SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS OVERVIEW
Southwest Florida College can help you explore ways to pay for your education through scholarships, grants, and explore other programs that may be available to you..
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Southwest Florida College - Scholarships and Grants
Scholarships & Grants
Southwest Florida College allocates funds annually for the following institutional grant and scholarship programs.
Grant Eligibility Initial Criteria
- The recipient must be a full-time student (12 credit hours or more)
- The recipient must maintain a CGPA of 2.5
- The recipient's enrollment must be continuous and uninterrupted
- Grant recipients may only participate in one institutionally funded financial assistance program
- For additional criteria please contact Tuition Assistance office
Hometown Heroes Public Safety Grant
Southwest Florida College offers grants to individuals who are employed in public service positions with local, state, and federal governments.
- The Hometown Heroes Public Safety Grant is available only to full time police, fire, rescue personnel, and correctional officers employed by local, state, or federal government
- Proof of employment with one of these agencies is required. Examples may include a letter (on letterhead) from the employer stating that the person is currently employed there, a recent paycheck stub, etc.
- The grant will be awarded per term up to 40% of tuition charges.
Southwest Florida College Community Outreach Grant - Character Counts
Southwest Florida College offers a grant to individuals who better their community through volunteer work. This grant will help benefit the student in several different ways including creating stronger ties to the community, work experience and reduced loan debt.
- Students must participate in an approved Non-Profit Organization volunteer program. All Southwest Florida College accepted programs are listed at:
- A student can change volunteer agencies as long as it is an approved Non-Profit organization
- The grant amount is up to $10 per volunteer hour completed up to 45 hours per term, which will be applied towards tuition charges. This will be awarded at the end of each term.
Community Funding Sources
There are many other local sources of financial assistance for students including community agencies, foundations, corporations, unions, religious organizations, business and professional clubs, and civic groups. It is recommended that students contact their high school guidance office or the College's Tuition Assistance Department or more information on the programs offered.
Veteran's Benefits and Assistance
Southwest Florida College has been granted state approval to train veterans or war orphans under the provisions of Chapter 36, Title 38, United States Code, Section 1775. Individuals interested in obtaining more information should contact the VA office that has possession of their records.
A student receiving veteran's educational benefits must meet the minimum Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress in order to remain an active student. The following is only a summary of the standards of satisfactory progress applicable to students receiving veteran's educational benefits. Refer to the section STANDARDS OF SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS in this catalog for a complete explanation.
Satisfactory academic progress is determined by measuring the student's cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and the student's progress toward completion of the academic program within the maximum time frame, which is measured by comparing credits attempted versus credits completed. These are outlined below.
A student must progress at a rate that allows for the completion of the program within a period of time not to exceed 150% of the normal program length.
- Each student will be qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated at the end of every quarter
- Students who do not have a 2.0 CGPA at the end of his/her second academic year must be terminated unless the student can demonstrate through the Appeal Process that there are mitigating circumstances that would permit continued enrollment
- If a student does not meet one or both of the minimum qualitative or quantitative standards at the end of a quarter, the student will be placed on Academic Warning for one quarter. At the end of the quarter of Academic Warning, the student is expected to meet the minimum standards of satisfactory academic progress
- If at the end of the quarter in which the student was on Academic Warning, the student is not able to meet the minimum standards of satisfactory academic progress, the student will be placed on Academic Probation for one quarter. At the end of the quarter of Academic Probation, the student is expected to meet the minimum standards for satisfactory academic progress
- If at the end of the quarter in which the student was on Academic Probation, the student is not able to meet the minimum standards of satisfactory academic progress, the student will be suspended from SWFC and will not be eligible for financial aid.
- If a student has been suspended from SWFC, the student may appeal the suspension in writing to the Director of Education who may convene the Committee on Academic Standing. The student's appeal must present any documented mitigating circumstances that he or she considers to be related to his or her unsatisfactory progress. Mitigating circumstances may include death in the family, illness in the family, or other special circumstances that can explain the student's not meeting the minimum standards of satisfactory academic progress.
- Diploma seeking students whose unexcused absences exceed 15% in a quarter WILL BE TERMINATED from veteran's benefits for unsatisfactory attendance. Excused absences will be granted for extenuating circumstances only and those excused absences will be substantiated by entries in the student's files. Students attending under the provision of the Veteran's Administration are required to report to the College immediately upon withdrawal or dropping of courses. The College will notify the Veteran's Administration of changes in the student's status within thirty (30) days of the official last date of attendance by the veteran student.
Southwest Florida College participates in the Post 9/11 GI Education Enhancement Program Yellow Ribbon detailed below. Currently the maximum tuition rate funded by the VA is $295. Once this rate is met, the Yellow Ribbon funding will go into effect. Currently Southwest Florida College will contribute up to 50% of the difference in tuition rate and the VA will fund the remaining 50% which covers the tuition in full.
The Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program (Yellow Ribbon Program) is a provision of the Post - 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. This program allows institutions of higher learning (degree granting institutions) in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with VA to fund tuition expenses that exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate. The institution can contribute up to 50% of those expenses and VA will match the same amount as the institution. Only individuals entitled to the maximum benefit rate (based on service requirements) may receive the funding. Therefore , you may be eligible if:
- You served an aggregate period of active duty after September 10, 2001, of at least 36 months.
- You were honorably discharged from active duty for a service connected disability and you served 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001.
- You are a dependent eligible for Transfer of Entitlement under the Post - 9/11 GI Bill based on a veteran's service under the eligibility criteria listed above.
Government / Agency Referred
Students who are referred to Southwest Florida College by a government office or community agency that has an existing agreement with the College may be eligible for an institutional grant. Southwest Florida College currently only works with one government agency, which is the Workforce Investment Act.
Workforce Investment Act
In 1998, Congress passed the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), replacing the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) as the largest single source of federal funding for workforce development activities. WIA was to create a universal access system of one-stop career centers, which would provide access to training and employment services for a range of workers, including low-income adults, low-income youth, and dislocated workers. SWFC is an approved WIA institution at the Tampa, Fort Myers, Port Charlotte and Bonita Springs locations.
WIA requires that training services be provided primarily through vouchers, known as Individual Training Accounts (ITAs). Dollar amounts for ITAs can vary significantly from one location to another. This is true at the different SWFC campus locations.
Students wishing to participate in the WIA programs should apply at their local office for information and eligibility determination. SWFC provides the student with a letter estimating the cost of their chosen program of study and the amount of Pell Grant that the student is eligible to receive. The student presents this letter to their local WIA office and if they are approved, they are given a voucher to submit to the college detailing the amount of funding which they are eligible to receive from WIA. |
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Margaret Joffe, 