Financial Aid Overview

In order to offset some of the cost of attendance, Shasta Bible College participates in Title IV Federal Financial Aid grant programs for all eligible students and the Cal Grant program for students who are eligible residents of California. Shasta Bible College does not participate in any type of school sponsored student loan program. All programs are administered through the Financial Aid Office.

Basic to the philosophy of education of Shasta Bible College is the conviction that Christian higher education should be oriented to the divine scriptures, the Bible, finding in its frame of reference a basis for the integration of all knowledge. As such, we believe that financial irresponsibility is unacceptable in Christian leadership, and do not encourage our students to incur any unnecessary debt.

While the application as a student to SBC and financial aid application are two separate processes, students must be admitted to SBC before any financial aid commitments will be determined. The financial aid application, The Free Application For Federal Student Aid is free and easy. It can be completed electronically or in a paper format, the FAFSA application does take time to be processed through the federal processor. Students are encouraged to allow enough time to complete the process and pay the required fees when registering.

Charges for tuition and fees, including dormitory charges are all due and payable at the time of registration. Discounts of 3-6% for payment in full of all charges prior to the first day of class are available. Payment plans may be negotiated at the discretion of the institution. All financial accounts must be paid up to date before grades, transcripts or diplomas will be released. Students must clear their accounts before taking final exams.

Typical Semester Costs

Financial Aid Programs

Federal aid comes from the U.S. Government.

PELL GRANT: Gift aid that is given based on financial need. It is a need-based program designed to assist low-income families. It is the first type of assistance for which all students are evaluated based on the family’s ability to pay. The maximum Pell Grant for 07/08 is $4310.

Campus based aid: Money that the government provides to SBC to give to students through the financial aid office.

Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant. Gift money to assist students who have high need. Generally, high need is determined by the student’s Pell Grant eligibility.

Federal Work Study. A limited number of on-campus jobs are available to assist students who are able to work to earn a portion of their financial aid. Students are paid $7.50 per hour and work 3-5 hours per week. Where possible, jobs are designed to be in line with a student’s educational goal.

PIN: The first step in the electronic application process is to obtain a PIN - a Personal Identification Number. It is your electronic signature. Both students and parents obtain their own number. It never expires and parents can use their pin for all brothers and sisters applying for student aid. http://www.pin.ed.gov

FAFSA: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid will ask questions regarding your education plans, financial information and schools to send your information. This information will assist the Financial Aid Office to determine your eligibility. A worksheet can be downloaded to help you through the process. http://www.fafsa.ed.gov

SBC Scholarships: Shasta Bible College offers a limited number of scholarships. Students should check the catalog for eligibility and any additional forms necessary. The scholarships offered by SBC will be applied towards the student's account. There is no cash value and cash will not be paid to the student. Should the student's expenses be covered by other assistance, the award may be carried forward to another semester of study. Any combination of awards will not exceed student's need.

DISTANCE EDUCATION: Students taking courses via distance education may qualify for federal aid. Those who do not qualify based on the FAFSA may apply to the Distance Education Committee for assistance towards their tuition expenses. The application can be filled out online.

Cal Grant Programs: If you graduated from a California high school and meet the eligibility criteria, you may be eligible for a Cal Grant Entitlement or Competitive award. Cal Grant Entitlement awards are guaranteed for every qualified high school senior or recent graduate who applies by March 2; Cal Grant Competitive awards are for other qualified students who are high school seniors or recent graduates based on a competition. Cal Grant Competitive awards are limited.

Cal Grant A Entitlement awards are guaranteed for every graduating high school senior who has at least a 3.0 grade point average, meets the requirements and applies by March 2 of their senior year or within one year of graduating. The application requires the FAFSA and the Cal Grant GPA form. This award pays for tuition and fees up to $7,550.

Cal Grant A Competitive awards are for other eligible students who have at least a 3.0 Grade Point Average, meets the requirements and applies by March 2. Selection is based on a composite score that takes into consideration your GPA, family income, time out of high school, parent’s educational levels and other factors such as whether you come from a single-parent household or you are or were a foster youth.

Cal Grant B is for low-income students who have at least a 2.0 Grade Point Average. The award for most first-year students is $1,551 and may be used for books, living expenses and transportation as well as for tuition and fees. When renewed or awarded beyond the first year, you’ll receive an additional award specifically for tuition and fees, the same amount as the Cal Grant A.

Cal Grant B Entitlement awards are guaranteed for every high school senior who has at least a 2.0 GPA, meets the requirements and applies on time.

