Navigating the Bursar's Office and Financial Aid at the College of Coastal Georgia

The College of Coastal Georgia strives to make education accessible and affordable. A significant portion of the student body receives financial aid, and the college provides various scholarships and resources to assist students in managing their educational expenses. This article provides an overview of the financial aid processes, payment options, and refund policies at the College of Coastal Georgia, with a focus on the role of the Bursar's Office.

Affordability and Financial Aid Opportunities

The College of Coastal Georgia is committed to providing an affordable education. Over 85% of students receive financial aid, demonstrating the College's commitment to making quality education accessible. The College offers a wide array of scholarships, with incoming students able to apply for over 40 scholarships through a single application. The Office of Financial Aid & Veteran’s Affairs plays a crucial role in assisting students and their families in applying for and obtaining financial aid to help them achieve their educational goals.

Applying for Financial Aid

Students seeking financial aid from federal grants, loans, and work-study programs need to start by requesting an FSA ID and password. This is a crucial step in determining eligibility for federal aid.

To apply for state aid programs, students must create a GAfutures account and complete the GSFAPPS application through gafutures.org. GSFAPPS is a web-based application that ensures all required data meets the specific requirements of each GSFC program.

Verification Process

Some students will be required to complete the process of verification. Verification is the process in which the Office of Financial Aid and Veteran’s Affairs must verify that the information on the FAFSA is accurate. If you are selected, you must complete the verification process before any awards would be finalized.

Disbursement of Financial Aid and Bookstore Credit

Once attendance is verified, financial aid is disbursed to the student's account, minus any bookstore charges. If the disbursement results in a credit balance, the Bursar’s Office reviews the account to determine eligibility for a refund. Factors like enrollment status and prior balances influence this determination.

Bookstore Credit Authorization

A bookstore credit can be authorized in the COAST account, found on the student portal. By selecting “Financial Aid” in COAST, then “Student Authorizations,” students can read and submit their response for each authorization.

A bookstore credit will be available for use in the College’s bookstore if you have pre-registered, have financial aid in excess of the tuition and fees posted to your account, and do not have a previous balance. To receive the credit, you must authorize the College to do so in your COAST account.

Maintaining Eligibility for Financial Aid

Federal Grants are prorated based on the number of hours of enrollment. Department of Education (ED) regulations require that a student must be enrolled in a degree-seeking program to receive federal financial aid (Grants, Loans, FSEOG, Work Study). Students enrolling in courses that will not aid in completing their degree may see their financial aid prorated and/or cancelled as required by the Department of Education. Course Program of Study (CPoS) is the process that is run to identify which courses will fulfill unmet degree requirements, including applicable prerequisites/corequisite courses. To ensure compliance with state and federal financial aid guidelines, the College of Coastal Georgia verifies attendance of all classes before financial aid is disbursed to a student’s account. If a student is not verified in attendance for a class, that class is dropped and financial aid is disbursed accordingly.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Students receiving federal financial aid must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to remain eligible for aid. SAP standards include both qualitative (GPA) and quantitative (completion rate and maximum timeframe) requirements. Financial aid students who previously attended the College of Coastal Georgia may be denied financial aid for failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress based on previously attempted course work, regardless of whether they received financial aid for that enrollment.

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Maximum Timeframe for Financial Aid

The maximum hours for which a student may receive financial aid is 150% of the number of semester hours required to earn the degree or certificate as stated in the College catalog. Students taking Remedial/Learning Support courses, including CPC requirements, will be eligible for assistance up to a total of 30 hours that will not be counted in the 150 percent. Remedial hours in excess of the 30 hours will be counted in the 150 percent timeframe.

FAFSA Simplification Act

The FAFSA Simplification Act, enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 and amended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2022, overhauls federal student aid processes, formulas, and systems, with changes beginning for the 2024-2025 award year.

Tuition and Fees

For students whose financial aid has been approved, the system allows tuition and fees to be deducted from each semester’s award at registration. Ordinarily, financial aid is awarded for two semesters of the regular academic year.

