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08/04/20

Gadsden State announces Emergency Financial Aid Grants

Gadsden State announces Emergency Financial Aid Grants

Gadsden, Ala. – Gadsden State Community College has received additional monies from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund of the Coronavirus Assistance, Relief and Economic Security Act. The funds may be awarded to students who meet eligibility requirements and are experiencing financial difficulty or disruption of educational plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Many of our students have experienced economic and educational strife due to the pandemic,” said Dr. Martha Lavender, president. “Some of our students have lost their employment. Others have had hardships with the transition from traditional classroom instruction to online instruction. There’s a wide range of struggles being experienced by our students. We want to help those who have immediate monetary needs so they can better focus on continuing their education. We want to help as many students as we possibly can through this financial assistance fund.”

The financial assistance grant will be awarded per semester through an application process until funds are exhausted. Funds can be used for eligible expenses, such as food, housing, course materials, academic assistance, technology, health care and child care. Funds will be awarded in amounts from $100 to $1,000.

Students who may apply for the GSCC Emergency Financial Aid Grants must be unconditionally admitted to the College and be in good academic standing. Eligible student status includes continuing, first-time freshmen, readmitted or reinstated, transfer or transient. Continuing students must have a collegiate GPA of 2.0 or higher and must have satisfactory status according to the federal Standards of Academic Progress.

As required by the U.S. Department of Education, students must also be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (green card holder) and must not be enrolled under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an international student or incarcerated.

Students must have a completed 2020-21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file. You may access FAFSA online at www.fasfa.gov.

Additional emergency financial assistance may be awarded to students enrolled in specific majors at the Valley Street Campus. The funding is a part of the additional CARES allotment given to HBCU-designated campuses, such as the Valley Street Campus. Eligible majors for students attending Valley Street Campus include Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Construction Technology, Diagnostic Medical Sonography and Massage Therapy.

Upon completion of the application, students will be notified of the status of their award through an email to their Gadsden State email address. Applications will be reviewed weekly and checks for the amount of the award will be mailed to the student’s current address within seven to 10 business days.

The application, detailed eligibility requirements and FAQs can be found at www.gadsdenstate.edu/coronavirus.