FAQs

What is financial aid?

Financial aid is the money used to pay for your education. Financial aid is generally in the form of grants, scholarships, and/or work-study programs which do not have to be repaid. Another form of financial aid is federal direct loans which do have to be repaid.

What type of financial aid is offered at GNTC?

Georgia Northwestern Technical College offers a variety of financial aid programs that include grants, scholarships, federal work-study, and federal direct loans. Please view Types of Aid in our links section at the bottom of this page for more information.

I probably don't qualify for aid. Should I apply for aid anyway?

Yes. Many families mistakenly believe they don't qualify for financial aid, and therefore, prevent themselves from receiving any aid for which they may qualify. It never hurts to apply, and the application process is free and easy.

What is the preferred method of applying for financial aid?

If you are interested in both state aid (ex: HOPE) and federal aid (ex: Pell or loans), you will need to complete both the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at Student Aid, and the Georgia Student Financial Aid Application (GSFAPP) online through GaFutures. The Federal School Code for the FAFSA is 004024.

Students must complete & submit the applications, as well as any other required documents, before the priority deadlines to be considered for aid.

Please view our links section at the bottom of this page for accessing Federal Student Aid, GaFutures, and our Financial Aid Deadlines sites.

Do I need to be admitted before I can apply for financial aid?

No. Students may submit the applications before being admitted. *However*, if they come in requesting documents, the student will need to have the admissions process completed and be accepted so they have access to the student MyGNTC account so documents may be completed & submitted. Also, to receive any funds for which they qualify, the student must be admitted and enrolled at the college.

When should I apply/reapply?

As early as possible. FAFSAs are made available at the beginning of each calendar year for the next aid year. Our award year starts with the fall term; therefore, students looking to start classes in August of 2024, were able to complete the 24-25 FAFSA in January of 2024.

Students coming in for the Spring and Summer terms will need to complete both the current aid year’s application (23-24) and the next aid year’s application (24-25).

Do I have to reapply for financial aid every year?

Yes. If your financial circumstances change, you may get more or less aid. After your first year, you will receive email notifications from FAFSA reminding you to renew your FAFSA for the new aid year. There will also be notifications from the college and posted online.

Do I need to apply every semester?

No. The financial aid year extends from the fall semester through the summer sessions of the next calendar year (ex: classes occurring beginning in August 2024 and extending through July 2025 are all part of the 24-25 aid year). All financial aid expires (June 30th) after summer sessions have started; therefore, students must reapply at least 6-8 weeks before the next financial aid year. This allows additional time to complete the file in the event the processed application loads in requesting documents.

When will I get my refund?

Students who qualify for a refund(s) will receive them later in the term after classes have started. The first group of funds for classes that start at the beginning of the term as a whole starts to disburse (that is released from the government) on the 28th day of the term. From that point, it can take up to 14 business days for funds to arrive in the system and any refund due from that portion to be processed out to Bank Mobile.

Please note: This is for students whose classes start on the first day of the term as a whole. Students with C-term classes or stacked classes (classes with different start dates spread throughout the term) who are due a refund will have different disbursement and refund dates. If you have C-term classes or stacked classes, you would want to consult the Financial Aid Office for more information on when you might expect any refund due.

You may view our links section at the bottom of this page for accessing our Disbursements Date and Refunds section for more information on refunds being processed through Bank Mobile.

Will I receive Pell/FSEOG for my certificate program?

Some certificate and diploma programs are not eligible for federal aid such as Pell, FSEOG, and Loans. You may contact the Financial Aid Office to find out if the major you are planning on coming in for is eligible for federal aid.

How do I know if I have been awarded financial aid?

You will be able to view your award through your MyGNTC account. Offer notifications are also sent out via e-mail once applications have loaded in. However, please note that if documents are needed, any offers cannot be finalized until after the file is completed in full. Please see our links section at the bottom of this page to access both MyGNTC and the instructions for Utilizing MyGNTC. If you have a question, you may contact the Financial Aid Office.

Will I receive all the financial aid listed on the website or my financial aid offer notification?

Not every student qualifies for all types of financial aid offered at GNTC. The aid listed on your financial aid offer notification is the maximum budget amount that you could be awarded up to.

Offered aid amounts for state aid such as HOPE are listed based on 15 credit hours of enrollment, and 12 credit hours of enrollment for federal Pell.

