Financial Aid

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be requested by writing, calling or visiting your local Kiamichi Tech campus. You may choose to complete the application online at studentaid.gov  Our Financial Aid officer can assist you, if needed. You will be asked to provide certain documents; therefore, it is recommended that you call for an appointment to save time and unnecessary trips.  Additional publications that will assist you with completing the process are located at YouCanGo2.Org.

• Kiamichi Tech SCHOOL CODE is: 009204. It will show Wilburton, OK.
• Kiamichi Tech has one school code for the entire district. This code applies for all campuses. 

Gainful Employment Disclosures (Alphabetical PDF)

Calculate your tuition costs with our helpful Net Price Calculator. 

Eligibility for financial aid is determined by individual circumstances. Types of financial aid available at Kiamichi Tech include:

Pell Grant
The Pell Grant is a need-based, supplemental funding for eligible adult students to pay part or all of tuition.

Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) 
This is supplement funding for eligible adult students for educational expenses. 

Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant Program
This is a need-based, supplement funding for eligible adult students.

Kiamichi Tech Steps to Success Tuition Scholarship
High school seniors graduating within the last two years may qualify for a grant that will cover the cost of tuition and limited to 1 local program, up to 1050 hours of training in a full-time program or 1 short-term program which leads to an industry certification.  Applicants must reside in the Kiamichi Tech district and complete one of the following: 1) Graduation from an in-district partner school. 2) Completion of secondary education in a home school setting. 3) Completion of a high school equivalency credential (HISET or GED).  See a Kiamichi Tech counselor for required documents and details.

Veterans
Veterans may be eligible for certain benefits to help pay for tuition, and receive a monthly housing allowance and/or monthly stipends. 

Requirements: Certificate of Eligibility and DD-214. 

Students must contact the Kiamichi Tech VA School Certifying Official, Kirstin Martinez at 918-465-2323 or by email at kmartinez@ktc.edu, or find out more information at http://www.gibill.va.gov.

Who Is Eligible?

Kiamichi Tech does NOT participate in the Federal Direct Loan program. Students will not be able to receive federal subsidized, unsubsidized, PLUS or Perkins loans for attendance.

Students admitted by Kiamichi Tech as a regular student in an eligible career major* that leads to a certificate and is at least 600 clock hours in length, may apply for Title IV aid. (*A local program must be accredited by the Oklahoma Board of Career and Technology Education and eligible for Title IV funding.  Not all local programs may qualify or be financial aid approved by the accrediting agency.  You must check with your campus financial aid office to verify.).

You must also meet the following requirements:

1. Be qualified to study at the postsecondary level, which includes one of the following:
   •  Have a high school diploma
   •  Have a GED certificate
   •  Home-schooled students
   •  Ability to Benefit (ATB) students who are or were enrolled in a Title IV eligible program of study any time prior to July 1, 2012 may continue to qualify under one of the ATB alternatives:
     • Pass an independently administered, approved ATB test
     • Successfully completed at least 225 clock hours in a Title IV program of study
2. Must be a U.S. citizen or national; or U.S. permanent resident or other eligible noncitizen; or citizen of the Freely Associated States: the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republics of Palau and the Marshall Islands to be eligible to receive funds under the Federal Pell Grant and FSEOG programs.
3. Have a valid Social Security Number, except students from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia or the Republic of Palau
4. Register with the Selective Service (males only, at least 18 years of age and born after December 31, 1959).
5. Not exceeded 600% of the Lifetime Eligibility Used for Pell Grant.
6. Must not be in default on any federal student loan or be in overpayment on any federal student aid grant.
7. Must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as explained in the ‘What Is Satisfactory Academic Progress?’ section of this document.
8. Sign the Statement of Educational Purpose on the FAFSA stating that all funds received through the Title IV programs will be used solely for educationally-related purposes.

If you have a Bachelor’s Degree you are not eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), or the Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant (OTAG). Title IV funding can only be used at one institution at a time.

How do I Apply?

Fill out your FAFSA on the internet at www.fafsa.gov. The federal financial aid award year starts July 1 and runs through June 30. You may file your FAFSA online starting October 1 for the following school year. Include Kiamichi Tech’s school code on your FAFSA: 009204. Or you may complete a paper application (instead of applying online); however, the processing time will be much longer. Contact the Department of Education, at 1 (800) 433-3243 to request a paper FAFSA application.

