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Eligibility requirements

All types of financial aid have some kind of eligibility requirements. Financial aid from the state usually requires that the recipient be a resident of the state. Some scholarships specify that the recipient must enroll in a particular field of study or have a high grade point average. Eligibility for most federal student aid programs is based on demonstrated financial need rather than on academic achievement.

In addition to the financial need requirements, federal student aid programs require that the student:

• be seeking AA or AS have a high school diploma or a GED (see Ability to benefit below)
• be seeking the vocational/technical certificate receive a passing score on an independently administered examination approved by the U.S. Department of Education, or meet other standards established by the state and approved by the U.S. Department of Education. (see Ability to benefit)
• enroll as a regular student in an eligible degree or certificate program that requires a minimum of 600 clock hours
• be a U.S. citizen or eligible non citizen
• have a valid Social Security number
• make satisfactory academic progress as defined by the college
• register for Selective Service, if you are a male between the ages of 18 - 25
• must enroll at least half-time (six credit hours) to be eligible for Federal Student Loans each term (fall/spring/summer)

How need is determined

The financial information you and your family provide on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Renewal FAFSA is analyzed by the federal need analysis processor using federal methodology. Federal methodology is a standard expected family contribution (EFC) formula created by the United States Congress. It is used by the federal processor to calculate how much individual students and their families are expected to pay for higher education.

After analyzing your financial information, the federal processor sends the results to the college or university (as listed on your federal application), indicating how much you and your family should be able to pay for your education. If the cost of attendance at PHCC is greater than what the processor indicates you and your family should be able to pay, then the college considers that you have financial need.

Financial need calculation

Cost of attendance includes tuition and fees, books and supplies, housing, meals, transportation, clothing maintenance, and personal items (see Average costs of attendance).

Family contribution consists of expected parental contribution and/or student contribution, depending upon the student’s classification as "dependent" or "independent." The federal need analysis formula used by the federal processor to determine the amount of each applicant’s expected family contribution takes into account the family’s/student’s income and assets, employment costs, living expenses, taxes, family size, and the number of family members in college. Dependent students must also help pay their educational costs from their resources, such as savings, prior-year income, benefits, or employment.

Average costs of attendance

Estimated expenses based on the average costs of most credit programs at 15 credit hours per term for two semesters (nine months) using 2008-2009 data:

*Includes allowances for Federal Family Education Loan fees

All fees and costs are subject to change.

Ability to benefit

In compliance with federal regulations as described in the Higher Education Act of 1965, a determination of ability to benefit may be made for students entering both Associate and Technical (vocational) programs who wish to attend college without benefit of having attained a standard high school diploma or GED.

Students are cautioned not to confuse financial aid "ability to benefit" requirements with completion requirements for technical programs. The Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) will no longer be an approved Ability to Benefit test for financial aid purposes. Prospective financial aid students will be required to attain the following College Placement Test (CPT) scores: Reading Comprehension (55), Sentence Skills (60) and Arithmetic (34) for both Associate and Technical programs. The Wonderlic Basic Skills Test (WBST) may be used with attainment of the following scores: Verbal (200) and Quantitative (210) for Technical programs only.