Financial assistance in the form of scholarships, grants, loans, and employment is available to a number of qualified students. Information regarding programs and eligibility criteria can be obtained from the Office of Financial Aid, 410 Front Street, Orange, Texas 77630, at (409) 882-3317.
When to Apply for Financial Aid and Awards
Applications should be completed by April 1 for the following academic year. Award notifications are emailed in late spring and early summer, as well as being posted in students’ accounts in the Student Services area. The College will continue to award student aid as long as funds are available. The most desirable types of aid are normally expended early; therefore, students should make every effort to meet the April 1 priority date.
How to Apply for Financial Aid and Awards
Students wishing to apply for grants and/or work-study employment must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students may complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov. After the application is submitted, the student will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the Department of Education. The Student Aid Report contains the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) that is used in determining the student’s eligibility to receive financial aid. The type and amount of assistance will be determined by the Office of Financial Aid based on several factors.
Students wishing to be considered for scholarships should request the scholarship application. Students should be aware that scholarship funds are limited and that recipients normally must have grade point averages above 2.5 to be considered.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
To be eligible to receive Federal or State financial aid, students must meet the standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress.
The financial aid office will review SAP, each semester after the student applies for financial aid. New students, transfers, and returning students in good standing will be awarded for the semester they are enrolled. Students must maintain a 2.00 GPA to remain eligible to receive financial aid, and a completion percentage (earned hours/attempted hours) of at least 70% to remain eligible to receive aid. Courses attempted to include all courses for which a student is registered. For a course to be considered complete, the student must receive a grade of A, B, C, D, or S. Grades of W, Q, F, U, NG, or I will not be considered complete for SAP purposes. Grade changes due to the grade replacement policy, completing coursework towards an incomplete, or an instructor-initiated change will not be considered until the official change is made in the records office.
A student may receive financial aid for no more than 150% of the published length of their declared degree program. For example, if the stated number of hours for a degree program is 64 hours, the student may receive aid for no more than 96 hours (64x1.5=96). Included in this total will be all college coursework attempted at all schools attended.
A student enrolled in a regular program may receive financial aid for no more than 30 semester hours of remedial coursework. Remedial courses will be considered when calculating a student’s completion rate and will count towards their total number of hours for SAP.
Summer and mini-session coursework will be included in all completion rates and GPA calculations. Students denied aid may appeal in writing to the financial aid office. This appeal should explain any mitigating circumstances, which have caused the student’s failure to make academic progress. The Coordinator of Financial Aid will review appeals. Relevant documentation necessary to verify or support the appeal (e.g. death in the immediate family, extended personal illness, recent divorce, etc.) should be submitted with the appeal letter. Students shall be notified of their appeal decisions through their student services account within two (2) weeks of the appeal letter being received in the financial aid office. Students denied their appeal may then make an additional appeal to the Director of Financial Aid. (NOTE: If a student’s appeal is denied, new information and documentation are required at each level of appeal to enhance the chances for granting subsequent appeals.) If an appeal is denied by the Director, students may then appeal to the Dean of Student Services. The decision of the Dean is final. Ten (10) working days should be allowed at each level of appeal. Students will be notified of all appeal decisions through their student services account. A student not meeting SAP, but who has their appeal accepted, will be placed on probation or be placed on a Satisfactory Academic Plan. They will receive notification by status updates on their student services account. Under the terms of probation, the student must complete 75% of all attempted coursework for that semester and attain a GPA of 2.0 for the semester. Their status will be re-evaluated at the end of the semester, which is when they are placed on probation. They will be notified of their new status on their student services account at the end of that semester.
A student not meeting SAP, and who will not be able to attain that status after one semester will be denied financial aid. This status will remain in effect until the student is granted an appeal or completes coursework, which brings them in compliance with all standards for academic progress.
Types of Aid
Grants
The Federal Pell Grant is the foundation for all other need-based programs. Students are considered for other financial aid awards after their eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant has been determined. Students must adhere to the satisfactory academic progress policy along with meeting the need-based eligibility requirement to receive financial aid. The requirements of the satisfactory academic progress policy are available in the Office of Financial Aid.
