Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Must I be accepted before I can apply for financial aid?
A. No, but you must be accepted before your eligibility for financial aid can be determined.
Q. How do I apply for a Federal Pell Grant?
A. When you complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you are automatically considered for a Federal Pell Grant. The easiest way to apply is online.
Q. What information is needed when completing the FAFSA?
A. You will need: Your FSA ID and Password, Personal Information, Household Information, Contributor Information, and Financial and/or Tax Information.
Q. Are my parents required to submit their financial information?
A. Yes, if you are under the age of 24 and do not meet any other requirements for independent status.
Q. What if my parents are separated or divorced? Which parent fills out the FAFSA?
A. If parents are divorced or never married and not living together, the parent on the FAFSA form should be the parent who provided more than 50% of the financial support for the student during the last 12 months. This may be different from the parent the student lived with during that same period. If one parent pays child support to the other parent, the child support paid counts for the payer when determining which parent is a required contributor on the FAFSA form. Once the parent who provides more than 50% of the financial support for the student has been determined, that parent (and their current spouse, if applicable) should report their income and asset information on the student’s FAFSA form as a contributor. If neither parent provided more than 50% of the financial support for the student, the parent (and current spouse, if applicable) with the greater income and assets is a required contributor on the FAFSA form.
Q. Do I have to report my stepparent’s financial information?
A. Yes, if the parent that contributes over half of your support is remarried, you must send an email to invite that contributor to complete their portion of the FAFSA also.
Q. If my or my family’s current year income (year 2025) will be drastically lower than last year’s income (year 2024) what do I do?
A. Contact the Financial Aid Office and request a Reduced Income Statement Form. Complete and submit the form, along with the appropriate documentation, to the Financial Aid Office for consideration. Often projected year income can be considered. These considerations are made at the family’s request and on a case by case basis.
Q. How do I become an independent student for federal aid purposes?
A. If you meet one of the following: are at least 24 years old, are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, are married, are a ward of the court, have no living parents and have no legal guardian, homeless, or have a legal dependent who gets more than half of their support from you. The FAFSA provides more information regarding these categories.
Q. What is DCC’s Title IV Code?
A. Our Title IV School Code is 003758.
Q. What is my SAI (Student Aid Index)?
A. Your SAI is an index number used by financial aid professionals when creating an aid offer. Your SAI is calculated using information that you (and other contributors, if required) provide on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form.
Q. Why did my financial need change from last year?
A. Since need represents the difference between total costs of attending DCC and the ability of you and your family to contribute; any change in your family’s situation or in DCC’s charges may mean a change in need. .
Q. How do I view my online FAFSA Submission Summary?
A. After your 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form is submitted and processed, you can access your FAFSA Submission Summary-an electronic or paper document that summarizes the information you reported on your FAFSA form. It includes your estimated eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant and federal student loans, your Student Aid Index (SAI), and whether you’ve been selected for verification.
View your online FAFSA Submission Summary by
- logging in to your StudentAid.gov account Dashboard,
- selecting your processed FAFSA submission from the “My Activity” section, and
- selecting “View FAFSA Submission Summary.”
Q. How do I get a work-study job?
A. You must first complete a FAFSA form. If you are interested in work-study, come by the Financial Aid Office to complete the application. Once all current positions are filled we will start a waiting list. Students often drop or change jobs during the year, thus vacancies may arise. Students must be enrolled in at least 6 credits to qualify for work-study.
Q. When and how do I get paid for my work-study job?
A. You will be paid twice a month for the hours that you work. It is your money to spend as you see fit on your education related expenses.
Q. Will I have to pay back any financial aid money if I drop out or withdraw from school?
A. If you receive federal financial aid and drop out stop attending or withdraw from school during the first 60% of the semester, you may be required to repay a percentage of the aid that you received.
Q. How do I apply for a Direct Stafford Loan?
A. For more information about and to apply for Direct Stafford loans, please visit our website.
Q. How do I apply for an Educational Foundation Scholarship?
A. For more information about and to apply for DCC Educational Foundation Scholarships, please visit our website.
Q. What is the difference between the Business Office and the Financial Aid Office?
A. These two offices are located in the Wyatt Building and are separate from one another administratively. The Financial Aid Office awards grants, loans, and work-study. The Business Office sends bills and collects payments for college charges not covered by aid. The Business Office also processes your financial aid disbursements.
