Financial Aid Process

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the federal application that must be completed to receive all federal aid, South Carolina Lottery, and most scholarships. The FAFSA is completed once per academic year (academic year includes Fall, Spring and Summer terms). 

Prior to starting the FAFSA, you will first create your FSA ID at www.studentaid.gov. Once you have your FSA ID you will complete your FAFSA. You will have your FAFSA results sent to GTC by entering our college code (#003991) when prompted online. 

Please note: Completing the FAFSA does not mean all steps in the financial aid process have been completed.

• Once you have been admitted to the college, you can follow the status of your FAFSA by visiting Student Self Service located in GTC4me.
• If you have completed your FAFSA but have not submitted an application for admission to GTC, your aid cannot be finalized and processed until you have done so.
• You must also provide your high school diploma/official transcript or GED.

(Note: This step may not apply to everyone.)

Occasionally the U.S. Department of Education requires a student submit more information directly to the college. This is called the verification process. If more information is required from you, this email will tell you exactly what is required and what to do. (You can also see what documents are needed by checking GTC4me > Student Self Service > Financial Aid > Required Documents.) Follow the instructions carefully and respond within the time period specified. Your aid cannot be processed until you do so.

Once you have turned in all required information, any necessary changes will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education.

As of May 10, 2024, the U.S. Dept. of Education has informed colleges that they will not allow the processing of verification documents for the 24-25 FAFSA year until the end of June 2024.

What does this mean for students?

The U.S. Dept. of Education requires that all verification documents be verified before your file can be completed and awards determined. Therefore, because of this lag at the government level, a small population of GTC students may not receive Offer Letters until July.

**2024-2025 Financial Aid Offers will begin in mid-May 2024.

Once the above steps are completed and your financial aid has processed, you will receive a Notification Email from the Financial Aid office. This is most commonly referred to as your "Financial Aid Offer."

You can view your offer in Financial Aid Self-Service, by selecting the "My Awards" option.

To add student loans to your Financial Aid Offer, log in to studentaid.gov with your FSA ID and password and complete both Entrance Counseling -AND- MPN (Master Promissory Note) for the Subsidized/Unsubsidized loans.

If you are offered Federal Direct Student Loans, please note that you must actively accept these awards on the ‘My Awards’ screen within Financial Aid Self-Service. If you do not accept your loan, they will never be disbursed to you. You can also change and/or cancel the amounts of a student loan you were offered.

Please be aware your Financial Aid Offer lists aid amounts assuming full-time enrollment. Amounts will adjust based on the number of hours in which you are enrolled.

If you are enrolled in courses, log in to GTC4me > Self Service > Student Finance to compare your total charges to your total amount of financial aid.

If you have not yet enrolled, view the college's tuition and fees for the semester in which you are seeking enrollment. This will give you an estimate of the amount.

Before your financial aid is applied to your student account, you may receive a bill for tuition informing you of your current charges. If your status with financial aid is complete and you are in good standing, your schedule will not be deleted for non-payment or “purged.” If you are unsure of your status, you can check your purge status on the home page of your Self-Service account.

We verify all current in-session courses prior to disbursing aid to ensure aid is only awarded for courses that have already begun and attendance has been verified.  Therefore, amounts may be updated/reduced based on this once all courses have started.

Within 14 calendar days of funds applying to your account, the Business Office (AcctStatement@dos5.net) will begin sending out refunds.  Questions about refund dates and amounts should be directed to the Business Office. 

PLEASE sign up for Direct deposit to get your refund faster.   Go to GTC4me > Self Service > Financial Information > Banking Information > Add an Account.

A student can access his/her book voucher approximately one week prior to the semester start date by accessing Financial Aid Self Service in GTC4me and selecting the “Bookstore Financial Aid” option under the Helpful Links (bold) in the right-hand column. After tuition and fees have been deducted, remaining financial aid may be used to purchase books and supplies at the GTC Bookstore during specified dates at the beginning of each semester. This is referred to as a "book voucher." A book voucher is not a separate award, but is simply early access to your financial aid credit balance prior to aid disbursing. Book voucher funds are made available from the awards shown on your award letter. A student can access his/her book voucher approximately one week prior to the semester start date by accessing Financial Aid Self Service in GTC4me and selecting the 'Bookstore Financial Aid' option under the Helpful Links in the right-hand column. (Please note: Lottery Tuition Assistance cannot be used for books.)

Please note: You must authorize financial aid to pay certain charges such as library fines, parking fines, NSF fees on returned checks, fees for GTC Temporary Tuition Deferment Promissory Notes & Payment Plans and other miscellaneous charges. We must obtain your authorization to apply your financial aid funds to these non-allowable charges appearing on your student account. You can authorize this by going to GTC4me > Self Service > Financial Aid > Non-Allowable Charges.

The best way to remain in good standing with financial aid is to attend and succeed in your classes! Review this additional information for continued success.

• Standards of Academic Progress (SAP): All colleges that administer federal financial aid are required to monitor student progress. This is called SAP. The Financial Aid office monitors the SAP of all financial aid recipients by reviewing a student’s total academic record after grades are posted at the end of each semester. Students’ failure to meet any one of the three standards (completion rate, cumulative grade point average (GPA), and maximum time frame) may result in the re-calculation of their awards.
  
  Read more about the SAP Policy Greenville Technical College has adopted according to federal and state regulations.
  
  
• Repeating courses: For more information about retaking courses and how it affects your financial aid, see the full explanation about repeating courses.
• Remedial/transitional courses: Remedial courses are typically high school level classes offered by a college for the purpose of preparing a student for study at the post-secondary (college) level and are therefore eligible for federal financial aid. A student may not exceed 30 credit hours attempted of remedial coursework.
• Courses outside of major: It is recommended a student take only those courses required in their current active program(s) that are needed for graduation. If a student chooses to take a course outside of his/her major, the course cannot be used in determining eligibility for federal financial aid (Pell Grants, Direct Loans, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), Veteran’s Benefits, etc.) and therefore the student may need to arrange an alternate method of payment such as Lottery Tuition Assistance, Scholarship funds, or be prepared to pay out of pocket.
• Changing your major: Changing your program/major in the middle of the semester may affect your financial aid. It is suggested that students change their major during the add/drop period of each term.
• Adding, Dropping, or Withdrawing from a Class: Students should consult with their advisor and/or financial aid officer prior to dropping or withdrawing. As a recipient of aid, it is each student’s responsibility to earn the aid provided for their period of enrollment. Students who find it necessary to withdraw from GTC must do so in writing at the Student Records Office, Web Advisor via GTC4me or at one of the branch campuses. Find out more information about adding, dropping, or withdrawing from courses and your responsibility for returning financial aid funds.
• Eligibility: Please note, federal financial aid eligibility must be recalculated and various regulations apply when a student fails to complete the period of enrollment for which he/she was charged due to one or more of the following situations:
  
  • Change in a student's schedule, which results in fewer credit hours
  • Course or courses dropped or withdrawn
  • Cancellation of a class by the college
  • Total withdrawal or expulsion from the college
• Other helpful resources at GTC:
  • Help - Student Resources Hub
  • Academic Coaching & Tutoring
  • Student Support Services
  • TRiO
  • STAR Center
  • PACTeducation Program