Gwinnett Technical College offers various forms of financial aid to our students; Federal Direct loans, grants, and work study are just a few. To remain eligible for Financial Aid, you must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
Please review the list below for more information.
The Federal Pell Grant is available to you if you demonstrate financial need. This is in accordance with federal guidelines established by the Department of Education. The Pell Grant can be as much as $7395 for the 2024-2025 award year. This amount may change in future academic years. Grants do not have to be repaid. Pell eligibility is determined by the following factors:
- Financial need
- Cost of attendance
- Enrollment Intensity (see chart below)
- Plans to attend school for a full academic year or less
Credit Hours |
Enrollment Category |
Enrollment Intensity |
---|---|---|
12 (or more) |
Full-Time |
100% |
11 |
Three-Quarter Time |
92% |
10 |
83% |
|
9 |
75% |
|
8 |
Half-Time |
67% |
7 |
58% |
|
6 |
50% |
|
5 |
Less-than-Half-Time |
42% |
4 |
33% |
|
3 |
25% |
|
2 |
17% |
|
1 |
8% |
Requirements for the Pell Grant include:
- You must be an undergraduate student (you cannot have a baccalaureate degree)
- You must be accepted into an eligible program (some certificates, diploma, or associate degrees)
The amount of Federal Pell Grant funds you can receive is limited by the Department of Education. Students have up to 6 years (or 12 full-time semesters) to receive the Pell Grant. This includes all semesters Pell Grant was received at prior institutions.
To review your Pell Lifetime Eligibility Usage, visit StudentAid.gov.
Pell Grant Recalculation Date Policy:
Gwinnett Technical College utilizes a Pell Recalculation Date to determine Pell Grant Eligibility. This date will refer to the point in which your enrollment at Gwinnett Technical College is locked for the semester. This enrollment lock does not apply to any other types of Financial Aid. Student enrollment as of 11:59 on the Census Date will determine Pell Grant Eligibility. If you have a schedule that includes a class in Mini-Mester Term C, your PELL Grant Census Date will defer to the Mini-Mester Term C Census Date. Any withdrawals prior to that can be subject to your Pell Grant being reduced.
If a student has a schedule that initially includes a Mini-Mester Term C class, and they decide to drop that class, the applicable census date will automatically revert back to the Pell Census Date for terms A/B.
New students who are registering during Term C registration will default to the Mini-Mester Term C Census Date only.
(The Pell Grant Census Date is scheduled the day after add/drop each semester and Mini-Mester as of 11:59 PM EST)
You may be eligible for a Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) in the amount of $300-$1200 each academic year. The SEOG funds are extremely limited; students are strongly encouraged to complete their FAFSA early each year. SEOG funds are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. This award does not have to be repaid. Requirements for the SEOG include:
- You must be an undergraduate student (you cannot have a baccalaureate degree)
- You must be accepted into an eligible program (some certificates, diplomas, or associate degrees)
For more information on the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), visit StudentAid.gov.
Federal Work Study (FWS) provides part-time jobs with flexible hours revolving around your class schedule. Students are limited to working 20 hours per week – leaving ample time for their studies. You may receive an initial award of $5,500 per academic year if you demonstrate financial need. FWS Awards are paid as monthly paychecks, and this award does not have to be repaid. The funds for FWS are very limited, so complete your FAFSA early! Be sure to indicate you are interested in Federal Work Study when asked on the FAFSA.
ELIGIBILITY
In order to be eligible for an FWS award, students must:
- Be an enrolled student in an eligible program of study
- Register for at least six credit hours in the fall, spring, or summer terms.
- Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) or be on an approved Education Plan as defined by the Office of Financial Aid
- Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States
- Must have financial need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- The student’s financial aid file is complete and verified by the Office of Financial Aid
- Received confirmation of an approved FWS award
- Student must not be in default or owe a repayment to any federal aid program
To apply for a Federal Work Study position, visit GwinnettTech.edu and click on the “GTC Careers” link at the bottom of the main page.
Federal Direct Loans are offered by the Department of Education and have to be repaid, with interest. Students must submit their FAFSA to be considered for this program. First-time borrowers must complete the Entrance Counseling session and sign their Master Promissory Note at StudentAid.gov before funds will be released.
Never borrow more than you need. Student Loans are accepted each term and are divided into two disbursements. If you want a student loan, you will have to accept it each term in Banner.
Students who complete their program, cease attendance or have a less than half-time enrollment status are required to complete the Exit Counseling session. For more information on Federal Direct Loans, visit StudentAid.gov.
For any student who enters into a loan agreement, the loan information will be submitted to NSLDS and accessible by authorized agencies, lenders, and institutions.
Gwinnett Technical College’s official cohort default is 0% as of 10/4/2024.
Gwinnett Tech students who received loans is 18.7%.
The 2024 national average cohort default rate for public institutions is 0%.
This program offers low-interest loans to students who demonstrate financial need. The federal government pays the interest while students are in school and have a half-time enrollment status. If you would like to use both types of Federal Loan funds, you must accept the Subsidized loan first.
Students who receive this loan are given a six-month grace period after completing their program, ceasing attendance, or if they are below half-time enrollment status (5 credit hours or less). Once the grace period has expired, repayment and interest on the loan begin.
There are annual limits to the amount of loan funds that students can receive. The annual loan limits vary; they are based on your year in college (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior/Senior) and your dependency status.
