VCOM College Catalog and Student Handbook

• Information to students regarding scholarship opportunities; • Access to loans through the William D. Ford Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan and Graduate Plus Loan Programs; and • Information on private (Alternate) loans obtained through lending agencies. Information about the financial aid application and process timeline can be found on the VCOM website at: https://www.vcom.edu/admissions/tuition-and-fees/financial-aid-faqs. Students need to follow these steps if they are interested in receiving financial assistance: • Complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to the Department of Education. It is recommended that students submit their FAFSA no later than May 31 st . The electronic FAFSA form is available on the web at: https://studentaid.gov/. • VCOM’s school codes are G37093 for the Virginia campus, E01970 for the Carolinas campus, E40408 for the Auburn campus, and E40498 for the Louisiana campus. Students must enter this number in the section of the FAFSA that requests the school code in order for VCOM to receive a copy of the Student Aid Report (SAR) from the Department of Education after the FAFSA is processed. The Student Aid Report is necessary for the Office of Financial Aid to be able to calculate financial aid eligibility. • Provide verification of the students’ citizenship status, if requested. • Provide any further information that is communicated as being required to evaluate financial need. Students must be sure to respond quickly to any requests for additional information. • Set up a MyVCOM account and login at: https://myvcom.vcom.edu/CMCPortal/secure/student/loginstu.aspx. Your financial aid will later be posted to this site. • Set up your VCOM email account. Instructions will be forwarded to you from the Registrar’s Office after receiving your admissions deposit. This email account is how we will communicate with you. • Sign a promissory note with Direct Loans for the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan and Graduate PLUS loan or with the lender of your choice for a private loan. This step is completed after the Financial Aid Offer is received. • Complete online entrance counseling at: https://studentaid.gov/entrance-counseling/ In order to qualify for some loans, students must have a good credit record and be credit worthy. Lending agencies vary in the information they use to calculate credit scores. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure their credit worthiness for borrowing funds and to resolve directly with the lender or a credit bureau any issues regarding their credit report or credit score. Determining Financial Need and Awarding Financial Aid After the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form has been processed, students will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the Central Processor at the Department of Education. Students will need to verify the information on the SAR to make sure it is correct and to provide any corrections or additional information that is necessary. Students must designate VCOM’s school code on the FAFSA form so that VCOM will receive information electronically. Students should use G37093 for the Virginia campus, E01970 for the Carolinas campus, E40408 for the Auburn campus, and E40498 for the Louisiana campus. Upon receipt of the electronic report from the Department of Education, VCOM’s Office of Financial Aid will begin to determine the student’s eligibility for financial aid. Eligibility amounts are based upon the amount calculated in the formula developed by Congress to establish the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC), which takes into account the student’s income, family’s income, assets, taxes, and basic living expenses. The EFC may not exactly match the amount the student and his/her family actually contribute toward educational expenses, but it is used to calculate the need for financial assistance.

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