Raymond Burns

Financial Aid Director

 

Ray is an enrolled member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and has worked at the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College, in various positions, for over 4 years. He has held the position of Director of Financial Aid since August of 2005. Ray graduated from Dartmouth College in 1986 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts. Since then, Ray has a myriad of occupational experiences, such as restaurant manager, high school and college counselor, creator and director of a tribal scholarship program, corporate recruiter and bookstore manager. As a member of the LCO Tribe, Ray believes that LCOOCC represents an essential foundation for the tribe to grow and expand to meet the needs of its people.

Diane McKnight

Financial Aid Assistant

Application Procedures

These procedures apply for 2007-08

There is going to be a dramatic change in procedures for School Year 2008-09.

Please visit this webpage often starting in February 2008 for updates.

All Financial Aid Students

 

Complete your FAFSA:  This is the cornerstone of ALL Financial Aid.  The moment that the previous year's tax return is complete, submit your FAFSA.  There are two methods of submission, either via the paper form, or via online.  In either case, make sure you notify the Financial Aid Office so we know to look for your application.

Have all tax information ready.  The Department of Education randomly selects about 30% of applications for a process that is called Verification.  If your FAFSA is selected for this process, we will need copies of your tax information.  Without this information, we cannot complete the Financial Aid awarding process.

 Return Signed Award Letter:  Without a signed Award Letter, the Financial Aid Office cannot award any funding to a student. 

Be Patient:  The Financial Aid Process is a multi-step Process.  Each step requires a certain amount of time and is frequently beyond the control of the Financial Aid Office.  The FAO works as fast as it humanly can, but there are times when it just takes time for the process to work.

 

Native American Students

 

 Complete your FAFSA:  Most, if not all, Tribal Scholarship Agencies will now require students to have completed a FAFSA to be considered for funding.

Contact your Tribe:  It is your responsibility to contact the Scholarship Office of your Tribe and to fill out any applications that they require.  You must do this even if you applied in a previous year.  Also, verify what items the Scholarship Office needs and that they have received them.

Verify your enrollment:  There are specific grants that are available through the State of Wisconsin that require verification of blood quanta and enrollment.  Without that information, you will not be eligible for these grants.

Make sure your grades/transcript are current:  It is your responsibility to make sure that the Scholarship Office has up to date academic information.  Without that information, they can, and will, delay sending scholarship checks.

Be Patient:  Being told that you are being awarded is not the same as the check has arrived.  LCO College cannot release funds until a Scholarship Check has arrived and any remaining bills have been taken care of.

 

APPLY NOW!!!

FAFSA Application Process

FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and is the cornerstone of all Financial Aid Programs.

There are three (3) ways to submit a FAFSA:

  1. Go online to www.fafsa.ed.gov and fill out the FAFSA via the Internet.  Make sure to acquire a PIN number so that you make any changes you might need to.

  2. Pick up a paper FAFSA at the Financial Aid Office, complete it and mail it in the envelope provided.

  3. Pick up a paper FAFSA, complete it, and then return to the Financial Aid Office where we will submit it directly via our connection to the Department of Education.

LCO College's ID Code is 017199

 

Tips for Filling out the FAFSA

  • Have your tax information on hand and ready to copy.  Roughly 30% of all FAFSA's will be selected by the Department of Education for Verification.  Without that documentation, Financial Aid cannot be processed.

  • When initially filling out the FAFSA, use information that comes from your Tax Returns.  If your financial situation has changed, you  must work with your Financial Aid Office to change your FAFSA after initial submission.

  • Completely fill out the FAFSA, leaving blanks only slows the process

  • Remember, this is a legal document being submitted to a federal agency, do not fib

  • The earlier you submit your FAFSA, the more likely that you will be eligible for Wisconsin State Grants

SCHOLARSHIPS

Rather than burden students with a debt that takes years to pay off, LCO College has elected to not provide Student Loans to its students.  However, this makes Grants and Scholarships even more important to offset the costs associated with attending College.

Wisconsin State Grants

Offered on a first-come first-served basis determined by when FAFSA was completed.  Therefore, the earlier that you complete your FAFSA, the greater the possibility of obtaining a State Grant.  Other grants are also available through your Financial Aid Office but have specialized criteria and limited budgets.

Scholarships

  • Work with your high school to determine if there any scholarships available through them
  • Contact your place of work to determine if they have any scholarships available to employees
  • Go online to websites such as: http://www.college-scholarships.com/free_scholarship_searches.htm and begin hunting
  • The American Indian College Fund provides Scholarship opportunities to Native American (and to a lesser extent, all) students enrolled at Tribal Colleges. You can apply online at http://www.collegefund.org

AICF Applications Open on February 1

Please submit a photograph to the Financial Aid Office with your Application

AICF Application Deadline April 25

 

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