Kiamichi Tech has representatives available to assist students in completing the FAFSA online. Please contact the Financial Assistance Office at your local Kiamichi Tech campus for more information.

How do I find out if I am eligible?

Approximately one week after your FAFSA is submitted online, you will receive an email response from the Department of Education informing you of the status of your application. If you did not include an email address on your FAFSA, a Student Aid Report (SAR) will be mailed to your home address. If you entered Kiamichi Tech’s school code, the school will also receive a copy of the report within three days after you submitted your FAFSA online.

The Verification Process

If you are chosen for verification by the Department of Education and you are eligible for a Pell Grant, you will receive a letter from Kiamichi Tech’s financial assistance office requesting the documents that must be verified. You must submit the requested documents within 30 days of the date on the letter or Kiamichi Tech has the right to forfeit Federal Financial Aid awards for the year.

Kiamichi Tech verifies 100% of the applicants selected by the Department of Education’s Central Processing System (CPS) eligible for a Pell Grant, FSEOG, and OTAG. Kiamichi Tech may also require verification documents from students not selected by CPS if there is a reason to believe the student has falsified information on their FAFSA.

All students chosen for verification will be required to submit an Institutional Verification Worksheet. Additional requested documentation may include: a signed copy of federal tax transcript, proof of citizenship, a letter from the Selective Service, and/or additional information that may be required to resolve conflicting information.

After the verification process has been completed, your eligibility will be re-evaluated.

Overpayments

Referral of Overpayments: If the verification process reveals an overpayment has occurred, Kiamichi Tech will make every effort to collect the overpayment. If Kiamichi Tech is not able to collect Federal Pell Grant overpayments (which were not the result of an Institutional error); Kiamichi Tech will refer the overpayment case to the Department of Education for collection. If a case is referred to the Department of Education, the student will be ineligible to receive federal student aid funds at any school until the overpayment is resolved.

Referral of Fraud Cases: If Kiamichi Tech suspects an applicant, employee, or other individual has misreported information and/or altered documentation to fraudulently obtain federal funds, Kiamichi Tech will report the suspected activities to the Department of Education’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

Determination and Award Process

How is Federal Student Aid Determined?

Kiamichi Tech uses the Federal Needs Analysis Methodology to determine the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), as well as the student’s Cost of Attendance (COA).

The COA is the total amount it will cost to attend Kiamichi Tech.  The COA includes tuition, fees, books and supplies, as well as, an allowance for room and board, transportation, personal and miscellaneous expenses.

The EFC is the amount that indicates how much of a student’s family financial resources should be available to help pay for school. It is determined by the Department of Education based on the information you submitted on your FAFSA. The EFC can include a parental contribution, for dependent students, and a student contribution and spouse if applicable, for an independent student.

If an agency will be paying your tuition, fees, etc., it is your responsibility to notify the financial assistance office of any awards you will be receiving.

The Awarding Process:

Federal Pell Grant

After enrolling in an eligible program, you need to notify the financial aid office and submit all required documents (if applicable).  The financial aid office will then determine your eligibility. If you are eligible, a scheduled award letter will be generated and a financial representative will go over it with you and answer any questions.

If determination of your Pell Grant award is made more than ten days prior to the first day of class, you may not be required to make a payment toward your tuition and required fees. Check with your campus for payment arrangements.

Your Pell Grant award will be based on the following:

•  Expected Family Contribution and full-time entitlement award from the Federal Pell Grant schedule
•  Federal Pell Grant cost of attendance
•  Program you are enrolled in
•  Number of hours enrolled for the school year

The academic year definition for calculating Federal Financial Aid eligibility is 900 hours and 26 weeks.

•  All programs that are 900 hours would have a payment period of 450 hours and 13 weeks. OR
•  For programs less than 900 hours, the payment period is one half of the total hours and weeks of the program.

