Financial Aid FAQs

Your first step in accepting your award offer will be to pay your enrollment deposit through your portal account, if you have not already done so. Once the Scots Portal opens on June 1, you will be able to log in with your Covenant username and password and view your complete financial aid offer. Institutional aid, federal grants, and state scholarships and grants are all automatically accepted. The only items you will need to accept or decline are work study and federal loans. The Scots Portal will also give you access to any outstanding financial aid requirements you need to complete.

Institutional aid that you have been awarded will renew each year as long as you continue to meet applicable scholarship requirements and maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP). Georgia state scholarships have GPA requirements that will be evaluated at the end of each spring semester and at each mandatory check point. Federal grants may change from year to year depending on your annual submission of the FAFSA. Federal loan limits vary according to your year in college and will be awarded according to your academic standing.

In order to maintain all Covenant College scholarships, students must maintain a 2.0 GPA and continue making satisfactory academic progress (SAP). Covenant’s SAP policy is outlined in the academic catalog. Maclellan Scholars must maintain a 3.0 GPA.

The Georgia HOPE Scholarship requires a 3.0 Georgia GPA (as defined on gafutures.org), and the Georgia Zell Miller Scholarship requires a 3.3 Georgia GPA.

After Scholarship Weekend has occurred, if you are chosen as a recipient of one of our competitve scholarships, your financial aid offer will be updated in one of two ways: either by stacking the competitive scholarship with your current institutional scholarships (not to exceed the cost of tuition), or in the instance of a full tuition scholarship, replacing all smaller institutional scholarships with the single full tuition scholarship. Competitive scholarships will be renewed each year as long as you maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP).

In most cases, an outside scholarship will not affect your financial aid award from Covenant. The most common adjustment that may be required would be to change some of your subsidized loan amount (need-based) to unsubsidized (non-need-based). If there are other adjustments necessary, we will contact you directly. Please direct any outside scholarships to be sent to the accounting office at the main college address.

If you think your FAFSA does not reflect your current situation, or you have special or unusual circumstances, such as excessive medical expenses, a change in salary, or private school costs for siblings, please email financialaid@covenant.edu for special consideration.

The award letter reflects the standard costs and required fees for a full time, on-campus student living in a two-person room. Actual charges will be based on room assignment, meal plan, and registration. Potential fees not included in the award letter include individual course fees, parking permits, and music lessons.

The accounting office accepts cash, checks, credit cards, and electronic fund transfers. Visit their page for payment details.

The accounting office sends monthly e-bills to each student's Covenant email address as well as all email addresses designated as e-bill addresses. You can check your bill at any time on your Banner account or request an e-bill on demand from the accounting office.

We do not require you to pre-pay at the beginning of the semester. You are welcome to take the entire semester to pay off the account, however, please keep in mind that you will be billed a finance charge of 0.792% (9.5% APR) on the last business day of each month on any unpaid balance. Please note that all account balances must be paid in full before viewing grades, receiving transcripts, or registering for a subsequent semester.

Students can choose to set their parents up as proxy users on their account. To do so, students must log onto their Banner web account with their username and password.

1. Click on the Proxy Access tab at the top of the screen.
2. Click on Proxy Management.
3. Click on Add Proxy.
4. Enter the required information.
5. The Proxy will need to confirm their email and change their temporary password.
6. Once they have been authorized, the student can edit the proxy’s profile and authorization settings to enable appropriate access (for example, account balance, financial aid, or academic information).
7. When parents go to access Banner as a proxy, they must select the "if you are accessing this site as a proxy user click here" option on the Banner login page.

This process will will create a profile with its own unique login authorizing access to specific Banner account information.

If you have any questions, we want to help. Contact us at 888.451.2683 or at info@covenant.edu. We will walk you through the process as often as needed. In fact, we recommend that you ask questions as soon as possible, since this may be our busy season and time is crucial.

Additional billing and payment information can be found at covenant.edu/students/accounting.

If you would like to be evaluated for Pell Grant eligibility yearly or would like to take out Direct Loans, yes, you will need to fill out a new FAFSA each year. If neither of these apply to you, you do not need to fill out a FAFSA each year.

