Financial Aid & Scholarships
Make paying for college practical! Whether you are a full-time or a part-time student, you may qualify for financial aid to help bring down your college costs or cover them entirely!
Step 1: Create an FSA ID
- To create an FSA ID please go to www.studentaid.gov Whether you’re a student, parent, or borrower, you’ll need to create an FSA ID account to manage your financial aid. You will need your social security number, mobile phone number, and/or email address. You can use your FSA ID to Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form, sign your Master Promissory Note (MPN); apply for repayment plans, complete loan counseling, and to use the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Help Tool
Step 2: Complete the FAFSA
FAFSA is the acronym for Free Application for Federal Student Aid and provides U.S. students with more than $150 billion in Federal funds. Pell, SEOG, Work-Study, and Federal Educational Loans each year. Remember the only way to find out if you are eligible to receive any of this money, you must complete the FAFSA every year you plan to attend college. We strongly recommend you complete your FAFSA between October 1 and May 1.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
- Beginning the fall 2023 semester, and through the summer of 2023, we will be working in conjunction with the US Department of Education to transition into the Connecticut State Community College. As of October 1, 2022, if you intend on completing a FAFSA application for the Fall 2023 semester and beyond, you must use the federal school code: 007635. We are aware that this federal school code will identify Capital Community College on the FAFSA, however, we have been advised that the US Department of Education will update the college name on the FAFSA in the summer of 2023. If you do not list our new federal school code, we will be unable to process your financial aid application for your Fall 2023 semester and the 2023-2024 academic year.
- Students will be notified recurrently through email/text beginning the week of 9/26 to complete a 2023-2024 FAFSA using CT State’s school code: 007635. For questions about this process, please contact your local Financial Aid Office or visit https://www.ct.edu/admission/finaidguide
- Check out the Federal Student Aid Tutorial Videos Federal Student Aid YouTube page. It has the latest helpful videos on everything from How to Fill Out the FAFSA to Introducing our Loan Simulator Tool to an Overview of the Financial Aid Process.
Financial Aid Workshops
Attend one of our Financial Aid Workshops starting October 2022. A Financial Aid Specialist will assist you in completing your FAFSA application. Before attending, please follow these very important INSTRUCTIONS, and then register for a Financial Aid Workshop.
What comes after FAFSA?
Your FAFSA application is sent electronically to our Financial Aid Office to be reviewed and to determine your eligibility for potential sources of funding. (See below for various types of funding.) Some students may be randomly selected for verification, which will be completed by Inceptia, a division of the National Student Loan Program. Learn more about Inceptia here. Depending on your financial status and other eligibility factors, you may qualify for additional sources of aid. The Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid website has lots of detailed information.
Have your financial circumstances changed? Appeal for Special Circumstances might help.
If you have lost employment or have experienced a significant reduction in income due to COVID-19 since you filled out your FAFSA, we may be able to adjust the income on your 2021-2022 FAFSA to reflect your current financial standing. Please read more at Appeal for Special Circumstances.
Types of funding
Grants
Federal Pell Grants
Pell Grants are need-based, do not have to be paid back, and are awarded only to students who have not earned a bachelor’s or professional degree. If you are eligible for a Pell Grant, our Financial Aid Office will apply it to your Three Rivers student account.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
Supplemental Grants are available to Three Rivers Community College students. Amounts and availability vary from year to year and are awarded only to Federal Pell Grant recipients who have acute financial hardship.
Roberta B. Willis Scholarship Program (RWSP)
The Roberta B. Willis Scholarship Program is a grant that provides state aid to help talented and needy students pay for college. It is not a merit program: priority is given only to those who are least able to contribute to college costs. Based upon continued funding, students may use their award at any of Connecticut’s public colleges and universities or any Connecticut nonprofit independent institution of higher education.
Eligibility for this grant is limited to six years of undergraduate study for a bachelor’s degree and three years of study for an associate degree. Based upon future funding levels, students who submit a 2017-2018 application will be considered for an award in future years if a completed FAFSA is submitted by April 30. Renewal students will be notified via email about the status of their application by August 1. Our Financial Aid office will award these based on funding availability and individual eligibility, which includes satisfactory academic progress.
Work-Study
Applicants may contact our Financial Aid office at 860-215-9040 to check if they are eligible. Our Financial Aid Department has a list of any work-study job openings. In-state students may also be eligible for state-funded Community College Work-Study funding. Work-study funding is also need-based.
Loans
Federal Direct Stafford Loan
These fixed-rate student loans do not require you to make any payments until six months after you leave college or if you reduce your course load below six credit hours. To see if you qualify for a Direct Loan, please contact the Financial Aid Office at 860-215-9040 for information on our institutional process, your eligibility, amounts, and interests rates.
Parents’ Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)
This program allows parents of dependent students to borrow in their own name through the Federal Direct Loan Program to help meet the student’s educational expenses. However, PLUS loans are not usually needed to pay for community college.
Private Educational Loans
If you have exhausted all federal and state aid options, you can consider a private educational loan which generally has much higher interest rates. The FinAid website has a useful comparison chart. Information on the Federal Aid First website can help you understand the differences between federal and private student loans.
Scholarships
We encourage all students to pursue scholarship opportunities. Their criteria ranges from academic achievement to financial need, merit to special interests, so most everyone is eligible.
Three Rivers College Foundation Scholarships
The Three Rivers College Foundation offers a number of scholarships through the Three Rivers College Foundation. They take into consideration your area of study, proven academic performance, and other circumstances. They are available to current students as well as incoming freshmen. A Three Rivers advisor or the Three Rivers College Foundation can help you with this process. The deadline for submitting the application is April 1. Learn more.
Other Scholarships
In addition, many civic groups, large employers, cultural and religious institutions, and other organizations make scholarships available, such as the Richard “Dik” Days Scholarship. Many can be found by searching the web. High school students can also check with their guidance office for these opportunities.
Undocumented students eligible for financial aid
Beginning in the 2019-2020 academic year, undocumented students may apply for institutional aid toward the Spring 2020 semester. If you are an undocumented student looking for information on how to be considered and apply for financial aid, please visit “CSCU makes institutional aid application available for undocumented students.”
First Generation College Students
Are you a first student in your family to attend college?
According to the U.S. Department of Education NCES, nearly one-third of all incoming freshman each year are first-generation college students defined as learners coming from a family where neither of their parents or guardians has obtained a college degree. Students in this category often face obstacles their peers do not experience, but with the right inside knowledge, they can be successful in their college career.
We have found an excellent web page that is a great start — the First Generation College Student Guide. It provides information on financial aid, checklists, timelines, and more, helping you understand the challenges and unknowns while also offering concrete guidance, support, and resources.
Questions?
Contact the Financial Aid Office at 860-215-9040 or financialaidhelp@threefdn.wpenginepowered.com.