The Financial Aid Office is available to answer questions about the financial aid process. The following are some frequently asked questions. Telephone calls and emails are answered as soon as possible.
How many hours must I take to be considered a full time student?
For financial aid purposes, full time means at least 12 credit hours each term. At Chatfield, 12 credit hours is usually four courses. A three-quarter time student takes 9, 10, or 11 credit hours. A half-time student takes six, seven, or eight credit hours. Fewer than six hours is considered less than half-time. Several types of aid are available for less than half-time, but not loans. These definitions apply to all terms; summer term definitions are not different.
Is financial aid only available to full-time students?
Financial aid is available to students attending at all levels of enrollment. Some programs do have limits, and you should contact the Financial Aid Office for details.
Can I charge my books to my account?
What can I do if I cannot locate my tax returns from last year?
Call the IRS at 1-800-908-9946 and use the automated voice response system to request a transcript of your tax data for financial aid purposes. This usually arrives at your home in about 10 days.
You may also file Form 4506 to request an actual photocopy of the return (there is a fee for this service).
About one third of all FAFSAs are selected, in compliance with federal regulations requiring colleges to monitor accuracy of application data. Being selected does not indicate suspicion of fraud. Many are randomly selected, but some are selected because the system detected probable errors. Financial aid cannot be credited to the student's account until verification is completed and discrepancies are resolved.
I am 21, my parents don't claim me on their taxes, and I have my own apartment. Do I still have to use parent information?
For financial aid purposes, not being claimed on your parents' taxes or living separately does not make you independent. You must go by the questions on the FAFSA. If you cannot answer "yes" to any of the questions there, you must include parent data.
In special cases, a dependency override is possible. See the Financial Aid Officer before filing the FAFSA, if possible.
What if I am expecting financial aid that does not appear on my billing statement?
You should check with the Financial Aid Office to make sure all paperwork is complete. Some sources of funds take longer to receive than others. Chatfield does not apply aid to student accounts until we have actually received the funds. You are responsible for all charges on your bill until money has been received and posted to your account.
What if I cannot attend one of the terms for which I have an award?
The portion of aid awarded for that term will be returned to the funding source and will be used to help another eligible student. Aid not used for one term will not be added to the aid for the next term. If you do not use all your aid, it will not hurt your eligibility the next time you apply.
What if I drop courses or leave school?
The first rule is: You MUST notify the Registrar of any changes in your course schedule. You may visit, call, fax, or email. Depending on the date you notify us of the enrollment change, all or part of your tuition charges and aid awards may need to be adjusted.
Adding and dropping may only be done in the first two weeks of the semester/term or the first week for summer. Once the drop/add period ends leaving class is called withdrawing. No refunds are available for a withdrawal. Withdrawals will affect Satisfactory Progress determinations. To learn about our refund policy in case of withdrawal, click here.
Can I transfer aid from one school to another?
If you change schools in mid-year, an unused Federal Pell Grant may be awarded by your new school. Unused Ohio Grants may be awarded by another Ohio college, but the amounts of the award may change. Scholarships and grants awarded by one college will not transfer to another. Federal Stafford Loans and PLUS loans will not transfer. The new school must recertify based on their costs and overall aid package.