Financial Aid

Mission Statement

The Office of Financial Aid (OFA) at Bainbridge College assists students in obtaining resources to finance higher education.

Your Financial Aid will ONLY pay for classes that are in your primary major.  Any classes that are taken outside of your primary major will not be paid for by financial aid.  You will be responsible for paying for those classes.

The links to the left provide basic information about the financial assistance programs available to students. Visit the Office of Financial Aid for more detailed information, applications, and individual assistance.

How to Apply

You must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to be considered for federal financial aid - see instructions below.

Please note to receive a student loan, you must complete a Bainbridge College loan application, Master Promissory Note and Loan Entrance Counseling.

You may submit the FAFSA by mail, or over the Internet, our school code is 011074. Once you receive the results back, in the form of a Student Aid Report (SAR), you must follow through with completing your financial aid file. Each situation is different, so you need to contact the OFA to find out what additional information is needed.

Upon the completion of your file, the OFA will notify you regarding eligibility for financial aid. Awards will be based on full-time enrollment; however, it is possible for you to be eligible if enrollment is less than full-time. Financial Aid may be any of the following:

• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
• Federal Work-Study Program
• Federal Stafford Loans
• HOPE Scholarship
• HOPE Grant (for certificate seeking students)
• HOPE GED
• Leveraging Educational Assistance Program (LEAP)

Student must also meet Bainbridge College Office of Financial Aid (OFA) policy for Standards for Satisfactory Academic Policy (SAP).

Links

• Standards For Satisfactory Academic Process
• New HOPE Requirements
• BC Payment of Balance Due Policy
• Loan Process Documents

Forms

• 2009-2010 Verification Worksheet Federal Student Aid Program (Dependent)
• 2009-2010 Verification Worksheet Federal Student Aid Programs (Independent)

Code of Conduct

In order to comply with the requirements of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, the Bainbridge College Office of Financial Aid promises to abide by the following Code of Conduct.

As employees of the Bainbridge College Office of Financial Aid and the State of Georgia, we promise that:

1. We will carry out our duties with the utmost level of professionalism.
2. We will be honest and professional in all of our duties regardless of race, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation, and/or disability.
3. We will not accept any personal gifts from a student, parent, or vendor of more than a minimal value.
4. We will not accept any travel expenses paid by a student, parent, or vendor unless those expenses are paid for while serving in our official capacity as employees of Bainbridge College.  These payments must be provided directly from the organization and be related to the duties we perform.
5. We will not use Bainbridge College equipment for personal or unethical use.  This equipment includes but is not limited to computer equipment, telephones, office supplies, vehicles, internet service, etc.
6. We will not engage in any unethical or immoral behavior while performing out duties.  This includes but is not limited to sexual harassment, theft, inappropriate language, and inappropriate internet access.
7. We will not employ, promote, or transfer any family member to an office within the Office of Financial Aid.
8. We will not accept any gift, monies, or other form of payment that would alter any aid awarded to any student and/or parent.
9. We will not lobby any local, state, or federal government official in an attempt to influence any type of legislation without the express permission of the Bainbridge College President and/or the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.
10. We will follow all laws and regulations governing the awarding, disbursing, and processing of any and all types of financial aid both federal and state.

Bainbridge College Transitions Student Loan Program to Direct Lending Beginning with the Summer 2010 semester

Effective Summer 2010 semester, Bainbridge College will participate in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Student Loan Program.  We will no longer use private lenders through the Federal Family Education Loan program (FFEL) for Stafford Subsidized or Unsubsidized loans.

In the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan program, loan proceeds are provided directly from the federal government to the college on behalf of the borrower. No third party is involved.  In fact, more than half of the colleges and universities in the United States already participate in Direct Lending.  Bainbridge College decided to participate in Direct Lending for Summer 2009-2010 academic year in order to eliminate any possible risks to our students and parents that might be associated with federal regulatory changes affecting the FFEL program.  

As a result of this transition you will need to sign a new Master Promissory Note (MPN) with the Direct Loan Program and complete Entrance Counseling. To complete the application procedures click on Financial Aid under quick links (left hand side). Click on Direct Loan Application Procedures (left hand side) on financial aid webpage.