Financial Aid
Paying for College
Congratulations on your decision to attend Rend Lake College. Higher education is a valuable accomplishment and choosing a community college gives you more bang for your educational buck.
RLC Financial Aid is here to help you prepare to pay for college.
Veterans Services are available from staff in the Financial Aid Office.
How to stay on top of paying for higher education
Tuition & Costs
Learn more about the estimated cost of attending.Types of Aid
Grants, scholarships, tuition waivers, loans and student employment are available to RLC students. Students who are eligible for financial aid may defer payment of tuition, fees, books and supplies up to the amount of aid they are receiving.FAFSA
Next, if you decide you would like to pursue financial aid options, we'll need to determine your eligibility.
Go online and complete your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
Be sure to include RLC's federal school code 007119.
Meeting with Financial Aid Office
Finally, set up a meeting with an RLC Financial Aid staff member and we can talk about your options.
Office of Financial Aid
Phone: (618) 437-5321 Ext. 1385
Students who are eligible for financial aid may defer payment of tuition, fees, books, and supplies up to the amount of aid they are receiving. Financial aid not used to cover direct costs will be issued to the student via their BankMobile selection.
Benefits Navigator
Benefits Navigator: Helping Students Thrive Inside and Outside the Classroom
The Benefits Navigator is a dedicated support resource, designed to help students connect with the essential services they need to stay enrolled and succeed. Whether you're facing food insecurity, housing challenges, childcare needs, or mental health concerns, the Benefits Navigator is here to guide you toward local, state, and campus-based resources that can make a difference.
At Rend Lake College, your Benefits Navigator is Amy Epplin. Amy provides personalized assistance to help students access vital resources, remove barriers, and stay on track to meet their educational goals. Amy can be reached at 618-437-5321 ext. 1386 or by email at epplina@rlc.edu.
Tuition & Costs
Learn more about the estimated cost of attending.Types of Aid
Grants, scholarships, tuition waivers, loans and student employment are available to RLC students. Students who are eligible for financial aid may defer payment of tuition, fees, books and supplies up to the amount of aid they are receiving.FAFSA
Next, if you decide you would like to pursue financial aid options, we'll need to determine your eligibility.
Go online and complete your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
Be sure to include RLC's federal school code 007119.
Meeting with Financial Aid Office
Finally, set up a meeting with an RLC Financial Aid staff member and we can talk about your options.
Office of Financial Aid
Phone: (618) 437-5321 Ext. 1385
Students who are eligible for financial aid may defer payment of tuition, fees, books, and supplies up to the amount of aid they are receiving. Financial aid not used to cover direct costs will be issued to the student via their BankMobile selection.
Benefits Navigator
Benefits Navigator: Helping Students Thrive Inside and Outside the Classroom
The Benefits Navigator is a dedicated support resource, designed to help students connect with the essential services they need to stay enrolled and succeed. Whether you're facing food insecurity, housing challenges, childcare needs, or mental health concerns, the Benefits Navigator is here to guide you toward local, state, and campus-based resources that can make a difference.
At Rend Lake College, your Benefits Navigator is Amy Epplin. Amy provides personalized assistance to help students access vital resources, remove barriers, and stay on track to meet their educational goals. Amy can be reached at 618-437-5321 ext. 1386 or by email at epplina@rlc.edu.
Applying for Financial Aid
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid after January 1st for the upcoming school year.
Use our school code 007119.
Your application may be selected for a process called verification.
The Financial Aid Office will mail you a letter listing the items needed for verification and a worksheet to be completed. Your financial aid award cannot be determined until all of the requested forms are received. Contact the Financial Aid Office at (618) 437-5321 ext. 1385 for more information.
After the school receives ALL required documents and makes any necessary corrections, you will be mailed an award letter.
An award letter is your confirmation that you have been approved to receive grants. Do not assume that grants have been processed for you until you receive an award letter from the school.
Your aid will be applied to tuition and fees.
Remaining funds can be used for supplies in the RLC Bookstore during the first three weeks of the semester.
More Information
Types of Verification
A student may be selected for one of three types of verification listed below. You will be required to provide the information under the selected group.