Mandatory Fees

The college assesses several mandatory fees to support various campus services and facilities. These include:

Technology Fee: A $60 fee applies to all students to purchase computers and printers for academic labs, instructional software, and multimedia equipment for classrooms.
Activity Fee: A fee of $60 for students taking five or more semester credit hours or $30 for students taking four or fewer credit hours.
Athletic Fee: A fee of $195 for students taking five or more semester credit hours or $97.50 for students taking four or fewer credit hours.
Campus Center Fee: A $145 fee applies to all students to support the debt service and maintenance of the Campus Center.
One Card Fee: A $15 fee applies to all students to support the operations of the "One Card" system.

Payment Options

The College of Coastal Georgia provides multiple payment options to accommodate students' diverse needs.

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Payment Methods

In-Person: Checks, cash, money orders, traveler’s checks, and credit cards are accepted at the cashiers windows.
Online: Through COAST, students can pay via WebPay, credit card, or eCheck (ACH). Students can also create "Authorized Users" to make payments on their behalf.

Payment Plans

All plans are different, so please check with your plan administrator on how funds are issued, length of time to disburse funds, etc. Once bills are available on COAST, please send a copy of your bill to your plan administrator immediately. The College of Coastal Georgia accepts your Florida Prepaid College Plan; however, the owner of the account is responsible for initiating the payment and making sure Florida Prepaid knows where they are attending school. This will allow you to receive Florida Prepaid College Plan credit prior to the fee payment deadline, which reduces your out-of-pocket cost. Unrestricted Plan: Covers all tuition and fees up to the total plan value. Any remaining balance due is paid by the parent/student if no financial aid award is present.

Returned Check Fee

A service charge of $30 is charged for each returned check. Payment for returned checks, including the service charge, is required within 10 days of receiving notice.

Refund Policy

The University System of Georgia Board of Regents sets the refund policy of the College of Coastal Georgia. The refund amount for students withdrawing from the institution shall be based on a pro rata percentage determined by dividing the number of calendar days in the semester that the student completed by the total calendar days in the semester. The total calendar days in the semester includes weekends, but excludes scheduled breaks of five or more days and days that a student was on an approved leave of absence. The unearned portion shall be refunded up to the point in time that the amount equals 60 percent. A refund of all non-resident fees, matriculation fees, and other mandatory fees shall be made in the event of the death of a student at any time during the academic session.

A student withdrawing from some courses while remaining enrolled in at least one course within a semester is not eligible for any refund, regardless of when a course is withdrawn.

Prepaid College Plans

Notify prepaid college plan that student will be attending Coastal and that funds need to be sent. Most 529 plans will need a statement or invoice. Include student name and ID number.

Title IV Credit Balance Policy

Details about the Title IV credit balance policy are available here. Students receive financial aid credit balances (refunds) via direct deposit to the bank account of their choice or by paper check, as selected in the student portal.

Economic Advantage

If a student or his or her parent/legal guardian or spouse relocated to the state of Georgia during the 12 months prior to the beginning of classes in order to accept full-time, self-sustaining employment, and has established domicile in the state of Georgia, they may qualify for a temporary waiver of out-of-state tuition while establishing residency.

Additional Financial Resources

Net Price Calculator

The Net Price Calculator provides an estimate of typical expenses and financial aid to attend the College of Coastal Georgia.

Border State Waiver

The College of Coastal Georgia now offers the equivalent of in-state tuition to all residents of Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee, who meet the requirements for admission. Admitted students may apply for the Border State Waiver online by selecting the “Student Forms” tab located in the MyCCGA portal.

Withdrawal Policy and its Impact on Financial Aid

Students may withdraw from a course before the published deadline in the Academic Calendar. The student will receive a grade of W or WF at the discretion of the course instructor, based on the course grade at the time and the circumstances of the withdrawal. It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw. Students who stop attending class without formally withdrawing will receive a final grade of F, which will appear on the transcript, be included in the GPA, and may affect financial aid.