When you register for classes, then the system will apply aid based on your enrollment hours. For instance, if you enroll half-time in 6 credit hours, then the system will only be able to apply the half-time amount of aid according to your enrollment hours and eligibility.

What will happen if I drop a class?

If you drop a class/some classes before the first day of classes or within the first three days of classes, then the tuition & fee charges, as well as the aid, will adjust according to your remaining enrollment hours for the term. You will need to make sure to cover any resulting balance. Dropping during this drop/add period does not impact your GPA or Completion Rate.
If you drop all classes before the first day of classes or within the first three days of classes, then the tuition & fee charges, as well as the aid, will come off. Dropping during this drop/add period does not impact your GPA or Completion Rate. If you have already used aid in the bookstore, then you will owe those funds back.
If you withdraw from all classes following the 3rd day, a Return of Title IV Funds calculation will be run (usually within 1-2 weeks) to determine any necessary adjustments. Depending upon how far into the term we are, you may end up owing a balance.

Note: Dropping classes at this point (after the 3-day drop/add period for the term) will affect your Completion Rate, which could result in being placed on Warning or Suspension. You may view our Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy and our Return of Title IV Funds Policy for more information through the links section at the bottom of this page.
Note: If you choose to drop a class or some of your classes, be sure to complete the Drop/Add form and submit it to the Registrar’s Office. If you choose to withdraw from all classes, be sure to complete the Withdrawal Form instead.

You may drop/add or withdraw from classes through your MyGNTC account.

What if I register for a class(es) but do not show up, or do not sign in and start completing assignments?

If you register, but do not show up (or for online classes—sign in and start completing assignments) for a class(es), then the instructor for that class or each respective class will report you as a “No show.” This is typically within 7 instructional days of the full term.

Being reported as a no-show for a class(es) will result in the tuition & fee charges, as well as the aid, coming off for the respective class(es). Being reported as a no-show does not impact your GPA or Completion Rate. However, if you had aid awarded before being reported as a no-show, it could result in a balance due depending upon the number of classes in which you are reported as a no-show versus any remaining classes in which you remain. Also, if you have already used aid in the bookstore, then you will owe those funds back as well.

Do I have to pay my financial aid back?

Maybe. If you withdraw or fail all of the classes you take within a term, you will be subject to the Return of Title IV Funds Policy, which may result in owing back federal funds.

Do you have to be a HOPE Scholar to receive HOPE funds?

There are two (2) forms of HOPE: HOPE Scholarship for degree-seeking students who qualify, and HOPE Grant for diploma or certificate-seeking students who qualify. Therefore, a student does not have to be a HOPE Scholar to qualify for HOPE Grant funds. However, if you are going for a degree major, you will want to be sure to be evaluated for the HOPE Scholarship if think you meet the eligibility requirements.

You may view our State Grants, and our Scholarships pages for additional information on eligibility requirements. The links may be accessed at the bottom of this page.

My verification portal requested that I submit tax transcripts, but I didn’t file an income tax return. What do I do?

If your processed FAFSA loads in requesting verification and if it is a type of verification in which tax & income information is requested, you need to be aware that the portal will populate the request for tax & income information based on how you fill out the Independent/Dependent Verification Form.

If you did not file an income tax return (and were not required to file one), but the portal requests the taxes be uploaded, that means you need to correct the Independent/Dependent Verification Form to reflect that you did not and were not required to file taxes for that tax period.

Depending upon your status, it may then request a verification of non-filing from the IRS and/or copies of W2/Wage & Income Transcripts. If you have any questions, you may contact the Financial Aid Office.

Will HOPE Grant pay my $110 Technology Fee?

No. HOPE only pays towards the tuition (100% of the tuition). It does not pay anything toward fees.

Will Pell pay my $110 Technology Fee?

If you qualify for Pell, yes. This is only if your financial aid file is complete (without missing documents), processed, awarded before the Tuition & Fees Deadline, and provided you are eligible for enough aid to cover the remaining expenses.

If I start as a diploma or certificate student and later change to an associate degree, can I still receive HOPE funds?

Possibly. Please see our Scholarships page for more information.

Why do I have to include my parents’ income if I no longer live with them or they do not support me?

