Applying For Financial Aid
The first step is to determine your documented financial need: the difference between Piedmont’s cost of attendance and what your family should be able to pay or borrow toward your education. This need is determined when you fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which can be completed at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Piedmont’s Title IV code is 002956.  The FAFSA determines eligibility for Pell and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, work-study jobs, and Stafford Loans.  If you have questions about the FAFSA, please call toll free 1-800-433-3243.  In order to electronically sign your FAFSA form, you will need to get a Personal Identification Number (PIN).  You can apply for a new pin or recover an existing PIN at www.pin.ed.gov. If you are under the age of 24, one of your parents may need to sign the FAFSA.

Occasionally FAFSA applications are selected for verification.  If your application is selected, you will need to submit the appropriate Verification Worksheet.  The Verification Worksheet for Dependent students can be found here, and the Verification Worksheet for Independent students can be found here.
 
The second step is to apply for institutional aid by completing Piedmont’s Financial Aid Application (Undergraduate).  An outline of the available scholarships is available at the bottom of this page.  New and returning students must complete a Financial Aid Application by April 30th to receive full institutional awards.

The third step is to apply for a loan, if necessary.  To qualify you must be enrolled at least half-time.  Our preferred lenders were selected because they were serving multiple students at the time the list was compiled.  Each lender offers different benefits in repayment and may have different approval requirements.  Please take time to carefully consider the loan terms, including any fees charged.  The lenders on our list provide for electronic processing and disbursement.  If you choose a lender that is not on the list, you must provide the Financial Assistance Office with a paper School Certification Form and the full name and address of the chosen lender.  We will complete the certification and send it to the lender's processing center.  Paper certifications usually result in checks that must be endorsed by the student or parent. 

There are three different loan types:

• Stafford Loans are available for dependent and independent students.  Before you may apply for your first Stafford loan, you must pass Stafford Loan Entrance Counseling.  For a list of preferred lenders, click here.  Please note that you do not have to choose one of the preferred lenders, as any FFEL lender may be used.   For an extensive list of lenders, please go to http://www.ecmc.org/student/participating_lenders.html.  If you have any questions, please contact the Financial Aid Office as indicated below.
• PLUS loans are available to parents of dependent undergraduate students and to graduate students.  To see a list of preferred lenders, click here.   Please note that you do not have to choose one of the preferred lenders, as any FFEL lender may be used.  For an extensive list of lenders, please go to http://www.ecmc.org/student/participating_lenders.html   If you have any questions, please contact the Financial Aid Office as indicated below.
• Private educational loans are also available.  Each of our preferred lenders offers a private educational loan.  There are additional good lenders than do not participate in Stafford and PLUS loans.  You may use the lender of your choice. 

The Financial Aid Office may be reached at (336) 725-8344 x7987 or by email at eckertb@pbc.edu.

File	Description
Acrobat Reader 7.0	Software required to view and print these files Note: Download is ~12.5MB
2007-2008 Scholarships	Piedmont's Institutional Financial Aid Information
Financial Aid Application	Follow directions carefully when submitting by email
Financial Aid Brochure	2008 PBC FInancial Aid brochure

Deadlines
Funds for all institutional scholarships are limited. Financial Aid Applications should be received by April 30. Admitted students who complete the application by March 15 will receive priority in funding. Applications received after August 15 will be considered for the following spring semester.

Helpful Links for Financial Aid Information
www.fafsa.ed.gov - complete the FAFSA online.
www.wiredscholar.com - general financial aid information and outside scholarship search.
www.finaid.org - general financial aid information.
www.fastweb.com - outside scholarship search.

www.GIBILL.va.gov - Montgomery GI Bill information.