Federal and State Awards
Federal Awards
Effective for the 2012 – 2013 academic year, students will be eligible to receive the Federal Pell Grant for a maximum of 12 semesters (or its equivalent of 600 percent). Since the maximum amount of Pell Grant funding a student can receive each year is equal to 100 percent, the six-year equivalent is 600 percent. Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) includes Pell Grants received from any college at any point since the program was established.
State Awards
Effective for the 2012 – 2013 academic year, any students who receive the North Carolina Education Lottery Scholarship (NCELS) and/or the North Carolina Community College Grant (NCCCG), and withdraw prior to completing 35 percent of the semester, will be required to repay a portion of these funds.
Effective for the 2014 – 2015 academic year, and retroactive to the 2008 – 2009 award year, there will be a state limit of 10 semesters or 15 trimesters across the NCCCG, NCELS, the University of North Carolina Need-Based Grant and the North Carolina Need-Based Scholarship. Each grant is also limited to 10 semesters individually, except for the NCCCG, which is limited to six semesters.
General Information
Please be aware that all funds listed on your 2019 – 2020 Award Letter are contingent upon receipt of funding from the U.S. Department of Education or other sources and may be adjusted or denied at any time.
Your actual financial aid award may be different from your award letter. Reasons for the difference may include:
- Taking fewer than 12 required credits (or 15 required credits for North Carolina Community College Grant) — award letters are based on anticipated full-time enrollment
- Enrolling in late starting classes — funds cannot be disbursed until attendance in a class is verified
- Adding a late-starting class after the Census Date of the semester
- Taking classes not required for graduation from your program
- Exceeding the Developmental Time Limit – financial aid is available for up to a maximum of 30 credit hours of developmental coursework
- Exceeding your Program of Study Time Limit
- Not meeting the enrollment requirements for your award
- To establish and retain eligibility for North Carolina state grants, students must obtain and maintain North Carolina residency, as determined by the State of North Carolina
- Recipients of North Carolina grants/scholarships must be enrolled for at least 6 required credits to be considered for a reduced award
- The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and COA Foundation scholarships may be awarded to alternate eligible students if the original recipient is not enrolled prior to the start of a semester
Students must inform the Financial Aid Office of any additional resources, including all outside awards that become available to them during the period that they are receiving aid from the College. Should a student’s eligibility change during the period covered by the aid, their financial aid may be adjusted accordingly or the student may need to repay all or a portion of the funds received.
On this web page, students will find information about Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements, enrollment requirements for awards, ordering/charging books at the COA Bookstore, the 2019 – 2020 Pay Schedule and other aid opportunities. Should you need additional assistance with tuition, fees or books please consider the Automatic Payment Plan our college offers. If you have questions concerning your eligibility, please stop in so we may discuss how we can assist you for the 2019 – 2020 academic year.
Sincerely,
Financial Aid Office
Academic Programs Eligible for Federal/State Aid
Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements
Pay Schedule
Fall 2019
| File Completion | Pay Date* |
|---|---|
| Aug. 30 | Sep. 25 |
| Sep. 25 | Oct. 16 |
| Oct. 28 | Nov. 13 |
| Nov. 13 | Nov. 25 |
| Dec. 12 | Dec. 18 |
Spring 2020
| File Completion | Pay Date* |
|---|---|
| Jan. 27 | Feb. 19 |
| Feb. 26 | March 18 |
| March 27 | April 9 |
| April 13 | April 28 |
Summer 2020
| File Completion | Pay Date* |
|---|---|
| TBA | TBA |
*All checks will be mailed to students. Pay dates are subject to change. Attendance will be verified before any type of Financial Aid check will be issued.
Cost of Attendance
Each institution determines its own cost of attendance or budget. This includes both direct educational costs (such as tuition, fees, books and supplies) as well as living costs (room and board, transportation and personal expenses). Financial aid can be applied toward direct educational costs as well as living costs.
Estimated College Cost (Nine Months)
| Educational/Living | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition (12 credit hours, fall and spring semesters) | $2,098 |
| Fees (full-time, fall and spring semesters) | $147 |
| Books and supplies | $1,083 |
| Miscellaneous | $1,101 |
Other costs may vary upon dependency status. Contact the Financial Aid Office at 252-335-0821 ext. 2355 for additional information.
Students: Withdrawing from a class may affect your Federal Student Aid eligibility for future terms of enrollment. All students are advised to seek guidance from the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from any class(es).
Enrollment Status
| Status | Hours |
|---|---|
| Full-time plus | 15 credit hours or more (North Carolina Community College grant only) |
| Full-time | 12 credit hours or more |
| Three-quarter-time | nine to 11 credit hours |
| Half-time | six to eight credit hours |
| Less than half-time | five credit hours or less (State grants are not available to students at this enrollment status) |