Financial Aid
The mission of Gulf Coast State College's financial aid office is to effectively and efficiently serve students who need help with paying for their educational dreams by delivering information and access to financial assistance programs while meeting customer service expectations.
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General Contact Information:
Enrollment Services Building, Room 135
(850) 872-3845
FA@gulfcoast.edu
FAFSA School Code:
001490
Schedule a Virtual Meeting with Us!
(Must have smartphone or computer with camera/mic)
Financial Aid Advisor & Verification Specialist
FAFSA Applicants With Last Names: H–O
(850) 913-3286
SBennett5@gulfcoast.edu
Financial Aid Advisor & Verification Specialist
FAFSA Applicants With Last Names: P–Z
Panama City Campus (Tuesdays & Wednesdays) = (850) 747-3240
Gulf/Franklin Campus (Mondays, Thursdays, & Fridays) = (850) 227-9670 ext. 15519
AFritch@gulfcoast.edu
Financial Aid Specialist
State, Transient, & Campus-Based Funds
(850) 872-3844
RGammons@gulfcoast.edu
Financial Aid Advisor & Verification Specialist
FAFSA Applicants With Last Names: A–G
(850) 872-3863
YLareaux@gulfcoast.edu
- Coordinator of Financial Aid & Interpreting Liaison*Ursula Backus
Leadership, Unusual circumstances, & Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)(850) 913-3313
ubackus@gulfcoast.edu - Director of Financial AidKris Hatcher
Administration of Federal, State, & Institutional aid(850) 873-3543
khatcher1@gulfcoast.edu
*Financial aid information will be provided to national origin minority persons with limited English language skills in their native language. Ms. Backus interprets Spanish and will obtain the assistance of other GCSC employees with the skills necessary to interpret financial aid information in other languages.
*Información sobre la asistencia económica para estudiantes se proporcionará a las personas de origen nacional minoritario con conocimientos limitados en inglés, en su lengua nativa. La Señora Backus interpreta español y si es necesario puede obtener la asistencia de otros empleados de GCSC con habilidades para interpretar la información sobre la asistencia económica para estudiantes en otros idiomas.
COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions
- Q1: Can I visit the financial aid office in person?
A1: Yes, the financial aid office is now open again for face-to-face services. CDC guidelines will still be maintained, however.
If you're unable to visit us in person, then please email FA@GulfCoast.edu from your official GCSC account. Otherwise, feel free to call us at (850) 872-3845 or any of the team member phone numbers detailed below.
- Q2: Is emergency funding available for students?
A2: The U.S. Department of Education (ED) provided Gulf Coast with COVID-19 emergency grant funding, but that budget has now been exhausted.
These emergency grants were designed to help students cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19 (including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare).
Certificate or degree-seeking students who submitted a FAFSA, were enrolled in at least one on-campus class, and received Pell grant were automatically mailed a COVID-19 emergency grant refund. Other students who were impacted by COVID-19 applied for emergency grant funding by visiting https://www.gulfcoast.edu/covid-19-grant-application
Visit https://www.gulfcoast.edu/tuition-aid/financial-aid/documents-forms/1920/heerf-student-faqs.pdf to view ED's "Frequently Asked Questions from Students about the Higher Education Emergency Relief Student Grants"Per section 18004(e) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), Pub. L. No. 116-136, 134 Stat. 281, and https://ifap.ed.gov/electronic-announcements/050620HigherEdEmergencyReliefFundRptg, GCSC's "30-Day Fund Report" can be found online at:
Per sections 18004(a)(1), (2), & (3) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), Pub. L. No. 116-136, 134 Stat. 281, and https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/heerfreporting.html, GCSC's "Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting (QBER)" forms can be found online at:
- Q3: Will incomplete grades impact my financial aid?A3: Incomplete grades may impact your financial aid, so please email FA@GulfCoast.edu from your GCSC account if you have a question about your situation.
- Q4: Will I have to pay back my financial aid if I’m unable to complete my courses
due to COVID-19?A4: Our faculty will be as flexible and accommodating as possible as we work on finishing the spring semester. We encourage you to contact your instructors, as they may be able to provide you options. If you are receiving federal financial aid (Pell Grant, Direct Loans, etc.) and are unable to complete the semester, current law requires the college to perform a calculation that may result in money being returned to them. For this and other reasons, we encourage you to work with your instructors and do your best to complete as much as possible.
- Q5: I am a Federal Work-Study (FWS) student who is unable to work due to COVID-19.
Will I receive a paycheck for the payroll period ending April 20th?A5: Per the U.S. Department of Education, GCSC will pay FWS students who aren't working due to COVID-19 for payroll #4 (ending 04/20/2020). The amount that FWS students receive will be based upon an average of the last three paychecks they've individually received, minus hours that wouldn't have been worked during GCSC's originally planned spring break week.
- Q6: Where can I find further updates regarding COVID-19?