Future Students FAQs

General FAQ

If you are currently enrolled in a public, Florida institution of higher education, and you wish to take coursework that will be transferred back to your current institution, complete and submit an online Transient Student Admission Application through www.FloridaShines.org. If your home institution is a private or out-of-state institution or is not listed with FloridaShines, you must:

Complete an online application
Pay the $30 application fee
Submit a signed transient approval letter or form from your home institution

Florida statute allows U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to be classified as a Florida resident for tuition purposes if the applicant or the dependent applicant's parent or legal guardian has been a legal resident of the state for at least 12 months preceding the first day of classes of the term for which Florida residency is sought. For a list of acceptable proofs you may provide, see Residency Information.

No. The admission application deadline is the final deadline to apply for admission for that particular semester. The financial aid deadline is the deadline for an applicant to have all admissions documents (i.e. high school and/or college transcripts) received by the college, so the student's financial aid can be processed in time for fees to be paid by Financial Aid before, or on, the fee payment deadline.

Placement testing is not required for students who entered 9th grade in a Florida public school in the 2003-2004 school year or any year after, AND earned a standard high school diploma from a Florida public high school. The Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) test is used at LSSC for placement purposes. Students can register for the PERT on the Testing Services website at www.lssc.edu/testing. There is also a study guide available on this site.

Transfer and Readmit students should schedule an advising appointment with an academic advisor at the nearest LSSC campus to complete the registration process. Transfer students should bring unofficial copies of all previous coursework to the appointment, which will allow for initial transfer planning. All first time in college and dual enrollment students are required to complete a New Student Advising & Registration session prior to registering for classes.

After you apply, your PIN number will be set to your birth date (MMDDYY). The first time you log into myLSSC, you will be asked to reset your PIN to another 6-digit number and enter a PIN "hint question" and "answer". It is important that you remember your 6-digit PIN. The answer to your PIN "hint question" is case and punctuation sensitive, so it is suggested that you keep your answer short, lowercase, and without punctuation.

The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a credit-by-exam program that awards credit to students for specific courses. Depending on the subject, a student may receive anywhere from three (3) to sixteen (16) hours of credit. Currently-enrolled LSSC students and applicants are eligible to apply for participation in CLEP. Contact the Academic Advising Office or the Learning Center's Credit by Exam program.

All first-time-in-college, transfer, and non-degree seeking students may apply online at www.lssc.edu/apply.

Students who were previously at LSSC and would like to return should submit a reentry application at www.lssc.edu/returning.

Dual Enrollment students will apply online. More information about the application process for Dual Enrollment can be found at www.lssc.edu/de

If you are an international student who will need an I-20 sponsored by LSSC will need to complete a paper application. Please email AdmissionsOffice@lssc.edu to request the paper application.

All first-time-in-college, transfer, and non-degree seeking students must apply online and pay the $30 application fee at www.LSSC.edu/apply. International students and dual enrollment students must first meet eligibility criteria before submitting a paper application to any of LSSC's three campuses. If a student has not taken classes within two consecutive semesters, or they have been a previous dual enrolled student returning under degree-seeking status, the student must complete a free, online readmit application through: www.LSSC.edu/returning. Students applying into a LSSC Bachelor degree must apply online and pay the $30 application fee; this includes previous LSSC students who have graduated with an AA or AS degree and are wanting to “level up” into a LSSC Bachelor degree. In all instances, the Florida residency affidavit must be completed in order to determine in-state/out-of-state tuition status.

myLSSC:
Your X-ID pin is your six-digit birthday as MMDDYY. Please remember to use a capital X when entering your X-ID. If you’ve been locked out of your account, please contact the Admissions and Records Office at 352-323-3665.

Lakehawk Mail:
Your Lakehawk mail password is your eight-digit birthday as MMDDYYYY. If you are locked out or unable to log in, please contact the HelpDesk at 352-435-6500.

Yes. All first-time-in-college, transfer, transient, and non-degree seeking students may apply online at www.lssc.edu/apply. Students who were previously at LSSC and would like to return should submit a reentry application at www.lssc.edu/returning. Dual Enrollment students will apply online. More information about the application process for Dual Enrollment can be found at www.lssc.edu/de. If you are an international student who will need an I-20 sponsored by LSSC will need to complete a paper application. Please email AdmissionsOffice@lssc.edu to request the paper application.

Registration FAQ

The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a credit-by-exam program that awards credit to students for specific courses. Depending on the subject and score, a student may receive three (3) to sixteen (16) college credit hours. Currently-enrolled LSSC students and applicants are eligible to apply for participation in CLEP. Contact the Learning Center's Credit by Exam program (add link).

