Big Financial Aid Distribution Increase by San Jac

According to a recent article published on YourDeerParkNews.com, more than $41 million in financial aid was distributed by San Jacinto College during the 2009-2010 academic year. This was a 53 percent increase from the 2008-2009 funding year. More than 6,300 students used federal or state-awarded financial aid for academic programs (a 32 percent increase from the previous year) with approximately 3,300 applying federal or state-awarded financial aid towards a technical education.

Based upon a change in federal funding regulations, more students became eligible for financial assistance, said Robert Merino, San Jacinto director of financial aid services. According to Merino, the recent reauthorization of the Higher Education Act has encouraged students to put their education on a fast track, by allowing them to receive additional Pell grants during the summer semester. Unlike a loan, the federal Pell grant does not need to be repaid and may be supplemented by other federal and non-federal sources.

After being laid off from her job, San Jacinto College student Virginia Yearnd was able to return to school after finding an abundance of financial assistance, including a grant from workforce solutions to cover her child care needs. “A lot of people don’t know what questions to ask, and they get frustrated,” said Yearnd. “I suggest students first stop by their financial aid office and speak to an advisor on what they might be eligible to receive.”

Read the article in its entirety: San Jac Sees Big Increase in Financial Aid Distribution