Direct Loans, subsidized or unsubsidized, are offered to students when they complete the FAFSA. The amount shown on your award letter will be the maximum amount that you are eligible for based on your class year by credit hour. These loans are entirely optional and you are not required to take them. If you do take them, you can choose to accept only a portion. These loans will be in the student’s name and will need to be paid back with interest upon graduating or leaving school. For more details about these loans visit this web page. To accept these loans, follow the same process above for accepting financial aid, and then check the requirements page for necessary loan requirements.

Subsidized Direct Loans are need-based federal student loans; financial need is calculated from the student's annual FAFSA. Subsidized loans do not accrue interest until the student begins repayment. Unsubsidized Direct Loans are non need-based federal student loans. These loans start accruing interest as soon as the loan is paid to the student's account.

If you would like to pursue a loan to cover all or some of the remaining balance after your financial aid is applied, there are a few options. One of the most common options is a Parent Plus loan which is a federal loan that a parent can apply for on behalf of a dependent student. For more details visit this website. You are also welcome to pursue a private student loan and apply it to your account. We will complete the school certification paperwork for any private student loan. We do not have any agreements with lenders or preferred/recommended lenders.

The state of Georgia offers the Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant (GTEG) for all students who meet the residency requirements. Georgia also offers HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships for students who meet program, academic, and residency requirements.

To apply for Georgia scholarships and grants, students must create a Georgia Futures Profile on gafutures.org and complete the Georgia Student Finance Application (GSFAPP). The Georgia Futures website contains all of the program, academic, and residency criteria as well as an additional scholarship search, state loan options, and the process for calculating a HOPE GPA.

Dependent students meet the Georgia Residency requirement if their Parent or Legal Guardian is an established Georgia resident for at least 12 consecutive months immediately prior to the first day of the college term for which state funding is sought and:

• Student graduated from an eligible high school located in the state of Georgia; or
• Student’s Georgia resident parent claimed them on the most recent federal income tax return.

Independent students meet the Georgia Residency requirement if they are an established Georgia resident for at least 12 consecutive months immediately prior to the first day of the college term for which funding is sought.

To gain Georgia Residency status, the parent or legal guardian or independent student must be an established Georgia resident for a minimum of 24 consecutive months prior to the first day of the college term for which funding is sought.

Additional information can be found online at gafutures.org.

In addition to residency and basic eligibility requirements, HOPE and Zell Miller scholarships have program and academic requirements. The type of high school or home study program a student graduates from determines the evaluation process and eligibility requirements.

For a complete list of accepted accrediting agencies and eligible high schools, please visit the “HOPE & State Aid Programs” tab at gafutures.org.

Graduates of an eligible high school or an accredited home study program who are entering freshmen at Covenant College must meet the following criteria:

1. Graduate with a minimum 3.0 calculated HOPE GPA.
2. Earn a minimum of four full rigor credits from the Academic Rigor Course List.

Students graduating from a non-accredited home study program, an out of state high school, or an ineligible high school can find application information online at gafutures.org.

The high school HOPE GPA calculation only includes core courses as defined by the Georgia Department of Education. All grades earned for attempted coursework in the core subjects during the student’s 9th through 12th grade years that could be used to satisfy a core course graduation requirement is equated to a grade on a traditional 4.0 scale (A equals 4.0, B equals 3.0, C equals 2.0, D equals 1.0, and F equals 0). No pluses or minuses are used. Honors coursework is not weighted, and the HOPE GPA calculation does not allow for any rounding.

Graduates of an eligible high school or an accredited home study program who are entering freshmen at Covenant College must meet the following criteria:

1. Graduate with a minimum 3.7 calculated HOPE GPA.
2. Earn a minimum of four full rigor credits from the Academic Rigor Course List.
3. Earn a qualifying test score on a single national or state/district administration of the ACT or single national administration of the SAT prior to high school graduation (2024-2025 qualifying scores are 25 composite ACT and 1200 SAT).

Students graduating from a non-accredited home study program, an out of state high school, or an ineligible high school can find application information online at gafutures.org.

