the need to match job requirements with student skills, the College cannot guarantee employment to all eligible FWS recipients.

At TVCC, work-study jobs provide experience in a variety of fields, including physical education, the library, the sciences, Student Services, aviation, and information technology, among others. Community services jobs are also available. Please contact the TVCC Financial Aid Office for a list of current work-study positions offered at the College. For more information, visit https://www.tvcc.cc/financialaid/workstudy.cfm.