VGCC Spring 2020 students encouraged to apply for financial assistance

Area residents who were enrolled at Vance-Granville Community College during the spring 2020 semester may be eligible for a cash payment from a federal grant, but they just need to apply. That’s the message from the college’s Financial Aid Office.

Like other colleges, VGCC received this funding through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The amount of assistance could range from $125 to $1,250, depending on the student’s financial need and the number of credit hours in which the student was enrolled. To receive a payment, students must have been enrolled in at least one curriculum class that had a “seated” (on-campus) component as of March 9, 2020, must have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for 2020-2021 and must meet certain other eligibility requirements.

High school students taking VGCC classes, such as those at Early College high schools, are not eligible. Neither are students who only took online classes in spring 2020.

“COVID-19 caused significant disruptions, including financial hardships, for our campus community, so we created the COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Application to help students who have been faced with unexpected expenses related to campus disruptions,” said VGCC Dean of Student Access & Support Kali Brown.

The college informed students of the assistance through an email, and more than 200 students have received the grants, but funds are still available. Applications will be processed in the order they are received and until funds are exhausted.

Students will find a link to the online application in their VGCC email.

For more information, students should contact the VGCC Financial Aid Office at fao@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3280.