Students must maintain a 3.0 HOPE GPA to retain the HOPE Scholarship and a 3.3 HOPE GPA to maintain the Zell Miller Scholarship.

GPAs are evaluated at the end of each spring semester and at the following attempted hours checkpoints: 30 attempted hours, 60 attempted hours, and 90 attempted hours. Scholarships can be lost at each checkpoint and at the end of each semester, but scholarships can only be regained at one of the checkpoints.

There is a maximum of 127 attempted (includes withdrawn) hours of eligibility for the funds up to 7 years after high school graduation.

No, hours attempted before high school graduation are not counted toward the maximum 127 hours.

The Student Employment/Work-Study program has moved to the Center for Calling & Career and relabeled ScotsWork for multiple reasons. We want to: 

• Offer consistent services and support for launching students’ careers and we believe that student employment is the first step on that journey
• Align on-campus employment with the college’s Calling & Career initiatives, academic curriculum, and student development programming as we seek to teach students about calling, the theology of work, and the value of work they do now and in the future
• Ensure a student’s learning journey includes career preparation as they are mentored, challenged, and equipped with the skills and experiences they need to lead successful lives and pursue successful careers
• Emphasize that student employment is not a grant whereby students are eligible for/entitled to a particular amount of money but rather they are eligible to work so many hours, (as long as there is meaningful work to do) in an active job with actual responsibilities
• Aid the college in day-to-day operations (facilities services, gym monitoring, library staffing, etc.)
• Support staff and faculty in their work (as faculty assistants, academic tutors, etc.)
• Mentor students on what it means to glorify God in what may at times feel like mundaneness in a job

To find a job listing, go to the Student Employment Jobs site.

Freshmen filter by “Freshman”. Then you will be able to compare the different teams to determine which may be the best fit for you.

Once you click on a job listing, you will see “Apply Now” or “Apply for this Position”. Please use your Covenant email address to apply. (joe.smith@Covenant.edu.) If a question is not relevant to you, you may type “N/A” and continue with the application. If a question asks how many hours you are approved to work, just answer with the number of hours you think you will be comfortable working.

All students must apply through WorkBright even if they are returning to the same position; however, if a student has previously worked on-campus, there is no onboarding paperwork required of them.

Onboarding is the name of the online process for completing the required paperwork. Once you agree to work with a team, an email link will be sent to you. You will need to follow that link and complete the forms it gives you. These documents will include items like your I-9 (proof of eligibility to work) and direct deposit information. 

This process requires you to show your ID in person to someone over 18 who is present when you show it to them. Typically, a student will show either a passport OR a driver’s license AND a social security card. To see the full list of what is required/acceptable please visit the USCIS webpage. Federal law requires that you must complete onboarding in a timely manner before you can work.  Onboarding should be completed prior to coming to campus if at all possible.

Most on campus jobs are paid $8.25 per hour while a few are paid $10.25 per hour. You will receive a check twice a month on the 15th and the last day of the month. We are on a two-week delay, so be sure to check the Payroll Schedule to see when your submitted timecard will be paid. You will set up direct deposit during your onboarding paperwork and all paychecks will be deposited electronically using that information.

Students may work up to 20 hours per week; however, it is not recommended that students work that many hours. Most students will work between 10-15 hours per week. No student employee may work over 20 hours per week—it is important that both the student employee and their supervisor make sure they do not work over 20 hours each week.

Students on limited load or probation may not work more than 10 hours per week or what is decided in their school plan.

There is no minimum number of hours that a student employee must work per week. Their schedule will depend on what they decide with their supervisor.

Yes. You will need to discuss the change with your supervisor to determine how the workload may need to be accommodated to your schedule. You will then need to contact the ScotsWork coordinator to change your hours officially.

Yes. Money earned as a student employee is subject to state and federal taxation. W-4: Federal and state tax withholding is calculated from information provided on the student’s W-4. W-2: Students can view and print college issued W-2’s under the Student Employee tab on the student Banner account. However, Social Security (FICA) is not withheld for students.

ScotsWork earnings are the same as any other job earnings and subject to tax filing requirements.

