Federal Grants, Loans, and Work Study Programs

Federal Pell Grant

The Federal Pell Grant is a federally funded program awarded to students who demonstrate financial need as defined by the federal government. The amount of the award depends on eligibility, enrollment status and federal funding. Students who are ineligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant may be eligible for other programs such as Federal Work Study, scholarships or loans. Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit required paperwork to the financial aid office to be considered for grant.

Paper applications are available in the campus financial aid office. Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the online application as it will expedite the whole process. Online applications are available via the Internet: http://www.studentaid.gov. To request a paper application you may call 800-4-FED-AID (800-433-3243).

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant

The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is a federal program for students who demonstrate exceptional financial need. Funds are limited and award amounts can vary depending on federal funding. Awarding normally begins in April for the upcoming academic year. Students must be enrolled in at least six approved credit hours each semester. Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit required paperwork to the financial aid office to be considered for this grant.

Federal Direct Loan Program

Direct loans are low interest loans for students and parents to help pay for educational costs after high school. In order to qualify, students must be enrolled in a minimum of six hours of college course work and be maintaining satisfactory academic progress. The lender is the U.S. Department of Education rather than a bank or other financial institution. The interest rate varies depending on the loan type and first disbursement date of the loan. The Federal Student Aid website has more information on current Interest Rates for Direct Loans.

Loan requests are not guaranteed, and can be denied for the following reasons including but not limited to:

Not degree seeking
Less than six fundable credit hours
Cumulative gpa below 2.0
Maximum Time Frame (based on program selection)
Active Loan Default Status
Exceeded Annual Loan Limit (School year)
Exceeded Aggregate Loan Limit (Lifetime limit)

Loan Request Deadlines:

All first time requests will be accepted up to two weeks after the first disbursements of the semester.
Loan increases must be submitted prior to the last Friday of October for the fall semester and the last Friday of March for the spring semester.

*St. Louis Community College's current default rate falls below the national average. Additionally fewer than 10% of our students utilize loans. Our commitment to transparency drives us to share our default rata data whenever it surpasses the national averages, ensuring the provision of accurate information for our students. STLCC does not offer Summer only loans. A student must have requested a loan in the fall and/or spring term to be eligible for a summer loan. Summer Registration will need to be reviewed to ensure course enrollment meets disbursement regulations. The college must be able to verify attendance in at least six credit hours for both scheduled disbursements. Please consult with a financial aid counselor if you have further questions.

Your rights and responsibilities as a borrower:

You must use your federal student loan for educational expenses only.
Your loan holder must give you details about your federal student loan before its disbursed and again when it’s time to start paying your federal student loan.
You must tell your loan holder any time you drop below half-time enrollment or change schools.
You must tell your loan holder if you change your name, address, phone number, social security number, references or driver’s license number.
Before you leave school, you need to tell your loan holder your permanent address, the name and address of your expected employer (if known), and the address of your nearest relative.
You must repay your federal student loan, plus interest, even if you did not finish your program, did not finish your program in the regular time allotted for program completion, you are unable to get a job after you finish, or if you are unhappy with or do not get the education or other services you purchased from the school.
Your loan holder may sell your federal student loan or use a servicer to manage your account. If the federal student loan is sold and the address where you send payments changes, you’ll be notified of the name, address and phone number of the new loan holder.
You are entitled to a deferment or forbearance of your federal student loan payments in certain situations. Contact your loan holder for the details.
You may prepay your federal student loan at any time without penalty.

Federal Direct Subsidized Loan

St. Louis Community College normally operates under a schedule-based academic year. Students must carry at least six approved credit hours of coursework pertaining to their program of study and demonstrate financial need as defined by the federal government. Maximum award per grade level is $3,500 per academic year for freshmen and $4,500 per academic year for sophomores. Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit required paperwork to the Financial Aid office to be considered for this loan.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan

This is a non-need based loan, and the federal government does not pay the interest while the borrower is enrolled in school. Students must carry at least six approved credit hours of course work pertaining to their program of study. St. Louis Community College normally operates under a schedule-based academic year. Award amount depends on eligibility per academic year. Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit required paperwork to the Financial Aid office to be considered for this loan.

Federal Direct Plus Loan

Direct Plus loans are available to assist "dependent students" with educational expenses. Students must carry at least six approved credit hours of coursework pertaining to their program of study. This is a non-need based loan and the federal government does not pay the interest while the borrower is enrolled in school. Award amounts cannot exceed the "Cost of Attendance" minus other aid. Interest is charged from the first disbursement date and repayment on both interest and principal begins 60 days after the final loan disbursement for the academic year. Students must submit required paperwork to the Financial Aid office to be considered for this loan.

Federal Work Study Program

The Federal Work Study Program (FWS) provides jobs for students who want to earn part of their educational funds. Students can work part time either on campus or off campus with a public or nonprofit agency. Some jobs offer the opportunity to perform community services. Students earn money hourly and are paid bi-weekly. Work hours normally range between 20-25 hours per week during the academic year. Students must maintain at least six approved credit hours of coursework for college work study eligibility. Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit required paperwork to the Financial Aid office to be considered for this program. FWS wages are $15 an hour, effective July 1, 2022.

Summer Eligibility: For continued employment through the Federal Work Study program, students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the upcoming academic year. FAFSA data must be processed by the Department of Education's Central Processing System and received by the Financial Aid office before students begin their work assignment for summer. Students also must meet specific eligibility requirements and be registered for the upcoming fall term, before starting their summer work assignment.