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Financial Aid. Report to the Board of Trustees February 14, 2013. Financial Aid. In 2011-12: 25% of total students received some form of grant and/or loan 52% of the students applying for aid, received aid . Aid applications have increased by 69% over the past 5 years.
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Financial Aid Report to the Board of Trustees February 14, 2013
Financial Aid • In 2011-12: • 25% of total students received some form of grant and/or loan • 52% of the students applying for aid, received aid. • Aid applications have increased by 69% over the past 5 years. • Aid Applications Filed
Financial Aid Recipients One quarter of our student population receives some type of financial aid. This does not include students receiving alternative loans, OVR or VA benefits. • As a % of total population
Financial Assistance • 2011-2012 By Category *Awards include duplicated headcounts ** Other Funds include VA Benefits, Office of Voc Rehab, Alternative Loans and Nat’l Guard Tuition Assistance
PELL Grants A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid. • Amounts can change yearly. The maximum Federal Pell Grant award is $5,550 for the 2012–13 award year. • The amount depends on • financial need, • cost of attendance, • status as a full-time or part-time student, and • plans to attend school for a full academic year or less. • Federal Aid Source: https://studentaid.ed.gov/types/grants-scholarships/pell
PELL Awards • Federal Aid • Of note for 2011-12: • Total awards = $8M • Average PELL award = $2926 • In the past 5 years: • The number of recipients has more than doubled; • Awards have increased by approximately $5M.
PHEAA Awards • State Aid • Of note for 2011-2012: • Total awards = $1,172,000 • Average PHEAA award = $785 • Compared to one year ago: • the number of PHEAA recipients has increased by 30%; • total award dollars have increased by 79%.
Student Loan Default Rates • Bucks has the lowest default rate of the 14 PA Community Colleges • This year, for the first time, a 3 Year as opposed to 2-year Default Rate was calculated. Source: Dept. of Education
Loan Default Rates • When a school’s 2 year default rate reaches 25% or higher for the three most recent cohorts, the school will lose Direct Loan and Federal Pell Grant program eligibility for a period of time. • For the 3 year default rate, the threshold is set at 30%. • Implications
Scholarship Recipients • Of note: • The number of recipients for 2011-12 remains fairly consistent with prior years. • These numbers reflect duplicated headcounts - some students receive multiple scholarships. • 2011-2012
Meeting Student Needs • Opportunities & Challenges
Regulatory Changes Change: PELL now establishes a threshold for continued eligibility (12 semesters or its equivalent) • Implications • Students may exhaust their aid before completing their studies. • Actions: • Through a variety of communication channels, the financial aid team will educate students about: • the need to manage their aid effectively, and • alternative aid and scholarship sources. • Impacts & Actions
Regulatory Changes Change: Students must have a HS diploma or GED to be eligible for Title IV aid. “Ability to benefit” eliminated. • Impact at Bucks: • Students who do not show proof of a HS diploma or GED will need to take the GED. • Impacts & Actions
Takeaways • Despite some signs of economic recovery, the need for financial aid continues to grow. • Threshold changes to PELL aid have the potential to impact enrollments. • New strategies such as document imaging and the implementation of the contact center will help to improve timely processing and awarding of aid. • Efforts aimed at educating students about their financial responsibilities have helped to maintain a Student Loan Default Rate that is the lowest of the 14 PA community colleges.