Financial Aid / Scholarships

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is financial aid?
• How is my eligibility determined?
• Do I need to be a full-time student to receive financial aid?
• What is the Expected Family Contribution?
• How is financial need determined?
• How do I get my books?
• I receive no help from my parents and live on my own. Does that qualify me as an independent student?
• I have a bachelor's degree. May I still apply for financial aid?
• What is verification?
• How long does the verification process take?
• I am divorced/separated. What should I include on the FAFSA?
• I was recently married. Do I have to include my spouse's income on the FAFSA?
• What if I lost my job or have other special circumstances?
• Can I get financial aid for the summer semester?
• What is Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)?
• What if I need to change my address?
• Do I have to apply for financial aid every year?
• When should I complete the FAFSA?
• How can I check the status of my financial aid?
• What if I receive more financial aid than the cost of tuition?
• What will happen to my financial aid if I drop a class or just stop attending?
• How will I be contacted concerning my financial aid?
• What is the federal school code for Lakeland Community College?
• What is an FSA ID?
• How much does it cost to attend Lakeland?
• Does Lakeland have a tuition loan payment plan?
• Should I join the tuition loan payment plan if I am expecting financial aid but it has not been processed by the tuition due deadline?

Financial aid is money provided by various agencies (federal, state and local governments, colleges or universities, community organizations and private corporations or individuals) to assist students in meeting the cost of attending college. It includes gift-aid (grants and scholarships) and self-help aid (loans, which must be repaid, and student employment).

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When you file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the government uses this information to determine how much you and your parent(s), if a dependent, will be able to contribute toward your college expenses. You will then be considered for all federal and some state aid administered by Lakeland's Financial Aid Office. Most students receive a combination of one or more types of aid, which is known as a financial aid offer. 

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No. The amount of financial aid offered is determined, in part, by the number of credit hours in which you are enrolled, but you do not have to be full-time (12 credit hours) to receive financial aid. You must be enrolled in six or more credit hours to receive a student loan. The loan amount that you borrow could be affected by attending less than full-time enrollment. If you are eligible for grant funds, your grant amount is adjusted based on your level of enrollment.

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Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is an index number determined by the information submitted on the FAFSA. This number helps Lakeland's Financial Aid Office determine what aid we can offer you. Factors used to determine a family's contribution include the wages, adjusted gross income and untaxed income from two years prior to the application year, as well as current assets, marital status, family size and number of individuals in the family attending college.

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Financial need is determined by the difference in the Cost of Attendance (COA) and the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

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If you have authorized (via the Authorization Form PDF) your financial aid for use other than tuition, you may be eligible to charge your books to your account using your excess financial aid. To see if you may be eligible to charge your books to your account, check your account via myLakeland. If a credit appears on your account, you may be able to use these funds in the bookstore. The charges will then be applied to your student account. 

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Not necessarily. In order to be considered an independent student for financial aid purposes, one or more of the following statements must pertain to you:

• I am 24 years of age or will be turning 24 within the year I am completing the FAFSA.
• I am married (as of the date FAFSA is completed).
• I am currently pursuing a master's or doctoral degree.
• I am a qualified veteran of the U.S. military or currently serving on active duty in the U.S. armed forces for purposes other than training.
• I have children who receive more than half of their support from me within the applicable aid year.
• I have dependents (other than my children or spouse) who live with me and who receive more than half of their support from me during the applicable aid year.
• I am/was an orphan (both parents deceased) or ward of the court or in foster care after turning age 13, or I was a ward of the court until age 18*.
• I have/had a legal guardian other than my biological/step-parents*.
• I am/was an emancipated minor, as determined by my state of legal residence*.
• I am/was an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or at risk of being homeless*.

If you cannot answer "yes" to any of these statements and you feel there are circumstances that warrant you to be an independent student, call Lakeland's Financial Aid Office or stop by the Student Service Center to discuss your options.

*You may be required to provide documentation to Lakeland's Financial Aid Office.

