Mar 19, 2024  
2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Financial Aid and Scholarships



Financial Aid and Scholarships administers and coordinates various types of undergraduate and graduate financial aid administered by Coastal Carolina University; scholarships, loans, grants and work-study employment. The office works jointly with the Office of Admissions and Merit Awards.

Students are eligible to recieve federal and state financial assistance through submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is available October 1 for students to apply for the upcoming academic year. A student must submit a FAFSA annually to be eligible for federal and state financial assistance.

The FAFSA priority date is January 1 for need-based scholarships, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work-Study, and the South Carolina Need-Based Grant.

March 1 is the suggested deadline for FAFSA submission for the Federal Pell Grant and the Federal Direct Loan eligibility.

June 15 is the suggested deadline for FAFSA submission for the Federal PLUS Loan and private/alternative loans. PLUS and private loans require a separate online application.

Information regarding financial aid programs at Coastal Carolina University is available at www.coastal.edu/financialaid, from the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, 219 Baxley Hall, 100 Chanticleer Drive East, Conway, SC 29526-6054, by calling 800-277-7000 or 843-349-2313 or via email at finaid@coastal.edu.

Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Eligibility

To be eligible to receive any federal or state aid or private loans, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP). The intent of the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy is to ensure that students who receive federal or state financial assistance, as well as loans are making measureable progress toward completion of a degree within a reasonable period of time. This policy contains both qualitative (grade point average) and quantitative (credit hours completed) requirements. Students must meet the grade point average requirement as stated under the Academic Eligibility Policy, and must complete their degrees within 150% of the published time frame. Details are available at www.coastal.edu/financialaid. Students wishing to appeal their academic progress status may submit the financial aid appeal form with supporting documents to Financial Aid and Scholarships. This appeals process is separate from the Appeals Committee on Academic Eligibility.

Veteran Education Benefits

The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs determines eligibility for and awards this benefit. You can determine if you are eligible by calling the VA Regional Office at 1-888-442-4551. Then contact the Office of Veterans Services in Student Life to obtain the appropriate forms for certification.

Students receiving VA educational benefits are expected to maintain satisfactory progress towards a degree.  Veterans or eligible persons must take courses that are essential to their degree program and cannot receive VA benefits for repeating courses in which they have earned a satisfactory grade, or for courses which are graded on a Pass-Fail basis.

Once enrollment has been certified, the VA student is responsible for reporting any updates or changes to his/her enrollment status to the Office of Veterans Services in Student Life. This includes the dropping and/or adding of classes and complete withdrawal from the University. Failure to do so may result in the termination of benefits and possibly an overpayment situation.

The following is a synopsis of VA Program Chapters:

Chapter 30: The Montgomery G.I. Bill (“New” G.I. Bill). This program provides educational benefits to individuals entering military service after June 30, 1985.  Those with remaining entitlement under Chapter 34 (“Old” G.I. Bill) may be eligible under Chapter 30.
Chapter 31: Vocational Rehabilitation for Service-Disabled Veterans. This program is for individuals who have a compensable service connected disability, and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs determines that training and rehabilitation services are needed to overcome an employment handicap.
Chapter 33: Post 9/11 G.I. Bill. This program is for individuals who have served on Active Duty since Sept. 11, 2001. This program also allows for transfer of benefits to dependents. The Yellow Ribbon Program is a component of the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill.
Chapter 35: Dependents Educational Assistance Program. This program is for dependents (spouse or children) of individuals who die or are permanently disabled from service connected causes.
Chapter 1606: Montgomery G.I. Bill-Selected Reserve. This program is available to members of the Selected Reserve, including the National Guard. A form DD 2384 (NOBE) is required.
Chapter 1607: Montgomery G.I. Bill-Selected Reservists Called to Active Duty. The National Defense Authorization Act of 2016 ended REAP on November 25, 2015. Some individuals will remain eligible for REAP benefits until November 25, 2019, while others are no longer eligible for REAP benefits.

Federal Tuition Assistance

Eligible Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve Service Members may be eligible for Federal Tuition Assistance or (FTA) through their branch of service. Federal Tuition Assistance is administered through the Department of Defense and authorizes each branch of the military to pay up to $250 per semester credit hour, not including fees. FTA is paid directly to the school by the individual service branches.