V1– Standard Verification Group:
- Verification worksheet – V1
- Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) or 2020 Tax Return Transcript, if filed
- Non-filers must submit a statement of non-filing, W2 and a Statement of Support.
- Proof of Illinois Residency if filed between October 1 and August 1, 2022
V4– Custom Verification Group:
- Verification worksheet – V4
- Proof of High School completion –Diploma or official transcripts, GED certificate or transcript, transcript showing 2-year program completion or home school credential or transcript.
- Must meet in person and present an official government ID. We will verify the ID to the student, photocopy it and have the student/RLC employee complete the identity statement on the verification worksheet. If the student is unable to come to our office, they may have that portion of the worksheet notarized.
- Proof of Illinois Residency if filed between October 1 and August 1, 2022
V5– Aggregate Verification Group:
Verification worksheet – V5
- DRT or 2020 Tax Return Transcript, if filed
- Non-filers must submit a non-filer statement, W2s and a Statement of Support.
- Proof of High School completion – Diploma or official transcripts, GED certificate or transcript, transcript showing 2-year program completion or home school credential or transcript.
- Must meet in person and present an official government ID. We will verify the ID to the student, photocopy it and have the student/RLC employee complete the identity statement on the verification worksheet. If the student is unable to come to our office, they may have that portion of the worksheet notarized.
- Proof of Illinois Residency if filed between October 1 and August 1, 2022
In addition, you may have to verify the following:
- Birth Certificate
- Government ID
- High School Diploma/GED
- High School Transcript, signed with graduation date (Home Schooled)
- Social Security Card
- DD-214
- Default Clearance Letter
- Documentation of Emancipation from the court
- Documentation of Legal Guardianship from the court
- Documentation of Orphan/Ward of Court
- Death Certificates/documentation from the court
- Documentation of Unaccompanied Youth
- Letter from the high school stating the McKinney-Veto Act
- Federal Grant Overpayment Resolution
- Proof of Citizenship
- Birth Certificate, U.S. Passport, or Certificate of Naturalization
- Proof of Selective Service Registration
- Resolution of Over Loan Limits Issue
- Signature Sheet
- 4506T - Statement of Nonfiler from the IRS
- Documentation of SAP for Unusual Enrollment
- Documentation of Untaxed Income
What if I'm not grant eligible?
If you are interested in applying for additional sources of financial aid, please see the Types of Aid section.
Special Circumstances
Payment Deadlines
RLC Financial Aid Code of Conduct
Rend Lake College Financial Aid Office employees are expected to maintain the highest standards of conduct in all aspects of the administration of their duties, specifically including all duties conducted in dealing with any entity involved in any way with financial assistance. This pertains regardless of whether said entities are involved in a government sponsored, subsidized or regulated activity. Any Rend Lake College employee who is either directly involved with financial assistance or indirectly involved with financial assistance should:
- Never take any action for his or her personal gain or benefit.
- Never take any action that he or she believes is or might be contrary to law, regulation or the best interests of the students and parents we serve.
- In every circumstance ensure that the information given to students and parents is accurate and unbiased and does not reflect any preference arising from actual or potential personal or institutional gain.
- In every instance be objective in making decisions and advising the college regarding any institution involved in any aspect of student financial assistance.
- Never solicit or accept anything from an entity involved in the making, holding, consolidating or processing of any student loans, including anything of value, including reimbursement of expenses for serving on an advisory board or as part of a training activity of or sponsored by any such entity.
- Always disclose to the college any involvement with or interest in any entity involved in any aspect of financial aid.
Student Verification Forms
Statement of Ethical Principals
- Be committed to removing financial barriers for those who wish to pursue postsecondary learning.
- Make every effort to assist students with financial need.
- Be aware of the issues affecting students and advocate their interests at the institutional, state, and federal levels.
- Support efforts to encourage students, as early as the elementary grades, to aspire to and plan for education beyond high school.
- Educate students and families through quality consumer information.
- Respect the dignity and protect the privacy of students and ensure the confidentiality of student records and personal circumstances.
- Ensure equity by applying all need analysis formulas consistently across the institution’s full population of student financial aid applicants.
- Provide services that do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age or economic status.