There are also limits to how much a student can borrow for their undergraduate and graduate studies. These are called aggregate loan limits. Keep track of your student loan debt and usage by logging into the StudentAid.Gov website and viewing the loan information on your dashboard.
Subsidized Usage Limit Applies(SULA) Update
As of July 1, 2021, no matter the aid year related to the loan, the secretary of the Department of Education removes and amends regulations to follow changes made by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. The Secretary removes the Subsidized Usage Loan Limit restriction also known as SULA for any borrower that receives loans on or after July 1, 2021, and for all award years since the 2013-2014 award years since the 2013-2014 award year.
The Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans are similar. However, this loan accrues interest 14 days after it is disbursed to your Student Banner account. In addition, students do not have to demonstrate financial need to receive this loan.
Students have the same grace period after completing their program, ceasing attendance, or if they are below half-time enrollment status (5 credit hours or less). Interest accrues (or is added) to the loan each semester. The Unsubsidized loan’s principal balance and the interest must be repaid. Students may choose to pay their interest each semester.
There are limits on the amount in Unsubsidized loans that you may be eligible to receive each academic year (annual loan limits) and the total amounts that you may borrow for undergraduate and graduate study (aggregate loan limits). The annual loan limits vary; they are based on your year in college (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior/Senior) and your dependency status.
Keep track of your student loan debt and usage by logging into the StudentAid.Gov website and viewing the loan information on your dashboard.
Once you are no longer enrolled in and attending at least six credit hours, repayment of your Federal Student Loans begins after a six-month grace period. During the grace period, you will receive repayment information from the loan servicer, including the first payment due date (interest accrues on both loans but payments are not enforced).
The Federal Direct loan program offers several repayment plans that are designed to meet the different needs of individual borrowers. Generally, students have 10 to 25 years to repay their loan, depending on the repayment plan that they choose.
Detailed information on repayment options is provided on the mandatory online Entrance Loan Counseling and Exit Loan Counseling sessions.
Sample Loan Repayment Schedules
Initial debt when you enter payment | Per Month | # of Months | Total Repaid |
---|---|---|---|
$3,500 | $50 | 90 | $4,478 |
$5,500 | $63 | 120 | $7,595 |
$10,500 | $121 | 120 | $14,500 |
$17,000 | $196 | 120 | $23,476 |
$25,000 | $288 | 120 | $34,524 |
$40,000 | $460 | 120 | $55,239 |
$57,500 | $662 | 120 | $79,405 |
Initial debt when you enter payment | Per Month | # of Months | Total Repaid |
---|---|---|---|
$3,500 | Not available for this amount | ||
$5,500 | Not available for this amount | ||
$10,500 | Not available for this amount | ||
$17,000 | Not available for this amount | ||
$25,000 | Not available for this amount | ||
$40,000 | $278 | 300 | $83,289 |
$57,500 | $399 | 300 | $119,727 |
Initial debt when you enter payment | Per Month | # of Months | Total Repaid |
---|---|---|---|
$3,500 | $23-$70 | 120 | $5,201 |
$5,500 | $37-$110 | 120 | $8,173 |
$10,500 | $70-$209 | 120 | $15,603 |
$17,000 | $113-$339 | 120 | $25,262 |
$25,000 | $166-$498 | 120 | $37,150 |
$40,000 | $266-$797 | 120 | $59,440 |
$57,500 | $382-$1,145 | 120 | $85,445 |
Initial debt when you enter payment | Per Month | # of Months | Total Repaid |
---|---|---|---|
$3,500 | $26-$33 | 209 | $6,098 |
$5,500 | $41-$51 | 209 | $9,583 |
$10,500 | $78-$98 | 209 | $18,295 |
$17,000 | $127-$158 | 209 | $29,621 |
$25,000 | $186-$232 | 209 | $43,561 |
$40,000 | $298-$372 | 209 | $69,707 |
$57,500 | $298-$560 | 209 | $114,608 |
Initial debt when you enter payment | Per Month | # of Months | Total Repaid |
---|---|---|---|
$3,500 | $25-$33 | 225 | $6,380 |
$5,500 | $39-$51 | 225 | $10,025 |
$10,500 | $75-$98 | 225 | $19,139 |
$17,000 | $121-$159 | 225 | $30,987 |
$25,000 | $154-$423 | 231 | $46,576 |
$40,000 | $154-$423 | 274 | $88,667 |
$57,500 | $154-$644 | 300 | $127,891 |
Edamerica Provides Loan Repayment Assistance
The Office of Financial Aid here at Gwinnett Technical College understands that you may have trouble when repaying back loans. Gwinnett Technical College has collaborated with Edamerica, to provide you with FREE assistance on your federal student loan obligations to ensure successful, and comfortable, loan repayment. The Edamerica counselors will help explain the student loan repayment process so you understand all of your options. If you have trouble making your payments, they will offer helpful alternatives so you will not fall behind. Edamerica is not a collection agency. We have collaborated with them to help you explore a wide variety of possibilities such as alternative repayment plans, deferment, consolidation, discharge, forgiveness, and forbearance options. Edamerica will stay in touch with you via phone calls, letters, and/or emails to help you find answers to your questions and solutions to your issues. Please VISIT our website for any financial questions you may have.
Gwinnett Technical College has teamed up with Edamerica, formerly Higher Education Solutions (HES) to provide a money management website. The website is here to help explain the student loan repayment process so you understand all of your options. You can also learn money basics with articles about understanding your paycheck, checking and savings accounts, or understanding your credit score.