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Financial Assistance for Students with DisabilitiesDisabilities Support Services (DSS) does not provide funding to help students with disabilities pay for their school expenses. Several options are available that students may want to investigate.Reduced Tuition and Fee WaiversTennessee residents who meet the requirements of the Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-7-113, are eligible for a reduced tuition rate. A student who believes he/she meets these requirements may pick up the eligibility form from the Records Office. It must be completed and signed by a qualified physician, and returned to the Records office. A copy of the form will be kept on file. At the beginning of each term the student is enrolled, he/she must have a Records Office staff member complete a notification form that is presented to the Bursar's office so the reduced tuition rate can be applied to the student's account. Students using the fee reduction/waiver for permanent disability may not register for classes until the first day of class for each semester the student wishes to attend.Chattanooga State interprets this section of the Code to mean that the person will never be able to work at “an occupation which brings the person an income” because of the permanent disability. Persons seeking training for a new job because they have become disabled in their old job are not eligible to use the fee waiver. Similarly, students who are disabled and wish to pursue a degree so they can become employed at a later date cannot use the fee waiver. In addition, only residents of the state of Tennessee are eligible to use this fee waiver.
Rehabilitation ServicesIf a disabled student is in need of financial assistance to help pay for school, books, and supplies, students are encouraged to contact their local Rehabilitation Services office to see if they qualify for services. The goal of Rehabilitation Services is employment for the client once services have come to an end. Students must meet eligibility requirements for Rehabilitation Services in order to receive services from that agency, and they must remain in good standing with the college to receive continued support from Rehabilitation Services.Students are required to meet with their Rehabilitation Services counselor often, and must provide a copy of each semester’s grades, as well as the next semester’s schedule to the counselor. It is the student’s responsibility to furnish this information to the Rehabilitation Services counselor, or to request that a staff member from Disabilities Support Services send the information to the counselor. Students who are clients of Rehabilitation Services are required to apply for federal financial aid each year they are enrolled in college, and must submit a copy of their Student Aid Report (SAR) to the counselor when it has been received. In general, students must maintain a 2.0 GPA (C average) for Rehabilitation Services to provide continued support from one semester to the next. For more information on Rehabilitation Services, contact the Chattanooga regional office, located at 211 E. Martin Luther King Boulevard. The phone number is (423) 634-6700. Rehabilitation Services offices are also located in outlying counties, as well as in other states. The Chattanooga office may be able to provide phone numbers for these offices. See Reduced Hours for Rehabilitation Services for information on students who are clients of Rehabilitation Services who wish to take a reduced courseload and still retain financial support from that agency.
Financial AidStudents are encouraged to apply for federal financial aid. A FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form must be completed for a student to be considered for the Pell Grant, state and federal loan programs, or the Tennessee Lottery Scholarship. Students who are clients of Rehabilitation Services are required to apply for federal financial aid. Award amounts are based on the economic need of the student and the number of hours in which he is enrolled each semester. Students must be successful at completing at least 2/3 of the classes they attempt each semester to remain eligible for financial aid. FAFSA forms should be completed early in the spring semester every year to receive continued funding for the following school year. |