Before beginning the registration process, always make sure you are eligible to register in myLSSC.
Visit https://my.lssc.edu/.
Click on the Student Tab
Select Registration - Add/Drop - Course Withdrawal
Click Check Registration Status link in the Student tab.
Select a term for which you are planning to register and click the Submit button.
Scroll down. If you see only green check marks, you are ready to register. If you have any holds, click the View Holds link at the bottom of the screen to see who placed the hold.

Co-requisite or pre-requisite error: you are missing a co-requisite or pre-requisite for the course. In order to solve a co-requisite courses you will have to register for courses that must be taken at the same time. For example, registration must occur for NUR 2601 and NUR 2601L at the same time.
To solve a pre-requisite error, you must register for the prerequisite for the earliest term and the second course in the preceding term. For example, you must first register for BSC 1010C for the summer term, and then add BSC1011C for the fall term.
Maximum hours exceeded error: This means you have exceeded the maximum credit hours you are eligible to register for (18 credit hours for Fall and Spring terms; 13 credit hours for the Summer term)
Time conflict error: The system tells you which class you are already registered for that is causing the time conflict.

Students can pay online with a debit/credit card or E-Check. To pay online, log into https://my.lssc.edu, navigate to the Student Links card & click on the “CashNet Payment & eRefund Dashboard” link.

We are unable to accept payments in person.

A 2.85% convenience fee will be applied to all debit/credit card transactions.

E-Check (ACH bank transfer from checking or savings) is not assessed a fee.

For more information, please visit the Student Payments page https://www.lssc.edu/student-resources/student-payment/.

Your Florida Prepaid letter/ID card or ID number must be submitted to the Student Accounts Office by email to businessservices@lssc.edu before the published fee payment deadline. Depending on the type of Prepaid account, any lab fees or school fees (outside of the general tuition) may not be covered. Once registered for classes, check your CashNet account to see if any remaining fees are due; you are responsible for paying for any remaining balances before the payment deadline.

Pre-req and test score – The class has prerequisites that have not been met before attempting to register for that class. Check the catalog for the prerequisites for the class and see an academic advisor if you have questions.

Academic Standing prohibits registration – Based on prior grades, you are on probation (1 semester below 2.0 GPA) or suspension (2+ semesters below 2.0 GPA) and must make an appointment with an academic advisor.

Closed section – The class is full to capacity as well as the waitlist.

Time-ticket/Only can register on 12/31/2099 – You have a hold on your account regarding missing transcripts. Contact the Admissions & Records Office at 352-787-3747.

Lake-Sumter State College is committed to ensuring that all students receive access to a fair, equitable and timely grievance process without retaliation. LSCC seeks to maintain clear pathways for students who wish to lodge complaints or pursue grievances and appeals. To provide these pathways, the College maintains a responsive system designed to address and resolve student complaints.

The student grievance resolution process includes:

Informal Complaints
Formal Complaints/Grievances
Appeals

Students have the right to appeal administrative decisions and are encouraged to use available informal means in the resolution of the complaint prior to filing a formal complaint or grievance. If the matter cannot be resolved through the informal process as shown in the LSSC Resolution of Student Grievances/Complaints chart in the LSSC Catalog and Student Handbook, the student may elect to proceed through a formal written process through the Administrative Appeals process.

LSSC permits four types of written administrative appeal requests including student requests for late withdrawal, administrative drop/refund, a waiver to avoid the full cost of instruction of a third attempt, and a fourth course attempt.

You can register for a closed class, but it will prompt you to add youself to the WaitList. Make sure that you have activated your LakeHawk Mail account. When a registered student drops from the class, the next person on the waitlist will be notified via their LakeHawk Mail. That student will have 24 hours to accept or reject the seat before the Waitlist spot is emailed to the next person. (Refer to WaitList FAQ on myLSSC)

In compliance with State Board of Education Rule 6A-14.0541, a 100% refund of tuition and fees will occur only when classes are dropped within the college’s established add-drop time period. Refunds are not issued for classes from which the student withdraws after the established add-drop time period. However, LSSC allows the full refund (100%) of tuition and fees in cases of serious circumstances beyond the student’s control that occur prior to the mid-point (50% of instructional days) of the semester and prevent the student from completing the semester. In the case of mini-mester courses, the circumstances must occur prior to the mid-point of the course. The student’s reasons for pursuing the appeal must be fully explained and documented, in writing, and are limited to the following: involuntary call to military duty, death of the student, illness of the student of such severity and duration that attendance in class is not possible from the onset of the illness through the end of the semester, or technical errors associated with the student’s admission, advising or registration on the part of the college or college staff.

Requests for withdrawal from courses beyond the deadline date may be granted due to serious circumstances beyond the student’s control that prevent successful completion of the course. Withdrawal exceptions must be submitted within one year of the last day of the term for which the student is submitting an appeal. Requests made after that time will not be considered. Approved requests will result in a “W” on the student transcript and count towards the student’s college and financial aid completion ratio. The student’s reasons for pursuing the appeal must be fully explained and documented, in writing, and are limited to the following: involuntary call to military duty, death of a student, documented illness/injury of a student or a member of the student’s immediate family (spouse/partner, parent or child), or severe exigent circumstances.

