DACC Catalog - Dona Ana Community College - New Mexico State ...

14 Doña Ana Community CollegeSources of Financial AidGrants. The foundation for financial aid is the Federal Pell Grant, availableto undergraduate students with documented financial need. The studentmay be eligible to receive other types of aid, including a Federal SupplementalEducational Opportunity Grant or Leveraging Education AssistancePartnership Program (LEAP) Grant. These grants are awarded on a first-come,first-served basis to undergraduate students who show exceptional financialneed. Typically, all three types of grants do not have to be repaid.loans. Loans are available to students with or without financial need.Federal Perkins Loans are long-term, low-interest loans that must be repaidaccording to federal guidelines. Repayment begins nine months after graduationor after enrollment drops below six credits.Subsidized and unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans are long-term loansavailable to undergraduate students. Students receiving a subsidized or unsubsidizedFederal Stafford loan or a Perkins loan must complete a debtmanagementsession and master promissory note before DACC / NMSU willissue a check. In addition, students must complete an exit interview upongraduation or withdrawal from DACC / NMSU. Repayment of a Stafford loanbegins six months after graduation or six months after enrollment drops belowsix credits. The interest rate is variable but will not exceed 8.25 percent.More information will be available at the time the loan is made.Work-Study Programs. The Federal Work-Study Program provides employmentopportunities for selected undergraduate students. The NewMexico Work-Study Program also provides employment opportunities forstudents; however, only state residents are eligible to participate.For more information on the U.S. Department of Education student aidprograms, look on the Internet at http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/student_guide/index.html(for financial aid) or http://dacc.nmsu.edu/ss/finaid.Awards. All financial aid awards are based on information provided by thestudent and parents, availability of funds, and eligibility requirements. Anyaward may be revised based on changes in enrollment, cost of attendance,family contribution, or failure to meet satisfactory academic progress.Withdrawals or reductions in enrollment may affect an award or any futureawards. Financial aid and scholarships may not pay for courses in which anI or RR grade is received, or for audited courses. Visit with the Financial AidOffice for specific disbursement requirements. Mini-session courses will beconsidered for payment only if registration has been completed by the lastdate to add a course in August or January.Scholarships. All Scholarships are contingent upon availability of funds.Individual scholarship criteria are subject to change. Students are encouragedto apply online at http://scholarships.nmsu.edu. The online applicationwill be available in early November and is due by March 1. Only oneapplication is necessary to be considered for most scholarships.• State Scholarships. The New Mexico Legislative Lottery Scholarshiphelps pay tuition expenses for New Mexico high school graduates (orGED recipients) who plan to attend an eligible New Mexico publiccollege or university. Students establish eligibility in their first regularsemester immediately following their high school graduation andfunding begins in their second college semester. To be eligible for theLegislative Lottery Scholarship you must (1) be a New Mexico Resident,(2) have Graduated from a N.M. high school or received a N.M.GED, (3) be enrolled full time and complete 12 credit hours witha 2.5 GPA in the first regular semester immediately following highschool graduation, and (4) be an undergraduate student.• The Legislative Endowment Scholarship provides aid for undergraduatestudents with substantial financial need who are attending a postsecondaryinstitution in New Mexico. You must be a N.M. residentattending a post-secondary institution, be enrolled at least part-time (6credit hours), and demonstrate financial need.• Private Scholarships. Thanks to the generosity of our private donors,Doña Ana Community College is able to offer a wide array ofscholarships to assist a diverse student population pursuing a highereducation. Scholarships are primarily awarded according to merit, assuccessful candidates are selected on the basis of academic achievement,personal leadership, and financial need.• DACC Institutional Scholarships are awarded on a first-come, firstservedbasis. Applicants must be pursuing a certificate or associatedegree at DACC, have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA, and be a NewMexico Resident, as well as a US Citizen or eligible noncitizen.• Departmental Scholarships. Scholarships may also be available fromindividual DACC departments, as well as local companies and agencies.Check with your program and the Financial Aid Office for furtherinformation.Veterans Assistance. The Financial Aid Office no longer certifies veteranseducation benefits. See the next section, titled “Veterans Students”Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Initiatives. These federally fundedprograms assist students pursuing careers in technical-vocational or associatedegree programs. In some instances, students may be assisted for GEDand noncredit courses. Sponsored students may receive financial supportfor tuition and fees, textbooks, laboratory and classroom supplies, tools andsafety equipment, and testing and licensor fees. They may also receive asupportive service allowance to cover transportation, child care, and subsistencecosts.Students in the local and surrounding area may apply for WIA eligibility atthe New Mexico Department Workforce Solutions, 226 S. Alameda Blvd.,Las Cruces, N.M. 88005 (telephone 575-524-6250). Those living outsidethe Greater Las Cruces Area should visit their local Department of Labor Office.For more information, call the community college at 527-7535.Veterans StudentsDACC degree and certificate programs are approved by the Department ofVeterans Affairs (state approving agency) for enrollment of persons eligibleto receive veteran education benefits.For further information concerning approved programs and the applicationprocess, eligible persons should contact the V.A. Office, located on the EastMesa Campus in room DAEM-208A (528-7081).Responsibility of Veteran Students. Students must be pursuing a degreeor certificate in a specific program to be eligible to receive benefits. Admissionprocedures for veterans and other eligible persons are the same asthose for other students. Degree plans from academic advisors must be submittedprior to any verification. For continued certification, students mustsubmit an updated degree plan, registration document, and detailed classschedule to the DACC Veterans Programs Office each semester.Veterans must notify the community college V.A. Office when any one ofthe following occurs:1. Dropping or adding course(s)2. Withdrawing from course(s)3. Discontinuing regular class attendance4. Changing programs (academic majors)V.A. educational benefits are payable for regular attendance in courses thatare part of the veteran’s program (major) curriculum. V.A. educational benefitsare not payable for—1. Classes not attended regularly2. Classes that are dropped3. Repeat of a course for which a passing grade was received4. Classes for which credit is received through successful completion ofa proficiency test or grade by examination