To learn more about Athens Tech’s tuition and fees, please visit our course catalog. You can also estimate your cost of attendance through the net price calculator.
State of Georgia Post-Secondary Tuition Waiver
The State of Georgia Post-Secondary tuition Waiver Program exempts or waives payment of tuition and fees (and where applicable, on-campus housing) for students attending a technical college within the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). Eligible students must be a youth or young adult under the age of 28 who is currently in foster care, has experienced foster care, or who was placed for adoption by the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services.
Find more information here – https://dfcs.georgia.gov/services/state-georgia-post-secondary-tuition-waiver
Payment Options
If you’re looking to pay your tuition, visit one of these options:
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Receiving a college education is something that should be attainable for everyone.
Our tuition and fees for one year are one-third the cost of other colleges and universities. Tuition is $107 per credit hour, and there are numerous financial aid and scholarship opportunities available. Our goal is to help students succeed without encumbering loads of debt.
Financial Aid Policies Sign Up For A Payment Plan
The FAFSA Process
Financial aid is essential to having an affordable college education, and FAFSA is the first step in applying for financial aid. It’s important to review all of your options and seek the help of an advisor when necessary. Here are the steps for filling out a financial aid application:
Fill out the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) online.
Apply for Aid
Please have your Federal Tax Return on hand when applying.
- You will need an FSA ID. Click on the links on the FAFSA form to Create or Retrieve it, if needed. If you are having issues with your FSA ID go directly to studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/landing
- Students who are Dependents per federal regulations (born before January 1, 1997, not a Veteran, have no dependents, not married, etc.) will have to list their Parents’ information on the application as well. A parent must also obtain their own FSA ID to sign the application.
- Athens Technical College’s school code is 005600.
- Try to answer ALL questions accurately to keep from having more follow-up issues and additional processing time including the questions about your high school information.
- The results will come into ATC two weeks after you submit your application. You may have additional requirements to complete so watch out for updates!
Overview 
What is FAFSA?
FAFSA stands for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This is a form completed by current and prospective college students in the United States to determine their eligibility for student financial aid.
All students must complete the FAFSA by no earlier than October 1, 2022 and no later than June 30, 2024 for the 2023-2024 school year.
Verification
Because students sometimes make errors on their financial aid applications, the U.S. Department of Education created a process to confirm the accuracy of the information called verification. Students are initially notified on their Student Aid Report (SAR) if the application has been selected for verification. The Financial Aid Office will contact the student by letter or email informing the student regarding the verification requirements. The letter/email will inform you if we need you to complete the dependent or independent worksheet and if we need any other additional documents.
Acceptable documentation may include IRS Tax Transcripts, IRS Tax Forms (1040, 1040A, 1040E, and requested tax schedules) and W-2’s. To resolve discrepancies students may be required to complete and submit additional documents.
Verification results that require changes to the applicant information and subsequent changes to the student’s financial aid package will be made prior to final disbursement of federal funds. For all students s eligible for Title IV aid changes are made to the student information electronically through the Department of Education’s CPS. The student will be notified of this adjustment through a revised financial aid award letter. If the verification results do not justify aid already disbursed, the student is responsible for repaying all aid for which he/she is not eligible.
Verification must typically be completed prior to the end of the academic year or before the student ceases enrollment, whichever occurs first. Students who fail to comply with the verification requirements, including submitting documentation within the required timelines will not have Federal Title IV funds disbursed and may have the funds canceled.
The verification documents should be sent to the Financial Aid Office in one of the following ways:
Mail to:
Athens Technical College ATTN: Financial Aid
800 U.S. Hwy. 29 N. Athens, GA 30601
Fax to: (706) 425-3086
Email to: Scanned copies to financialaid@athenstech.edu
Deliver to: Financial Aid in the H-700 Building, Athens Main Campus
Professional Judgement
Dependency Override Appeal
Athens Technical College understands that navigating the financial aid process can be daunting, and the Athens Technical College Financial Aid Staff Members are here to help provide you with a clearer understanding of the Financial Aid Dependency Override Appeal.
Federal regulations permit the College to override a student’s dependency status for Federal Financial Aid purposes if unusual circumstances exist and can be documented. This determination is made on a case-by-case basis. Not all requests will qualify for Dependency Override. A Dependency Override request can take up to 5 to 10 business days to process once all required documentation is provided.