Charging Books and Supplies

Kiamichi Tech does not allow charging of books, fees and supplies.  Most programs include books and supplies in the tuition charges.  Specific programs will list their books, fees and supplies and these amounts are due at the time of enrollment.  Kiamichi Tech will utilize your Pell Grant funds toward tuition, books, fees and supplies before determining any amount that is left over to be disbursed to the student.  In the event that all charges are not covered the student will need to provide additional funds by private pay or an additional funding source prior to attending class.  Please get with the financial aid staff to help determine charges.  

Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

Kiamichi Tech has a limited amount of FSEOG funds. FSEOG will be awarded to students as follows:

•  Must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant
•  Based on the lowest EFC and then disbursed to higher EFC if funds still remain.
•  Amounts awarded will be determined with a funding formula at the time of processing funding.  This relies on the amount of available funds.
• Must not have previously earned a bachelor’s or first professional degree.

Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant (OTAG)

Every fall and spring, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education will send Kiamichi Tech a list of students that are eligible for Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant (OTAG) funds. You must be a legal resident of Oklahoma as determined by the current Policy on Resident Status of Enrolled Students in the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education. OTAG funds are limited, so you need to complete your FAFSA as early as possible, between October 1 to December 1 for the upcoming award year. OTAG funds are awarded to the neediest students first, based on the EFC from your FAFSA.

If you have met the requirements for a Federal Pell Grant, your OTAG funds will be requested from the Oklahoma State Regents office.  Once the funds have been received your campus financial aid office will inform you of your award.

How Will Funds Be Disbursed?

Disbursements and Eligibility Guidelines

Federal Pell Grant Funds

Federal Pell Grant funds will be paid to the student for the current school year based on your award letter schedule.  The estimated date(s) of your disbursement or disbursements for each corresponding payment period will appear on your award letter.  All charges, including tuition, books, etc., for the current school year, must be paid in full before any award amounts will be issued to you.  The disbursement checks will be sent to the campus financial aid office to be given to the student directly.

Please keep in mind that in order to be eligible for your Pell Grant disbursements, you must successfully complete all the clock hours and curriculum associated with the hours in each corresponding payment period. You must also maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

FSEOG will be divided into two disbursements. The first disbursement will be awarded in the first semester of class. The second disbursement will be applied to your student account once you have successfully completed the hours in the first payment period by meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements. These funds will be applied to the tuition, fees, books, etc., for the current school year if applicable.

The Kiamichi Tech financial aid office will notify you when your FSEOG funds will be awarded.

Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant (OTAG)

The Kiamichi Tech financial aid office will notify you when your OTAG funds have been received from the Oklahoma State Regents office. These funds will be applied to the tuition, fees, books, etc., for the current school year first.  Any amounts left over will be awarded to the student.

Disbursement Dates and Schedules

Students are paid the 1st disbursement of their Federal Financial Aid at the beginning of the 1st pay period, approximately 4 – 6 weeks after their start date. The remaining payments are based on satisfactory grade average and attendance for the previous pay period. Pay period dates are different for each student depending on career major enrolled and start dates. Upon receipt of an award letter, the student is issued a list of financial aid disbursement dates.

Students on a LOA will not be disbursed (Pell, OTAG, FSEOG, etc.).

Federal Work-Study disbursements are made on a monthly basis through direct deposit. The amounts are based on the hours worked as reported on the student’s timesheet.

Disbursement Rule

The student must complete 100% of all course work and at least 90% of the seat time within the payment period to be eligible for the next disbursement.

KTC adult students are expected to attend 90% of their scheduled hours in any one semester (up to 10% absence of enrolled hours in any one semester is considered excused). If a student exceeds the 10% of excused absences for the semester, the student’s enrollment will be terminated.

Financial Aid Warning Status

A student not meeting the standards outlined above may be placed on Warning Status for the following payment period. The student is eligible to receive financial aid for this warning period; however, if the student does not meet the SAP requirements for two payment periods in a row, the student will lose eligibility for financial aid. See Financial Aid Suspension Status below.
To be placed on Warning Status, it must be possible to meet the minimum SAP standards by the end of the Warning period. For example, if a student cannot mathematically increase his/her progress rate to the required 87% by the end of the next payment period, then the student will automatically be considered ineligible for financial aid, and all future disbursements will be canceled until the student can demonstrate that s/he is meeting the standards.

