Financial Aid

Definition of an Academic Year

An academic calendar year is defined as the fall semester and the spring semester. For full-time students receiving all forms of financial aid, the academic year includes a minimum of 24 credits, with 14 weeks of instruction and one week of final examinations each semester. There are several shorter parts-of-term within the regular semester that contain the same number of instructional hours as a full semester. The college offers summer semesters including one 10-week session and two five-week sessions.

College Code

The federal college code for Lehigh Carbon Community College is 006810.

Code of Conduct

1. The institution will not enter into any revenue-sharing arrangement with any lender.

2. No officer or employee of the institution who is employed in the financial aid office of the institution or who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to education loans, or agent who has responsibilities with respect to education loans, will solicit or accept any gift from a lender, guarantor or servicer of education loans.

3. An officer or employee who is employed in the financial aid office of the institution or who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to education loans, or any agent who has responsibilities with respect to education loans, will not accept from any lender or affiliate of any lender any fee, payment or other financial benefit (including the opportunity to purchase stock) as compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or other contract to provide services to a lender or on behalf of a lender relating to education loans.

4. The institution shall not request or accept from any lender any offer of funds to be used for private education loans (as defined in section 140 of the Truth in Lending Act) including funds for an opportunity pool loan, to students in exchange for the institution providing concessions or promises regarding providing the lender with:
   a.    a specified number of loans made, insured or guaranteed under this title;
   b.   a specified loan volume of such loans; or
   c.    a preferred lender arrangement for such loans.

5. The institution will not request or accept from any lender any assistance with call center staffing or financial aid office staffing.

6. Any employee who is employed in the financial aid office of the institution, or who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to education loans or other student financial aid of the institution, and who serves on an advisory board, commission or group established by a lender, guarantor or group of lenders or guarantors, shall be prohibited from receiving anything of value from the lender, guarantor or group of lenders or guarantors, except that the employee may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in servicing on such advisory board, commission or group.

Financial Aid Requirements

To assist qualified degree-seeking students with meeting the cost of education, Lehigh Carbon Community
College administers various federal, state and institutional financial aid funds. Grants and scholarships, which do not require repayment, as well as loans and student employment programs, are available through the Office of Financial Aid. Financial aid is intended to supplement the financial resources of the student and his or her family.

To be eligible for financial aid, the student must:

• be enrolled as a matriculated student in an eligible program of study, for example seeking a degree/ certificate;

• be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen;
  have a high school diploma or its equivalent;

• not be in default on any Title IV loan or owe repayment on any Title IV grant;

• not exceed annual or aggregate loan limits in Title IV programs;

• agree to use any Title IV aid received solely for educational purposes;

• not be a prisoner in a state or federal facility;

• have a valid Social Security number; and

• maintain satisfactory academic progress.

To qualify for financial aid, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be completed online at studentaid.gov. New applicants and one parent (applicable if the student is a dependent student) must create a FSA ID at studentaid.gov/fsa-id in order to log into certain U.S. Department of Education websites and electronically sign the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Create a FSA ID as soon as possible and at least three days BEFORE filing the FAFSA. You are able to immediately use your FSA ID to sign an original FAFSA. Once the Social Security Administration verifies your information in 1-3 days, you will be able to make changes to an existing FAFSA and log into U.S. Department of Education websites. Continuing students who wish to reapply for financial aid must also create a FSA ID if they have not already done so at fsaid.ed.gov. Once the Social Security Administration verifies your information in 1-3 days, you will be able to start a renewal FAFSA. Students should complete the FAFSA by the preceding May 1 for attendance during the fall and spring semesters, by the preceding October 1 for attendance during the spring semester and by the preceding March 1 for attendance during the summer semester. Students will receive an email notification that his/her Student Aid Report (SAR) results are available online as long as the student provided a valid email address when the FAFSA was filed. The student will receive a SAR acknowledgement by U.S. mail if they did not provide an email address or provided an invalid email address. The SAR is a recap of the information submitted on the original FAFSA form. Comments found in Part 1 of the SAR should be read carefully. If the application has been selected for verification, it will be noted in Part 1 of the SAR.

Verification

After students submit the FAFSA to the federal processor, their record may be randomly selected for a process called verification. A school must verify all applications selected by the federal processor. LCCC is required to collect and verify the following information from those applicants whose applications were selected for verification:

• Household size

• Number in college

• Adjusted gross income (AGI)

• U.S. taxes paid

• Identity and Statement of Educational Purpose

The documents required to complete the verification process are: Signed parent and student income tax return or IRS tax transcript from two years prior to the current year and dependent or independent verification form (which is available on LCCC’s website under Financial Aid, Deadline, Codes and Forms). The verification form must be printed, completed and signed and submitted to the Office of Financial Aid.

