Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship

1. Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Jackson State Community College Jennifer Byrd Financial Aid Officer Fall 2013

2. Common Acronyms • TELS – Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship • TSAC – Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (www.tn.gov/collegepays) • FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid (www.fafsa.gov ) • GAMS – General Assembly Merit Scholarship • IRP – Institutional Review Panel • AGI – Adjusted Gross Income from Federal Tax Return • SAP – Satisfactory Academic Progress

3. Application & Renewal Process • Student completes FAFSA or renewal FAFSA by September 1st deadline (preferably by one of our other deadlines – listed on next slide) • TSAC receives FAFSA data & compares this with ACT scores and High school data on file for new students and with returning GPA for returning students (reported by Colleges) • TSAC makes determination on award and mails letter to new students (letters typically do not get mailed to returning students) • Students are placed on the list of the FIRST Tennessee school listed on their FAFSA • This school is then responsible for checking various items to verify eligibility before they may award the scholarship

4. JSCC deadline dates • Priority processing deadline – March 15th • Processing deadline for returning/transfer students – June 15th • Processing deadline for new students – July 15th • Deadline for students to complete FAFSA for fall and receive Lottery funds for fall – September 1st

5. Types of TELS awards • Hope – Base award – This award is given to students that have a 21 ACT or 3.0 high school GPA (however, homeschool students can only qualify by ACT and have time restrictions on how long they MUST have been at the home school; GED students must have a 525 GED AND a 21 ACT) • Aspire – This is stacked on top of the Hope award if the AGI is < $36,001 (if the student is dependent, it will be based on the parent AGI). The AGI is verified each year. If the AGI goes over the $36,000, the student will only receive Hope that year.

6. Types of TELS Awards - continued • GAMS – This is also referred to as the Merit award. It is stacked on top of the Hope award and is given to students who have a 29 ACT and 3.75 high school GPA. • Access Grant – This award is given to those students who have between an 18-20 ACT AND a 2.75 GPA AND an AGI < $36,001 (if they are dependent students, it goes by their parents’ AGI). At the end of 24 attempted hours, these students are checked for the 2.75 TELS GPA. If they have achieved this, they may begin receiving the Hope scholarship. The Access Grant is ONLY for the first 24 attempted hours.

7. Types of TELS Awards - continued • Non-Traditional Hope – This scholarship is for Non-Traditional Students who meet the following criteria • Age 25 or over • Resident of TN for at least 1 year • AGI < $36,001 (this will be checked each year) • Incoming freshman or returning after 2 calendar year break in enrollment • Enrolled in eligible major (certificate majors are not eligible) • Attempt 12 credit hours with 2.75 (if student withdraws while establishing this, they must start over with another two calendar year break)

8. Disclaimer • There are also a few other types of Lottery awards • Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant – This award is only for students attending the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) – previously known as the TTC’s. • Foster Child Grant – This award is based on a list provided by Department of Child Services and cannot go over the Cost of Attendance according to the student’s award budget • Helping Heroes Grant – This award is for veterans who meet certain criteria – found at www.tn.gov/collegepays

9. Important Notes • All Lottery students must meet the following: • TN residents at least one year • US citizen or permanent resident • Graduate of TN high school or approved surrounding high school • Registered with Selective Service (male) • Not in default on Federal loans or in overpayment status for Federal or State grants • Not incarcerated • Degree-Seeking (our certificate programs are NOT payable)

10. Enrollment • There is a five year limit to TELS awards, so it does benefit students to be full-time • Full-time enrollment is NOT usually required though, but to receive funding you must be at least 6 hours each semester • Must be continuously enrolled – Fall and Spring –Summer is optional • Withdrawing or dropping below 6 hours violates the continuous enrollment rule unless you have PRIOR permission from the IRP

11. Determination of Awards • Amounts are based on enrollment hours as of the census date (14th calendar day of classes) • Part time enrollment will result in award amounts being prorated (unless you are required to be full time – only provisional students – explained later) • If an instructor reports you as not attending, your scholarship will be reduced – attendance records are checked before certifying and before disbursing • Chart showing prorated amounts on next slide

12. Adjustments

13. Lottery Funds • TELS students must still confirm on their Jweb to hold their classes. • If the student’s Financial Aid file is complete and the student is on JSCC’s list, the scholarship will be entered in the system for the Business Office to see. • Lottery by itself is NOT enough to cover all fees. • Lottery funds will not be physically received until mid-semester or so.

14. Excess Funds • Some students may have excess funds after their lottery is applied. • If so, they will receive an email on their JSCC email account notifying them once funds have been received and are ready to be sent to their JSCC Discover Debit card • After the Business Office processes the excess funds (mid-semester – once received), the funds will be pushed to their JSCC Discover Debit card • Excess funds may be used for any education-related expense (transportation, books, supplies, daycare, etc.)

