Financial Aid

Student Financial Assistance (SFA) at DACC is available in the form of scholarships, grants, loans, and part-time employment. In-depth information and counseling may be obtained from the DACC Financial Aid office which is located on the first floor of Vermilion Hall in the West Wing.  Students may contact the office by phone: (217) 443-8864 or e-mail:  finaid@dacc.edu.  For detailed information on programs, important dates, and other Financial Aid information visit http://www.dacc.edu/finaid/.

A Danville Area Community College student who may receive any State or Federal financial aid must meet the following minimum standards of program guidelines and academic progress in order for financial aid to be awarded.

1. A student must be enrolled in an eligible program of study which leads to a college level degree or certificate, or transfer equivalent.
2. A student may receive financial aid while taking remedial classes and enrolled in an ineligible program. However, financial aid can be received for only one academic year of remedial classes (30 semester hours). This includes all attempted hours.
3. A student must be enrolled in the minimum number of hours required by the financial aid program.
4. Only students who have graduated from high school or have a GED are eligible to receive financial aid. The exception is Ability to Benefit Criteria for students who meet this criteria and began attendance in their Degree Seeking program at Danville Area Community College prior to July 1, 2012.
5. Apply for financial aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Use the paper application or use the Internet to apply at https://studentaid.gov/. The DACC School Code is 001669.
6. Provide verification documentation to establish accuracy of FAFSA information should the student be selected for verification by the Department of Education.
7. Meet DACC's Standards of Academic Progress (SAP) per student aid regulations noted in this handbook.

Eligibility for SFA is determined by individual "Financial Need." Financial need is the difference between the costs of attending college for a period of attendance and the amount a student's family can be expected to contribute from their income and assets.  Because various sources of SFA funds are limited, it is usually necessary to meet a student's needs by combining several forms of aid. This combination of more than one kind of aid is referred to as a "financial aid package".

The first step to determine if you are eligible for any type of student aid (Federal and/or Illinois State) is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at https://studentaid.gov/.  Eligibility for the need and non-need based programs will be determined from the student’s family's financial resources as well as household size and number attending college (excluding parent's).  Resources for Blind and Visually Impaired Students: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) site allows visually-impaired users to complete the FAFSA from using a browser and screen reader software.  For more information visit https://studentaid.gov/help/using-screen-reader-software; TTY number 1-800-730-9013.

The DACC Financial Aid Office will require copies of Tax Transcripts to complete the verification process. Students can contact the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at 1-800-829-1040 to request a Tax Return Transcript. If students use the IRS data retrieval, when completing the FAFSA, they will not have to submit a tax transcript unless they change the tax fields later.

IMPORTANT: If a student thinks his/her family has an exceptional financial circumstance that should be addressed, they should complete the worksheet for the Appeal for Special Circumstances (ASC) and return it (with supporting documentation) to the DACC Financial Aid Office. Results from the FAFSA must be on file and that information verified before a Special Circumstance can be evaluated. The ASC form can be requested by contacting the Financial Aid Office.  Be sure to follow all instructions provided and submit the attachments requested with each applicable form.

NOTE: If the student has been selected for verification, DACC's Financial Aid Office verifies all elements of the FAFSA data. You and your family will be requested to provide the documentation concerning the information required on the FAFSA. Your financial aid file will not be completed and student financial aid (that you may qualify for) will not be awarded until all verification is complete. Any instances of conflicting, erroneous or omitted information may require a correction to your FAFSA data. Once corrections are processed and returned you will be updated to any changes in eligibility. It is important that you reply to all requests for verification documentation. Verification must be completed and corrections made (if applicable) before the end of the semester for which you are applying for student aid funds or all "potential" Student Financial Aid funds will be canceled.