Financial Aid FAQ
Check out these Frequently Asked Questions to help you get some answers. Still have questions? Call the Financial Aid office at 541.881.5833
The sooner, the better! The FAFSA may be submitted any time after October 1st for the following school year and needs to be completed once a year. The FAFSA should be completed as close to October 1st as possible to be considered for certain types of financial aid offers with limited funding. Also, if you are applying for TVCC scholarships, the TVCC Foundation Scholarship Application must be completed prior to January 15 each year.
TVCC's financial aid year begins with Fall session in September and continues through Summer term of each year. The students' financial aid is typically offered over Fall, Winter and Spring terms. If the student wishes to attend summer term, the student must notify the financial aid office for alternate offer options.
A FAFSA completed online takes at least 2 weeks to be sent to TVCC.
Once TVCC has received your file from the Department of Education, it will be reviewed and processed. We will request additional information if it is required to complete the review process. Watch your email for notifications from the financial aid office and please respond to any requests in a timely manner. You will be notified by email of the types of offers you are eligible for. This process takes up to 8 weeks after you have turned in all additional information that has been requested.
The earlier in the year you submit your application and additional information, the sooner your request will be processed. By the time the school year starts, there can be a significant number of applications to process, so be patient and be sure to turn your information in early!
Helpful Hint: The financial aid process is very complex and most of the work is done "behind the scenes" for you. Be sure that you have completed the admissions process at TVCC. If you are transferring from another college or university, have your official transcripts sent to TVCC for review.
What is Verification?
Verification is the confirmation through documentation that the information provided on a student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is correct. The federal government requires colleges and universities to verify or confirm the data reported by students and their parent(s) on the FAFSA. The verification process ensures that eligible students receive all the financial aid to which they are entitled and prevents ineligible students from receiving financial aid to which they are not entitled.
How will I know if I am selected for verification?
You may be selected for verification either by the federal processor or by TVCC's Financial Aid Office. If you are selected for verification by the federal processor, there will be an asterisk next to your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) on your Student Aid Report (SAR). You will also be informed of having been selected for verification in the SAR acknowledgment letter, which will be included with your SAR documents.
If you are selected for verification by TVCC Financial Aid Office, you will be notified via an email that will be sent to your TVCC email account. The notification will inform you of this selection and instruct you to go to www.tvcc.cc and view NetPartner for a listing of the requirements. You can be selected for verification at any time during the academic year so it is very important you check your email and your NetPartner on a regular basis.
Why was I selected for verification?
The main reasons for being selected for verification include that you were chosen randomly, the FAFSA you submitted was incomplete, your FAFSA contains estimated information or the data you provided on the FAFSA is inconsistent. Verification is a federal regulation. Students who are selected for verification are not being punished; rather, verification prevents ineligible students from receiving aid by reporting false information and ensures that eligible students receive all of the aid for which they are qualified.
What do I have to submit?
Once you are selected for verification all required documents will be listed on your NetPartner account. The following is a list of documents that may be required, but additional documents may also be required.
- Copy of student's and parent's or spouse's (if applicable) federal income tax transcript ordered from www.irs.gov.
- Copy of student's and parent's or spouse's W-2s (only if they worked but were not required to file taxes).
- Dependent verification or Independent verification worksheet from TVCC Financial Aid Website.
- IRS Verification of Non-filing Letter ordered from www.irs.gov.
How do I order IRS documents?
Make sure to request the "IRS Tax return Transcript" and NOT the "IRS Tax Account Transcript". There are multipile ways to order a Tax Return Transcript: onlilne, mail, paper or phone.
- Transcript ONLINE - Go to www.irs.gov, click "Get Your Tax Record." Click "Get Transcript ONLINE."
- Transcript by MAIL - Go to www.irs.gov, click "Get Your Tax Record. Click "Get Transcript by MAIL." NOTE: You will NOT be able to request your Verification of Non-filing or Wage and Summary Transcript with this option.
- Paper Request - Use IRS Form 4506-T found on www.irs.gov.
- Automated Telephone Request - 1-800-908-9946.
**Please note that additional documentation and forms may be requested from the TVCC Financial Aid Office. If additional documents are requested, your NetPartner will be updated. It is your responsibility to check your requirements and submit all documentation to the TVCC Financial Aid Office. Do not wait to submit your documents. If you are selected for verification, you must submit all documents to TVCC Financial Aid Office in order for us to begin processing your file and awarding your financial aid.
You can submit all documents to us by the following ways:
Email: finaid@tvcc.cc Fax: 541-881-5528
Mail: Treasure Valley Community College
Financial Aid Office
650 College Blvd
Ontario, OR 97914
Please make sure your first and last name, and student ID number is written on each
page submitted.
What happens once I submit my documents?
Once you submit the documents to our office, you can continue to check the status of your documents by going to your NetPartner. If we have received your documents, the status will go from "Not Received" to "Received." If the requirement is incomplete, you will receive an email explaining what was incomplete and how it can be resolved. It is important you check the status of your requirements on your NetPartner so you can make sure that all verification documents have been "Received." If you submit the documents to our office, please allow two to three business days for the status to be updated.
Once TVCC Financial Aid Office has received all your verification requirements and they are satisfied on your NetPartner account, we can now begin the verification process. This can take up to eight weeks. After the verification process is complete, you will receive an email informing you that you have a financial aid offer available.