Students may repeat only those classes in which they have received a grade of W, D, U or F (a non-passing grade) in compliance with F. S. Section 1009.285 and F. S. Section 1009.28. Students attempting the same developmental course or the same college credit course for the third time must pay 100% of the full cost of instruction for those courses. The full cost of instruction is equivalent to the cost of out-of-state tuition. The student’s reasons for pursuing the waiver of the full cost of instruction and request appeal must be fully explained and documented, in writing, and are limited to the following: involuntary call to military duty, death of student’s immediate family member, illness of student or member of student’s immediate family (spouse/partner, parent or child), disability, non-native speaker/ESL, change in conditions of employment or financial hardship.

Students may repeat only those classes in which they have received a grade of W, D, U or F (a non-passing grade) in compliance with F. S. Section 1009.285 and F. S. Section 1009.28.

Students attempting the same developmental course or the same college credit course for the fourth time must pay 100% of the full cost of instruction for those courses. The full cost of instruction is equivalent to the cost of out-of-state tuition.

A fourth attempt may be allowed only through a formal review process, which the student must initiate through the appeals process with an academic advisor. The student’s reasons for requesting a fourth course attempt appeal must be fully explained and documented, in writing, and are limited to the following: involuntary call to military duty, death of student’s immediate family member, illness of student or member of student’s immediate family (spouse/partner, parent or child), disability, non-native speaker/ESL, change in conditions of employment, or financial hardship.

Dual Enrollment FAQ

If you are a public school student, you will be provided your textbooks via the school district. If you are a home education student, you will be provided your textbooks via the LSSC Leesburg Bookstore. Both public school and home education students are responsible for returning your textbooks at the designated time. Please check your Lakehawk mail for designated dates. If you are a private school student, you are financially responsible for your textbooks and can purchase them through the LSSC Bookstore. All DE students: Please have a copy of your detailed schedule available.

Dual Enrollment students are limited to 9 credit hours (fall and spring) and 7 credit hours (summer). Early Admissions students are full-time LSSC students taking 12-18 credit hours in the fall and spring semesters. The student is not permitted to take any courses at the high school or online via Florida Virtual. Students must complete one semester of DE coursework, have a 3.0 LSSC GPA, and public school students must be of senior status. Early Admissions is not available during the summer semesters.

If you receive a “D” or “F” in a course AND maintain a 2.0 LSSC GPA, you are eligible to retake the course for grade forgiveness. You are only eligible to take this one course the subsequent semester. Upon successful completion of a “C” or higher, you will resume normal DE eligibility. If you fall below a 2.0 GPA, you are ineligble for DE and can re-enroll with LSSC after you graduate high school.

Student Services FAQ

Students' records are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. In many cases, the student must grant permission for access to records that are not directory information. To grant access to your records, complete a FERPA release form at Admissions and Records. Because of the privacy of a student's educational record, students and parents must understand that academic advising is not available over the phone, and only limited information can be shared via email.

Yes. Complete a Graduation Application in the Student tab of your myLSSC account by the published deadline in the semester you plan to graduate. Follow all prompts and press Submit. To check your status, access your DegreeWorks account through myLSSC. Check your Lakehawk Mail for a message from the Registrar about ceremony and ticket information. If you plan to walk in the commencement ceremony, you will need to purchase a cap and gown from the campus bookstore. See Graduation Information for more details (add link).

Financial Aid FAQ

Amount	Type of Aid
$2,969.00	Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
$2,227.00	Federal Direct Subsidized Loan
$0.00	Pell Grant
$5,196.00	Total Aid Received

The student attended 28 days of the 111 days in the period, or 25.2%. The student earned 25.2% of the aid. Leaving 74.8% of unearned aid, of the total aid, the student is required to return $3,886. The student has institutional charges of $2,490.77.

Institutional aid is calculated first, ($2,490.77 * .748 = $1863). The unearned aid must be returned based on the order or return. All of the unearned funds will be returned from the Federal Unsubsidized Loan.

The remaining unearned funds the student is required to return. The student is required to return $1106 in Unsubsidized Loan and $918 in Subsidized Loan. The student must repay the loan based on the repayment schedule maintained by the lender.

What is it?

The Federal Work-Study program provides part-time jobs for students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay for their educational expenses. Work-study jobs offer flexible hours that accommodate your class schedule. Jobs are available on campus in Leesburg, South Lake, Sumter and remotely.
The objectives of the federal student employment programs are:

To offer jobs to students who need to earn funds to help pay for their educational expenses.
To provide work experience that will enhance the student’s educational and/or occupational goals.
To provide additional services which would otherwise not exist for LSSC and for participating public or private non-profit organizations.

