Determining Financial Need

The purpose of the Financial Aid Program at Seminole State College is to provide assistance to eligible students who wish to further their education but do not have the financial means necessary to attend college without assistance.

Financial need is the difference between a student's estimated cost of attendance and Expected Family Contribution (the amount a student and his or her family are expected to contribute to these costs).

Financial need = Estimated cost of attendance - Expected family contribution

Remember that the federal government's philosophy on financial aid is that a student's education is primarily the family's responsibility. This is why the family's ability to pay is assessed before a student's eligibility for financial aid can be determined.

The cost of attendance includes tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, and miscellaneous personal expenses. Nine-month budgets for full-time students used in 2019-20 are as follows:

Note: An additional allowance is added to the appropriate budget for students paying out-of-state fees.