Other documents as required based on the results of filing the FAFSA.

An application selected for verification cannot be finalized until all documentation is received and the verification process is complete. The student must respond to the Office of Financial Aid’s request for verification documentation in 10 days. The verification process should take approximately four weeks before the student is informed of his/her financial aid eligibility.

Financial Aid Eligibility and Bannerweb

All awards are determined and finalized by the Office of Financial Aid. Students are able to view their award eligibility by logging into “myLCCC” portal on the LCCC web page at www.lccc.edu using their L number and password. Locate “Student Resources” on the left-hand side. Locate “Financial Aid” and click. Select “Award” and click. Select “Award by Aid Year” and click and then select the appropriate aid year (for example: 2023- 2024 academic year) and submit. Select the Resources/ Additional Information tab and answer the questions Yes or No. Select the “Accept by Aid Year” tab. If LCCC needs documents or information from the student, they will be listed here. Once your financial file is complete a listing of fund types and dollar amount are listed here. Loans are listed as estimated and a decision will need to be made to accept or decline any loans offered to the student. New requirements will appear once loans are accepted.

Financial Aid Communications

New students to LCCC, after submitting an application for admission, can expect to receive within 48 hours an LCCC ID number and an LCCC email account. LCCC email accounts are available for all registered and admitted students.
The college-assigned student email account shall be Lehigh Carbon Community College’s official means of communication with all LCCC students who receive financial aid. The college reserves the right to send official communications to students by email with the full expectation that students will receive and read these emails in a timely manner.
The emails will direct students to the financial aid section on the LCCC portal from myLCCC’s home page (www.lccc.edu). Please see Financial Aid Eligibility and Bannerweb above for additional instructions.
Students are expected to check their LCCC email account on a frequent and consistent basis in order to stay current with their financial aid status.
Please note that students have the responsibility to recognize that financial aid email communications are time sensitive and may require immediate action by the student.
Students who choose to forward their LCCC email account to a private unofficial email address outside of the official college email address do so at their own risk. The college is not responsible for any difficulties that may occur in the proper or timely transmission or access of email forwarded to any unofficial email address. LCCC is not responsible for lost or deleted email due to account closures or storage restrictions.
Upon request, students are entitled to a paper copy by contacting the financial aid office at 610-799-1133 or by sending a written request to Office of Financial Aid, Lehigh Carbon Community College, 4525 Education Park Drive, Schnecksville PA 18078.

Financial Aid Academic Progress Policy

Federal regulations require that students maintain satisfactory academic progress to be eligible for financial aid. Students in associate degree programs will be reviewed at the end of the spring semester. Students in certificate programs will be reviewed at the end of the fall and spring semesters. We begin checking academic progress once the student has attempted 12 credits. The entire official academic transcript, including all transfer credits as well as credits that appear even though the student was granted academic restart, will be reviewed even if the student was not a financial aid recipient. Permission to enroll does not equal financial aid satisfactory academic progress. Any classes taken during any summer session (within the same summer) are viewed as one enrolled term. Only credit courses are considered for satisfactory academic progress evaluation.

Satisfactory academic progress is measured on:

1. The maximum length of time for which a student may receive financial aid.

2. The number of credit hours successfully completed including transfer credits or credits that appear on the official academic transcript even if the student was granted academic restart divided by the number of credit hours attempted.

3. The minimum cumulative GPA a student must maintain based on the credits successfully completed. (The minimum cumulative GPA does not include transfer credits.)

Maximum Length of Time

Federal regulations indicate that a student may receive financial aid for no longer than 150% of the published length of his/her educational program. For example, for programs requiring 60 credits, the maximum time frame is the equivalent of six full-time semesters or 90 attempted credits. A student will not receive financial aid after having attempted 90 credits (including transfer credits or credits appearing on an official academic transcript as a result of academic restart). For programs requiring 30 credits, the maximum time frame is 45 attempted credits. A student will not receive financial aid after having attempted 45 credits (including transfer credits or credits appearing on an official academic transcript as a result of academic restart). Students who have changed majors and who are seeking additional degrees are limited to additional financial aid up to a total of 90 attempted credits for an associate degree and 45 attempted credits for a certificate program regardless of the number of credits required to complete the additional degree or certificate.