Q. What if I have a credit balance on my student account?
A. If you have a credit balance in your account (after tuition and, if applicable, textbook charges have been paid) you will receive a disbursement later in the semester.
Q. When will I receive my financial aid disbursement?
A. Students enrolled in standard courses should start receiving their disbursements 4-6 weeks after the refund date. Students have the option of receiving disbursements electronically or via paper check.
Q. Why did I receive a bill from the Business Office? I have financial aid.
A. If your financial aid award is insufficient to cover your tuition and fees, you will receive a bill.
Contact Information:
Financial Aid Office
1008 South Main Street, Danville, VA 24541
DCCFinAid@danville.edu
Telephone: (434) 797-8439 or (434) 797-8567
Financial Aid Bookstore Purchasing Policy
The College Bookstore is authorized to allow students to charge the following materials to their financial aid from the designated published date to the start of a term until the end of the main drop period. Students may use financial aid in the College Bookstore to purchase only required books and supplies for registered courses deemed eligible for financial aid for the term, during the designated charge dates. A course would be deemed ineligible for financial aid if any of the four following circumstances exist:
- The course does not apply to the student’s academic program;
- The course has already been repeated once after having been successfully completed. Successful completion is defined as any grade other than an F, U, R, or W;
- The course is developmental and the student has already attempted 30 or more developmental credits, and/or
- The course is a basic skill class (BSK) that is below the postsecondary level.
The approved dollar amount available per student to charge will vary according to the financial aid award and enrollment.
Supplies can include:
- One computer or tablet (authorization required) *See below.
- One scientific calculator
- Required tools
- Required uniforms
*Students will receive a Bookstore Authorization form from the Bookstore. One laptop/tablet purchase is allowed while a student is attending DCC.
There is no refund policy from the Bookstore on laptops or electronic items. Bookstore staff will be happy to advise students on registering their laptop and activating any warranties available. The manufacturer will provide instructions on return, repair or replacement of a defective or damaged laptop within the bounds of the applicable warranty.
Any other electronic item is considered not course related and may not be purchased with financial aid. Other Items not approved for purchase with financial aid include but are not limited to apparel, and glassware.
During the book purchase period, books and supplies purchased using financial aid cannot be returned to the College Bookstore for cash. Amounts for returned items must be credited back to the financial aid source.
If for any reason financial aid does not cover the total amount charged in the bookstorebookstore, the student is responsible for paying any remaining balance and will not be allowed to register until that debt has been satisfied.
Book Return Policy
Students need to keep their receipt!
Books may only be returned if you have dropped a class, orclass or purchased an incorrect book. A receipt is required for return.
Returns are allowed for a full refund during the designated and published charge/return period. Textbook returns for late starting classes must be returned by the first day of class.
New books must be in absolutely NEW condition if returned (No writing, bent, soiled or wrinkled pages, etc).
Books with shrink wrap removed cannot be returned.
CDs MUST be included, if applicable.
Access codes must not have been used (a scratched code is considered used.)).
Credits issued will be applied to the same method of payment used when the books were originally purchased.
There is no refund from the Bookstore on laptops or electronic items.
*For the full Return and Refund Policy, please refer to the DCC Catalog.
Effective: Summer 2020
Financial Aid Refund and Repayment Policy
Federal regulations require Danville Community College to have a written policy for the return of federal (Title IV) financial aid by students who withdraw during a term for which federal financial aid was awarded. This policy applies to all financial aid recipients who withdraw from the College, are dismissed from the College, or who stop attending before completing 60% of the enrollment period. Title IV programs subject to this policy are Federal Pell, Federal SEOG, and Federal Stafford Loans, and the Commonwealth Grant (COMA), and G3.
Title IV funds are awarded to students under the assumption that they will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When students withdraw, they may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Title IV funds that they were originally scheduled to receive.
Date of Withdrawal
If students leave the college prior to completing 60% of the payment period or term, the financial aid office recalculates eligibility for Title IV funds. For students who are dismissed or who stop attending without giving notice of having withdrawn, i.e., who do not follow official withdrawal procedures, the withdrawal date will be the midpoint of the period or the date the student last attended an academic function at the College. Recalculation is based on the percentage of earned aid using the following Federal Return of Title IV funds formula:
Percentage of payment period or term completed = the number of days completed up to the withdrawal date divided by the total days in the payment period or term. (Any break of five days or more is not counted as part of the days in the term.) This percentage is also the percentage of earned aid.
