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FinancialAidA Guide for Students and Parents

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Our goal in the Financial Aid Office is

to present you with the best possible

options for financing your college

education. With this in mind, students

are encouraged to apply for admission

to Piedmont College as early as possible.

High school students can apply after

August 1 of their senior year. All other

students may apply at any time—the

earlier, the better. This ensures that

scholarship funds are available and

adequate time remains to evaluate all of

your options.

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Financial Aid OptionsFinancial aid can come from a variety of sources. We can help you

maximize your aid from grants and scholarships and help you avoid

unnecessary debt.

Sources of financial aid can include: • Scholarships provided directly by Piedmont College based on

academic performance

• Grants provided directly by Piedmont College based on need

• State of Georgia scholarships and grants

• Federal need-based grants

• Federal loans

• Private scholarships and grants from external organizations

such as businesses, religious organizations, and foundations.

First: Facts about the FAFSAWhen talking about financial aid for college, you will hear a lot about

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). FAFSA is important

because many state and federal aid programs rely on information

you supply when filling out the form. Completing the FAFSA allows

for the evaluation of Federal Aid (Pell Grant, Student Loans, Parent

Loans); State Aid (HOPE and Zell Miller scholarships, Georgia Tuition

Equalization Grants); and some Piedmont direct aid.

Students and their families complete the FAFSA each year, and it is

available online after January 1st at fafsa.ed.gov. Completing the FAFSA

requires information from the previous year’s taxes. The information

you supply on the FAFSA is sent to the college you select and federal

and state agencies.

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Tuition CostsThe price of tuition, room, and board at Piedmont’s Demorest

and Athens campuses is set by the Board of Trustees and

published in the spring preceding the academic year. The

current information can be found on the Piedmont website

at piedmont.edu/business-aid.

There is also a link on that page to a Net-Price Calculator

that can help determine your projected cost with financial

aid factored in.

Note that Piedmont has eliminated commonly used fees,

such as lab, technology, and activity fees to make our total

cost a bottom-line amount. The only additional cost to

students is for books and private music lessons, if applicable.

How is my financial aid determined?The Financial Aid office goes to work for you as soon as you submit an

application to attend Piedmont College. (Application information can be

found at piedmont.edu/apply.)

After the Admissions Office receives your complete application, a decision

is made within two weeks, and you will be notified by mail and/or phone.

Upon acceptance, you will receive an award certificate detailing the

Piedmont academic scholarships you may be eligible to receive. That is

just the beginning—Piedmont need-based aid, as well as federal and

state aid, will be determined after you complete a FAFSA. (Students who

elect not to submit a FAFSA may submit a Piedmont College Institutional

Financial Aid form.)

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Types of Aid

Piedmont College Academic Scholarships Piedmont awards more than $10 million each year in direct financial aid to students based on academic achievement. You are automatically evaluated for these scholarships when you apply for admission. There is no separate application for scholarships. These scholarships are guaranteed for the duration of your enrollment at Piedmont College as long as you meet minimum GPA requirements and are enrolled full time. Many Piedmont scholarships require students to live on campus. As a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III, Piedmont does not award athletic scholarships.

Piedmont College Need-Based Grants Piedmont offers some grants based on financial need. Students are automatically evaluated for these grants when a completed FAFSA has been received by the college.

State of Georgia AidStudents who are residents of Georgia may be eligible for the HOPE Scholarship or Zell Miller Scholarship programs. These programs can provide you with up to $2,174* each semester, depending on your previous academic achievement. For information about these programs, visit GaCollege411.org.

Federal Need-Based AidsThis federal program provides financial aid to students who qualify. To apply, please complete the FAFSA. More information is available at studentaid.ed.gov.

Federal Direct Loans (Student and Parent) The federal government offers several low-interest loan programs for education. A FAFSA is necessary in order to qualify for direct loans. More information is available at studentaid.ed.gov.

*The amount is set each year by the Georgia Student Finance Corporation

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Did you

know?Did you

know?