The final amount of the Federal Pell Grant is determined at the time of Leverage Educational Assistance Partnership Program enrollment.
In addition to the Federal Pell Grant Program, Lamar State College Orange participates in the following need-based grant programs:
- Federal SEOGFederal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant
- TPEGTexas Public Education Grant
- STSState Tuition Scholarship
- SDSStudent Deposit Scholarship
- CWSCollege Work-Study
- TEOGTexas Educational Opportunity Grant
- TEXASToward Excellence, Access, and Success Loans
Federal Direct Loans are available through the U.S. Department of Education. To apply for Direct Loans, the student must complete the FAFSA form. They must also complete an online entrance counseling session and a Master Promissory Note.
Direct Loans must be repaid. Direct Loans are either subsidized or unsubsidized. A subsidized loan is awarded based on financial need. The federal government pays interest on the loan (subsidizes the loan) until the student graduates withdraw, or drops below half-time status. An unsubsidized loan is not awarded based on need. Students will be charged interest from the time the loan is disbursed until it is paid in full.
Scholarships
Scholarships are funds that cover portions of students’ expenses. A limited number of Lamar State College Orange and endowed scholarships are available to students who qualify based on merit and/or need. The amounts and numbers of these awards will vary each year depending on available funding and student need.
Scholarships at Lamar State College Orange are of two types: those administered solely by the College, including the selection of recipients; and those administered by the College at the request of donors who select the recipients themselves. Scholarship application forms and information concerning other requirements and deadlines are available in the Office of Financial Aid and online at http://www.lsco.edu/scholarships/scholarships.asp.
General Scholarships
- Better Business Bureau – for full-time students, based on merit and need.
- Chevron/Phillips Scholarship – entering freshmen and/or non-traditional students from an Orange County high school with a 3.0 GPA, based on merit.
- Chloeren, Inc - for new students or returning students in good academic standing that enroll in at least 6 semester hours per long semester and pursue a certificate or degree in the Mechatronics program.
- Del Papa Centennial Scholarship – for students majoring in a business or marketing field.
- Don & Claire Marshall Memorial Scholarship – a student who has a physical disability.
- Donald T. Boumans Memorial Scholarship – this scholarship fund is established by the Donald T. Boumans Foundation to honor and perpetuate his memory, for students enrolled in process technology or business management.
- Hulda and Carroll B. Shaddock, Jr., MD – this scholarship fund is established by Mr. Bill Shaddock to honor and perpetuate the memory of his mother and father, for residents of Orange County.
- Mary Schlesinger Endowed Scholarship – entering freshmen or presently enrolled students with full-time status, based on merit.
- Master Gardener Scholarship – for all students, based on merit and need.
- Orange Memorial Scholarship – for Orange County students enrolled in a medical program such as nursing, dental assisting, or pharmacy technology and in good academic standing.
- Sabine Federal Credit Union – members of the DuPont Credit Union or members of their families, based on merit.
- Service League Health Care Scholarship – for students enrolled in allied health programs.
- Tony Houseman Memorial Scholarship – for students majoring in business or a related field.
Lamar State College Orange Foundation Scholarships
The Lamar State College Orange Foundation provides scholarship assistance to students who meet the minimum eligibility requirements. In addition to the general scholarship fund, the foundation has endowed programs designed for specific purposes:
- A.H. Montagne Memorial Scholarship – Orangefield High School graduate, based on merit and need.
- Betty Jo Spence Scholarship Fund – for students seeking an associate degree in liberal arts, based on merit and need.
- Cecil Beeson Endowment – for Orange County students who are pursuing technical programs of study.
- Claude W. Smith Endowment – for Orange County students, based on need.
- Martin Thomen Fund – provides scholarship aid to students enrolled in allied health programs, based on need.
- President’s Scholarship – for first-time entering freshmen, based on merit, recommended by high schools.