The following conditions are NOT considered unusual circumstances:
- Parents refusal to contribute to the student’s education
- Parents are unwilling to provide information for the FAFSA or verification
- Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes
- Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency
- Student does not communicate with parents.
If you have an unusual or extenuating circumstance that you believe warrants you independency status, you will need to complete the Dependency Override Appeal form, along with all required supporting documents. Please contact the Financial Aid Department for a form to be uploaded in Campus Logic. You can submit the form and all supporting documents via one of the following ways:
- Deliver to: Financial Aid in the H-700 Building, Athens Main Campus
- Email to: scanned copies to financialaid@athenstech.edu
- Fax to: (706) 425-3086
- Mail to: Athens Technical College.
ATTN: Financial Aid.
800 U.S. Hwy 29 N.
Athens, GA 30601
For more information, please visit the Dependency Status guidelines set forth by Federal Student Aid.
Special Circumstance Appeal
Athens Technical College recognizes that changes may be experienced in the financial situation of a household. While the FAFSA determines financial aid eligibility based on tax and income data from two years prior, the SCA process exists to re-evaluate a student’s aid based on certain significant financial charges.
Financial Aid Administrators are authorized to use professional judgement on a case-by-case basis for students with special circumstances that affect a family’s ability to pay for college education that are not reflected in the information provided on the FAFSA. Manual adjustments can be made to students’/parents’ yearly income based on current financial status as opposed to financial information on the FAFSA from two years prior. In many cases, professional judgement adjustments made to the FAFSA do no result in significant changes to the Student Aid Index (SAI). Special Circumstance Appeals are made based on a change of income that is beyond your control.
Examples of unusual circumstances that warrant an appeal may include the following:
- Separation or Divorce
- Loss or reduction of employment (those due to cause or personal choice are not applicable)
- Death of parent or spouse
- Child Support Damage
Please contact the Financial Aid Department for a Special Circumstance Appeal form to be upload in your Campus Logic portal. You can submit the form and all supporting documents via one of the following ways:
- Deliver to: Financial Aid in the H-700 Building, Athens Main Campus
- Email to: scanned copies to financialaid@athenstech.edu
- Fax to: (706) 425-3086
- Mail to: Athens Technical College.
ATTN: Financial Aid.
800 U.S. Hwy 29 N.
Athens, GA 30601
If ALL supporting documentation is not submitted, this could result in the denial of your appeal. All pertinent information is needed so that full consideration can be given to your appeal. Your aid will remain the same until your appeal has been approved. Once a decision has been made, you will be contacted through your Campus Logic portal. All financial documents used for the current year’s FAFSA and the financial documents for the change in income year will be needed.
Are you eligible to receive financial aid?
Documents needed to fill out a FAFSA application
Types Of Financial Aid
Federal Aid
Federal grants are awarded to students with financial need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). These grants include:
- Federal Pell Grant
- A student must be enrolled in an eligible program. Generally, associate’s degrees and diplomas listed in the catalog are Pell-eligible. TCC’s must meet other requirements such as a minimum number of credit hours to receive Pell Grant.
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
- Federal Work Study Work Study Job Opportunities
- Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants
Are you eligible to receive federal aid?
State Grants / Loans
Hope (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally) Grant:
Georgia’s HOPE Grant is available to Georgia residents who are working towards a certificate or diploma (continuing education programs are not eligible) at an eligible college or university in Georgia.
Scholarships
Scholarships are an excellent way to supplement your financial aid award at Athens Technical College. This money is in addition to federal and state aid and generally does not have to be paid back. There are numerous scholarships from a variety of sources, and we want to help point you in the right direction.
Many scholarships will have an application deadline during the late spring months with the intention of awarding students for the following academic year. Scholarship opportunities do arise throughout the year, and we encourage you to check often. To increase your chances, you should apply for as many scholarships as you can. There are many students that have graduated from and are currently attending Athens Technical College that have received and made use of scholarships. They are well worth your time and effort.
The financial aid office is responsible for managing scholarship funds on student accounts. Please let us know if you have any questions about how to use your scholarship funds at ATC.
Student Loans
Athens Technical College does not participate in the Federal Stafford Student Loan program or the Federal Parent PLUS Loan program. Loans should be used as a last resort to pay for education expenses (tuition, fees and books). Students needing loans to finance their education can consider state and private loan options with a maximum cap of no more than $10,000 borrowed per academic year. If there is no unmet need, you are able to borrow only your actual cost of tuition and fees plus an additional $450 allowance for books. Housing will not be considered in this situation.
