Financial Aid

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first step all students must take in obtaining student financial aid (grants, loans and work study). Complete the FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1 each academic year. Include South Central College's federal school code (005537) to have your FAFSA information electronically sent to South Central College.

Students who are not eligible for the FAFSA due to citizenship status can apply for state financial aid by completing the Minnesota Dream Act.

When applying for financial aid, you may be eligible for one or more of the following types of aid:

• Grants
• Loans
• Work Study
• Scholarships
• Lifesaver Grant

FAFSA processing takes time. SCC receives your FAFSA after about 5 business days, and it may take up to 10 more days to review your information and update your eServices account. Be sure to check your eServices account regularly!

Enrollment

• You must be enrolled in a certificate, diploma, or degree program that is at least 16 credits long
• You can receive financial aid for development credits (coursework below 100 level) up to 30 attempted credit hours
• Classes with a grading method of Audit or Test Out are not eligible for financial aid
• Courses added after the last day to add/drop full-term courses are not eligible for Federal Pell grant
• Courses you do not attend are not considered eligible for financial aid
• Continuing education and customized training courses are not eligible for financial aid

Other Qualifications

Students must:

• Have a high-school diploma, GED, or equivalent
• Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen
• Not currently be receiving financial aid at another college
• Not be in default on a federal student loan
• Demonstrate financial need for need-based aid programs

Maintaining Eligibility

Once you are a student at South Central College, in order to continue to be eligible for financial aid you need do the following:

• Make satisfactory academic progress as measured by your GPA (minimum 2.0) and rate of completing courses (minimum 67 percent). Progress is evaluated at the end of each semester.
• Finish within your program's maximum timeframe (up to 150% of the number of credits required in your program) as outlined by SCC's satisfactory academic progress policy.
• Attend your classes (including participation in online courses). If the College administratively withdraws you from a course because you have not attended, you may have to pay back all or part of your financial aid.
• If you stop attending, your financial aid will be recalculated based on the number of days you attended. This recalculation could result in a reduction of your financial aid that will create a bill on your account.
• Complete any development credits for which you want financial aid in less than 30 credit hours.
• Limit repeating a course to one time. Federal financial aid regulations have limits on the number of times a course can be repeated and be eligible for financial aid.

View the basic student eligibility criteria at studentaid.gov.

Eligibility for financial aid is calculated by subtracting the FAFSA's Student Aid Index from the school's Cost of Attendance (COA). The difference equals the student's Need, which determines eligibility for the different types of financial aid.

COA – SAI = Need

The SAI is determined by the information you provided on the FAFSA and calculated by the U.S. Department of Education. The COA is an estimate of the total cost to attend SCC, including tuition, fees, books, course materials, supplies, equipment, living expenses, transportation, and personal expenses. The figures below do not represent the amount the student pays the school. Your actual costs will vary depending on your program, enrollment level, and personal spending choices.

Need-based aid includes grants (federal and state), work study, and subsidized loans. Non-need aid includes unsubsidized loans and private loans.

SCC Financial Aid — Student Cost of Attendance (2025–2026), based on enrollment of 15 in-person credits per term

Category	Fall	Spring	Annual
Tuition and Fees	$3,217	$3,217	$6,434
Books, Course Materials, Supplies, and Equipment*	$600	$600	$1,200
Direct Costs (Tuition + Fees + Books)	$3,817	$3,817	$7,634
Food and Housing	$4,700	$4,700	$9,400
Transportation	$1,050	$1,050	$2,100
Personal / Miscellaneous	$1,980	$1,980	$3,960
Indirect Costs	$7,730	$7,730	$15,460
Total Direct + Indirect Costs	$11,547	$11,547	$23,094

* Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment are estimates and may vary by program.

* Some programs require special course fees, tools, supplies, certifications, or licensures that could increase this projected expense. Requests for an adjustment to the Cost of Attendance should be sent to financialaid@southcentral.edu.

SCC's current Tuition and Fees page shows a detailed breakdown of course specific costs.