How do I apply?

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You must also go to LSSC Employment Opportunities page and follow these steps:

Apply online by clicking on the job title in which you are interested and click the "Apply" link!
After viewing the Job Posting, click the "Apply" tab. If this is the first time you are applying, you will need to create an account and select a Username and Password.
After your account has been established, you can import your resume from LinkedIn, upload it from a saved document on your computer, or manually enter your personal information.
Your application will be saved and can be used to apply for future job openings. Online applications are stored on a secure site. Only authorized employees and hiring authorities have access to the information submitted.

How much can I get?

The amount awarded is dependent on the students' financial needs and the availability of funding.

A student must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to continue receiving Federal Aid. Satisfactory Academic Progress standards are:

2.0 cumulative GPA
67% course completion rate (# of hours passed/hours attempted)
Complete your LSSC degree within 150% of the required credit hours for your LSSC degree program

If you are in a suspension status you have an opportunity to appeal for continued financial aid. To appeal go to your myLSSC account > Financial Aid > Eligibility > Select 2020-2021 aid year. Select the SAP Appeal link to retreive the form.

Before your financial aid can be processed, you must fulfill all outstanding requirements. The request will appear as an Action Item(s) in your myLSSC Account (Financial Aid section), and a request(s) is sent to your Lakehawk email. Financial aid will not be processed until all student requirements are received by the Financial Aid office.

Once your financial aid is processed, you will be able to see your awards on your myLSSC Account under the 'Award Offer' tab. Please note that awards can be adjusted based on changes in your enrollment.

After completing your FAFSA, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the U.S. Department of Education summarizing all the information you provided in the online application. Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) will be included in the SAR. In determining your eligibility, the College calculates your estimated Cost of Attendance (COA). Your EFC is subtracted from your COA to determine your eligibility for need-based aid. Please review your SAR for accuracy and make any necessary corrections online at studentaid.gov.

What is it?

The Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) Program is a source of grant aid sponsored by the federal government. In order to be eligible for SEOG assistance, a student must be enrolled at least part-time, meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress, demonstrate exceptional financial need, and be a Pell Grant recipient. Exceptional financial need is determined by a systematic and consistent need analysis system. Funding is limited and awards are offered on a first-come-first-serve basis.

How do I apply?

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

How much can I get?

The amount awarded is dependent on the students' financial needs and the availability of funding.

What is it?

The Pell Grant is a need-based federal grant program for students who are seeking their first undergraduate degree, eligible certificate program, or Bachelor's degree program. The annual Pell Grant award amount is determined by a student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and enrollment status as of the census date (date enrollment hours are frozen). A Pell Grant is intended to be the basic type of aid and may be combined with other forms of aid in order to meet the student’s financial need. A student may receive Pell for up to 12 semesters before reaching the Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU).

How do I apply?

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

How much can I get?

Award amounts can change yearly. The U.S Department of Education determines the amount a student is eligible for based on the FAFSA information and it will also depend on the student:

financial need (difference between the cost of attendance at LSSC and your EFC).
cost of attendance
status as a full-time or part-time student

Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 601.21, requires the development, administration, and enforcement of a code of conduct governing educational loan activities.

Our officers, employees, trustees, and agents, including the alumni association, booster club, and other organizations associated with Lake-Sumter State College, agree to the provisions of this Code of Conduct and will refrain from:

Refusing to certify or delaying the certification of an education loan based on a borrower’s choice of lender.
Assigning a first-time borrower to a particular private education loan lender through the student’s financial aid award or another means.
Packaging a private education loan in a student’s financial aid award, except when the student is ineligible for other financial aid, has exhausted his or her federal student aid eligibility, has not filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or refuses to apply for a federal student loan.
Accepting impermissible gifts, goods, or services from a lender, lender servicer, or guarantor. The institution may accept default prevention, financial literacy, or student aid-related educational services or materials, or other items of a nominal value.
Accepting philanthropic contributions from a lender, lender servicer, or guarantor that are related to the educational loans provided by the entity that is making the contribution.
Serving on or otherwise participating as a member of an advisory council for a lender, lender affiliate, or lender servicer.
Accepting from a lender or its affiliate any fee, payment, or other financial benefits as compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or other contracts to provide education loan-related services to or on behalf of the lender.
Accepting fees or other benefits in exchange for endorsing a lender or the lender’s loan products.
Requesting or accepting an offer of funds for private education loans from a lender, in exchange for our promise to provide the lender with placement on a preferred lender list, or a certain number of volumes of private education loans.

This institution is committed to providing the information and resources necessary to help every student achieve educational success. To accomplish this goal the financial aid staff will consider each student’s individual needs.