99% of full-time freshman receive some form of financial aid.

Student Loan OptionsStudents who have completed a FAFSA, Entrance Counseling, and a

Master Promissory Note are eligible to participate in the Federal Direct

Loan Program. Direct Student Loans are divided into two types of loans:

Subsidized and Unsubsidized.

• Subsidized student loans are a form of need-based aid offered

through the Federal Direct Loan Program. The interest on a subsidized

loan is paid by the government until six months after a student

graduates, drops below six hours of enrollment, or breaks enrollment

for six months, at which time interest begins to accrue and repayment

begins.

• Unsubsidized student loans accrue interest while a student is

enrolled but do not require payments until six months after graduating,

dropping below six hours of enrollment, or breaking enrollment for six

months.

68% of students work on the Demorest campus.

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Parent Loan OptionsIf a parent loan is necessary, the parent may apply through the U.S.

Department of Education for a Parent PLUS loan. Parent loans are

contingent on an approved credit check performed by the U.S.

Department of Education. Parent loans will be included in a student’s

award if a student’s loan eligibility is at its maximum for the semester.

These loans accrue interest and may require payments while the student

is enrolled.

Book ExpensesStudents and parents have the option to increase loans for books and

living expenses. If a student’s aid exceeds the cost of tuition, room

and board, they may use a book voucher that provides a credit in the

Piedmont College Bookstore. Any credit remaining on a student’s account

after the book voucher is redeemed will be mailed to the borrower

midway through the semester.

Work Study ProgramPiedmont believes on-campus job opportunities offer students the

chance to reduce the financial burden on their families while obtaining

valuable work experience. Because of this, Piedmont contributes a

large sum of its own funds towards the Work Study Program. At most

institutions, Federal Work Study funds are limited and provided for

students who demonstrate the greatest financial need on their FAFSA. At

Piedmont, both federal and institutional funds are used for the work study

program.

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Did you

know?Did you

know?Student and/or parent loans can be increased for book or living expenses.

A student does not have to begin repaying Federal Direct Student Loans until six months after finishing classes.

Additional Scholarship OpportunitiesStudents are encouraged to seek outside scholarships. Your financial aid

from Piedmont will not be reduced because of outside scholarships unless

they would cause your aid to exceed your cost of tuition, room and board

expenses. Here are a few sources for outside scholarship information:

• High school counselors often have information regarding local

scholarships.

• Faculty sponsors of honors or extracurricular associations you belong to

may have information regarding scholarships available for members

• Non-profit and religious organizations often offer scholarships for

their members.

• If you think your family qualifies for Veterans Assistance benefits

through the military, contact a VA representative and learn how to

obtain a certification of eligibility.

• There are many online tools (such as scholarship locators) available.

(We urge students to be cautious when providing confidential

information over the Internet.)

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Financial Aid Road Map

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Apply to Piedmont throughthe Admissions Office.

Upon acceptance, an award certificate will be sent to you listing the Piedmont academic-based scholarship that you have been awarded.

Complete a FAFSA.

Once a FAFSA is received, you will receive a detailed Financial Aid Award Letter listing your financial aid.

Sign and return your award letter and complete any necessary steps listed on the cover letter.

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Important Links and Contact Information

FAFSA: www.fafsa.ed.gov1-800-4-FED-AID

Entrance Counseling, Master Promissory Notes and Parent PLUS Loan

applications: www.studentloans.gov1-800-848-0979

State Aid: www.gacollege411.orgFederal Aid: www.studentaid.ed.govPiedmont Website: www.piedmont.edu/future-studentsNet Price Calculator: www.piedmont.edu/net-price-calculator Financial Aid: www.piedmont.edu/finances-aid 

PIEDMONT COLLEGEOFFICE OF FINANCIAL AID

PHONE: (706) 776-0114

TOLL FREE: 800-277-7020

FAX: (706) 778-0708

EMAIL: finaid@piedmont.edu

 

MAILING ADDRESS:

PO BOX 10

DEMOREST, GA 30535

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