Student Loans

The Georgia National Guard (GNG) Service Cancelable Loan (SCL) was established as an incentive for qualified men and women to join the GNG and to retain skilled, productive citizens within the state. It is a student financial aid program that provides loans to be used towards the cost of tuition in an undergraduate program at an eligible postsecondary institution.

Full details regarding the program guidelines can be found in the Georgia National Guard Service Cancelable Loan Program regulations.

Eligibility

To be eligible, you must:

1. Be a United States citizen or eligible non-citizen for 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the first day of the term of funding;
2. Be an active member in good standing with the Georgia National Guard;
3. Be enrolled at least half-time in a certificate, diploma, baccalaureate, graduate, or first professional degree program;
4. Not be in default on a federal Title IV, State of Georgia educational loan, or owe a refund on a federal or State of Georgia student financial aid program;
5. Be in compliance with the Georgia Drug-Free Postsecondary Education Act of 1990.

Award Amounts for the Georgia National Guard Service Cancelable Loan

The GNG SCL award amount at a public postsecondary institution is equal to the current standard per hour undergraduate tuition amount at the institution. A student must be enrolled a minimum of six hours per term in order to receive the GNG SCL.

If a student is receiving financial aid from a source other than the GNG SCL, and that aid is required by the donor to be applied to the student’s tuition, the student’s GNG SCL award must be reduced by the amount of such aid.

A student is eligible to receive the GNG SCL for a maximum of 120 semester or 180 quarter paid hours. The paid hours limit will include the hours in which a student received the GNG SCL beginning with the 2016-17 academic year.

Service Commitment and Cash Repayment for the Georgia National Guard Service Cancelable Loan

In order to repay by service, a GNG SCL recipient must:

• Maintain a cumulative 2.0 postsecondary GPA, and
• Remain in good standing as an active member of the Georgia National Guard during the term in which the student received the GNG SCL, and
• Serve in the GNG for two years following the last term of enrollment for which the student received GNG SCL funds.

Recipients who fail to meet the requirements of the GNG SCL must repay the amount received, plus interest, in accordance with the GNG SCL promissory note signed by the recipient.

Recipients must complete the GNG Verification of Status form within 30 days following the last term of enrollment and within thirty days of completing each year of the two year commitment.

Students who need additional funds beyond what they qualify for in federal or state grant and scholarship student aid may wish to apply for a private education loan. Note: A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is not required to apply for a private education loan.

A private education loan is a non-federal education loan through a private lender typically issued in the student’s name and requiring a cosigner. The availability of these loans is declining, and most lenders who still provide these loans are increasing their interest rates.

Each lender has different eligibility requirements, interest rates, repayment terms and conditions. For example, some lenders require students to be enrolled at least half-time in a degree-granting program, while others will lend to students who are non-degree seeking or are enrolled less than half-time.

Students and/or parents who find they must apply for a private education loan may contact their bank, credit union or other private lending institution to ascertain if they provide private education loans.

Student Access Loan Program (discontinued)

Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC)offered the Student Access Loan (SAL) Program for eligible students attending an eligible TCSG (Technical College System of Georgia) postsecondary institution in Georgia.  GSFC terminated the SAL Program after Summer 2024.

Federal Direct Loan Program (discontinued)

Georgia Piedmont Technical College is focused on helping students achieve their educational goals.  A large part of that success is getting financial support. Effective August 2018, Georgia Piedmont Tech discontinued participation in the Federal Student Loan Program.  While this option is not available, there are many other resources to help you keep moving forward in your educational journey.  In addition to the loan options above, the following options are also available:

• Grants and Scholarships: Grants and scholarships are available through federal, state, institutional, and other outside resources and do not require repayment
• Work-Study: This federal program allows students to work part-time and earn wages while enrolled in school.

The decision to end participation in the Federal Student Loan Program was not made lightly. We remain committed to your educational success and assisting you in every way possible.

Exit Counseling

Federal Direct student loan borrowers have a legal obligation to repay their loans to the Department of Education. If you drop below half-time enrollment, leave school, or graduate, The U.S. Department of Education also requires you to complete Exit Loan Counseling.

To complete exit counseling:

• You must have a verified FSA ID (Username & Password) instead of a PIN to log in to StudentLoans.gov.
• Select Complete Exit Counseling and allow 20 to 30 minutes to learn about your repayment responsibilities and options.
• After you complete the session, print the Confirmation Page and keep one for your records.

Repayment

Repayment begins six months after you graduate or drop below half-time enrollment (six credit hours). If you receive a loan and Withdraw, Graduate, or Drop below six hours you must contact or Financial Aid Office so we may counsel you regarding your loan status.

Under certain circumstances you may receive a deferment or forbearance. This will allow you to temporarily postpone making loan repayments. For more information please visit https://StudentAid.gov.

Students are able to track the amount owed, student loan servicers, and interest rates by logging into https://StudentAid.gov.

Please remember, if you begin to have trouble making your payments, you must contact your loan servicer immediately. You can retrieve the loan servicer contact information and all of your loan record details on the National Student Load Data System for Students.