Your Rights as a Borrower

You may accept all, some, or none of the student loan funds offered.
You are entitled to a copy of your promissory note, which outlines the terms and conditions of your student loan, and will receive it before or after the loan is made.
Before you begin to repay, your loan holder is required to give you a payment schedule and detailed information about interest rates, fees, the balance you owe, and your repayment options.
You have a right to defer payments for certain defined periods or to request forbearance if you qualify.
You may be eligible to repay under a graduated or income-based repayment plan.
For federal student loans and most private student loans, you may prepay in whole or in part at any time without penalty.

Your Responsibilities as a Borrower

You must notify your school if you want to borrow less than the amount that has been awarded.
You must repay your student loans on time and in full even if you do not finish your education, get a job, or feel satisfied with the education you received.
You must notify your loan holder or servicer immediately of any change to your name, address, telephone number, or Social Security number.
You must make scheduled monthly payments even if you do not receive a bill or coupon booklet.
First-time Federal Direct loan borrowers must receive entrance counseling before funds can be disbursed.
Students are required to complete exit counseling when they graduate, withdraw, drop to less than half-time enrollment, or do not return for the next term. Students can access exit counseling online at https://studentloans.gov/.

If the total loan amount you receive over the course of your education reaches the aggregate loan limit, you are not eligible to receive additional loans. However, if you repay some of your loans to bring your outstanding loan debt below the aggregate loan limit, you could then borrow again, up to the amount of your remaining eligibility under the aggregate loan limit.

Aggregate Limits for Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans

LABLE NEEDED	Subsidized Loan Limit	Unsubsidized Loan Limit	Combined Loan Limits
Dependent	$23,000	$8,000	$31,000
Independent	$23,000	$34,500	$57,500

Annual Loan Limits

Academic Level	Dependent	Independent
First Year Undergraduate	$5,500 Annual Loan Limit ($3,500 max in subsidized)	$9,500 Annual Loan Limit ($3,500 max in subsidized)
Second Year Undergraduate	$6,500 Annual Loan Limit ($4,500 max in subsidized)	$10,500 Annual Loan Limit ($4,500 max in subsidized)
Third Year and Beyond Undergraduate Annual Loan Limit (Bachelor Students Only)	$7,500 Annual Loan Limit ($5,500 max in subsidized)	$12,500 Annual Loan Limit ($5,500 max in subsidized)

Most federal student loans have loan fees that are a percentage of the total loan amount. The loan fee is deducted proportionately from each loan disbursement you receive. This means the money you receive will be less than the amount you actually borrow. You’re responsible for repaying the entire amount you borrowed and not just the amount you received. The information below shows the loan fees for Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, and Direct PLUS Loans disbursed on or after October 1, 2020 and before October 1, 2021.

Direct Subsidized and Direct Unsubsidized Loans: 1.057%
Direct PLUS Loans: 4.228%

Federal Direct Subsidized Student Loan

Direct Subsidized Loans are for students who have financial needs. With a subsidized Stafford Loan, the federal government will pay the interest while you’re enrolled at least half-time, during your grace period, and during deferment periods. The amount of a subsidized loan cannot exceed a student’s financial need. This loan is subject to verified financial need and not to exceed educational costs. Repayment begins six months after you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment, with a fixed interest rate of 3.73% percent for loans disbursed after July 1, 2021, and before July 1, 2022.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Student Loan

Direct Unsubsidized loans do not require students to have financial needs. With an Unsubsidized Loan, you are responsible for paying the interest during all periods, starting from the date the loan is first disbursed. Information regarding repayment can be obtained from the Financial Aid Office. Repayment begins six months after you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment, with a fixed interest rate of 3.73% percent for loans disbursed after July 1, 2021, and before July 1, 2022.

Federal Direct Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students

Parents of dependent students can borrow from the PLUS loan program. They require that the applicant not have an adverse credit history and have an interest rate fixed at 6.28% for loans disbursed after July 1, 2021, and before July 1, 2022. Repayment begins on the date the loan is fully disbursed. If a parent is borrowing on behalf of a dependent undergraduate student, the student and parent must meet the general eligibility requirements for federal student aid.

Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) every year. Your FAFSA must be received and processed by the federal processor. You must meet all of the below requirements to receive your Federal Direct loan:

A separate application is required if you are applying for a Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan. Loan packets are available in the Financial Aid Office.
Be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen
Complete Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note on https://studentloans.gov
Degree-seeking student
Must be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards
Select only those courses in an AA or AS degree or approved certificate program at LSSC. Courses taken outside of those LSSC programs will not be paid for by financial aid.
Enrollment in a minimum of 6 credit/load hours at Lake-Sumter State College.

Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 601.21, requires the development, administration, and enforcement of a code of conduct governing educational loan activities.