What if I don't want to complete the verification process?
The verification process is a federal regulation and must be completed in order for a student to receive federal aid, as well as any state and TVCC Institutional aid. If you do not wish to complete the verification process, and therefore not receive financial aid, please notify the TVCC Financial Aid Office via email so we can update your status.
Three components are used to determine your financial need and eligibility for financial aid: Cost of Attendance, Expected Family Contribution, and Enrollment Status.
Each school develops its own average Cost of Attendance Budget with consideration for tuition, fees, books and supplies, room and board, transportation, dependent care expenses, loan origination fees, and personal allowance (or miscellaneous expenses). Your cost of attendance budget will depend on where your permanent address is (state of residency), your housing plans while in school, the number of dependents you have (if any), and your enrollment status (the number of credits you take each term.) TVCC financial aid uses standardized amounts or calculations for each of these budget items and customizes your budget for your situation.
Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is computed by the U.S. Department of Education's processing center using the information you provided on your FAFSA application. Your EFC will usually appear on your Student Aid Report (SAR) in the upper right hand corner of the first page (this may be different if you requested that communications from the Dept. of Education be sent to you via e-mail by including an e-mail address on your FAFSA). Your EFC is the basis for Pell Grant eligibility, and is subtracted from your personalized Cost of Attendance budget to determine your original Financial Need.
Note: Your EFC does not necessarily indicate your actual out-of-pocket expenses; it is merely a tool based on averages used to calculate your financial aid eligibility.
If your Cost of Attendance (COA) = $10,185
and your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) = $1000
your Financial Need = $9,185
From these elements, TVCC will first determine your eligibility for a Federal Pell
Grant and then attempt to meet the remaining unmet need with other funds as available
and according to the school's financial aid policies.
You will receive notification of your Cost of Attendance Budget, your EFC, your Financial Need, and the financial aid funds you are eligible for in a Notification of Financial Aid Offer from TVCC Financial Aid.
As a TVCC Student, you have a student account that is managed by the TVCC Business Office. When you register for classes, your student account is charged for tuition, fees, etc.
All pending financial aid offers (as listed on your Notification of Financial Offer ) will appear on your account prior to the beginning of classes each quarter as "unreleased aid." Your financial aid offers will be released at the conclusion of the full refund period (usually the end of the second week of classes).
If your financial aid funds exceed the amount owed to TVCC for tuition, fees, etc. a refund check will be sent to you on the third Tuesday of classes each quarter.
Financial aid funds are used first to pay direct institutional costs (tuition, fees and room and board, if applicable). If after financial aid funds are disbursed to your student account and there is still a balance owed, it is your responsibility to pay the balance at that time or according to payment arrangements agreed upon by the TVCC Business Office.
Note: If you have pre-registered, your offer will be based upon your actual enrollment status. If your Notification of Financial Aid Offer was issued prior to registration and your actual enrollment status differs from that used to calculate your offer, adjustments may be necessary before your aid is applied to your bill.
Helpful Hint: Maintain a close relationship with your academic advisor, register for upcoming terms well in advance, be sure that you make any adjustments to your quarterly class schedule well before beginning the term, and avoid taking classes that do not fit into your chosen degree program.
If you must drop a class after the second week of the quarter (or first week in the Summer term) you will receive a warning, probation, or suspension letter (Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress) from TVCC Financial Aid at the end of the term. Be sure to read this letter carefully! It will contain important information about what to do next.
If you withdraw completely from any term, you may have to repay some of the financial aid you received to TVCC, the U.S. Department of Education, or both. You will also receive an email notification concerning your options once you complete the official withdrawal process. If you fail to officially withdraw, it is assumed that you attended no more than 50% of the term. If you attend beyond the 60% point of the term you are considered to have earned 100% of your financial aid and will not have to repay unearned funds.
Please read carefully any correspondence you receive in reference to a complete withdrawal. TVCC Financial Aid is required to report overpayments of federal grants to the U.S. Department of Education's Collection unit if no repayment arrangements are made within 45 days of being notified.
View your Direct Subsidized Loan and Direct Unsubsidized Loan Borrower's Rights and Responsibilities Statement here.
Student Rights
As a student applying for or receiving financial aid, you have the right to know:
The financial aid programs available to you
The procedures and deadlines for applying
The cost of attendance (Student Budget)
The criteria used in awarding aid and how Student Need is determined
The terms and conditions of any aid accepted
How and when aid will be disbursed
The College's refund policy
The repayment consequences of withdrawing from the College
How SAP is evaluated and what happens if it is not maintained
How to appeal decisions concerning aid
Student Responsibilities
As a student applying for or receiving aid, it is your responsibility to:
Monitor your My TVCC, My Finances and NetPartner accounts weekly
Complete applications accurately and on time
Read and follow all instructions when submitting information
Read and retain copies of all forms you submit
Choose an academic program and understand the requirements for your program
Comply with the terms of any Federal Work Study job accepted
Maintain SAP Standards
Notify us if you receive educational funding from sources that do not appear on your
Notification of Financial Aid Offer
Borrow wisely
Phone: 541-881-5833
Fax: 541-881-5528
Email: finaid@tvcc.cc
Mailing Address:
TVCC Financial Aid
650 College Blvd
Ontario, OR 97914