Your Financial Aid Award Is Based On:

• Student's college cost: The estimated cost for you to attend LCC for the award period. It includes tuition/fees, books/supplies, meals/housing, personal expenses and transportation.
  
  
• Student/Family Contribution (EFC): What the Federal Processor determined that you and/or your family are expected to pay toward your college costs.
  
  
• Outside Aid: Other aid you are receiving that is not from LCC, such as external/private scholarships.
  
  
• Financial Need: Determined by taking your college costs and subtracting your student and/or family contribution and outside aid.
  
  
• Unmet Need: Determined by taking your Financial Need and subtracting the aid awarded.

• Your financial aid is for LCC classes only. If you are registered for classes at another campus, you are responsible for payment for that campus.

• You must notify the Financial Aid Office if you stop or do not attend any classes (you may have to repay all or part of the awards you received).

• You must declare LCC as your home campus.

• You must be registered for at least six credits at LCC (If you are enrolled for less than six credits, contact our office) and be in a classified program.

• You must make corrections on MYUH Portal for any changes in your mailing address or phone number.

• You must maintain satisfactory academic progress based on our Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.

• You must notify our office if you change your residency status.

• You must notify our office if you graduate OR do not return to school.

• Your classes will be held if you receive an award for the term.

• You are responsible for your book expenses.

• You must check with your UH e-mail (hawaii.edu) for communications from our office.

Federal, state, and institutional funds will be automatically credited to your account for students who already received an award letter by the end of the add/drop period. If you have not yet paid your school charges at the time of financial aid disbursement, any unpaid charges for tuition and fees will be deducted from the award and the residual amount will be refunded to you. If you already paid for your school charges, a refund will be processed. You are responsible to maintain a correct mailing address on the MYUH Portal. You are responsible for your own book charges if you wish to purchase books before you receive your refund check(s).

Your award(s) is based on full-time enrollment. If you enrolled for less than full-time credits, your award will be prorated accordingly.

Federal Perkins and State SHEL Loan Borrowers: If awarded, students must complete an entrance interview. When you graduate, transfer, do not attend at least half-time OR stop attending classes, you MUST notify our office to schedule an appointment for a loan exit interview.

Federal Stafford Loan Borrowers: Full year Stafford Loans are disbursed once a semester. One semester Stafford Loans are disbursed twice per semester. First-time, first-year borrowers will have a 30-day delay in receiving their funds per federal regulations. When you graduate, transfer, do not attend at least half-time OR stop attending classes, you MUST notify our office to schedule an appointment for a loan exit interview.

External Scholarship: Providing that we have received the check(s), fund(s) will also be disbursed on the first day of instruction so that we may verify enrollment for the donors at the time of disbursement. If you are enrolled for less than 12 credits, we will need authorization in writing from the donor to release the check.

Federal Work-Study (FWS): The Federal Work-Study program is an employment opportunity for students. FWS job openings are posted on the web at www.hawaii.edu/sece. FWS jobs begin on the first day of instruction for each semester and end on the last day of finals for that semester. If you are awarded for both semesters, you can work during the winter break and can transfer any unused Fall allocation to Spring. You must contact the Financial Aid Office if you will exceed your allocation.

The Higher Education Amendment of 1998 required schools to implement The Return of Title IV Refund Funds policy when a Title IV funds recipient withdraws from school. A Title IV recipient is defined as a student who has received Title IV funds (excluding Federal Work Study funds but including Federal PLUS loan funds) OR has met the conditions that entitle the student to a late disbursement.

The Amendment makes clear that Title IV funds are awarded to students with the assumption that he/she will attend school for the entire enrollment/payment period. If a student receiving the above-mentioned assistance completely withdraws from school or ceases to attend classes up through the 60% point of the semester (as calculated by calendar days), the Financial Aid Office is required to calculate the amount of funds the student earned prior to their withdrawal and calculate the amount that was unearned and must be returned to reimburse the appropriate Title IV programs. After the 60% point, the student is deemed to have earned 100% of the Title IV funds.

The withdrawal date is used to determine the point in time that the student withdrew or ceased to attend so that the percentage of the enrollment/payment period completed can be determined. A student’s withdrawal date will vary depending on the type of withdrawal. If a student officially withdraws, the date the institution would use would be the day the student started the withdrawal process or notifies their intent to withdraw whichever is earlier. However, the school may choose to use an earlier last date of attendance at an academically related activity as the student’s withdrawal date. If a student does not notify the institution that he/she has withdrawn, the date that the student withdrew would be the date the institution became aware that the student ceased to attendance classes. The percentage of Title IV aid earned is equal to the percentage of the enrollment/payment period the student completed.

In cases in which funds must be returned, the school will reimburse the Title IV programs via the tuition revenue account. As a result, any tuition refunds due to the student will first be returned to reimburse the Title IV programs. Students will then be billed for any unpaid institutional charges that result from the return of funds to the Title IV programs. In addition, the student may be required to directly repay a portion of the Title IV funds that were received. The Financial Aid Office will send the student a repayment promissory note which details the amount that must be repaid, the federal aid program that must be repaid, and the date in which the repayment is due. Any repayment outstanding or unpaid will be referred to the U.S. Department of Education for collection and legal disposition. Furthermore, a financial obligation will be placed on the student’s account by the institution, which will prohibit the student from registering in the future semesters, receiving academic transcripts, or receiving any additional federal aid funds.

In some cases, a student may be eligible to receive a “post-withdrawal” disbursement after the student completely withdraws from school when the amount of aid earned is less than the amount of aid disbursed. In such cases, the Financial Aid Office will notify the student of the “post-withdrawal” disbursement via an award letter. The award letter must be returned to the Financial Aid Office within fourteen (14) days or the “post-withdrawal” disbursement will be cancelled.

1. Obtain a complete withdrawal form from the Admissions and Records Office. Students who do not officially withdraw from school may receive “F” grades for all classes.
2. Obtain a financial aid clearance from the Financial Aid Office. The official withdrawal process begins when the form is signed by the Financial Aid Office. The Financial Aid Office will begin the Return of Title IV process to determine if the student must repay any funds to the financial aid accounts.
3. Return the complete withdrawal form with the signatures to the Admissions and Records Office. The Admissions and Records will officially withdraw the students from classes.

Leeward Community College Financial Aid Office
96-045 Ala Ike
Pearl City, Hawaii 96782

Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM
In person: AD-210
Telephone: (808) 455-0606
Fax: (808) 454-8804
email: lccfao [at] hawaii [dot] edu
Federal School Code: 004549