Financial Aid Ineligibility (Suspension Status)

A student who fails to meet the SAP requirements for two consecutive payment periods will lose eligibility for federal student aid and state grants. The student will no longer be eligible for any future disbursements until the student can show s/he meets the SAP standards.

If the student feels there was an error in the calculation of his/her SAP, it is the student’s responsibility to have his or her instructor notify the financial aid office when progress standards have been met.

Transfer Students

A transfer student is a student who was previously enrolled at another school or in another program/career major at KTC. Any hours that transfer to a new program will count as hours attempted.

Many of the programs at KTC have related curriculum. If a student transfers to a program that is related to the student’s previous program, then the SAP status from the previous program will carry forward to the new program. For example, if a student in the Multimedia Specialists program is on Warning and then transfers to the Web Designer program with 200 hours of transfer credit, then the student will begin the new program on Warning status.

If a student transfers to a new program and it is determined that the student had not previously attempted or completed hours from a previous program, then the student will begin the new program in Good Standing.

Students with a Cumulative Failing Grade

If a student has a cumulative grade of “F” at the end of the payment period, then the student will automatically bypass the Warning period and go directly on Suspension. The student will not be able to go on to a new payment period until s/he has a passing grade. It is the student’s responsibility to have the instructor inform the Financial Aid Office when s/he has a passing grade. Once the student has established that s/he has a passing grade, s/he will be placed on Warning for the next payment period. Students with a failing grade are not eligible for retroactive disbursements until they show they have successfully completed the prior payment period.

Financial Aid Probation

If the Financial Aid Advisory Committee grants an appeal for a student in Suspension Status, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation for the next payment period. This status is similar to the Warning Status, in that the student will continue to receive financial aid for the probationary payment period. If the student does not meet the SAP standards at the end of the probationary payment period, s/he will go on Suspension Status for the next payment period. Students will only be allowed one probationary period per school year.

Re-establishing Eligibility

A student who is denied aid due to unsatisfactory progress will be informed in writing on the basis of the denial. The student must successfully complete a payment period without any federal student aid and meet the criteria as defined above in order to re-establish eligibility for federal student aid. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the Financial Aid Office when s/he feels s/he is once again making satisfactory academic progress. The Financial Aid Office will contact the student’s instructor to confirm the student is meeting the SAP standards.

Program Withdrawals

All students must file a change of status form in order to properly be withdrawn from school. VA students withdrawing or being terminated will have their VA benefits suspended. In order to return, eligibility must be reestablished.

Return of Title IV Funds

For students receiving Federal Pell Grant funding who withdraw, drop, or fail to complete a payment period for which they have been charged and have received a Pell grant, a Return to Title IV Funds calculation will be processed. KTC will calculate what, if any, return needs to be made. In many cases the calculation may require a return of a portion of the monies received by both the institution and the student to the Federal Title IV Pell grant program. The calculation will be made using the U.S. Department of Education’s Return to Title IV Funds worksheet. The regulation requires a calculation based on the actual percentage of the payment period the student was scheduled to attend. Once the student has been enrolled for greater than 60% of the scheduled hours in a payment period all financial aid is considered to have been earned.

If a student owes a repayment to the Pell Grant Program, KTC will notify the student by certified mail within 30 days that he/she must repay the overpayment. In the notification KTC will inform the student:

• That the student owes an overpayment of Pell Grant funds
• That the student’s eligibility for additional Title IV funds will end if the student fails to take positive action by the 45th day following the date the school sent the notification to the student.

In order to maintain eligibility for Title IV funds the student can repay the overpayment in full to the school within 45 days or sign a repayment agreement. If the student fails to take one of these actions during the 45-day period, the student’s overpayment will be reported to NSLDS and referred to the Department of Education for collection.

Post-Withdrawal Disbursement of Title IV Funds

If an eligible student withdraws before receiving a Federal Pell Grant, the Financial Aid Coordinator will calculate a “Post Withdrawal Disbursement
(PWD)” within 30 days of the withdrawal date. Aid will be processed for such an eligible student based on the number of scheduled hours enrolled by the student before withdrawal. If the student owes tuition and fees (and/or other authorized expenses) to the school, the post-withdrawal disbursement will be kept by KTC up to the amount owed. If any PWD is left, the remaining amount will be disbursed to the student.