Refusing to certify or delay the certification of an education loan based on a borrower’s choice of lender.
Assigning a first-time borrower to a particular private education loan lender through the student’s financial aid award or another means.
Packaging a private education loan in a student’s financial aid award, except when the student is ineligible for other financial aid, has exhausted his or her federal student aid eligibility, has not filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or refuses to apply for a federal student loan.
Accepting impermissible gifts, goods, or services from a lender, lender servicer, or guarantor. The institution may accept default prevention, financial literacy, or student aid-related educational services or materials, or other items of nominal value.
Accepting philanthropic contributions from a lender, lender servicer, or guarantor that are related to the educational loans provided by the entity that is making the contribution.
Serving on or otherwise participating as a member of an advisory council for a lender, lender affiliate, or lender servicer.
Accepting from a lender or its affiliate any fee, payment, or other financial benefits as compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or other contracts to provide education loan-related services to or on behalf of the lender.
Accepting fees or other benefits in exchange for endorsing a lender or the lender’s loan products.
Requesting or accepting an offer of funds for private education loans from a lender, in exchange for our promise to provide the lender with placement on a preferred lender list, or a certain number of volumes of private education loans.

Your Rights as a Borrower

You may accept all, some, or none of the student loan funds offered.
You are entitled to a copy of your promissory note, which outlines the terms and conditions of your student loan, and will receive it before or after the loan is made.
Before you begin to repay, your loan holder is required to give you a payment schedule and detailed information about interest rates, fees, the balance you owe, and your repayment options.
You have a right to defer payments for certain defined periods or to request forbearance if you qualify.
You may be eligible to repay under a graduated or income-based repayment plan.
For federal student loans and most private student loans, you may prepay in whole or in part at any time without penalty.

Your Responsibilities as a Borrower

You must notify your school if you want to borrow less than the amount that has been awarded.
You must repay your student loans on time and in full even if you do not finish your education, get a job, or feel satisfied with the education you received.
You must notify your loan holder or servicer immediately of any change to your name, address, telephone number, or Social Security number. Information about your loan holder or servicer is available at studentaid.gov.
You must make scheduled monthly payments even if you do not receive a bill or coupon booklet.
First-time Federal Direct loan borrowers must receive entrance counseling before funds can be disbursed.
Students are required to complete exit counseling when they graduate, withdraw, drop to less than half-time enrollment, or do not return for the next term.

Aggregate Limits for Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans

LABLE NEEDED	Subsidized Loan Limit	Unsubsidized Loan Limit	Combined Loan Limits
Dependent	$23,000	$8,000	$31,000
Independent	$23,000	$34,500	$57,500

Annual Loan Limits

Academic Level	Dependent	Independent
First Year Undergraduate	$5,500 Annual Loan Limit ($3,500 max in subsidized)	$9,500 Annual Loan Limit ($3,500 max in subsidized)
Second Year Undergraduate	$6,500 Annual Loan Limit ($4,500 max in subsidized)	$10,500 Annual Loan Limit ($4,500 max in subsidized)
Third Year and Beyond Undergraduate Annual Loan Limit (Bachelor Students Only)	$7,500 Annual Loan Limit ($5,500 max in subsidized)	$12,500 Annual Loan Limit ($5,500 max in subsidized)

Financial aid is disbursed to your account after the add/drop period when attendance has been verified. Refunds are issued no later than 14 days after aid has been disbursed to your account. If you have a loan and you are a first time borrower, your loan will not disburse until 30 days after classes begin.

Please visit the Student Accounts page to learn how to set up direct deposit in CashNet to receive your refunds as quickly as possible.

Federal Direct Subsidized Student Loan - Direct Subsidized Loans are for students who have financial needs. With a subsidized Stafford Loan, the federal government will pay the interest while you’re enrolled at least half-time, during your grace period, and during deferment periods. The amount of a subsidized loan cannot exceed a student’s financial need. This loan is subject to verified financial need and not exceed educational costs. Repayment begins six months after you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment, with a fixed interest rate determined by the US Department of Education

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Student Loan - Direct Unsubsidized loans do not require students to have financial needs. With an Unsubsidized Loan, you are responsible for paying the interest during all periods, starting from the date the loan is first disbursed. Information regarding repayment can be obtained from the Financial Aid Office. Repayment begins six months after you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment, with a fixed interest rate determined by the US Department of Education

Federal Direct Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students - Parents of dependent students can borrow from the PLUS loan program. They require that the applicant not have an adverse credit history and have a fixed interest rate determined by the US Department of Education. Repayment begins on the date the loan is fully disbursed. If a parent is borrowing on behalf of a dependent undergraduate student, the student and parent must meet the general eligibility requirements for federal student aid.

We are unable to accept payments in person.

A 2.85% convenience fee will be applied to all debit/credit card transactions.

E-Check (ACH bank transfer from checking or savings) is not assessed a fee.

For more information, please visit the Student Payments page https://www.lssc.edu/student-resources/student-payment/.