Remember, ScotsWork is a job—so as with any job, you are not paid until you work and report your time. ScotsWork potential earnings are not credited to your outstanding balance up-front, so you will need to keep this in mind as you plan for the semester’s charges. Most on campus jobs are paid $8.25 per hour while a few are paid $10.25 per hour. To earn the entire $4500 you will need to work approximately 18 hours per week.

All paychecks are directly deposited into your personal bank account. 

Our staff and faculty will function as your ScotsWork supervisors. ScotsWork supervisors are more than just bosses, and they care about more than just getting the work done. Very often, they are your primary mentors and teachers who are committed to helping you take the next steps in your journey of personal and professional development at Covenant (and beyond).

Students log time through easy-to-use time clocks around the campus—see locations. Students are responsible for logging their hours for each shift they work and submitting their timesheets to their supervisors for review and approval at HIGH NOON on submission day, the Monday following the end of the pay period. A reminder email will be sent to let student employees and supervisors know the date is approaching and the day they are due.

ScotsWork students should use the closest time clock available to their work area. If a student doesn’t clock in and out, they may have their hours reduced or be ineligible to work the following week. 

Student employees must submit their time at the end of each pay period on Banner. Please see “Learn More” for step-by-step instructions on how to enter and submit timesheets on Banner.

Time Clock Locations - Location Map

Learn More

It is your responsibility to report the incident. 
You can scan the QR code at the time clock or visit this Google Form and answer 3 simple questions. 

If a time clock is down, you may enter your hours manually. However, the time clocks rarely go down.

Time clocks are typically fixed within 24 business hours of being reported. Most of the time they are fixed within less than 3 business hours.

Student employees may not work over 6 hours in a day without taking a break. They must have at least a 15-minute break every 6 hours.

Students may not work on Sundays. Covenant College is committed to the practice of Sabbath rest. See Student Handbook for clarification.

Students may not work on school holidays (Good Friday or Memorial Day) or standard breaks (Fall, Winter, Christmas, Spring). 

Students can, however, work on reading days, snow days, and Day of Prayer. While it is our hope that students participate in the Day of Prayer, students may work that day.

If a student’s timecard is not submitted by the deadline, they may not work the following week. Should there be a second infraction, they will not be eligible to work for an entire pay period. 

If a student “ghosts” or does not show up to work, a meeting between the supervisor, student, and ScotsWork coordinator will take place. It is possible they may not work the rest of the semester and in some cases they may be ineligible to work on campus for a longer period of time.

Currently, students are not authorized to work multiple jobs. Only one job is allowed except in specially authorized situations.

ScotsWork jobs are for the academic year. You are encouraged to begin applying for fall positions in late spring. The best way to get future jobs is to work well in your current position and secure a positive reference from your supervisor.

It is possible to run out of hours should a student work more than 600 in the academic year (20 hr/wk). It is imperative that both the student and supervisor monitor their hours throughout the school year so there is no surprise or possibility that the student will run out of hours.

In the very rare case that a student runs out of hours, they should contact the ScotsWork office.

Yes. The Freshman Teams are designed to allow students to acclimate to college life and be mentored in what it means to have a job with all of the other new responsibilities of student life such as being away from home for the first time, making new friends, academic pressures, extracurricular activities in the college setting, among other things.

Want to successfully navigate decision points in your career journey? Join the Center for Calling & Career for our professional development Buffalo Brunch series every Tuesday from 10:45-11:45 a.m. in Carter 117. 

Learn more   

We are also here to offer constructive feedback on how to best communicate your gifts to potential employers and organizations. We assist with resume building, acquisition of networking tools, and even fine tuning your interview skills. Contact us at centercc@covenant.edu to set up a meeting, or swing by our office in Carter 117 for more information. You can also set up an appointment through Handshake!

For additional information, see our handout Career Skills for Students and Student Employees containing eight nationally recognized competencies identified as vital for post-college employment.

The first step is to check the Pay Schedule and determine if you worked during the pay period that is being paid and if you turned in your time card on time. You are not paid on the Friday of the week you turn in your time card but in the following pay schedule.