It is the mission of the Excelsior Community College Financial Aid Department to aid students and prospective students in their understanding, application, and timely receipt of all eligible financial aid resources they need to reduce the significant barriers the costs of higher education present. Our philosophy is that everyone is deserving of an education and we support this entitlement through education, compassion and respect. A few things you should know:
You must apply for financial aid each academic year.
You must be matriculated (formally accepted) into a financial aid eligible program.
ALL matriculated students may be eligible for some type of financial aid.
The College recognizes that there will be cases where persons may not qualify for financial assistance by agencies of the state or private entities and may be unable to pay the total fees for the year on or before the due date. The College therefore tries to assist these students by offering a payment plan. However, students should seek to avail themselves of all possible external sources of assistance before applying for this facility.
A student requesting part-payment arrangements will be required to enter into a contractual arrangement with the College for the complete payment of the fees.The student must be able to provide evidence that he/she is able to complete payments by the time specified in the contract.
Below is an outline of the procedure for applying for part payment:
Note:
Students registering during the first semester must complete payments by November 30 within the same academic year, or before the student is registered for external examinations, whichever is earlier.
Failure to meet the payment deadline may result in any or all of the following:
The Jamaica Values and Attitudes (JAMVAT) is an effort to assist students who qualify for admission but are unable to finance their tertiary education. There are reportedly 4,100 such students each year. The programme provides the opportunity for students to participate in the development of the nation’s social capital through their contribution of 200 hours of public service. In response, the government undertakes 30% of the student’s tuition cost, not exceeding $350, 000 per annum.
The objective of the programme is two fold. It aims to ensure that all qualified Jamaican students will continue to have access to tertiary education. The programme also aims to develop and strengthen the participating students’ sense of civic responsibility while it simultaneously encourages positive values and attitudes towards community development and nation building.
Application Process
Applications for each year/phase of the Project will be accepted between May and June of each year. Please submit your application to your school’s JAMVAT Liaison or the nearest National Youth Service office.
The application form is designed to determine the applicants’ suitability for entrance into the programme.
One primary factor is financial need and the second is the existence of resources to satisfy the portion of the tuition payment that the grant will not cover. Consequently, the applicants must provide personal data, a recent photo, employment details, student status details, the nature of current financial assistance, the amount of current savings, household details, the nature of current financial assistance, the amount of current savings, household details, listing of household members and the particulars of two referees. The form must be signed by the applicant, witnessed and dated. If the applicant is under eighteen years old, the application must be co-signed by the parent or guardian.
Application packages are downloadable from the National Youth Service website at www.nysjamaica.org. Tertiary institutions have Liaison Officers to assist with the application process. They assist in returning completed forms to the JAMVAT office. The packages are returned to JAMVAT with the assistance of the National Youth Service Corporate Services Officers (CSO) located each parish or through TARA courier service.
JAMVAT reviews the application packages to ensure that they are completed correctly and then forwards them to the SLB. The SLB selects the applicants who qualify to participate in the programme and compiles an approval list. The approval list and the original application forms are returned to the JAMVAT office. The approval list is forwarded to JAMVAT in May/June. JAMVAT enters the awardees on its database and posts a copy of the approved list on the website and also forwards it to the liaison at the institutions. Students are required to continually check the NYS website for the approved list and may use this method for other JAMVAT updates.
The participant is required to sign, date and have witnessed a formal agreement regarding their involvement in the programme. This agreement details the programme requirements and benefits. It also stipulates conditions for release, suspension, and termination. It also mentions the existence of a grievance procedure.
NYS is a government-sponsored programme. Applicants who work for the Government for a period of six months to one year will receive a percentage of their tuition fees paid by the NYS office.
Applications to the SLB, for assistance in the next academic year, take place between January and April each year. Students registered in the following Schools/Programmes are eligible for assistance from the SLB ( and JAMVAT):
An applicant to the SLB will receive a letter from the Bureau outlining the status of his/her application. Applicants must follow the procedures outlined in the letter before school fees are disbursed to the College. Applicants who provide evidence of special needs may also be able to access grant – in – aid in order to purchase books, stationery etc.
Members of Parliament are usually allocated funds from the SESP Unit at the Office of the Prime Minister. These funds are sometimes used by the Parliamentarian to assist students in their constituencies to attend tertiary institutions.
Students who are sponsored through NYS or SESP must present a letter of commitment to the Student Affairs Office from the relevant bodies before registering.
NB: In cases where the sponsorship does not cover the entire school fees, students are required to make the necessary arrangements to pay the balance on the fees
For further information on the above programmes, students should contact Ms.Carol Finch, Student Financial Aid Officer located at Main Campus. Students who make applications for any of the above schemes must present a letter of commitment from the relevant agency to the Student Affairs Office during the pre-registration process.
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