Most federal student loans have loan fees that are a percentage of the total loan amount. The loan fee is deducted proportionately from each loan disbursement you receive. This means the money you receive will be less than the amount you borrow. You’re responsible for repaying the entire amount you borrowed and not just the amount you received. Information related to Federal Student Loan fees are found at studentaid.gov.

A separate application is required if you are applying for a Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan. Loan packets are available in the Financial Aid Office.
Be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen
Complete Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note
Degree-seeking student
Must be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards
Select only those courses in an AA or AS degree or approved certificate program at LSSC. Courses taken outside of those LSSC programs will not be paid for by financial aid.
Enrollment in a minimum of 6 credit/load hours at Lake-Sumter State College.

In order to receive financial aid, students must attend the courses for which they are registered at least once during the first two weeks of any semester. Students enrolled in fully online courses must participate in an academically related activity (submit an assignment, or participate in the course discussion board) to satisfy initial attendance verification (PRO 3-05). If marked as not attending during this period, the student will be financially responsible for the course, and Financial Aid and Veteran benefits may be decreased. Students who are reported as not attending will remain in the class.

The number of transfer hours accepted at the point of admission will be used to calculate the student’s remaining eligibility under the 150% calculation and will be included in the quantitative calculation, which includes the number of hours attempted and completed. In order to meet GPA component, the student must have a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Transfer students whose cumulative GPA and/or completion ratio is below the minimum standards for more than one semester will be placed on suspension. The student has the option to appeal the suspension if they believe they have mitigating circumstances.

Students may submit an SAP appeal for consideration of reinstatement of Federal Financial Aid eligibility. In the appeal the student will provide documentation of mitigating circumstances, a written statement explaining what happened and what has changed. Academic reinstatement by the Registrar’s Office or the Advising Office does not constitute reinstatement of financial aid eligibility.

All appeals will be reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee. The committee’s decision is final. Students will be notified through the Lakehawk email of the decision. If an appeal is approved, the student must sign the SAP Academic Plan Agreement which outlines the terms of approval.

GPA and/or Completion Ratio – If a student on “warning” does not improve the GPA and/or Completion Ratio Percentage the next term of enrollment, the student will be placed on suspension. During the suspension period, the student will be ineligible for any federal financial aid.
Maximum Time Frame – A student will be placed on suspension if he/she has reached or exceeded 150% of the normal timeframe required to complete a degree program (includes both LSSC and transfer hours). Student is ineligible for federal financial aid and notified accordingly.

Students that do not successfully complete any classes with a passing grade will be monitored at the end of each term for unofficial withdrawals. If it is determined that the punitive grades resulted from an unofficial withdrawal, the Return of Unearned Title IV Funds calculation will be applied to awards received. The student will be required to repay grant and loan funds as appropriate.

For grants, the law requires the student to return 50% of any grant funds they receive. Any amount the student is required to return is a grant overpayment. LSSC will notify a student if a grant overpayment is required. They will have 30 days to pay the overpayment to LSSC. If the overpayment is not paid in that 30 days, we will refer the overpayment to the Department of Education’s Debt Resolution Services. The student will have to resolve the overpayment with the Department of Education before they can receive Title IV aid again.

A post-withdrawal disbursement might be required if the student did not receive all the funds they earned before withdrawing. LSSC will automatically apply earned grant funds to the balance owed on their student account. If the post-withdrawal disbursement includes loan funds, the student will be notified in writing with the amount of the potential disbursement. They have 14 days to respond in writing if they choose to have the disbursement applied to their account. If no response is received, the loan will be canceled.

If the post-withdrawal disbursement results in a credit balance on the student account, a refund will be sent via the refund method selected by the student.

For example, the average number of hours it should take to complete an AA degree is 60 hours. Using that average, 150% equals 90 hours. For students who are enrolled in the BAS-OM program, it should take no more than 120 hours to complete. Using that average, 150% equals 180 hours, which is the maximum number for which a student could receive financial aid (assuming CGPA and Completion Ratio are also met).

What is it?

FGMG is a need-based grant program available to degree-seeking, undergraduate, Florida residents enrolled in participating Florida postsecondary institutions, and whose parents have not earned baccalaureate or higher degrees. Funding is limited and awards are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis.

How do I apply?

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

How much can I get?

The award amount varies and is based on the student’s need assessment after any scholarship or grant aid, including, but not limited to, a Pell Grant or Bright Futures Scholarship has been applied.

Applications for these scholarships are available online in the spring semester of each year. Interested students may submit an application packet for consideration by the High School Scholarship Committee. Selected candidates are informed by May of each year.

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Available Scholarships

GED - Two students from Lake and Sumter counties will be selected for $600 scholarships for one semester.
Opportunity Scholarship - Fee waiver for twelve (12) credit hours for the fall semester. Waiver hours must be utilized beginning the fall semester. Spring term may be issued if hours are available.
President’s Scholarship - $600 scholarship per semester for one year.
Williams/Johnson Scholarship - $600 scholarship per semester for one year.
Principal’s Scholarship - $1200 scholarship per semester for one year.
Trustee Scholarship - $1200 scholarship per semester for one year.