Private student loans are different from federal student loans in that they are not guaranteed by the federal government, require a credit check, and often require a co-signer. Terms and conditions vary significantly by the lender. Carefully consider your needs, and then select a loan product that best meets your individual situation.
Private Loan Eligibility Requirements
- Enrollment – You must be accepted for enrollment or enrolled at least half-time (six credit hours).
- Satisfactory Academic Progress – You must maintain satisfactory academic progress in your course of study. *Complete 66.66% of the overall hours you attempt, maintain a 2.0 GPA, and complete your program within 150% of hours needed as outlined in ATCs standards and statutory requirements.
- FAFSA Required – You must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine your Financial Need.
- Non-Default – You must not be in default on an educational loan or owe a refund on an educational grant.
- Loan Counseling – Required once your student loan has been processed by Athens Technical College. You will be contacted at your Athens Tech email to complete this requirement in person at the Athens Campus. No funding will be credited to your account until this requirement has been satisfied.
Private (Alternative) Educational Loans
Currently, students are eligible to apply for and receive loans from private lenders. ATC Financial Aid Office will certify loans up to a student’s financial need or for students without any financial need, loan amounts are limited to the actual costs of tuition, fees, and monetary maximum allowed per semester for books. To determine this, Athens Technical College requires that you have completed FAFSA on file.
Private student loans are different from federal student loans in that they are not guaranteed by the federal government, require a credit check, and often require a co-signer. Terms and conditions vary significantly by lender.
Athens Technical College offers an online loan comparison tool for you to use called FASTChoice. This tool is designed to assist you in making the educational loan choice that is best for you and provides a side-by-side comparison of the lenders, loan terms, interest rates, repayment options, and the ability to apply online. Please keep in mind that you may select any lender of your choice, even if they do not appear on FASTChoice.
Athens Technical College selected FASTChoice as the preferred lender tool for the following reasons:
- Competitive borrower rates and terms
- Loans are offered to community college students
- Funds are sent electronically (EFT) when possible
- Easy online application process
- Longevity and stability in private loan lending
Veteran’s Benefits
ATC Veteran’s Services is committed to providing support to student veterans and their families to assist in transition from military to civilian college life by providing access to resources and services that will assist Veterans in achieving their academic and career goals.
FAQs
I am an adult, why is it requiring my parents' information?
The federal aid application requires parents’ financial information for students who are under 24 years of age unless the student:
- Is married
- Has children
- Has other dependents who receive more than half of their support from the student and live with the student
- Is an orphan or ward of the court
- Is active duty military or is a U.S. Veteran
- Has other circumstances as listed on the FAFSA
My Parents are divorced. Which Parent should I list on the FAFSA?
Your “Qualifying Parent” for FAFSA purposes is the Parent that you lived with over the last 12 months. If that is Neither, then the Parent that provided more financial support for you over the last 12 months. If that is Neither, then you go back to the last 12 month period in which you received Parental support and which Parent provided more support than the other. If the Qualifying Parent is Remarried then their Spouse’s information will also be required.
If I wasn’t married in the year the income is based on should my new spouse be listed on the FAFSA?
Yes! Marital Status is as of the date that you fill out the FAFSA. So if you are married on that date (or if your Parent is Married) then the Spouse’s information will be listed including income from the base year regardless of when you may have met.
My parent(s) doesn’t have a social security number. What should I do?
Not a problem, you will just list all 0’s on the FAFSA in the place for the SSN. If they filed taxes make sure to report that it was a Foreign Tax Return. Also, without a SSN your Parent will not be able to make the FSA ID and you will need to use the Paper Signature page provided at the end of the application to be mailed into FAFSA (address indicated on the sheet).
Should I use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool?
We encourage our students to use this valuable tool! It helps with accuracy of your application as well as streamlines processes on the school end.
I have questions about some specific Financial Aid policies such as the HOPE Cap or appealing a financial aid exclusion.
You can read details about various financial aid policies on the Financial Aid Policies page.
Financial Aid & tuition Contact
Building H
Phone: 706-355-5009
Email: Financialaid@athenstech.edu
Cashier Contact
Building H
Phone: 706-355-5121
Email: cashier@athenstech.edu