15. Changes in Enrollment • If a student changes enrollments status (full time, ¾ time, ½ time) before the census date, award will be adjusted, possibly causing the student to owe more money to JSCC for their tuition and fees. • If it is after the first day of classes, it can also impact their federal aid. • If enrollment changes after census date, award will be adjusted, possibly causing student to owe a state repayment, and scholarship can be lost. • Dropping below ½ time will result in loss of scholarship whether before or after census date (unless PRIOR permission is obtained from IRP)

16. Refer to Financial Aid • See the Financial Aid Office BEFORE you make any changes to your enrollment status or degree • If you have questions about your future eligibility or your TELS GPA, please see us • ALL changes in enrollment brackets or sitting out a semester require PRIOR permission from the IRP • Forms to obtain said permission may be found at http://www.jscc.edu/financial-aid/getting-started/types-of-financial-aid/lottery.html

17. Retention • GPA- • 24 and 48 attempted hours – 2.75 • 72 – 120 attempted hours – 3.0 or • Provisional criteria = 2.75 TELS GPA AND 3.0 term GPA AND enroll full time next semester – will have to meet this each semester until reach a benchmark with a 3.0 • It is better to begin with 3.0 and keep it then to have to bring it back up • Also must meet JSCC’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy - http://www.jscc.edu/financial-aid/satisfactory-academic-progress-requirements.html

18. SAP • Ways to have unsatisfactory standing – appeal process for SAP is separate from appeal process for Lottery • Not complete any credits in one semester • Fail to meet minimum GPA standards (see chart in policy) – CANNOT BE APPEALED • Fail to meet Pace (only looks at college level work) – must be 67% • Reach Maximum time limit – 150% of program length (for example for a 60 hour program this would be 90 hours)

19. Example of Pace • Pace is a calculation of the cumulative college level hours earned divided by the cumulative college level hours attempted • If a student takes 15 hours of college level work in the fall semester, passes 9 hours, withdraws from 3 hours and fails 3 hours, their Pace would be 60% (9/15). This student would be unsatisfactory. This would cause them to lose federal and state aid (including lottery) • If this same student passed 12 hours and failed 3 hours, their Pace would be 80% (12/15).

20. TELS GPA vs. JSCC GPA • A student’s TELS GPA and JSCC GPA may differ • Reasons include • Classes taken in high school • Transfer credits (included for TELS even though grades are not included in JSCC GPA) • Repeated courses • For Non-traditional students – courses taken prior to 2 year break and/or the 12 hours taken to establish eligibility are excluded

21. Attempted hours • Hours that count in attempted hours • Learning Support courses (also called DSP) • W’s (after the census date) • F’s • I’s • Repeated courses • Passed courses • Transfer hours (even if JSCC does not accept them)

22. Attempted hours - continued • Courses excluded from attempted hours • Audit (however, can cause you to lose eligibility if switched to audit during term) • Taken before high school graduation • Continuing Education courses • By examination (CLEP, AP, etc.) • W’s (before census date) • Military credit • Any hours taken prior to the 2 year break for non-traditional students AND the 12 credit hours used to establish eligibility (once they begin receiving the scholarship)

23. Important Notice • Repeated classes do not replace hours or GPA on TELS calculations • There is a one-time option to replace ONE course that has been repeated, one time in a student’s college career. The attempted hours will still count but the GPA is excluded. There is a form to complete for this and it is available on our web page: the TELS Repeat Form. • Financial Aid MUST be notified using the Request for Reinstatement form if a student has a grade change or completes an incomplete grade. This should be done within 30 days of the grade change.

24. IRP – Institutional Review Panel • IRP is responsible for hearing appeals from students who have lost eligibility and petitions from students wanting to drop/withdraw/sit out • Grounds must be medical or personal (such as illness, death of immediate family member, extreme financial hardship, etc.) and MUST be documented • LOW GPA IS NOT APPEALABLE

25. Appeal Process • Student completes appropriate form (found on our website) and submits it along with a detailed, signed letter and documentation to the Financial Aid Office • IRP reviews and decides on appeal within 14 days • Student is notified in writing by Financial Aid of IRP’s decision • If appeal is denied by IRP, student may appeal this decision to TSAC’s Appeal Board (this information is provided to the student at that point)

26. Suggestions for your success • Get to know your teachers • Seek help early – tutoring is available • AAC • Math Lab • Writing Center • Go to the Counseling Office if you are having personal issues and need assistance • We are here for you!! We want you to succeed!

27. Questions • ??????? • Contact Information • Jennifer Byrd – Financial Aid Officer • jbyrd@jscc.edu • 731-425-2605 • Financial Aid Office