Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the Financial Aid Code for ECC?

A. ECC's school code is 001862.

Q. How long will the process take?

A. If you filed the FAFSA online you should receive an e-mail notice from the processing center within 3-5 days with your Student Aid Report (SAR). If you completed the paper FAFSA and mailed it to the processing center, you should receive your SAR in about 4-6 weeks. The ECC Financial Aid Office will begin working on your aid as soon as we receive the information from the processing center. We strive to get you information in a timely manner, however if corrections must be made or documentation is required, this process can take awhile. Please be patient and apply early!

Q. Why do I have to put my parents' information on the application when they're not helping me pay for college?

A. The federal government has established the criteria that determines if you must report parental information. These questions are found in Step Three of the FAFSA. If you answer "no" to all of the questions, you must provide parental information. If you answer "yes" to at least one of these questions, you do not have to provide parental information.

Q. If I just want a student loan, do I have to file the FAFSA?

A. Yes, you must complete the FAFSA if you are interested in the student loan program. The FAFSA is used to determine both grant and loan eligibility.

Q. Why did I not receive the full amount of student loan money that I requested?

A. Federal regulations require that all student loans must be disbursed to the school in two installments. If you are enrolled for both the fall and spring semester, you will receive half of your loan amount in the fall and the other half in the spring. However, if you are only enrolled for one semester you will receive the first disbursement as soon as we can process your loan and the second disbursement will be received after the mid-point of the semester.

Q. Will there be grant money available if I apply late?

A. Pell grants and student loans will be available as long as you meet eligibility criteria. State-funded financial aid has a FAFSA filing deadline of July 1st.

Q. Does financial aid cover the cost of books?

A. Financial aid can be used to purchase your books. If your billing statement shows that you have been awarded financial aid (grants, scholarships and loans) and you have a credit balance on your statement then you can take the billing statement to the bookstore and they will let you charge books to your student account for the amount of your credit. If your billing statement does not show a credit balance then you will need to check with the financial aid office before you can charge books.

Q. Do I need to be enrolled full-time to receive financial aid?

A. Students must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credit hours) to receive a student loan.

Q. What do I do if my financial aid is not processed before my tuition is due?

A. Contact the ECC Business Office in Student Services and see what type of payment arrangements can be made for you.

Q. What is the deadline for applying for financial aid?

A. It is a good idea to complete your FAFSA as soon after January 1st as possible. Every year, after you have received your income tax information from the previous year, you can start applying.

Q. Does ECC have scholarships I can apply for?

A. Numerous scholarships are available from the Ellsworth Foundation Office. To apply, pick up an application from the Financial Aid Office, or you can download our application and recommendation forms from our website by clicking here.