- Service League of Orange Scholarship – for high school seniors selected by the Service League.
- Womack Scholarship – for all students, based on merit and need.
- Stark Foundation Scholarships
- Nelda C. and H. J. Lutcher Stark Scholarship – focuses on students majoring in industrial arts and similar business, economic-related studies, or education fields of study.
- Nelda C. Stark Scholarship – focuses on students majoring in allied health and similar medical, health, nursing, or science-related fields of study.
Short-Term Loans
Lamar State College Orange provides short-term loans. Short-term loans for 60 days are designated to pay tuition and fees during registration and must be repaid within the semester in which the loan is made. Students withdrawing from the College remain responsible for the repayment of the short-term loan. Students interested in acquiring short-term loans should contact the Business Office/Cashiers Office for information and application forms.
Employment
Employment opportunities under Federal Work-Study, State Work-Study, and other employment programs of the College are available to Lamar State College Orange students as part of the financial assistance program. The College and local businesses and industries provide a number of part-time jobs that enable students to earn part or all of their expenses while attending the College. Students can apply for student assistant and work-study job programs online at https://jobs.lsco.edu.
Exemptions
The state of Texas allows certain students to be exempt from paying all or a portion of tuition and fees. Students should contact the Office of Financial Aid if they meet any of the conditions listed:
- Residents of the state of Louisiana
- Highest ranking high school graduate
- Veterans who do not receive Post 9/11 or VA Voc Rehab veteran education benefits
- Students who graduate from high school in three years or fewer
- Children of fire/peace officers who were killed in the line of duty
- Firefighters enrolling in classes related to fire fighting
- Peace officers enrolled in Law Enforcement or Criminal Justice courses
- Students who are blind and/or deaf
- Senior Citizen Tuition
For more information on these exemptions, visit www.collegeforalltexans.com.
Financial Assistance and Special Services for Disabled Students
The Texas Workforce Solutions Vocational Rehabilitation Services office offers assistance for tuition and non-refundable fees to students who have certain disabling conditions, provided their vocational objectives have been approved by a TWS-VRS counselor. Examples of such conditions are orthopedic deformities, emotional disorders, diabetes, epilepsy, heart conditions, etc. Other services are also available to assist handicapped students to become employable. Application for such services should be made at the Texas Workforce Solutions, Beaumont District Office, 5550 Eastex Freeway, Suite D, Beaumont, Texas 77708-5300, at (409) 924-7320 or (800) 242-8334.
The Advising and Counseling Office works closely with the Texas Workforce Solutions. Visually and hearing impaired students may be eligible for assistance, aid for the purchase of books, and assistance in acquiring specialized equipment. For more information call the Texas Workforce Solutions Division of the Blind, 5550 Eastex Freeway, Suite D, Beaumont, Texas, 77708, at (409) 899-8490 or (800) 687-7013.
Veterans Affairs Office
A Veterans’ Affairs Office is maintained in the Office of Financial Aid and assists veterans in obtaining their educational benefits. Possible VA benefits available for eligible veterans and their dependents include:
- Post 9/11 GI Bill®, Chapter 33
- Montgomery GI Bill®, Chapter 30
- Montgomery GI Bill®- Selected Reserve Chapter,1606
- Montgomery GI Bill®- Reserve Educational Assistance Program, Chapter 1607
- Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Vet Success Program, Chapter 31
- Survivors and Dependents Assistance, Chapter 35
GI Bill®is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Hazlewood Exemption for Texas Veterans
The purpose of the Hazlewood Exemption is to provide an education benefit to honorable discharged or separated Texas veterans and to eligible dependent children and spouses of Texas veterans. For eligibility requirements and other information visit https://www.tvc.texan.gov/education.
Policy Regarding Referrals of Suspected Fraud or Criminal Misconduct
If an applicant is suspected of participating in fraud or other criminal misconduct in connection with application for Title IV, HEA program assistance, the information will be referred to the appropriate college, state, and/or federal authorities. These authorities may include but are not limited to, college discipline officer, college police, Orange Police, and the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education.
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