Financial Aid FAQs

You apply for financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 

Log in at studentaid.gov.

Yes, the FAFSA should be completed annually beginning on Oct 1. The prior prior year Federal tax returns/income information is used. For example, the 2017 Federal tax return/income information is used for the 2019-20 FAFSA.

You are not required to attend full-time to receive financial aid. The amount that you are awarded is prorated according to the number of credit hours for which you enroll.

Financial aid eligibility is based on the principle that it is the responsibility of the dependent student and his or her parent(s) to pay for the student’s education. It doesn't matter where you live and/or if you support yourself. Dependency is based on how you answer the questions on the FAFSA. Dependent students are required to report parent(s) income.  Please see this video Determining Your Dependency Status for more information. 

If your (or your parent(s) if a dependent student) income has changed significantly from what was reported on your FAFSA, you may request a Professional Judgment Appeal for Special Circumstances form. Visit the Financial Aid Forms link to complete and print the form. See Additional Documents Required for Loss of Income/Income Reduction as noted on the form. Be sure to complete the Income Table on page 3 of the form.

No, the money does not carry over to fall. The financial aid award year includes Fall, Spring and Summer semesters. Fall semester is at the beginning of the award year, so any unused funds go unused.

Satisfactory Academic Progress is a minimum academic standard that a student must maintain in order to receive financial aid. For an undergraduate student, a 2.0 GPA and a 67% completion rate (pace) is required to continue to receive financial aid. .

Yes, you may apply for financial aid by completing the FAFSA. You will not be awarded financial aid until you have been accepted into a financial aid eligible program of study at Kaua'i CC.

Students in Continuing Education classes are not eligible for Federal Student Aid.

Students must maintain Satisfactory  Academic Progress to be eligible to receive financial aid. There are two requirements for undergraduate students. (1). Maintain a grade point average of 2.0. (2). Maintain a pace (completion rate) of 67%. Failing grades and withdrawals are attempted credits that are not earned, therefore negatively impacting pace. Talk to a financial aid staff member before withdrawing from any class(es).

Grants and scholarships do not have to repaid unless a student withdraws prior to earning their financial aid. Student loans have to be repaid. Student loans go into repayment when a student is no longer enrolled or has dropped below 6 credits. Talk to a financial aid staff member before withdrawing from any class(es).

Cost of attendance includes tuition, fees, books, and supplies as well as some basic living expenses such as housing, food, transportation, and personal items. Averages are used for each of these expenses rather than exact costs of the individual student.

Each year the cost of tuition is determined by the UH System. Please see tuition and fees by selecting "Paying for College" on the Kauai CC home page to determine your direct costs. Don't forget to include books.

The Department of Education applies a formula created by Congress based on the information provided on the FAFSA. Your EFC is not the amount of money your family will have to pay for college nor is it the amount of federal student aid you will receive. It is a number used by your college/university to calculate the amount of federal student aid you are eligible to receive.

Generally speaking, you will qualify as an independent student when you are 24 years or older. If you have extenuating circumstances that you feel would warrant you being considered independent, you may contact the Financial Aid Office. The Department of Education clearly states that the following reasons do not qualify you to be independent:

• you do not live with your parent(s)

• your parent(s) are financially unable to pay for your college education

• your parent(s) refuse to pay for your college education

• you do not want your parent(s) help

Verification is a process by which the accuracy of the information on your FAFSA is confirmed by the Financial Aid Office. If your application is selected for verification, the Financial Aid Office will contact you for additional information. No financial aid is awarded until all requested documents are submitted to the Financial Aid Office. 

• Failing to read the FAFSA instructions - The instructions give thorough information on how to answer the questions.

• Filing late - You should file as close to Oct 1 as possible to attend the following fall.

• Not getting an FSA ID before filling out the FAFSA - You and your parent (if you are considered a dependent student) will each need your own, separate FSA ID's to sign the FAFSA form online. Be sure to enter your social security number accurately when applying for your FSA ID. 

• Not using your FSA ID to start the FAFSA - If you are the student you should choose the first option: I am the student.

