Federal and State Financial Aid Programs
Atlanta Technical College is pleased to participate in the administration of federal and state Student Financial Aid (SFA) programs. SFA programs are designed to assist students in meeting the educational costs required to complete their chosen program of study. To further assist students with the application process, financial aid counseling is available and workshops are conducted throughout each academic year. The following financial aid information will provide you with an overview of the programs available, the eligibility criteria, and the application process. Additional information and/or clarification of the SFA programs may be obtained from the Financial Aid Office. Please note that the information contained herein is subject to change pursuant to federal, state or institutional policy updates.
Federal PELL Grant Program (PELL)
The PELL Grant Program provides federal assistance to students who demonstrate financial need as defined by the U. S. Department of Education. PELL recipients must be enrolled in an eligible undergraduate program of study and must not have attained a baccalaureate degree or a first professional degree. Normally, all associate degree and diploma programs are Pell eligible. However, many of the Technical Certificate of Credit (TCC) programs do not meet the qualifications for Pell. A current listing of all academic programs and financial assistance can be found here. Award amounts vary based on individual need as determined by federal methodology and credit hours each semester.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
This federal program is designed to ‘supplement’ the grant assistance awarded to the neediest PELL Grant recipients. Funding for FSEOG is limited and based on the amount of funds allocated to the College each year. Thus, funds are not available for all students who meet the eligibility criteria for this award. Since funds at Atlanta Tech are limited, students who meet the priority deadline date for applying for federal aid have the greatest chance of receiving FSEOG assistance.
Federal Work Study (FWS) Program
Federally funded, this program encourages part-time employment and participation in community service activities such as the America Reads initiative. Normally employed in departments on campus, FWS students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or greater. FWS offers student employees opportunity for financial assistance, exposure to real work experiences, development of positive work ethics and time management skills.
Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE)
HOPE Grant
The HOPE Grant component is available to students enrolled in a certificate or diploma program of study. HOPE Grant recipients must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater at the required checkpoints (30 and 60 semester hours) to continue receiving funding. Effective Fall 2017, HOPE Grant pays $70 per credit hour.
HOPE Scholarship
The HOPE Scholarship component is awarded to HOPE Scholars enrolled in an associate degree (AAT or AAS) program of study. HOPE Scholars are students who graduate from a Georgia high school with this distinguished honor or students who are ‘grandfathered’ into the program after attempting a minimum of 30 associate or baccalaureate degree semester hours with a 3.0 or greater cumulative GPA at the required checkpoints. HOPE Scholarship applicants must have a current year FAFSA or GSFAPP on file to be reviewed for eligibility. HOPE Scholarship will pay up to a maximum of 127. HOPE Scholarship recipients must have graduated from high school within the past seven years or received HOPE scholarship funding prior to summer semester 2011. Students become ineligible for HOPE scholarship seven years after the date they graduated high school or equivalent. Students who received a HOPE scholarship payment during the 2010-2011 award year will remain eligible through June 20, 2015, regardless of graduation date. Active duty military service time does not count against the seven-year period. Students can only regain the HOPE scholarship one time.
Combined HOPE Grant and Scholarship Limit: In addition to the HOPE Grant paid hours limit and the attempted HOPE Scholarship paid hours limit, there is a combined limit of 127 semester hours. If the student reaches the combined limit prior to reaching the Grant or Scholarship paid hours limit, the student will no longer qualify for Grant or Scholarship assistance.
Zell Miller Scholarship
The Zell Miller Scholarship covers 100% of tuition for students who are the Valedictorian or Salutatorian for their graduating class or received a score of at least 1,200 combined critical reading score and math score on a single administration of the SAT or an ACT composite scale score of at least 26 and graduated from high school with at least a 3.7 calculated GPA. Students must be enrolled in a degree program, and must have a 3.3 GPA at all checkpoints (30, 60 and 90 semester hours), at the end of spring and at the end of 3 term checkpoint for part time, beginning students. Students who lose eligibility may possibly regain the scholarship once. Students who lose eligibility for the Zell Miller Scholarship may continue to receive the HOPE scholarship if they are eligible. Degree classes taken at any post-secondary institution are counted in the GPA calculation.
Georgia HERO Scholarship
The Georgia HERO (Helping Educate Reservists and their Offspring) Scholarship Program was created to provide financial aid to students seeking a postsecondary education, who are current members of the Georgia National Guard and United States Military Reserves (or their children) who were deployed overseas on active service, on or after February 1, 2003, to a location designated as a combat zone; It is also available for spouses if the guard or reservist was killed in the combat zone, or died as a result of injuries received in the combat zone, or sustained 100 percent disability in the combat zone, or became 100 percent disabled as a result of injuries received in the combat zone. The maximum amount awarded to an eligible student is $2,000 per award year, for no more than four award years.
Law Enforcement Personnel Grant (LEPD)
Georgia’s Law Enforcement Personnel Dependents (LEPD) Grant program provides assistance to the dependent children of law enforcement personnel, firefighters, and corrections officers/prison guards permanently disabled or killed in the line of duty that plan to attend eligible public and private institutions in Georgia. The maximum award is $2,000 per academic year, not to exceed a total of $8,000 for four academic years.
Public Safety Grant
The Georgia Public Safety Memorial (GPSM) Grant provides educational assistance for the cost of attending public Eligible Postsecondary Institutions in Georgia to the dependent children of Georgia Public Safety Officers permanently disabled or killed in the line of duty. The grant covers a student’s total Cost of Attendance that is not covered by other student financial aid.