The following types of financial aid are available at Northwest Technology Center:

The Federal Pell Grant provides a foundation of aid, to which assistance from other federal and non-federal sources may be added. Pell Grants do not have to be repaid. The Federal Pell Grant is a federally funded grant program which provides funds for educational expenses to adult students who attend post-secondary education. If the student withdraws from school, the grant payments will terminate. The family financial situation determines whether a student may receive a grant and the amount of the grant. Grant amounts are determined yearly based on federal funding of the Pell Grant program. All students who are eligible and make application will receive a Federal Pell Grant.

Criteria for Pell Grant

• You must be enrolled as a regular student in an eligible program for the purpose of obtaining a certificate.
• You must be U.S. citizen or national or an eligible non-citizen.
• You must have financial need.
• You must have a high school diploma, GED or home school equivalency.
• You must not be in default on any Title IV, HEA loan and you must not owe a refund on any Title IV, HEA grant received for attendance at any institution as evidenced by a signed statement and financial aid transcripts.
• You must be registered with Selective Service (males only, 18 - 25 years of age).

Students who receive financial aid must maintain satisfactory academic progress in the course of study they are pursuing according to the standards of Northwest Technology Center. Also, please be advised that a conviction for any drug offense during a period of enrollment for which the student was receiving Title IV, HEA program funds, under any federal or state law involving the possession or sale of illegal drugs, may result in the loss of eligibility for any Title IV, HEA grant, loan, or work-study assistance

Steps to Apply

Adult students are encouraged to apply for financial aid.

Complete the "Free Application for Federal Student Aid" (FAFSA) in print or online at www.fafsa.gov.

• Identify NWTC as your school code choice on the FAFSA application.
• NWTC Federal Code for both the Alva and Fairview Campuses is 026000.
• Send off your application using one of the following:
  • Online: www.fafsa.gov.
  • Mail: Federal Student Aid Programs, PO Box 4691, Mt. Vernon, IL 62864-0059.

Documents Required for Financial Aid

Some students who apply for financial aid will need to provide additional documentation for verification purposes. These documents may include but are not limited to,

• Proof of all income reported on the FAFSA (i.e. copy of federal income tax transcripts and W2's or non-filer document)
• Completed and signed verification worksheets
• Proof of child support paid
• Proof of food stamps received

Failure to comply with verification requirements may result in forfeiture of aid. Verification materials should be submitted to the financial aid office within 30 days of student notification.

Attendance Policy for Title IV Financial Aid Students

Attendance Requirements for Financial Aid Students
Adult students on financial aid are required to attend 90% of the hours in each pay period. Acceptable attendance is defined as missing no more than 10% of any pay period, documented or undocumented. The 10% of class time missed during a pay period may be considered excused and the student's pay period will not be moved forward for absences that fall within the 10%. Failure to attend the 90% of the hours in a pay period will result in the student being placed on financial aid warning or suspension status.

Attendance is recorded in three-hour increments, i.e. a student attending six hours per day is counted absent twice when the whole day is missed. Adult students attending under funding by federal aid or other outside agencies, or who are in a program or major leading to a licensure are responsible for maintaining their attendance as required by these agencies/departments.

Leave of Absence

Leave of Absence for Students on Financial Aid
A student may request one leave of absence up to 10 days in length for medical and/or emergency situations that will affect a student’s attendance for an extended period of time.  (Days should be consecutive unless otherwise approved by the Asst. Superintendent and the counselor.) The Leave of Absence form may be obtained in the counselor’s office or in the office of the Asst. Superintendent.  The Leave of Absence request must include the reason for the request and the number of days requested. The student will be informed by the counselor or the Asst. Superintendent if the leave has been approved.  If approved, the Leave of Absence form will be filed in the student’s financial aid file, and the student’s financial aid period will be extended the number of days equal to the number of days of the leave of absence; therefore, no additional tuition or fees will be charged to the student.  Additional subsequent leaves (not to exceed 30 days) may be granted for unforeseen circumstances.  The NWTC Leave of Absence policy can also be found in the Student Consumer Information Guide at www.nwtech.edu/information or in hard copy in the counselor’s office, the Asst. Superintendent’s office, or the central office.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

A student is expected to make progress toward satisfactory completion of his major in order to be eligible to continue. A student who fails to attend class regularly or otherwise demonstrates a lack of appropriate concern for satisfactory progress and conduct will be dropped from the school and may apply for reinstatement at the beginning of a new semester.

Students receiving Title IV financial aid will first be placed on a warning status if satisfactory progress is not maintained due to poor grades or lack of attendance; if satisfactory progress is not maintained during the warning period, the student will be placed on suspension and will lose aid.

If requirements are not met Veterans will experience an interruption from training from VA and will lose funding until reinstated by VA.