Federal Regulations may require it for federal aid purposes depending upon your answers to the dependency status questions on the FAFSA. Refer to “Am I Dependent or Independent?” in the links section at the bottom of this page. If you still have questions you may contact our Financial Aid Office.

What happens if I change my major?

Switching your major may affect the type of aid you are eligible for and could affect your ability to meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy. Please check with our Financial Aid Office to see if/how your aid will be affected before switching your major.

Will my financial aid pay for my books and tuition?

Possibly. The HOPE funds pay 100% of the tuition rate only (based on the tuition rate for the 23-24 year). HOPE does not cover books or fees.

If you receive Pell, the remainder of the tuition as well as the remaining fees can be deducted providing you receive enough Pell funds to cover the balance. After all tuition & fees are covered, you may use a portion of any remaining Pell Grant funds (but no more than $800.00) in the GNTC bookstore system before the respective term’s tuition & fee deadline. Normally the book credit is available just before the Tuition & Fee Deadline for the respective term. You may view the GNTC Events Calendar (link provided at the end of this page) for updates on when Pell credits will be available for use in the bookstore system.

Is there a HOPE cap on the number of hours that HOPE will pay?

Yes. A cap of 63 semester hours for certificate and diploma programs and 127 combined hours (grant & scholarship attempted hours) for degree programs. You may also track your eligibility online through GaFutures. To do so, view the GaFutures HOPE Academic Eligibility link provided in the links section at the bottom of this page.

Will Financial Aid pay for an elective?

Financial aid will pay for approved electives; however, you must not exceed your required number of elective hours. Please remember any transfer credits you have may count as electives.

I’m on Financial Aid Warning. Do I have to pay?

No. A warning means that you have transitioned from meeting the minimum GPA and Completion Rate standards (“Good” academic standing) to falling below the standards after a term. Think of Warning as a “grace period” in which you can still receive aid for your next term of attendance, but by the end of that term, you must be meeting the standards to be returned to “Good” standing.

I’m on Financial Aid Suspension. Do I have to pay?

Yes. The suspension means that you have fallen below the minimum GPA and Completion Rate standards for the second (2nd) consecutive term. Federal and State guidelines dictate that students must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress to qualify for any form of financial aid (including loan funds). You may view our Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy through the link at the bottom of this page.

I am in a degree program and receive a HOPE Scholarship: How often is my GPA checked?

Students receiving the HOPE Scholarship will have their GPA checked at the 30th, 60th, and 90th semester hours as well as the end of each spring term. If a student is less than full-time for the first 30 semester hours, he/she will be checked at the end of the third term.

Do I have to be a full-time student to get my Financial Aid?

Not in all cases. If you are eligible, HOPE will cover up to 100% of tuition only - no fees (based on the tuition rate for the 2023-2024 fiscal year) regardless of how many credit hours you are enrolled for.

Pell funds on the other hand are prorated/adjusted according to your enrollment hours. This means, for example, that if you are enrolled half-time (6-8 credit hours) then you will be awarded 50% of the terms Pell budget for which you qualify.

You will be responsible for making sure as to whether or not your applied aid is enough to cover charges as well as cover any difference by the Tuition & Fee Deadline. You may do this by checking Account Detail by Term on your MyGNTC account (see Utilizing MyGNTC in the links section at the end of this page).

What happens if I have to quit GNTC (withdraw from all classes) because of personal or other reasons? Will I be eligible for aid the following semester? Will I have to pay my financial aid back?

You will be checked for Satisfactory Academic Progress. Except for developmental classes, all courses taken at GNTC will be considered in the GPA and Completion Rate when computing your eligibility for financial aid. If you are suspended from financial aid, you will need to return to GNTC at your own expense until you have met the required standards.

You have the right to appeal your Suspension provided you complete the proper forms with the proper documentation. If your appeal is ruled in your favor, you may have aid reinstated as federal and state guidelines allow. See our Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for more details.

In most cases, when a student quits GNTC due to personal or other reasons, they may/may not have to repay financial aid. However, this may be dependent upon factors such as the last date of attendance/date of withdrawal, etc. The college is required to follow federal regulations on federal funds received, and this may cause you to have to repay some federal funds. Check with the Financial Aid Office beforehand anytime you plan to withdraw or drop a class.

Will financial aid pay for audit or exempt classes?

No.