Percentage of Credit Hours Successfully Completed Divided by the Number of Credit Hours Attempted

Credit hours attempted are the sum of all LCCC credit hours for which tuition was charged, whether or not financial aid was received, plus all transfer hours accepted for credit as well as all credit hours appearing on an official academic transcript for which the student was granted academic restart. If a student changes course of study, the credit hours attempted under all courses of study are included in the calculation of attempted and earned credit hours. A student is required to earn 67% of all credits attempted as described above. This quantitative standard is the percentage calculated as “number of credit hours earned” divided by “number of credit hours attempted.” Audited classes (L) are never eligible for financial aid assistance. Most remedial credits are not counted as attempted or earned credits. The following remedial classes are counted in attempted credits with the final grade received counted as an earned grade: ENG 100, RSS 100.

Minimum Cumulative GPA

A student must attain the following cumulative grade point average:

• Some LCCC programs have additional or more stringent satisfactory academic progress policies.

• A student may receive financial aid for a previously passed course only once.

• A student who enrolled in a course and passed it, then enrolled in the class again and failed it, is not eligible again for financial aid for that class.

• A student may not receive financial aid for classes not required by his/her major.

• A student may receive federal financial aid for no more than 30 remedial credits.

• Transfer credits accepted from other schools are counted towards completion of the student’s program as both attempted and completed hours.

• ESL courses are counted as developmental credits up to a limit of 30 credits.

• Students may only receive a financial aid academic appeal once during the time they are attending Lehigh Carbon Community College.

• An incomplete grade that becomes a failing grade may result in a student failing to meet financial aid satisfactory academic progress. See below for additional information about failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress.
  

Right to Appeal

If a student fails to make satisfactory academic progress, they have the opportunity to appeal his/her academic progress to the Office of Financial Aid in writing. Appeal forms are available on the LCCC website. Click on “Financial Aid”, “Deadline Codes & Forms” and scroll down to “Financial Aid Appeal.” Appeals are considered if the lack of academic progress resulted from death of a relative of the student, an injury or illness of the student, family difficulties, interpersonal problems, difficulty balancing work, family, school, financial, or other special circumstances. Appeals are considered on a case-by-case basis and reviewed by the Office of Financial Aid within 30 days of receipt of the appeal form. The decision or recommendation of the Office of Financial Aid is final. When an appeal is approved, the student’s financial aid eligibility will be reinstated with specific conditions for the student to meet to remain eligible for financial aid. If the conditions of the appeal are not met then the appeal becomes void for the next semester and the student is no longer eligible for financial aid. If the initial appeal is denied, the student will remain in an ineligible status and must pay for educational costs.
If the student is denied aid based on his/her academic progress, that denial takes precedence over any previous award notification they may have received. Students may only receive a financial aid academic appeal once during the time they are attending Lehigh Carbon Community College.

Reestablishing Satisfactory Progress

A student may reestablish his/her eligibility to receive financial assistance by enrolling at Lehigh Carbon Community College at his/her own expense and completing a sufficient number of courses at a sufficiently high GPA to meet the standards. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at 610-799-1133.

Financial Aid Credit

All forms of financial aid except college employment or Federal Work Study appear as a credit on a student’s account to be used for the payment of tuition and fees. Students whose financial aid awards exceed the direct costs of tuition, fees, books and supplies may receive the excess funds 14 days after the disbursement date of each semester or approximately four weeks after the first day of classes. The student’s excess funds will be released after the college certifies eligibility for the funds such as current enrollment or other factors. Funding must be adjusted during this review if a student’s enrollment has changed or the student becomes ineligible for the funds because of nonattendance or other factors. The Business Office issues any excess funds to students through Customer Bank’s BankMobile Vibe account Debit Master Card 14 days after disbursement to student accounts.

Withdrawal Policy for Students Receiving Financial Aid

The Office of Financial Aid must be notified in writing or orally (if the student is unable to provide a written withdrawal notice) of the student’s intent to withdraw. A withdrawal notice is not official until it is received by the Office of Registration/Student Records.
If a student receives any type of financial aid (grants, scholarships and loans) and officially withdraws completely from classes before the tenth week of class (60% of the semester), the student is required to have his/her financial aid prorated based on the U.S. Dept. of Education’s Federal Refund Policy. A student who falls under this criterion will have the appropriate percentage of his financial aid returned to the appropriate fund and is responsible to pay any balance remaining on the account as a result of the calculation. For example, a student who totally withdraws within any of the following time periods, depending on the actual day of withdrawal, must have his/her financial aid prorated using the actual percentage of the amount of financial aid earned and the amount of time the student attended classes. For example: students withdrawing during the:

1. first week of class must have between 90% and 99% of financial aid returned

2. second week of class must have between 80% and 89% of financial aid returned

3. third week of class must have between 79% and 85% of financial aid returned

4. fourth week of class must have between 75% and 80% of financial aid returned

5. fifth week of class must have between 65% and 75% of financial aid returned

6. sixth week of class must have between 60% and 65% of financial aid returned

7. seventh week of class must have between 55% and 60% of financial aid returned

8. eighth week of class must have between 45% and 50% of financial aid returned

9. ninth week of class must have between 40% and 49% of financial aid returned

10. A student withdrawing during the tenth week depending on the exact day of withdrawal will not be subject to a withdrawal calculation and has earned all of his/her financial aid.