Satisfactory progress for a student receiving any financial aid will be cumulative

• Attendance of 90% of the payment period in which the student is enrolled
• Maintain C average
• Complete 67% of the curriculum for each pay period.

Students whose financial aid is suspended due to failure to comply with satisfactory academic progress standards may file an appeal. See Financial Aid Appeal Form (available at bottom of this page) or obtain the form in the financial aid director's office at either campus.

Disbursement

NWTC typically has two payment periods per award year, and Pell Grants will typically be disbursed twice a year, dependent upon when the student enrolled in the major, and on whether the majority of the hours in a payment period fall within that award year.

All financial aid funds will be disbursed by check through the Business Office on the date listed on the student’s signed Pell Award Form. The student must show a photo ID to receive his disbursement. Students will also receive a reminder notification from the Central Office.

Students will be paid the first time based upon the fact that they are enrolled. Satisfactory academic progress will be monitored before further disbursements will be made.

Return of Title IV Funds

Calculating the Title IV Return of Unearned Funds
As a general rule, grants do not need to be repaid. However, a student may have to repay a certain amount if he/she withdraws or is dismissed prior to completing more than 60% of a payment period. When a student has exhausted all leave according to the attendance policy (see the attendance policy in the Student Handbook or the Student/Consumer Handbook at www.nwtech.edu; obtain a hard copy in the counselor's office, the assistant superintendent's office of the central office, or refer to the Satisfactory Progress section of the Financial Aid handbook) and a leave of absence has not been requested (or one has been requested but denied) on the 10th day of non-attendance the student will be unofficially withdrawn upon that day. The last date of attendance is the date used as the calculation for scheduled hours for the student's attendance on the Return of Title IV Funds Calculation Worksheet. The portion of a federal grant that the student is entitled to receive is calculated on a percentage basis by comparing the total number of hours in a payment period to the hours scheduled to complete in the payment period upon the student's last day of attendance. For example, if the student completes 30% of the payment period, he/she earns 30% of the assistance that he/she was originally scheduled to receive. This means that 70% of the scheduled award remains unearned and must be returned to the Department of Education. Once a student has completed more than 60% of the payment period, he/she has earned all (100%) of the grant money for that pay period.

An example of the Return of Title IV Funds Worksheet and example calculations are provided in the Student Consumer Information and the Financial Aid Policies and Procedure Handbooks at www.nwtech.edu/policies.htm.

More information regarding Return of Title IV Fund is available at www.nwtech.edu/titlerefund.htm.

Institutional Refund Policy

On or before the 1st day of class through the 10th day of class for the enrollment period for which the student has been charged - 100% refund.

After the 10th day of class for the enrollment period for which the student has been charged - 0% refund.
*No refunds will be given for Adult Fees.*

Fees are charged by billable hours in the major and are due at the beginning of the enrollment period and are non-refundable. Return of Title IV/Repayment formulas will be used for students receiving Pell Grants.

Withdrawal from NWTC

Withdrawal Requirements
A student wishing to withdraw from Northwest Technology Center prior to the end of a semester and/or financial aid disbursement period must provide notice to the school either in writing or verbally. This is an official withdrawal. Students are given a letter grade at the time of withdrawal. Students making Satisfactory Academic Progress at the time of their withdrawal who return to the same program/major within 180 days are considered to be in the same payment period.

Written or verbal notice should be submitted to the Northwest Technology Center counselor and attendance officer/central office secretary. The notice should contain the date the student will cease attendance and the reason for the withdrawal. The official withdrawal date is the date the student has the withdrawal form signed by the administration; however, for Title IV Return of Funds Calculations, the last date of attendance is always used for scheduled hours of attendance in a pay period. If a student does not return from an approved leave of absence, then the last date of attendance will be used for calculations of hours scheduled to attend.

If a student quits attending class, on the 10th day of non-attendance the student will be unofficially withdrawn on the tenth day, and the last date of attendance will be used for calculations of hours scheduled to attend for financial aid Return of Funds calculations.

You must meet all of the general eligibility requirements listed for the Federal Pell Grant Program, must be an Oklahoma resident, attend an approved Oklahoma school and must demonstrate financial need as determined by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. For best consideration, the student needs to have filed a FAFSA by March 1st.

This is an Oklahoma Scholarship for students that take a required list of academic classes in high school and meet a GPA of 2.5.  Student eligibility is determined by the Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education (OSRHE).  Students will be required to file FAFSA for the award year of their first year of attending a post-secondary education institution which will provide the required second income verification. Eligibility is dependent upon enrollment in a program that is offered through a cooperative agreement co-enrollment at a degree granting institution with which Northwest Tech has an alliance agreement.

Benefits under this bill allow tuition-free training to Oklahoma veterans who meet the criteria.

