Admissions FAQs

No, you can take classes on any campus where your program is available - including online courses. 

In general, a residency form showing which state you live in and a photo ID.  We also require your official high school transcript, GED documentation, and/or official transcripts from all other colleges you have attended. You can see which documents you are missing by logging into your OneACCS account.  If you have questions, e-mail admissions@coastalalabama.edu.

The residency form is for tuition verification and is located on the Admissions page.

Your student number is also known as your A-Number.  This number was sent to you when you applied and were accepted for admission.  As a reminder, check your student e-mail account even before you start classes.  This is the way the College will communicate with you on matters such as Financial Aid. If you do not know your A number or student e-mail address, contact admissions@coastalalabama.edu.

Students log into their OneACCS account using their student email account and password. Student email accounts are not established until their ID has been received and processed by the admission office staff.

Unofficial transcripts can be obtained by logging into your OneACCS account. Once logged in, click on the Student tab>Student Records>Transcript options (leave settings as is)>Submit. Transcript will display.

Yes, your application is good for one year. If a year or more has lapsed, you must submit a new application online.

Please email admissions@coastalalabama.edu and submit a request for a new acceptance letter. Include your A# in all correspondence.

You can view the holds on your account by logging into the OneACCS account and clicking on Student Profile under the Student tab. Holds will be displayed on the top right of the profile.

Please check the personal email address you provided during the application process. You are sent an email after your application has been processed giving you your student number. If you are unable to locate it, please contact the Helpdesk so they can verify your identity and assist you with your number.

If you know your A number, you can log into the OneACCS account and click the Student email address link under the Student tab to learn your address. If you do not know your A#, please contact the Helpdesk for assistance. Student email addresses are not created for new students until a primary proof of identification has been provided to and processed by the admissions office. The proof of ID can be emailed to admissions@coastalalabama.edu. Approximately 48 hours later you should have access to your student email account.

You advisor information can be obtained via your OneACCS account. It is held in the student profile link. If there is not an advisor listed, please call or email the admissions office and one will them be assigned to you.

You can verify receipt of required admissions documents via the OneACCS account. Once logged in to the account, choose the student tab, and Admissions. The admissions page will display any applications, and the status, you have submitted. Click on the specific term application (ex: FA2021, SP2022), and on the bottom it will list requirements. If a date is in the received column, documents have been received and processed. If the date is blank, it has not been received yet.

The Department of Education requests that the Financial Aid Office verify the information provided on the FAFSA.  If selected for verification, you will need to provide additional information to the Financial Aid Office. You will need to monitor your OneACCS student portal for information.

Yes. All outstanding financial aid requirements must be submitted prior to the end of the semester. Students have 45 days from their last date of attendance to complete any outstanding requirements. Financial aid for previous award years will not be processed after September 1 of the current academic year.

The FAFSA opens on October 1 every year. Students should complete the FAFSA as early as possible for every year they plan to attend college. Coastal will begin processing new FAFSA applications in late February or early March each year. However, students who complete their FAFSA during October through January will qualify for funds that require first-come first-serve.

Yes. You must submit a FAFSA every school year you want to be considered for federal student aid.

001060 is Coastal Alabama Community College’s Federal School Code.

Coastal Alabama encourages all students to complete a FAFSA. Many factors are taken into consideration when determining eligibility for financial aid. Applying just once can help you determine if you want to continue applying.  Regardless of financial need, most every student qualifies for a student loan to assist with paying for college.

Log back into your FAFSA at www.studentaid.gov and click the make corrections link. You will sign and resubmit the FAFSA once the corrections are made.  Allow 3 to 5 days for the corrected FAFSA to reach the Financial Aid Office.

The SAR is the output document created by filing a FAFSA. It contains the student’s expected family contribution (EFC) and let’s a student know if they are eligible for a Pell grant.

The financial aid eligibility of an independent student is determined solely from a review of his or her own (and spouse's, if applicable) information as reported on the FAFSA. It is important to note that a student cannot simply decide to file as an independent student. He or she must meet one of the criteria for financial aid purposes to be considered independent.

The FSA ID is created at www.studentaid.gov. It is a unique username and password used to log into the Federal Student Aid website and used to sign a FAFSA. The FSA ID identifies you as someone who has the right to access your own personal information on the Federal Student Aid website. Each person may have only one FSA ID. It is attached to the social security number, birthdate, email, and phone number of the owner. Each FSA ID user must have a unique e-mail address.

Subsidized loans are need-based loans available to students enrolled at least half-time in an eligible program. The government pays the interest on behalf of the student as long as students are enrolled at least half-time in a degree-seeking program and for six months after enrollment ceases. Once payments begin, interest must begin. Payment is deferred if the student returns to school.

Unsubsidized loans are non-need-based loans available to students enrolled at least half-time in an eligible program. The government does not pay the interest to lenders on behalf of the borrowers. Repayment of the interest is the student’s responsibility from the date the loan is disbursed and may be paid or capitalized (added) to the principal balance of the loan. Repayment of principal does not begin until six months after the student drops below half-time or withdrawals completely from school. Payment is deferred if the student returns to school.

You can view your financial aid offer at any time via your OneACCS student portal. An email will be sent to your college email account and will provide instructions on accessing the financial aid package through the student portal.