Please note that students who withdraw during the refund period must still have his/her financial aid prorated based on the number of weeks spent in class. The reduction of costs as a result of withdrawing during the refund period (week 1, 2 or 3) does not affect the percentage used to prorate financial aid or eliminate any balance that may be owed by the student as a result of withdrawing.
Funds are returned to the Title IV programs in the following order:

• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan

• Federal Direct Subsidized Loan

• Federal PLUS Loan

• Federal Pell Grant

• Federal SEOG.

Lehigh Carbon Community College is required to return the amount of Title IV funds for which it is responsible as soon as possible but not later than 45 days after the date of the institution’s determination that a student withdrew.
Students who have withdrawn and have borrowed a student loan, will have the amount of the loan which must be canceled as a result of the withdrawal of the student, returned directly to the lender. This return will reduce the principal amount of the loan that was originally borrowed by the student.

Unofficial Withdrawals

A student who begins attendance who has not officially withdrawn subsequently stops attending all classes will be considered an unofficial withdrawal. The college is required by the U.S. Department of Education to prorate and adjust, to the last date of attendance at an academically related activity as reported by the faculty, the amount of financial aid the student received for the semester. The student is responsible to pay any balance remaining on his/her account as a result of this adjustment.

Employment

College Employment

Students are asked to complete the financial aid application process to be considered for part-time employment; however, financial need is not a requirement for participation in this employment program. College employment funds are paid directly to the student for hours worked. Earnings may not exceed the amount awarded to the student. 

Federal Work-Study Program

The Federal Work-Study Program provides students with an opportunity to earn money during the academic year and during the summer. The Office of Financial Aid awards these federal funds based on financial need and on fund availability. Federal work-study funds are paid directly to the student for hours worked. Earnings may not exceed the amount awarded to the student.

Grants and Scholarships (No Repayment Necessary)

Federal Pell Grant

After completing and submitting the FAFSA, students will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) with an official Expected Family Contribution (EFC) figure. This figure will determine eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant. Federal Pell Grant amounts are prorated based upon enrollment status. Students may receive 12 semesters worth of full- time Pell grant eligibility.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

These grants are awarded by Lehigh Carbon Community College from funds allocated by the federal government. Award amounts will vary based on financial need, the enrollment status of the student, the availability of funds, and Pell grant eligibility.

Lehigh Carbon Community College Foundation Scholarships

The LCCC Foundation provides annual scholarships to many students attending Lehigh Carbon Community College. The LCCC Foundation also awards donor- designated scholarships on an annual basis. A completed and processed Free Application for Federal Student Aid must be on file in the Financial Aid Office in order to be considered for an LCCC Foundation Scholarship.

Lehigh Carbon Community College Morgan Foundation Scholarships

In 2002, the John E. Morgan Charitable Trust II announced that it will fund Morgan Success Scholarships for qualified applicants who have graduated from Tamaqua Area High School. Each year the Morgan Foundation sets aside funds that the Foundation anticipates will be sufficient to cover full tuition scholarships for the number of graduating Tamaqua Area High School seniors who attend LCCC, based upon historic and predicted attendance rates. If the number of graduates who actually attend LCCC materially exceeds expectations during any year, it is possible that funding will be insufficient to provide full scholarships. In that event, all scholarships for that year will be reduced on a pro-rata basis, so that each student will receive the largest scholarship possible.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• be a current graduate of Tamaqua Area High School.

• have attended Tamaqua Area High School for no fewer than two academic years immediately prior to graduation.

• apply for admission to LCCC no later than April 1.

• complete the FAFSA form no later than April 1 at www.studentaid.gov and designate LCCC 006810 on the form.

• be a degree-seeking candidate.

• be enrolled in at least nine credit hours for fall and spring semesters.

• not be on academic probation.

• not be related to any trustee of the John E. Morgan Charitable Trust II.

• complete a “Morgan Success Scholarship Application” form (available from the LCCC Admission Office) and submit it with the LCCC application for admission by April 1.