What is it?

The Florida Student Assistance Grant Program provides grants to Florida resident students registered with a minimum of 6 credit/load hours that have exceptional financial need. The FAFSA application is used to determine eligibility.

How do I apply?

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

How much can I get?

The amount of a grant is based on the financial need of a student and the cost of attendance. The amount varies every year and is prorated based on hours of enrollment.

Students may file an academic progress appeal when they do not meet renewal requirements due to a verifiable illness or emergency beyond a student’s control, or to include other courses not already included in the GPA. Completed appeals with all supporting documentation must be submitted by August 30th of the same year following denial notification from OSFA.

Students will be notified by email of the appeal decision. All appeal decisions made by the Financial Aid Office are final.

For Illness or Emergency Students must:

Submit a Bright Futures Appeal Form
Provide a written statement of the circumstances of the illness or emergencies and its impact on the student’s performance, and documentation of the circumstances such as physician’s statement, accident report, or other pertinent reports. A parent(s) written statement, without further documentation, is not sufficient documentation.

For GPA Calculation Students Must:

Submit a Bright Futures Appeal Form
Submit an official transcript(s) from the previously attended postsecondary institution(s), if applicable.

Students are required to pay back Bright Futures funds paid to them for the course(s) which were dropped or withdrawn after the add/drop period is over. Students' accounts will be reduced by the appropriate amount and a hold placed on their account. Correspondence will be sent to the students via email from LSSC to notify them of their obligation to repay funds to the school. Repayment for the cost of dropped or withdrawn courses is required to renew a Bright Futures award for a subsequent academic year.

Renewal requirements vary based on the year students graduated from high school. For detailed renewal requirements for all Bright Futures students, please visit the Bright Futures renewal page.

Credit Hour Type	Student Funded (per term)	Required Earned Hours (per term)
Semester Hour	12+ Hours (Full-Time)	12
Semester Hour	9-11 Hours (Three-Quarter Time)	9
Semester Hour	6-8 Hours (Half-Time)	6

Florida’s Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) determines your eligibility to receive Bright Futures based upon:

Your Bright Futures Application
Your High School transcript information
Your SAT/ACT test scores
Community Service hours
OSFA begins sending Official Bright Futures Award Notices after your 7th semester of High School, provided they have received the information above.

For more information visit Initial Eligibility Requirements.

Angler - The Angler is LSSC’s monthly newspaper. The Editor, Associate Editor, Photographer, Graphic Designer, and Online Editor each receive a scholarship of $700 per term for their services in producing the newspaper.
Art - Students may receive a scholarship of up to $700 per term for providing assistance to the Art Department.
Brain Bowl - LSSC’s Brain Bowl team competes with other community colleges in academic challenges. Scholarships of $700 per term are awarded to Brain Bowl members.
College Ambassador - In return for 80 hours of service per term, Ambassadors receive a $600 stipend and $700 scholarship.
College Diplomat - In return for 70 hours of service per term, Diplomats receive a $700 scholarship.
College Reach Out - Up to six hours tuition for 11 students in the Bridges program for summer B term only.
LSSC Service - In return for 70 hours of service per term, students may receive up to $1000 per term based on fund availability.
Music - Students may receive up to $500 per term for providing assistance to the Music Department.
Odyssey - The Odyssey is an LSSC humanities magazine that contains short stories, poetry, photography, art, and graphics. Students who assist in the development of this publication may receive a scholarship of $700 per term.
Student Government Association - Scholarships are awarded to the Student Government Officers for each LSSC campus. The President receives an $850 scholarship per term. Other officers receive a $700 scholarship per term.
Theater - Students may receive a scholarship of up to $500 per term for providing assistance to the Theater Department.

Academic Scholarship - Students that make the President's list during the previous fall term will be considered to receive this scholarship. Funding is limited and scholarship funds are not guaranteed. This scholarship has a minimum 3.8 GPA required.
Financial Need Scholarship - Awarded to students who have documented need based on federal criteria. Funding is limited and not guaranteed.

Applications MUST be completed by the applicant. Under no circumstances can parents, teachers, or counselors complete a scholarship application for a student.
Scholarship criteria vary, some scholarships are for specific areas of study or for individuals with specific backgrounds or needs. The online application will determine your eligibility based on your questionnaire answers. Applicants will be considered for all scholarships for which they are eligible, assuming all pertinent and required materials are included.
Scholarships are available for both full-time and part-time students.
International students are welcome to apply.
If these requirements are not satisfied, the Foundation reserves the right to revoke scholarship funds.
Students must complete the application entirely. Some common mistakes students make are not providing accurate financial information and not providing an accurate GPA.

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