Students may apply for Chapters 30,31,32,34 or 106 benefits, if they meet eligibility requirements.

Assistance is provided to individuals who are at least 1/4 Indian and listed on tribal rolls.  Tribes handle assistance through tribal and area offices.  Grants may provide tuition, supplies and living expenses while students are in school.

Services will be provided through a one-stop delivery system. Northwest Technology Center is an eligible provider for WIA and provides a variety of services from employment information to financial aid for training and education programs.

Each year a portion of the monies raised by the Foundation will go to support scholarships for deserving students. This financial assistance may include books, tuition, and other educational costs. The Foundation Scholarship committee assists in the establishment of scholarships and the selection of the recipients. Scholarship applications may be downloaded in Microsoft Word Format.

Eligibility is determined by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. Application is made through the Department of Rehabilitative Services. Funding amounts are determined by the Department of Rehabilitative Services.

This scholarship is administered by the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education Foundation and offered in the Fall, Spring, and Summer to students who might not qualify for other financial aid.

Scholarships are to be used for expenses that directly relate to a student attending a technology center class. Allowable expenses include: tuition, mileage to and from school, books, uniforms, conference registration fees, school supplies, childcare, if not paid by another source.

Application and helpful tips for the Otha Grimes scholarship are available below:

• Otha Grimes Scholarship Application Tips
• Otha Grimes Scholarship Application

For more information about the Otha Grimes scholarship, please contact Karen Koehn, Counselor, at the Alva Campus at 580.327.0344 or Jane Harris, Career Counselor, at the Fairview Campus at 580.227.3708.

Students who live in-district, have a high school diploma, GED or a home school equivalency and are under the age of 24 at the start date of classes are eligible to attend NWTC tuition free.  Fees applicable to the major must be paid by the student.  There is NO DOLLAR AMOUNT tied to this scholarship.
A scholarship recipient who turns 24 during the academic year will be able to finish the remainder of that academic year tuition-free.  For all continuing and subsequent career programs after the student has turned 24, the student will be required to pay tuition.  Students who receive a Northwest Tech Tuition Waiver will still be eligible to apply for financial aid.

Students in the Practical Nursing Program are NOT ELIGIBLE for this waiver.

Applications for the Next Step waiver may be downloaded in the following formats:

• MS Word format
• PDF Format

For more information, please contact Karen Koehn, Counselor, at the Alva Campus at 580.327.0344 or Jane Harris, Counselor, at the Fairview Campus at 580.227.3708.

HB 3350 waives tuition at career techs for children of peace officers, fire fighters, military personnel, and Oklahoma EMT’s who died in the line of duty and children of members of Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement System who were catastrophically injured or killed in the line of duty. The law states “Such waiver of resident tuition and nonresident tuition shall be limited to a period of five (5) years.”

This scholarship is usually offered to two students who wish to attend a workshop (two workshops (usually offered each Fall).

Applications for the scholarship may be printed and then completed:

• MS Word format

For more information about the ACT Preparation scholarship, please contact Karen Koehn, Counselor, at the Alva Campus at 580.327.0344.

The online Net Price Calculator is designed to assist you with calculating your "estimated" educational cost. Please be advised that the calculator is for estimating purposes only. Final eligibility for aid is subject to student completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) meeting eligibility, meeting priority deadline, and availability of funds.

The results provided here should only be considered an estimate and do not guarantee the actual financial aid the student will receive. This estimate is not final, is not binding, and may change.

Link to Net Price Calculator

For NWTC’s Retention, Graduation and Transfer Out Rates, please view our institutional information at the College Navigator website, http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator, or obtain a copy of the information in the financial aid office.

The Department of Education has created a website at http://collegecost.ed.gov where a student my find information about how much it costs students to attend different schools, how fast those costs are going up, and information as to why those costs are going up. It includes links to the College Navigator, Net Price Calculator, College Scorecard, State Spending Charts, and College Affordability and Transparency List.

The following materials are available in PDF format (Adobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing):

• 2014-2015 Financial Aid Handbook

The following materials are available in PDF format (Adobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing):

• 2014-2015 Consumer Information Handbook
• Northwest Technology Center’s Annual Notice of Required Disclosures of Student Consumer Information

For complete information on Consumer Information and Financial Aid Policies and Regulations please refer to the links given above or obtain a hard copy of these handbooks in the asst. superintendent's office, the central office, the counselor's office, or the financial aid office at either campus.

The following forms are available in PDF format (Adobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing):

• Student Financial Aid Suspension Appeal Request Form

For help with completing the FAFSA, view "7 Easy Steps to the FAFSA Guide and Tutorial" at http://www.finaid.ucsb.edu/fafsasimplification/.

For more information about financial assistance, contact Ashlee Sneary at 580.327.0344.