Cal Grant B Competitive awards are for other eligible students who have at least a 2.0 GPA and apply on time. Selection is based on a composite score that takes into consideration your GPA, family income, time out of high school, parent’s educational levels and other factors, such as whether you come from a single-parent household or you are or were a foster youth.

You apply for a Cal Grant by submitting the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1 and no later than the postmarked deadline of March 2. You must also submit a verified Cal Grant GPA (or GED, SAT or ACT test score if you don’t have a GPA) to the California Student Aid Commission by the March 2 deadline. Additional information regarding Cal Grant awards can be found at www.csac.ca.gov

Chafee Grants for Foster Youth: Up to $5,000 a year for college is available if you are or were a foster youth. To apply, you must file the FAFSA and the California Chafee Grant Application which is available on line at www.chafee.csac.ca.gov

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

All financial aid recipients must maintain 'Satisfactory Academic Progress' in their chosen course of study in order to continue to receive Federal Title IV Assistance. Satisfactory Academic Progress has four components:

A. An acceptable grade point average. The minimum standards of achievement for students are a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 for all units earned at SBC and a 2.0 semester grade point average for the semesters under review.

B. An acceptable number of units attempted to units completed. Degree requirements at SBC are 128 semester units with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 for a Bachelor of Arts Degree. You will be expected to complete our educational goal by completing your degree, or reaching 192 units, whichever comes first. The general catalog provides the college wide degree requirements.

C. A period of review: Each student's progress will be reviewed at the end of each semester. All coursework completed at SBC, whether or not the student received financial aid will be considered.

D. Specific policies for defining the effect of course incompletes, withdrawals, repetitions and noncredit remedial courses. Transfer credits, non-credit remedial courses, withdrawals (unless withdrawal/F) and incompletes are not counted in the cumulative GPA completed. Students that withdraw from all classes after the two-week add/drop period will be placed on probation or suspension depending on their prior semesters SAP.

How to stay on track? Good study habits and get help when you need it.

What happens if you don't meet the standards? You will receive one semester as a PROBATIONARY semester. If you do not meet the standards for a second semester, you may appeal to the Academic Committee. The maximum units a student may be granted for an appeal may not exceed 150% of the degree requirement.

Students Who do not Meet the Above Criteria: Any units earned during the Maymester/summer will count toward the GPA requirement and the unit maximum. However, if six or more units are completed for the Maymester/Summer that apply to the student's degree, then those units may be considered for reinstatement of financial aid and removal from one probation status level, depending upon units needed to makeup for probation/dismissal status.

If there has been an error on the student's transcript that resulted in probation or suspension, it is the student's responsibility to provide a corrected unofficial transcript to the Financial Aid Office after the error has been corrected.

What is Probation Status? Students who have one semester of unsuccessful progress, with either units or GPA will be placed on financial aid probation during their next semester of enrollment. Students must reestablish their academic progress during the probation semester to regain regular standing.

What is Suspension Status? A student who has two consecutive semesters of unsuccessful progress, either with low GPA, lack of completed units or excess units will be placed on financial aid suspension. You will not be eligible for financial aid for the semester that you are using to reestablish your eligibility.

How to reestablish Regular Standing: You must complete the number of units enrolled in, with a minimum GPA of 2.0 and a minimum of six units without financial aid. Students enrolling in less than 6 units may reestablish their eligibility for the number of successful units completed.

Appeals: Students denied financial aid for lack of SAP may submit a written appeal to the Financial Aid Appeals Committee. The students will be permitted to present written evidence of special circumstances in consideration of an extension of an additional probationary semester. The appeal application may be requested from the Financial Aid Office.

Appeals are considered for the following: Medical, Family Emergency, Disabilities, Remediation, Reentry Student (three-year break in education), and other mitigating circumstances. Military Deployment: Students who have been deployed for military reasons may have an additional probation semester upon return.

The Financial Aid Appeals Committee reviews all appeals. Students will be notified in writing of the outcome and of the conditions of their probationary term if granted. All decisions of the committee are final. Upon notification of the committee's decision, the student must meet the terms of the appeal before reinstatement.

Withdrawing and Repaying Financial Aid: Students withdraw for a variety of reasons. If you withdraw from all of your classes before the 60% enrollment period, you may owe money back to federal financial aid programs. According to the day you withdraw, we will calculate any funds owed back to federal programs. It is your responsibility to withdraw officially if you must.