Key Financial Aid Terms

Academic Year: The timeframe during which school is in session, consisting of at least 30 weeks of instructional time.
Appeal: A formal request to have a financial aid administrator review the circumstances surrounding an individual not making satisfactory academic progress.
Award Letter: An official document from the school’s financial aid office listing all financial aid awarded to the student.
Bankruptcy: A legal declaration of insolvency.
Campus-based Aid: Financial aid programs administered by the university with a fixed annual allocation from the federal government.
Cost of Attendance (COA): The total amount it should cost the student to go to school, including tuition and fees, room and board, books, transportation, and personal expenses.
Custodial Parent: The parent with whom the student lived the most during the past 12 months in cases of divorce or separation.
Default: Failure to pay loan installments on time or meet loan terms and conditions.
Deferment: Postponement of loan repayment.
Disclosure Statement: Information about the actual cost of the loan, including interest rate and fees.
Eligible Non-Citizen: Someone who is not a US citizen but is eligible for Federal student aid.
Emancipated: To release a child from the control of a parent or guardian.
Expected Family Contribution (EFC): The amount of money that the family is expected to contribute to the student’s education.
Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP): Loan programs provided by private lenders.
Federal Work-Study (FWS): A program providing undergraduate and graduate students with part-time employment during the school year.
Financial Aid: Money provided to students and families to help pay for education.
Financial Aid Administrator (FAA): A college or university employee involved in the administration of financial aid.
Financial Aid Package: The complete collection of grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study employment offered to a student.
Forbearance: When the lender allows the borrower to temporarily postpone repaying the principal, but the interest charges continue to accrue.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): The form used to apply for Pell Grants and all other need-based aid.
Grace Period: A short time period after graduation during which the borrower is not required to begin repaying student loans.
Independent: A student who meets specific criteria and is not considered dependent on their parents for financial support.
Lender: A bank, credit union, or other financial institution that provides funds for an educational loan.
Loan: A type of financial aid which must be repaid, with interest.
Merit-based: Financial aid that depends on academic, artistic, or athletic merit.
Need: The difference between the COA and the EFC.
Need Analysis: The process of determining a student’s financial need.
Need-Based: Financial aid that depends on your financial situation.
Origination Fee: A fee paid to the bank to compensate them for the cost of administering the loan.
Professional Judgement: The financial aid administrator can adjust the EFC, adjust the COA, or change the dependency status (with documentation) when extenuating circumstances exist.
Promissory Note: The binding legal document that must be signed by the student borrower before loan funds are disbursed by the lender.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP): A student must make this in order to continue receiving federal aid.
Scholarship: A form of financial aid given.

Student Responsibilities and Resources

Information about federal, state, institutional, and private sources of student assistance, application procedures, eligibility criteria, award determination, disbursement methods, loan terms and conditions, Federal Work-Study opportunities, satisfactory academic progress standards, and student rights and responsibilities is available here. Information about student responsibilities is available under ‘What else do I need to know about Financial Aid’ here.

Private education loan information and related consumer disclosures, including the Private Education Loan Applicant Self-Certification Form required under HEA section 487(a)(28), are available through the Office of Financial Aid here (under “Loans”). The College of Coastal Georgia does not have a preferred lender arrangement for either Title IV or private educational loans and therefore does not maintain a separate institutional Code of Conduct for Education Loans resource. The College prohibits revenue-sharing arrangements with lenders and does not assign a borrower’s loans to a particular lender or delay certification based on the borrower’s lender choice, consistent with federal ethical lending requirements. These standards help ensure that students and families receive impartial information to make informed borrowing decisions.

Students borrowing federal student loans are required to complete entrance counseling before receiving loan funds and exit counseling before graduating or withdrawing. These counseling sessions provide important information about loan terms, repayment options, and borrower rights and responsibilities. Students can access entrance and exit counseling here. Repayment information, including standard, graduated, extended, and income-driven repayment plans, is also available here. Students experiencing difficulty repaying federal student loans should contact their loan servicer immediately to discuss available options, including deferment, forbearance, and alternative repayment plans.

Department of Education’s central database for federal student aid. Department of Education now provides NSLDS information through each student’s studentaid.gov account. You can access your federal loan and grant information through your studentaid.gov account. Eligible borrowers enrolled at the College of Coastal Georgia are informed of their eligibility for Georgia state grant assistance, including programs such as the HOPE Scholarship and the Zell Miller Scholarship. Students who are not Georgia residents and are seeking grant or scholarship assistance from their home states should contact their state’s higher education agency or grant authority for eligibility requirements and application instructions.

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