Financial Aid / Scholarships

Applying for Financial Aid

• Who is Eligible
• How to Apply
• When to Apply
• What to Expect Next

Eligibility for most financial aid programs is based on your and/or your family's demonstrated financial need and on your registered credit hours.

To be eligible for federal and state financial aid programs, you must be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.

• If you are in the process of becoming a citizen or permanent resident, you may be eligible. For more details, you can visit the Federal Student Aid website.

To be eligible for federal financial aid programs (Pell, SEOG, Federal Work-Study, Direct Loan, Direct PLUS Loan), you must also:

• Be accepted by the college for admission and provide documentation of high school completion or its equivalent (GED). College Credit Plus (CCP) or students still enrolled in high school are not eligible for aid.
• Be enrolled in a financial aid eligible, approved degree or certificate program.
  • Courses taken as audit are not eligible for federal aid.
  • Visiting students are not eligible for federal aid.
  • Senior citizens taking courses as audit are not eligible for federal aid.
• Comply with requirements concerning submission of a Statement of Educational Purpose. This is included on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Not be in default on any federal student loan.
• Not owe a refund to any federal aid programs, including grant overpayments resulting from withdrawing from class(es).
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress as set forth in Lakeland's Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (PDF).

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• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.
• You will need an FSA ID to complete the FAFSA.
  • The FSA ID is a username and password that is used to complete the FAFSA, sign important federal student loan documents and access your loan information at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.
  • If you are required to provide parental information (called "contributors"), parents must also create an FSA ID. You and your contributor(s) must use your own emails and cell numbers. Learn more about who is considered a contributor.
  • Create your FSA ID at studentaid.gov/fsa-id. (Contributors will need to create their own FSA ID. Make sure you are signed out of your account before creation of another FSA ID is attempted.)
• Each contributor will be required to provide consent to their Federal Tax Information (FTI) being included in the FAFSA, even if they did not file a tax return. FTI is transferred directly from the IRS.
• You are also encouraged to complete the Lakeland Foundation Scholarship application, which can be found on myLakeland in the "Scholarship Center," located under "myRECORDS." Complete a new application every year, beginning in October.
• For more information regarding the application process and for a listing of available scholarships, visit lakelandcc.edu/scholarships.
• The Lake-Geauga Education Assistance Foundation (LEAF) is available for walk-in assistance to complete the FAFSA.

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You can complete the FAFSA beginning Oct. 1 of each year.

There are times when two different aid years are available for applying at the same time; refer to the chart below to be sure you are applying for the correct year.

To ensure your financial aid is available at the start of each semester, you need to submit your FAFSA at least two months before the start of the term. If any additional documentation is required, this should be submitted at least four weeks before the start of classes.

*FAFSA applications received after these dates will still be considered for aid, but students may not have access to funds until after the start of the semester. This means you should be prepared to use your own funds to pay for a portion of your tuition before the semester's payment deadline and all of your textbooks.

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After your FAFSA form is submitted and processed, you'll receive an email with instructions on how to access an online copy of your FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS).

1. You will receive an email with your FSS via email a few days after your FAFSA has been processed.
2. You may get error notifications in your FAFSA Submission Summary. Some of the most common notifications are:
   • Contributor Consent – You are not eligible for federal student aid because you did not provide consent and approval to retrieve and disclose your federal tax information. You can fix this during the review process.
     • It's important to note that contributors CAN provide consent after your submission, but they CANNOT revoke it.
   • The Social Security Administration (SSA) didn't confirm that you are a U.S. Citizen or eligible non-citizen. You can fix this by submitting documentation of U.S. citizenship to Lakeland's Financial Aid Office.
   • The date of birth (DOB) that you reported on the FAFSA does not match SSA records. You can fix this by contacting the SSA to correct their records and then submit proof of your DOB to Lakeland's Financial Aid Office.
   • Your FAFSA form has been selected for verification. This is a process where your school can request copies of certain financial documents. You will be notified via your Lakeland email account of any additional requirements.
3. Be sure to look over your FSS, make sure you did not make a mistake on your FAFSA, and make corrections to your FAFSA data if necessary. You will receive notification that your FAFSA is being reprocessed.
4. If there are no corrections or additional information you must provide, the FSS will contain your Student Aid Index (SAI). The SAI is an index number (not a dollar amount) used by Lakeland's Financial Aid Office to determine your eligibility for federal and nonfederal student aid.

Provided you list Lakeland's federal school code (006804) on your FAFSA, we will receive your processed application electronically, usually within 3-5 business days, and will use this information for your financial aid offer.

If you are asked to submit additional documentation, do so as soon as possible. Your financial aid cannot be processed without the requested documentation. You will be notified of any additional required documentation or important notices via emails sent to your Lakeland email account.

After all your documentation has been reviewed, you will receive an email notification that your financial aid offer has been created and is ready for your review through your myLakeland account. This is called an offer notification. All correspondence from Lakeland's Financial Aid Office will be sent to your Lakeland email account.

Scholarship applications will be reviewed before the start of the academic year.

• If you have been offered a scholarship, you will be notified via your Lakeland email account.
• You can check your myLakeland account to see the amount of your scholarship.
• Scholarships are offered throughout the entire academic year as funds become available.

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