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Financial Aid Eligibility

Determine Your Financial Need

How are Need and Cost of Attendance (COA) Determined?

Most financial aid offers are based on financial need. Need is the calculation subtracting the Cost of Attendance (COA) from the Student Aid Index (SAI) and from other Financial Assistance (OFA). SAI is determined by the Department of Education (DOE). Once students complete a FAFSA, the DOE provides their SAI average by email or submission summary.

How is Cost of Attendance Established?

Standardized budgets are established by each college. Students with similar circumstances will receive the same budget allowance for tuition and fees, food and housing, textbooks, supplies, transportation, and miscellaneous personal expenses. Adjustments may be made based on certain expenses. Click to view the Child Care Cost Add- On Worksheet.

How Is Financial Aid Offered?

Financial Aid is offered based on eligibility established by Federal guidelines and methodology.

Students Selected for Verification

If you’ve been selected for verification, it means that the Financial Aid Office is required to compare your FAFSA data to your federal tax data and other resources reported on the FAFSA. The FAFSA Submission Summary will display if you have been selected for verification. UCC Financial Aid Office will request documents from you, which these will show up in your Student Self-Service under the Financial Aid link. You will be required to submit a completed verification form and if necessary, turn in the specified year tax return transcript, a signed tax return, or a non-filing letter. After you have submitted all documents, the UCC Financial Aid Office will make any necessary corrections to your FAFSA. Corrections may take up to 5 business days to process. Once an aid offer has been packaged, you will be notified by email sent to your UCC student email to have you check your Student Self-Service to view your financial aid offer.

Financial Aid Eligibility Requirements

To receive federal student aid, a student must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
  • Have a valid Social Security Number
  • Have a high school diploma or a recognized equivalent such as a GED certificate or completing a high school education in a home-school setting approved under state law
  • Be admitted and enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program at UCC
  • Be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for Direct Loan Program funds
  • Not owe an overpayment on a federal grant or be in default on a federal student loan
  • Demonstrate financial need (A Stafford Unsubsidized Loan is the exception)
  • Maintain satisfactory academic progress
  • Not be enrolled simultaneously in a high school diploma completion program
A student cannot receive more need-based aid than it costs to attend college.

Examples of need-based aid at UCC are:

  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
  • Federal Work-Study (FWS)
  • Federal Direct Loan (Subsidized)
  • Oregon Opportunity Grant (OOG)
  • Oregon Promise Grant (OPG)

Some aid programs are limited so apply early. The date students apply for financial aid can affect their aid offer based on funds becoming depleted.