• Not using IRS Data Retrieval - It's the fastest and most accurate way to enter tax return information in the FAFSA.

• Not signing the FAFSA - The FAFSA must be signed or your application will be incomplete. Signing online is faster. There is an option to mail a signature page.

We recommend that you view the videos under the FAFSA section on the left side of this page for additional information.

If your parent(s) refuse to give their financial information, you are only eligible for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans. This type of loan accrues interest from the time of disbursement, which increases the amount you will have to pay back. A Financial Aid Office staff member would be more than happy to discuss with your parent(s) the importance of their financial information. Contact the Financial Aid Office for assistance.

Your completed FAFSA will be processed and the Department of Education will notify you by e-mail once it is complete. Within 7-10 days, the financial aid offices at the schools listed on your FAFSA will receive a copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR) that specifies your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). At this time you may view your SAR at fafsa.ed.gov. The SAR is your record that your FAFSA was processed. If your FAFSA is incomplete, your SAR will NOT include an EFC, but it will display text that specifies any issues that need to be resolved. Make sure to add or correct the information that caused your FAFSA to be incomplete and submit your corrections.

Stay tuned to your hawaii.edu e-mail for information regarding your Financial Aid Award or for additional documents being requested.

Kauai Community College's Federal Student Code is 001614.

A student on financial aid suspension who successfully appeals the suspension will be in a financial aid probation status.

During the probationary period, students are eligible to receive financial aid.

At the end of the probationary semester, a student must either:

be making satisfactory academic progress; or

be meeting the conditions of their academic plan

If the student is not making satisfactory academic progress but is successfully following the established academic plan, the student would continue to be eligible for aid in subsequent semesters provided that the student continues to meet the established academic plan.

A student on financial aid probation that is neither making satisfactory academic progress nor successfully following their established academic plan at the end of the probationary semester will be placed on financial aid suspension for future semesters and will not be eligible for further appeals.

Work-study is a federally funded job program. Eligible students work a maximum of 20-hours per week on campus and receive a paycheck for the time they work.To be eligible, you must have a completed FAFSA on file that demonstrates financial need, be enrolled in school, and be maintaining satisfactory academic progress.

You may search Federal Work-Study jobs at https://sece.its.hawaii.edu/sece/login

Yes, click here for a list of recommended scholarships. You will also want to review scholarship opportunities located under financial aid resources.

Yes, generally speaking, you must be a high school graduate or have a GED. Click here for additional information.

 Yes. Go to fafsa.gov and complete the electronic version of the FAFSA. The student (and Parent if dependent) is required to complete an FSA ID in order to complete the FAFSA.

The FSA ID is a secure user name and password that you use on federal student aid websites such as fafsa.gov and studentloans.gov and the myStudentAid mobile app.

The US Department of Education randomly selects FAFSA applications for a process called verification. If you are selected and have not used the IRS Data Retrieval tool, it's highly recommend that you go back to your FAFSA and select IRS Data Retrieval. Another option is to provide the Financial Aid Office with a tax return transcript and W-2's.

No. You may receive a Pell Grant at only one school at a time. For example, if a student is taking classes at college A and college B at the same time, he or she can receive the Pell Grant at either college A or college B, but not both at the same time.

Financial Aid eligibility has several factors. The information that you provide on the FAFSA is used to determine your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The Financial Aid Office uses your EFC to calculate how much financial aid  you will receive. The lower your EFC the more financial aid you may receive.

No, all programs of study are not eligible for financial aid. A program must be at least 16 total credit hours in length, or at least 600 clock hours, and must lead to a degree, diploma, or certificate in order to be eligible for financial aid. Special credit and undecided students are not eligible for financial aid. If you are considering a diploma or certificate program, please contact the Financial Aid Office to determine eligibility.

Check with the Financial Aid Office to make sure your new program of study is a financial aid eligible program. If your new program is not a financial aid eligible program, you will lose your Federal financial aid. 

The Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1992 mandated that a student can receive financial aid for the costs of studying abroad if the student is enrolled in a program approved by the home institution. Check with the Financial Aid Office to discuss your options.