Financial Aid Grants

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Federal Pell Grant Program | Eligible Certificates |Teacher Alternative Licensure and Pell | FSEOG Grant | |New Mexico Student Incentive Grant |

The Federal and State Grant Programs provide grants to undergraduate students who have financial need and meet other requirements. Although the U.S. Department of Education calculates the student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and performs certain eligibility matches, SFCC has many responsibilities in administering the program. We must ensure that a student meets the general eligibility requirements for any aid that is disbursed. Students must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year to establish their continued eligibility for need-based financial assistance.

Grant Requirements

  • Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen.
  • Be beyond the age of compulsory school attendance.
  • Enroll as a regular student in an eligible program.
  • Enroll in eligible courses. Some ineligible courses include GED courses, audit courses, repeat coursework and Continuing Education classes.
  • Maintain financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
  • Not be in default on any federal educational loans.
  • Not owe a refund on a grant.
  • Have a high school diploma or GED.
  • Not receive any form of financial aid from more than one college for the same period of enrollment
  • Be enrolled in the minimum number of credits required for the type of aid you are seeking. Enrollment requirements can vary between aid programs.

Repeat Coursework
The Department of Education has published regulations which impact students who repeat courses. Read Repeat Coursework regulations here.

Questions about any of these requirements should be sent to the email address at the bottom of this page.

Federal Pell Grant Program

The Federal Pell Grant is a federal need-based grant program awarded to students who demonstrate financial need. You apply for it automatically by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The amount you receive is based on your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and the number of credit hours for which you are enrolled each term. If either of the above conditions changes, your grant will be adjusted. Full-time award amounts will be prorated for partial enrollment. You must reapply each year to reestablish your eligibility. The maximum award amount varies annually according to an appropriation from Congress.

Certificates Approved for Pell Grants:

19 certificate programs have been approved for financial aid eligibility. Combined with the four Alternative Licensure certificates that have always been eligible, this will give us 23 financial aid-eligible certificate programs.

The approved certificates are:

  • Solar Energy
  • Water Treatment Operation
  • Sustainable Technologies
  • Biofuels
  • Controlled Environment Agriculture
  • Media Arts – Audio Production
  • Media Arts – Graphic and Interactive Design
  • Media Arts – Web Design
  • Green Building Systems
  • Green Building Construction
  • Medical Assisting
  • Dental Assisting
  • Paramedicine
  • Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling
  • Facilities Technologies
  • Creative Writing
  • Plumbing
  • Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning
  • Welding
  • Early Childhood Teacher Certification
  • Elementary Education Teacher Certification
  • Secondary Education Teacher Certification
  • Special Education Teacher Certification

Pell Grant for Teacher Alternative Licensure Program

Students who already have a Bachelor’s Degree and who have been accepted into the Teacher Academy Certification Program at SFCC may be eligible to receive the Pell Grant. For detailed information on financial aid for Teacher Alternative Licensure go to the Alternative Licensure Program (ALP) web page.

Lifetime Pell Eligibility Limit

 Students will be limited to receiving a Pell grant for the full-time equivalent of 12 semesters. This is a lifetime maximum that cannot be exceeded regardless of the time it takes or how many schools you attend. The maximum is a full-time equivalent, so if you only received Pell grants as a half-time student, you would have 24 semesters of eligibility (16 at three-quarter-time). The calculation includes all earlier years of the student’s receipt of Pell. Students who are over this maximum and students who are approaching this maximum will receive letters from the Department of Education after they apply for Financial Aid. Once you reach this maximum, you are permanently denied Pell grant eligibility. This determination cannot be appealed for any reason.
<h3id=”FSEOG”>Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

This federal need-based grant is awarded to students who demonstrate financial need. You apply for it automatically by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements to first receive a Federal Pell Grant before being considered for a SEOG Grant. Additionally, awards are based on the time of application and the availability of funds. Students must file a FAFSA each year to establish their continued eligibility for need-based financial assistance. This grant is administered by SFCC Financial Aid Office and has limited funding.

New Mexico Student Incentive Grant

The New Mexico Student Incentive Grant was created to provide aid for undergraduate students with substantial financial need who are attending public New Mexico institutions or eligible colleges in New Mexico. The grant is administered by SFCC Financial Aid Office and has limited funding. Potential recipients must meet the following eligibility requirements to be considered for the grant:

  • New Mexico Resident
  • Undergraduate
  • Attend a public New Mexico college or university
  • Must demonstrate financial need
  • Enroll at least half-time (6 credit hours)

To E-mail Financial Aid:

Federal regulations require that all financial aid inquiries come from your school e-mail address located on MySFCC.  Please e-mail all financial aid questions from your SFCC email account to financialaid@sfcc.edu.

For general financial aid information please contact the Financial Aid office, 505-428-1268.