Changes to the financial aid process during the COVID-19 situation
Financial Aid isn’t currently taking face to face appointments, but online appointments are available.
To help mitigate risk and reduce the spread of COVID-19 while continuing to serve our students and community, many SC4 services normally offered on campus are being provided primarily using virtual or remote methods. Students can call, email or use online chat Monday through Friday for all services related to enrollment, financial aid, advising, student accounts, and other services. You can call (810) 989-5530 or use the chat service available on this website. If a visit to campus is needed for a specific issue, appointment arrangements to meet with a staff member will be made.
Some of the information on this page will not apply to you during this period.
Details on SC4’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation are available at sc4.edu/coronavirus.
Making college affordable
People often need financial help to make higher education possible, and here at SC4, we think anyone who desires a college education and is capable of doing the work should be able to attend school. In fact, more than half of our students receive financial aid every year, equaling more than $10 million.
Through a combination of federal, state, private funding sources, and scholarships, SC4 helps students who are eligible for financial aid to meet the costs associated with college.
For help with the financial aid process, SC4 offers help no matter what college you are planning to attend. Get tips for obtaining maximum financial aid, including loans, grants and scholarships.
Get Started
Apply for admission to SC4 by following the steps to enrollment.
Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1. You will need to complete a FAFSA every year that you want financial aid. Include SC4’s Title IV code, 002310, on your FAFSA to ensure we receive your financial aid application.
Apply for financial aid early. The financial aid application at SC4 takes four weeks to complete, and while Federal Pell Grants and student loans are awarded on a continual basis throughout the year, other state and federal grants, and some work-study positions, are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Apply for scholarships. SC4 has many scholarships of varying amounts, many of which are funded by community partners. Some are merit based or require financial need and others do not. Here is a list of scholarship opportunities.
Check your financial aid status. Log in to the SC4 portal to check your status.
If you take summer classes at SC4 and wish to use financial aid, an additional Financial Aid Request form is required. The application is available in the Financial Aid office in mid-February of each year.
How Your Aid Is Determined
Your financial aid award from SC4 is based on your Financial Need. SC4 calculates your Financial Need by taking into consideration your Expected Family Contribution and your estimated Cost of Attendance at SC4.
Your FAFSA results determine your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) each year.
A formula called Federal Methodology, legislated by Congress, uses information from your FAFSA and an analysis of your family’s financial situation to calculate the EFC, which is made up of two parts:
Parent contribution: The amount parents are expected to contribute based on their taxable and non-taxable income and assets, as well as considering living expenses (based on family size), taxes paid, the number of siblings in college, and asset protection for retirement. Parent contribution is only calculated into the EFC of dependent students.
Student contribution: This is the portion of the EFC that you, the student, are expected to contribute from your income and a percentage of your savings and other assets.
Cost of attendance is an average based on tuition and fees, room and board, transportation, books and supplies and other expenses associated with attending SC4 for an academic year. The Cost of Attendance for the average in-district, full-time student at SC4 is approximately $12,737 for the 2017-18 academic year.
Considering both Expected Family Contribution and the Cost of Attendance, your aid is determined as follows:
Cost of Attendance – Expected Family Contribution = Financial Need
Types of Aid
In your financial aid package from SC4, you may see one or more of a few types of aid.
Grants
Grants are resources that are usually based on demonstrated financial need and do not have to be paid back. Funding for a grant can come from the U.S. Department of Education, the State of Michigan or SC4. A common type of federal grant is the Pell Grant.
Loans
Loans are a type of aid that must be repaid, and which usually accrue interest over time. Depending on the loan and where you borrow it from, each loan will have a different interest rate and/or grace period. Loans are not need-based. Learn more about student loans at SC4 here.
Scholarships
Like grants, scholarships are financial resources that do not need to be paid back. Unlike grants, not all scholarships are need based. At SC4, some scholarships are based on merit, some require financial need and some combine both criteria. See scholarship opportunities at SC4.
Work-study
Work-study is a need-based federal program that pays you to work while you attend school. The amount of your actual work-study award depends on your financial need and the available funding. Work-study jobs at SC4 pay $10 per hour. Visit the Financial Aid Office in Room 105 of the SC4 Welcome Center to learn about open work-study opportunities.
Contact Us
If you have questions about the financial aid process at SC4, call (810) 989-5530.
