Tuition & Aid
In this section:Students who have filed a valid FAFSA and meet all other eligibility requirements for Federal Student Aid are given estimated awards based on full-time status. This initial award shows the most aid available to the student.
Enrollment statuses are:
- Full-time (12 or more credit hours)
- Three-quarter time (9 - 11 credit hours)
- Half-time (6 - 8 credit hours)
- Less than Half-time (fewer than six credit hours)
Actual enrollment status will be determined at the end of drop/add and will be one factor in deciding final award amounts. The estimated award may be revised if final enrollment status is not full-time.
- Federal Pell Grants and other grants may be reduced or canceled; however,
- Federal Direct Student Loan eligibility will not be changed unless the final enrollment status is less-than-half-time
Federal Pell Grant award amounts are determined by recalculating enrollment status after the last drop date for the Main Session and again after the last drop date for each of the Express Sessions within a term.
If a student withdraws from a class after a Federal Pell Grant has paid for that class, then the withdrawn class will no longer count in the overall enrollment status for the term when enrollment status is recalculated at the start of the next Express Session. In some cases, this may result in a reduction of the award amount for the term.
A student who adds courses but does not withdraw may qualify for a higher award if the additional class or classes change the overall enrollment status for the term.
Additional Statuses
Clock Hour Students
Clock-hour students in eligible programs are considered full-time if enrolled in at least 450 clock hours per semester.
To determine enrollment statuses other than full-time, the number of clock hours the student is currently enrolled in is divided by the program length. These rules are established in federal regulations.
Students Who Attend Multiple Sessions Within a Semester
If you attend multiple sessions within a semester, then you cannot receive financial aid under most programs until you are attending at least six credit hours in courses required to complete your TSC degree program.
Most financial aid programs cannot disburse until you have verified attendance in 6 credit hours of courses required to complete your TSC degree program.
If your enrollment changes as a new Session begins, your financial aid will be adjusted to reflect any changes made. If you fail to take all of the classes you are enrolled in, financial aid may be reduced or canceled.
Course Work for Degree
Your enrollment status will only include courses required for the degree you are enrolled in at TSC. Courses outside the degree program, or courses not required for the degree, will not be used to determine enrollment status.
Once you have completed all the coursework for your degree, even if you have not applied for graduation, you are no longer eligible for financial aid.
Check your Academic Progress every semester before deciding which classes to register for the following semester. The courses you selected must fall within your degree major to receive your total financial aid amount.
Review your Academic Progress in Workday under "Academic and Advising Hub" > "Academic History" > "My Academic Progress".
Students Taking College Developmental Classes
Students taking developmental classes are allowed 30 credit hours of attempted preparatory coursework. The Federal government will use it toward their enrollment status.
After a student attempts 30 credit hours of developmental coursework, further hours cannot be counted in determining enrollment status (full-time, three-quarter time, half-time) for financial aid eligibility.
Developmental courses are never used for determining enrollment hours for Bright Futures Scholarship recipients.
Student Aid Index (SAI)
The SAI is calculated from the student's FAFSA and is the same at all institutions.
The SAI includes a contribution from the student's earnings, savings, and assets. If the student is married, a contribution from the student's spouse will be calculated using the same components.
Dependent students will have a contribution from their parent's earnings, savings, and assets.
Award Adjustments
If you are found ineligible for the aid you received due to a clerical error or a drop in the Student Aid Index (SAI) or any other error, then you are responsible for repayment.
If you receive a refund you are not anticipating or more than what you expect, you need to contact Student Financial Services immediately.
You will be issued a new award letter if there are changes to your financial aid, other than scholarship adjustments, based on actual tuition and fees.
Bookstore Credit/Textbook Voucher
The bookstore credit/textbook voucher allows students to use financial aid to purchase books and materials in person or online through the TSC Bookstore. The credit is issued to qualifying students who have excess financial aid.
- Part-time students are allowed a maximum of $480 in bookstore credit
- Full-time students are allowed a maximum of $960 in bookstore credit.
- Credit hour enrollment is calculated using courses required to complete your TSC degree program.
- Developmental courses are not used in this calculation.
- Bookstore credit is not given to students enrolled in less than six credit hours.
- Bookstore credit is only usable the week before the beginning of classes and the first week of classes for Fall and Spring semesters.
- Summer semester bookstore credit is only usable for the first two weeks of class.
Bookstore credit is not an award but allows students to purchase materials at the TSC Bookstore and have the cost charged against their current financial aid awards.
*Store credits are not an increase in your financial aid*