Financial aid is made available to students who, without such assistance, would not be able to attend Sitting Bull College (SBC). These programs are designed to complement the student’s own resources. Financial aid consists of grants and scholarships, loans, work-study programs, and waivers of tuition. Grants and scholarships are gifts of money that do not have to be repaid. Loans are funds borrowed that must be repaid. Work-study (student employment) allows the student to work and earn money for educational purposes.

The following process should be followed in applying for financial aid:

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at fafsa.ed.gov and list Sitting Bull College’s code – 014993 – on the FAFSA. Students (and parents of dependent students) will need an electronic PIN # to sign the form electronically. Visit the PIN Site at www.pin.ed.gov. The FAFSA is the application for the federal Pell grant program. The FAFSA application should be completed as soon as possible after January 1st for the following academic year. Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing the FAFSA.

Complete the FAFSA prior to April 15 to be considered for funding from the North Dakota State Student Incentive Grant (SSIG). This scholarship is only available to North Dakota residents.

Complete the FAFSA by April 30 to receive priority consideration for funding from the Federal SEOG and Federal Work Study programs at SBC for fall term or October 31 for spring term.

Complete the Higher Education Grant application by the priority date established by that program. For Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, the following priority dates are established:
June 30 for a completed application for the academic year or fall term only
November 30 for a completed application for the spring semester only
April 30 for a completed application for the summer term
Applications may be accepted after these dates until funds are expended.
Other tribes may have different priority dates for their program.

Complete the Job Placement Training Program (JPTP) application by June 30 to receive priority consideration for funding from that program.

Complete the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) application in July or August for fall term and November or December for spring term.

Complete the North Dakota Indian Scholarship by July 15. This scholarship is only available to North Dakota residents attending a North Dakota college and who meet the Native American requirements.

Complete the SBC Application for Institutional Financial Aid to be considered for all institutional scholarships and grants available from Sitting Bull College by April 30 for fall term or October 31 for spring term.

Apply for any and all sources of financial aid available to the student.

The SBC Financial Aid Office reserves the right to make the final determination regarding the type(s) and amount of aid awarded to students. Awards are based upon an evaluation of the student’s eligibility as determined by the need analysis service using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and the availability of funds of the various aid programs.

Students who have submitted the FAFSA should receive an award letter notification by June 30. Only those students who have a completed financial aid file will receive federal financial aid. If a student’s FAFSA application is selected for verification and the process has not been completed, the student will receive a tentative award letter stating federal funds that s/he may be eligible to receive. However, federal funds will not be disbursed to the student until the verification process is completed.

To qualify for federal financial aid, the student must:

Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen
Have earned a high school diploma or GED certificate
Not have already earned a baccalaureate degree
Be enrolled as a regular student in an eligible program
Be making satisfactory academic progress toward completion of an eligible course of study
Not be in default on a federal education loan
Not owe a refund or repayment on a federal education grant (Pell, SEOG, SSIG, ACG, SMART, TEACH, or other federal financial aid grant)
Have signed a statement of educational purpose
Be registered with U.S. Selective Service if required
Have signed an anti-drug abuse act statement
Have completely repaid fraudulently obtained funds, if convicted of a crime or pled nolo contendere or guilty to a crime involving fraud in obtaining Title IV, HEA financial assistance
Be determined eligible based on information submitted on the FAFSA.

Beginning July 1, 2012 students are limited to a Pell lifetime eligibility unit (LEU) of 600% which equates to 12 semesters of full-time enrollment.

Financial aid is awarded based on the need and availability of funds. Need is defined as the difference between the estimated cost of education and the EFC (expected family contribution) calculated by the Department of Education based on information the student provided on his/her FAFSA application.

The estimated cost of education (BUDGET) includes those line items necessary for a student to pursue an education: tuition, fees, books and supplies, room, board, transportation, computer rental or purchase, personal expenses, child care expenses.

The following list includes SBC’s estimated direct education costs per year that include full-time tuition, fees, and books:

$5,110 Certificates and Associate degrees
$5,110 Sitting Bull College Baccalaureate degrees
$7,810 Sitting Bull College Masters degrees

*The Building Trades and Welding programs are higher ($5,610) to accommodate the costs for tools, and coveralls ($500) during the first year of enrollment.
*The Licensed Practical Nursing program is higher ($6,205) to accommodate the costs for insurance, background check, uniforms, shoes, stethoscope, scissors, expenses for clinical in Bismarck, and the annual nursing conference ($1,075).

The estimated indirect costs per year that include room, board, transportation, personal expenses, and childcare are:

$7,334 Single student living with parents, not commuting
$10,916 Single student not living with parents, not commuting
$10,916 Married students, no dependents, not commuting
$10,916 Single/Married students with dependent, not commuting

SBC has several housing units available for student use. Students who live in campus housing may expect to pay a monthly rent fee between $350 and $500 based on the type of house assigned to the student. SBC also has 24 single unit apartments available. Students who live in the single unit apartments may expect to pay a monthly rent fee of $250 per month.

The financial aid director may be contacted by e-mail through the college website at www.sittingbull.edu or by telephone at (701) 854-8013.

The financial literacy/scholarship coordinator may be contacted by email through the college website at www.sittingbull.edu or by telephone at (701) 854-8006.