Pennsylvania State Grant

The state grant program awards funds to students who demonstrate financial need according to state criteria, are bona fide residents of Pennsylvania, have not received their first baccalaureate degree in any field, and are enrolled in credit classes for at least six credits per term in an approved two-year degree program of at least60 credits. Students who received a state grant for attendance at another institution prior to attending LCCC must also provide an academic transcript from the school previously attended to the Office of Financial Aid.

Academic Progress Policy for Pennsylvania State Grant Recipients Who Remain Enrolled in State Grant-Eligible Programs

Students who have received state grant assistance are required to make satisfactory academic progress for each academic year (fall, spring and/or summer semester) during which state grant aid is received, a student must successfully complete the minimum number of credits appropriate to the student enrollment status during the terms for which state grant aid was received. For example, if a student last received state grant aid during the previous academic year and received two full-time semesters of state grant aid, the student must have successfully completed 24 semester credits during or since those two terms in order to be eligible for the next academic year. Likewise, if the student last received state grant aid during the previous academic year and received two half-time semesters of state grant aid, the student must have successfully completed
12 to 22 semester credits during or since those two terms to be eligible for the next academic year. Progress for state grant purposes is checked at the end of each academic year.

Loans (Must be Repaid with Interest)

William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program

Students do not borrow funds from banks. The Federal government raises the loan funds through its regular Treasury bill auctions and the federal government is the recipient of loan repayments. Loan types available through this program are Subsidized Loans, Unsubsidized Loans or Plus Loans. Students apply for these loans online at www.studentaid.gov.

 The different types of loans under these programs are:

Direct Subsidized Loans

The Federal Direct Subsidized Loan program assists students with meeting educational costs by providing low-interest, long-term loans. If the student demonstrates financial need for the loan, the interest is subsidized by the government while the student is enrolled at least half time (six credits per semester) and until a six-month grace period has expired.
Eligibility for a loan is based on the EFC (Expected Family Contribution) calculated by the FAFSA. Families must demonstrate financial need for the loan according to criteria established by the U.S. Department of Education. Students must complete the FAFSA form at studentaid.gov to be considered for a Federal Direct Subsidized Loan.
The subsidized loan amount is limited to demonstrated need up to a maximum of $3,500 for a dependent first- year undergraduate student (less than 30 credits earned) and $4,500 for a dependent student who has successfully completed the first year (a minimum of 30 credits) and is in the second year of undergraduate study.
Loan amounts are prorated when a program, or the remaining part of a program, is less than an academic year and when the student’s enrollment status is less than full time. The interest rate varies by year.
Repayment commences six months after the month in which the student either graduates or ceases to be enrolled at least half time.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans

Dependent students who do not qualify for the full interest subsidy under the Federal Direct Subsidized Loan program may receive a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan. The Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan differs from the Federal Direct Subsidized Loan in that all the interest on the loan during in-school, grace and deferment periods must be paid by the student.
First year dependent undergraduate students may borrow a maximum of $5,500 (up to $3,500 subsidized plus $2,000 unsubsidized) and second year (over 30 credits successfully completed) dependent undergraduate students may borrow a maximum of $6,500 (up to $4,500 subsidized plus $2,000 unsubsidized). Therefore students who demonstrate need on paper for only part of the annual Federal Direct Subsidized Loan limit may borrow the remainder through the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan program.
First year independent undergraduate students may borrow a maximum of $9,500 (up to $3,500 subsidized plus $6,000 unsubsidized) and second year (over 30 credits successfully completed) independent undergraduate students may borrow a maximum of $10,500 (up to $4,500 subsidized plus $6,000 unsubsidized).
The interest rate on the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan is variable by year and may be capitalized. Repayment of principal and all capitalized interest commences six months after the month in which the student either graduates or ceases to be enrolled at least half time.
NOTE: No student may borrow in excess of the cost of attendance as calculated by the Office of Financial Aid. Each loan must be disbursed in two equal payments.

Federal PLUS Loans (Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students)

This loan program is for the parents of undergraduate students to help them meet the cost of education. Parents may borrow up to the cost of education minus estimated financial assistance to the student. The interest rate is variable by year. Repayment of the Federal PLUS loan begins 60 days after the last disbursement. Parents are eligible to borrow a Federal PLUS loan only if they have no adverse credit history. Parents complete a PLUS application and promissory note by logging onto www.studentaid.gov.
NOTE: Each loan must be disbursed in two equal payments. No student may borrow in excess of the cost of attendance as calculated by the Office of Financial Aid.

Special Programs

Tax Benefits for Education

Tax benefits may be available to students and their families if they are saving or paying education costs for themselves or another student who is a member of the immediate family. Information is available at www.irs.gov or from a tax preparer.