Yes, we can.  Please visit the Professional Judgement information on the website for detailed information or contact the Financial Aid Office at 251-580-2151.

Coastal Alabama participates in all federal financial aid programs including, Pell grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work Study and the Direct Federal Student Loan Program. In addition, there is state funding from the Alabama Student Assistance Program, as well as WIOA, Veteran’s Educational Benefits, and the College’s local scholarships and tuition waivers. 

You can log into your OneACCS student portal. You will also receive an email to check the portal when your FAFSA is received.

SAP is the minimum GPA and completion rates required to remain eligible for financial aid.  Please see Maintaining Eligibility for detailed information.

You can view your entire financial aid history by logging into your FSA (Federal Student Aid) account. This is where you completed the FAFSA.

Yes. Student and parent borrowers may reduce or cancel their approved loans by completing the student and/or parent right to cancel loan form at this link.

Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) are for dependent students. These loans are the parents’ responsibility to repay not the student. Students who are eligible may borrow up to the cost of attendance minus any financial aid. Repayment period begins within 60 days of full receipt of the loan. A student must complete the FAFSA. Parents apply for the Plus loan at www.studentaid.gov. A parent will have to have a credit check and should click on the “Complete Plus Request” link.

Financial aid is packaged based on a student being enrolled full-time (12 or more credit hours required for your degree program). If you enroll in less than 12 hours, your cost-of-attendance and financial aid package must be adjusted accordingly.

You can check your OneACCS student portal for all financial aid requirements.

You need to check your OneACCS student portal and make sure you are unconditionally admitted to the College.  Financial Aid will not show up unless you are unconditionally admitted and meeting SAP requirements.

Refund disbursement begins 2 weeks after attendance verification is completed for each term within a semester. First-time, first year undergraduate borrowers will not receive a loan disbursement until 30 calendar days after the student’s program of study begins.

Yes, your financial aid may be refunded if all eligibility requirements are met.

Disbursement means that all eligible financial aid funds have been applied to your account as a payment for student charges (tuition, fees, books, and on-campus housing). A refund is created when the aid disbursed is more than the charges on your account.

To apply for both federal, state and institutional financial aid programs, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at https://studentaid.gov/. Learn more here. 

Generally speaking, it takes 3-5 Business days upon the receipt of the transcript to be evaluated; however, during times of high volume this time frame may be extended for up to two weeks. Additionally, if you obtained a degree at your previous institution, we will only evaluate credits that are on your current degree plan.

For previous year's catalogs, please email registrar@coastalalabama.edu.

If you would like to audit a course, please fill out the provided form and submit it to registrar@coastalalabama.edu for processing. http://www.coastalalabama.edu/media/coastal_alabama/content_assets/documents/admissions/DECLARATION_OF_INTENT_TO_AUDIT.pdf

Yes, you may appeal your suspension. Please fill out the form provided and it will be sent to the committee to be voted on. Once the committee has concluded their vote you will be notified of their response. https://form.jotform.com/202805358225150

More information regarding Academic Bankruptcy can be found at the link provided. Please bear in mind that you must meet a certain criterion to qualify. https://catalog.coastalalabama.edu/academic-bankruptcy#:~:text=If%20fewer%20than%20three%20(3,semester%20credit%20hours%20of%20course

Unfortunately, federal law mandates that we obtain transcripts from all previous institutions no matter how good or bad you feel that you did. However, any course that you failed at your previous institution will not be evaluated and therefore will not affect your GPA at Coastal Alabama.

No, if you have already attempted a course you must retake the course, you are no longer eligible for the CLEP.

The CLEP exam is a test that students can take in order to receive credit for a General Education course, the list of current exams accepted by the college are provided at this link: https://catalog.coastalalabama.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/academic_page/college-level-examination-program-clep.pdf?1585682530

There are a number of reasons why this may be the case:

1) Coastal Alabama may not have had a course equivalent to the one that you took and therefore cannot give you credit for a course we don’t offer,
2) If you made a D on the course and your GPA was below a 2.0 we will not accept the credits, or
3) The courses that you took at your previous institution do not count towards your current degree plan.

You can locate numbers for each office on the Contact page.

Yes, this is called transient status. You will need to get with your advisor and discuss which courses to take then submit the provided form to the registrar’s office for approval. Once you have completed the course you will need to submit your transcripts from that institution to be evaluated for credit. Transient Student Online Request Form >>

If we are still in the reinstatement period of the course, you will need to speak with your instructor who will contact the Instructional Services department on your behalf.

If the course(s) has not started yet, you can just go back into your OneACCS account and reregister for the class. If classes have already begun, please reach out to the Instructional Services department at instructionalservices@coastalalabama.edu

Applying for graduation is easy! Simply click on the link below to complete the Online Graduation Application.

Please fill out the online Enrollment Verification form.

If you are taking more than one course, you can drop all but one through your OneACCS account. If you are only taking one course, or wish to withdraw from all courses, then you will need to fill out the withdrawal form. More information regarding withdrawals can be found at https://www.coastalalabama.edu/admissions-aid/student-records/withdrawal-information/.

Transcripts can be order through the link provided: https://www.parchment.com/u/registration/3227055/institution