If students earned less aid than was disbursed, the institution would be required to return a portion of the funds and students would be required to return a portion of the funds. When Title IV funds are returned, students may owe a balance to the college.
If students earned more aid than was disbursed, the college owes the students a post-withdrawal disbursement which must be paid within 180 days of the institutional determination date.
Return of Title IV Funds calculations are performed continuously throughout the semester as students withdraw from classes or receive all non-passing grades. Students who receive all non-passing grades are reviewed at the end of the semester and Return of Title IV Funds calculations are applied using the faculty reported last date of attendance.
Repayment by the College
The College returns unearned funds that are repaid by the College or the student to the financial aid programs in the following order:
- Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans
- Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal SEOG Grant
- Other grant or loan assistance authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act
Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress
Federal regulations require that a student receiving federal financial aid make satisfactory academic progress in accordance with the standards set by the College and the federal government. These limitations include all terms of enrollment, whether or not aid was awarded or received. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards also apply to state aid, institutional, and foundation scholarships. Progress is measured throughout the academic program by the student’s cumulative grade point average and by credits earned as a percentage of those attempted. In addition, students must complete their programs of study before attempting 150% of the credits required to complete the program. The College Financial Aid Office will evaluate satisfactory academic progress before aid is awarded and after grades are posted for every term, starting with their first term of enrollment. Some career studies certificate programs (i.e., shorter than 16 credits in total length) are ineligible for student financial aid, but those credits will be counted toward all SAP requirements (GPA, Completion Rate, Maximum Timeframe, and Developmental Maximum) if the student later enrolls in an eligible program.
Students must pass the three SAP criteria listed below to receive aid. These guidelines must cover all periods of enrollment regardless of whether or not financial aid was received in the past.
- Complete 67% of all courses attempted with grades of A, B, C, D, S, or P.
- Have a cumulative grade point average requirement as shown in table below:
| Credit Hours Attempted |
Minimum Expected GPA |
| 1-15 |
1.5 |
| 16-30 |
1.75 |
| 30+ |
2.0 |
- Not exceed 150% of the credit hours required to graduate from your academic program.
Example: If the total credits in your degree plan are 66, then your 150% max is 99. (66 * 1.5 = 99).
Students who do not meet the credit progression requirements and/or cumulative grade point average requirements will be immediately ineligible for financial aid. Removal from financial aid does not prevent students from enrolling without financial aid if they are otherwise eligible to continue their enrollment.
Under certain circumstances, students who fail to meet SAP standards and lose eligibility for financial aid can appeal the financial aid suspension. Students must clearly state what caused the suspension and must also clearly indicate what has changed that will now allow the student to succeed.
Only complete appeal submissions, with documentation, will be evaluated by the Financial Aid Office. The decision is final. Depending on the circumstances, the student could be required to complete additional requirements (i.e., see a career counselor or another type of counselor, meet with an advisor to develop an academic progress plan for completion, limit enrollment, etc.) before an appeal is granted. The goal is to help the student get back on track for graduation. The reasonableness of the student’s ability for improvement to again meet SAP standards and complete the student’s program of study will be carefully considered. Appeals will be approved or denied. Students who have appeals approved will be in probationary status placed on an Academic Plan for the coming term. During probationary status, the student must meet the conditions of the appeal as communicated to him or her by the Financial Aid Office, or the student will return to suspension. If an academic progress plan has been pre-approved by financial aid, continuing to meet the requirements of that plan will put the student back into good standing.
Financial Aid Course Audit
Federal regulations have always dictated that students may only receive financial aid for courses that apply toward their degree or certificate program. Danville Community College has recently adopted new technology that allows us to better inform you about the impact your course selection has on your financial aid award. As a result, you will now have information about financial aid eligibility for each class shortly after you register instead of having your award recalculated to exclude ineligible courses after the add/drop date when it is too late to drop them. Our hope is that by providing you this information in advance, you will be better able to plan your academic career, select courses that apply to your program, and complete your degree or certificate in a more timely fashion. If you choose to remain enrolled in an ineligible course, you will be responsible for paying the associated tuition, fees, and book expenses regardless of whether you are receiving financial aid for eligible courses or not.
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