Financial Aid

Students interested in applying for financial assistance should start their application process at least 4-6 months before they expect to attend classes.

The application process requires the student and his/her family to complete a Financial Aid Form (FAF). This is a financial statement that assesses the family's "ability to pay" toward college costs. It is sent to a regional processing center and a copy of the FAF evaluation report is returned to the Financial Aid Office for further evaluation. If a student qualifies for financial aid, a financial "award package" is designed consisting of various funds such as:

• grant funds
• work program
• and/or student loan

Most students should expect to provide some "self help" toward meeting their expenses.

Application deadlines for funding are as follows:

• For Fall semester - May 1
• For Spring semester - October 1

Applications completed by these dates will receive the major portion of available funding. Applications completed after these deadlines are processed on a first-come, first-served basis until all remaining funds are exhausted. Every request will be acknowledged to assure the student:

a) if any additional data is needed
b) of processing status
c) of final results

Please allow 3-4 weeks for processing in the Financial Aid Office.

El Centro College offers funding from federal, state, and institutional resources including:

• Pell Grants
• Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG)
• College Work Study (CWS), both on and off campus
• Work as student assistants
• Short-term, emergency loans
• Texas Guaranteed Student Loans (TGSL)
• Over 40 scholarships based on academics, talent, or financial need

Eligibility criteria varies with the funds available. The Financial Aid Office's objective is to match each student's eligibility for these various funds in a manner that provides equity and consistency of treatment to all students within the guidelines of each funding program.

Counseling staff is available by appointment to discuss financing options and college planning for anyone in the community. Please call the El Centro Financial Aid Office at 214.860.2099 to schedule an appointment or to request further information.

In addition, the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council through its member Metroplex hospitals offers a number of scholarships and loan programs. Many of these scholarships/loans involve a work commitment of employment at the sponsoring hospital. For more information on these scholarships and loans, please contact The Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council at 972-719-4900.

Online resources for financial aid include:

Last updated December 21, 2004