Financial Aid

An image of a calculator displaying financial aid

Financial Aid is made available from grants, scholarships, loans, South Carolina lottery tuition assistance and part-time employment from federal, state, institutional and private sources. Awards from these programs may be combined in an "award package" to meet the cost of education. Financial need, available funds, student classification, academic performance and sometimes the timeliness of the application determine the types and amounts of aid awarded.

Follow these 4 easy steps to apply for Financial Aid:

Step 1: Apply to FDTC

Before we can start the Financial Aid process, we first need you to complete your application to Florence-Darlington Technical College. If you've already done this, move on to Step 2.

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Step 2: Complete the FAFSA

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the first step in the financial aid process. This online form is the first step to applying for all forms of financial aid, including loans, scholarships, grants, and work-study.

Make sure to include FDTC's school code, 003990, on your application.

To complete the FAFSA, you will need: 

  • A High School Diploma or General Educational Development certificate (GED)
  • Your Social Security Number or Alien Registration Number, if you are not a U.S. citizen
  • Your federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned
  • Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
  • Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
  • A Federal Student Aid FSA ID (may be obtained during FAFSA application process or at the Federal Student Aid Website)

Do you need assistance completing the FAFSA?

Call the Financial Aid Office at 843-661-8085 or contact us via email at FinancialAid@fdtc.edu and we will schedule an appointment to assist you.

File Your FAFSA

More tips on completing the FAFSA

Step 3: Receive Award Notification

If you completed Steps 1 & 2, then you should receive an offer email from the Financial Aid Office on your school email account. Your offer will then be viewable on your Self-Service Account.

Your financial aid offer letter will list all of the federal, state, and institutional grants/scholarships you are eligible to receive. FDTC does not automatically package student loans on your account. If you want a student loan, you will need to complete the Loan Request form after your other financial aid has been awarded.

Step 4: Complete FDTC Forms

Please use the link below (above) to access our financial aid forms site. You will need to sign in with your FDTC username and password. The forms site includes forms for student loans, state aid affidavits, and other documents that the Financial Aid Office may request. If you have any questions please contact the Financial Aid office.

FDTC Forms

Step 5: Complete FDTC Educational Foundation Application (Optional)

FDTC Educational Foundation Scholarships are scholarships just for FDTC students. Scholarships provided through the FDTC Educational Foundation are awarded on a competitive basis based on financial need, academic excellence, and/or leadership. To apply for an Educational Foundation Scholarship you must first be enrolled as an FTDC student and have access to your FDTC account.

Apply for a Scholarship Now

Follow these Instructions Once you click Apply

After clicking the link above to access the application, login with your student credentials and then choose the scholarship application from the "Forms" dropdown under "FDTC Educational Foundation." Alternatively, you can also search for "FDTC Educational Foundation" within the search bar.

Please make sure to follow ALL instructions. Failure to do so will result in an incomplete application and may prevent you from being considered for Foundation-based scholarships. Students must reapply for each Fall and/or Spring semester if they wish to be considered for each term.

Please direct all questions about the application to the Educational Foundation by email at foundation@fdtc.edu.

Important Dates

  • December 1, 2024 -  2025-2026 FAFSA Application available for completion at https://www.studentaid.gov using 2023 Federal Tax Returns
  • February 13, 2025 - Initial Spring refunds will be transmitted to BankMobile Disbursements.  Financial Aid funds are released based on the courses you are attending at the time.  You must be attending 6 credit hours for loan funds to be disbursed.  Additional eligible refunds are transmitted weekly after this date.
  • June 12, 2025 - Initial Summer refunds will be transmitted to BankMobile Disbursements.  Financial Aid funds are released based on the courses you are attending at the time.  You must be attending 6 credit hours for loan funds to be disbursed.  Additional eligible refunds are transmitted weekly after this date.
  • June 30, 2025 – last day to submit the 2024/2025 FAFSA
  • July 15, 2025 – deadline to submit documents to complete your 2024/2025 financial aid file.

Financial Aid Policies

Financial Aid Eligibility

General Eligibility

  • A student may not receive ANY type of financial aid as an Undeclared Major.
  • A student may not receive ANY type of financial aid for Continuing Education classes.
  • Financial Aid does not pay for Audit classes.
  • Transient Students (students taking FDTC courses to transfer to another college they're attending) will have to contact their home institution for determining financial aid eligibility.

Eligible Programs

All Diploma, Degree, and Certificate programs listed in the College catalog are eligible for financial aid except those listed below under "Ineligible Programs".

Ineligible Programs

  • General Studies (High School Students Only)
  • Undeclared

Special Cases

  • Physical Therapy Assistant is a Greenville Technical College program.  The student can receive financial aid at Florence-Darlington Technical College for the first year, if they are accepted as a Pre-Physical Tech (PPTA) major.
Satisfactory Academic Progress

The Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy is required by the Department of Education to ensure that students who are receiving financial aid are making measurable progress toward completion of their program within a reasonable period of time.  The financial aid office calculates each student's status at the end of the semester after all grades have been reported.

Learn More

Appeals and Reestablishing Eligibility

If you feel that your financial aid package has been denied in error or if you have lost financial aid follow these procedures.

Learn More

Unusual Enrollment History

The Department of Education notifies the financial aid office of students who have attended multiple colleges during the previous three academic years.  These students must submit their transcripts from the colleges to the Financial Aid Office.  The transcripts are reviewed to ensure the student is making progress toward their program of study while receiving financial aid.

Read More

Withdrawal and Return of Funds

If a student completely withdrawals from all classes before completing 60% of the semester, he/she will be required to return the portion of the financial aid that was not earned to FDTC and/or the Department of Education.  The Return of Federal Funds Regulations only involves students receiving financial aid that completely withdraw from all classes before completing 60%, not those that drop a course and remain enrolled in one or more courses. The following programs are adjusted:

  • Pell Grant (Pell)
  • Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
  • Stafford Loans

After the student completes 60% of the term, the U.S. Department of Education considers the student and the College to have earned all the financial aid paid for the semester.

Any student considering completely withdrawing should come by the Financial Aid Office in the 5000 Building to find out about the return of Federal Funds before starting the withdrawal process.

Still have questions? Contact Us!

Office Location

FDTC Main Campus
Building 5000
3rd Floor, Room 5302

Contact

Phone: 843.661.8085
Fax: 843.661.8122
Email: financialaid@fdtc.edu