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Students with bachelor's degrees may still apply for the Federal Work-Study Program, Federal Direct Subsidized Loan and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan. Students are not eligible for the Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant or state grants once a bachelor's degree is earned.

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The U.S. Department of Education selects some FAFSA applicants for a process called verification. If you are selected, you will be asked to submit a worksheet(s) and/or an IRS Tax Return Transcript to verify the information on the FAFSA is accurate. Spouse or parents' information and other documents may also be requested. Verification must be completed before aid eligibility can be determined.

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Once all requested documentation has been submitted to Lakeland, it can take 7-10 business days to review this information. You will be notified through your Lakeland email account when the process is completed and if you have been offered financial aid.

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Students who are divorced or legally separated at the time the FAFSA is being completed should not include their partner's income on the FAFSA. For more information on detailed or complicated questions, contact Lakeland's Financial Aid Office or stop by the Student Service Center.

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Yes. You should include your spouse's information on the FAFSA if you are married at the time the application is completed. If separate federal income tax returns were filed, combine the adjusted gross incomes from the tax returns and include them on the appropriate line of the FAFSA. Do the same for the amount of taxes paid and other financial amounts.

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Lakeland's Financial Aid Office can take into account special circumstances that may affect your need. These may include loss of income due to layoff, disability, divorce, separation or loss of untaxed benefits. You can obtain a Change of Circumstance form from Lakeland's Student Service Center.

NOTE: Not all requests for change of circumstance result in a change to your financial aid.

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Yes. You should complete the FAFSA by March 1 of each year in order to have your aid ready for the summer. After you register for summer courses, your financial aid offer will automatically be repackaged to include funds for summer session.

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Satisfactory Academic Progress is a federal policy that the school is required to enforce to ensure that you are making satisfactory progress toward your degree. View Lakeland's Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (PDF).

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If your address changes, you need to immediately notify the college. You can update your address by submitting a Change of Student's Personal Information online or in person at Lakeland's Student Service Center. If you are a loan borrower, you should also update your contact information with your loan servicer. You can determine your loan servicer by visiting studentaid.gov.

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Yes. The FAFSA becomes available Oct. 1. The earlier you submit the FAFSA, the less stressed you will be when it comes time for tuition to be due!

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The FAFSA becomes available Oct. 1. The earlier you submit the FAFSA, the less stressed you will be when it comes time for tuition to be due!

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Students are welcome to call Lakeland's Financial Aid Office. Student requirements, financial aid status, and offer amounts information can also be viewed through myLakeland under the Financial Aid tab, which is located under myRECORDS. You are also encouraged to visit Lakeland's Student Service Center for assistance with financial aid as well as any admissions or registration questions.

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If you have excess money after tuition and fees are paid, you can be issued a refund. You can choose to receive your refund via direct deposit by signing up for eRefunds through your myLakeland account. If you choose not to receive your refund electronically, a check will automatically be issued and sent to the address on file with the college.

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Attendance and academic performance are important. Withdrawing or ceasing attendance before the 60 percent point of the term will cause you to owe the college and/or the U.S. Department of Education money. You will also jeopardize your future eligibility for financial aid. Please contact Lakeland's Financial Aid Office or stop by the Student Service Center before any withdrawal so that you may be made aware of the potential impact of your decision.

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The financial aid office uses your Lakeland student email as the primary form of communication. Check it often so you don't miss an important notification that could delay the processing of your financial aid.

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Lakeland's school code is 006804. This code is needed for Lakeland to electronically receive the results of your FAFSA to determine your eligibility for federal and nonfederal student aid.

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The FSA ID allows students and parents to identify themselves electronically to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), sign important federal student loan documents and access your loan information at studentaid.gov. An FSA ID can be created at studentaid.gov/fsa-id.

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Visit our tuition and fees page for more information about the cost to attend Lakeland.

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Yes. View our tuition loan payment plan information.

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Yes, if your financial aid is not on your account and you have not signed up for the tuition payment plan by the tuition due deadline, you will be dropped from your classes for non-payment.

Get more answers to your financial aid questions: But nobody told me... (PDF)

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