| December 1st | Deadline to Submit Admissions Application to Ensure Scholarship Consideration |
| Entering freshmen that wish to be considered for institutional scholarships should ensure that their admission application, credentials, and test scores are submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by December 1st. Doing so will ensure that the student is admitted when the institutional scholarships are awarded. |
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| January 1st | Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Available |
| The FAFSA for the upcoming academic year is available to be completed at www.fafsa.ed.gov. All students who wish to receive need-based or federal aid (such as grants and loans) must complete the FAFSA every academic year. |
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| January 15th | Institutional Scholarship Deadline for Entering Freshmen |
| Entering freshmen need to be admitted prior to January 15th to be considered for institutional scholarships. Students should also ensure that the Office of Undergraduate Admissions has the most current test and transcript information. Visit the scholarship page for more information. |
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| February | Complete the FAFSA |
| Students are strongly encouraged to complete the FAFSA before the priority deadline. Having completed tax forms available will ease the application process. |
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| March 1st | Priority FAFSA Deadline |
| Students who want to be considered for the maximum amount of various grants or work-study should complete the FAFSA by March 1st. Students who complete the FAFSA after March 1st are less likely to receive those limited funds, but may still be eligible for the Pell Grant and loans. |
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| March | Complete Student Requirements like Verification |
| Students who have been selected for verification will receive emails that instruct them to check the "Student Requirements" within CougarTrail. Students who need to send in additional information to complete the FAFSA will receive similar notices. Students should complete these requirements as soon as possible, since delaying this process may lead to a reduction in the amount of grant aid available. It the student's responsibility to check the assigned College of Charleston Edisto email account for these notifications. |
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| April | Entering Freshmen Financial Aid Awards Available on CougarTrail |
| The Office of Financial Aid will start offering financial aid awards to entering freshmen beginning in April. These awards will be viewable on CougarTrail. Students need to accept the award for processing to continue. |
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| May 1st | Scholarship Reply Deadline |
| Entering Freshmen who have been offered institutional scholarships need to accept the scholarship via CougarTrail by May 1 or the scholarship(s) will be canceled. |
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| June 1st | FAFSA Deadline for Fall Semester Bills |
| This is the deadline to complete the FAFSA to receive aid by the time fall semester bills are due. Students who complete the FAFSA after this date can still receive aid for the fall semester, but it is unlikely it will appear on the bill. As such, students should identify other ways of paying the fall tuition bill, like getting set up on the College's payment plan or borrowing an alternative loan. Failure to pay the bill on time will cause the student to be dropped from all fall courses. |
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| Beginning the first week of June | Transfer, Graduate, and Returning Student Awards will be Available on CougarTrail |
| The Office of Financial Aid will start offering financial aid awards to transfer, graduate, and returning students beginning the first week of June. These awards will be viewable on CougarTrail. Students need to accept the award for processing to continue. |
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| June 29th | Deadline to Appeal Institutional Scholarship Deficiencies |
| Students who have lost an institutional scholarship must complete and return the scholarship appeal form to the Office of Financial Aid by June 29th. Appeals should be based on mitigating circumstances and should be accompanied by documentation of those circumstances. |
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| June | Accept/Decline Awards via CougarTrail |
| All students have to accept the financial aid awarded via CougarTrail. Since there may be other processing that will happen after aid is accepted, students should take action as soon as possible. |
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| July | Complete Student Requirements via CougarTrail |
| Students should check CougarTrail to ensure that all requirements have been completed. Because corrections, clarifications or additional documents may be needed, students should complete the requirements as soon as possible. |
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| August 19th | Fall Disbursement of Aid to CofC Account |
| Financial aid for the fall semester credits to students' accounts. Automatic bank account deposits are available only AFTER the Treasurer's and Controller's Offices have produced them. The Controller's Office will notify students of deposit dates via email. |
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| August 26st | First Day of Fall Semester Classes |
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| October 1st | FAFSA Deadline for the Spring Semester Bill |
| This is the deadline to complete the FAFSA to receive aid by the time spring semester bills are due. Students who complete the FAFSA after this date can still receive aid for the spring semester, but it is unlikely it will appear on the bill. As such, students should identify other ways of paying the spring tuition bill, like getting set up on the College's payment plan or borrowing an alternative loan. Failure to pay the bill on time will cause the student to be dropped from all fall courses. Students that have completed the FAFSA for the fall semester, do not need to complete the FAFSA again. |
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| October 12th | Deadline to Appeal State Scholarship |
| Students who have lost a state scholarship (LIFE or Palmetto Fellows) must complete and return the scholarship appeal form to the Commission on Higher Education (CHE) by October 12th. Appeals should be based on mitigating circumstances and should be accompanied by documentation of those circumstances. |
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| January 2nd | Spring Aid Credited to CofC Account |
| Financial aid for the spring semester is credited to students' accounts. Automatic bank account deposits are available only AFTER the Treasurer's and Controller's Offices have produced them. The Controller's Office will notify students of deposits dates via email. |
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| January 9th | First Day of Spring Semester Classes |
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| April 1st | Priority Deadline for Summer School Financial Aid Applications |
| Students that wish to receive financial aid for any summer term (from Maymester to Summer II) should complete the summer school application and return it to the Financial Aid office by April 1. The application for Summer 2008 will be available in February 2008. Also, students who complete the FAFSA after this date may still receive aid for the summer semester, but it is unlikely it will be available on the first day of classes. |
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| Before Commencement | Exit Counseling for Borrowers |
| Students who have borrowed federal student loans (whether Direct Loans or Perkins) need to complete exit counseling before leaving the College. During the exit counseling session students will learn about deferment and set up repayment options. |
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