- Recognize the need for professional development and continuing education opportunities.
- Promote the free expression of ideas and opinions, and foster respect for diverse viewpoints within the profession.
- Commit to the highest level of ethical behavior and refrain from conflict of interest or the perception thereof.
- Maintain the highest level of professionalism, reflecting a commitment to the goals of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.
Student Loan Code of Conduct
- Revenue Sharing Agreements
- Any computer hardware which Rend Lake College pays below market prices
- Any computer software used to manage loans unless the software can manage disbursements from all lenders
- Any printing costs, postage or services
This does not prevent Rend Lake College from soliciting, accepting or agreeing to favorable terms and conditions where the benefit is made directly to student borrowers.
This prohibition does not prevent the college from holding membership in any nonprofit professional associations.
“Gifts” are defined as but not limited to: Any type of gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan or other item having more than a token monetary value. The term includes a gift of services, transportation, lodging or meals, whether provided in kind, by purchase of a ticket, payment in advance or reimbursement after the expense has been incurred.
The following items would not be considered to be “gifts”:
- Standard material, activities or programs on issues related to a loan, default aversion, default prevention or financial literacy, such as a brochure, a workshop, or training.
- Food, refreshments, training or informational material furnished to any officer, trustee, director or university employee, as an integral part of a training session that is designed to improve the service of a lender, guarantor or servicer of education loans to the institution, if such training contributes to the professional development of the officer, trustee, director or employee.
- Favorable terms, conditions and borrower benefits on an education loan provided to a student employed by the institution if such terms, conditions or benefits are comparable to those provided to all students of the institution.
- Entrance and exit counseling services provided to borrowers to meet the institution's responsibilities for entrance and exit counseling as required…”as long as”: the institution's staff are in control of the counseling (and) such counseling does not promote the products or services of any specific lender.
- Philanthropic contributions that are unrelated to education loans or any contribution not made in exchange for any advantage related to education loans.
- State education grants, scholarships, or financial aid funds administered by or on behalf of a State.
- the gift is given with the knowledge and acquiescence of the officer, trustee, director or college employee
AND - the officer, trustee, director or college employee has reason to believe the gift was given because of the official position of said officer, trustee, director or college employee
This does not preclude any officer, trustee, director or employee from participating on any lender advisory board that are unrelated to student loans. This does not preclude any Rend Lake College employee not involved in the affairs of the college’s financial aid office from serving on the Board of Directors of a publicly traded or privately held company.
- This does not prevent anyone else in the institution that has nothing to do with student loans from entering into these agreements.
- This does not prevent anyone not employed in the financial aid office who has “some” responsibility for student loans from entering into these agreements if that individual in writing, recuses him or herself from any decision regarding educational loans.
- This does not prevent anybody from serving on a Board of Directors or trustee of an institution if the individual recuses him or herself from any decision regarding educational loans.
- a lender provides or issues a loan that is made, insured, or guaranteed under this title to students attending the institution or to the families of such students; and
- the institution recommends the lender and in exchange the lender pays a fee or provides other material benefits
- a specified number of loans made, insured or guaranteed
- a specified loan volume
- a preferred lender arrangement
This does not include:
- Professional development training for financial aid administrators.
- Educational counseling materials, financial literacy materials, or debt management materials to borrowers, provided that such materials disclose to borrowers the identification of any lender that assisted in preparing or providing such materials.
- Staffing services on a short-term, nonrecurring basis to assist the institution with financial aid- related functions during emergencies, including State-declared or federally declared natural disasters.
- Rend Lake College will not, for any first-time borrower, assign, through award packaging or other methods, the borrower's loan to a particular lender.
- Rend Lake College will not refuse to certify, or delay certification of, any loan based on the borrower's selection of a particular lender or guaranty agency.
Preferred Lender List
Frequently Asked Questions about your 1098T tax form
Please note, employees of Rend Lake College cannot offer tax advice. Students with questions about their 1098-T form or tax benefits are strongly encouraged to consult a qualified tax advisor.
Q. Why did I receive a 1098-T form from Rend Lake College?
A. Form 1098-T is a form provided to you by Rend Lake College that reports, among other things, amounts paid for qualified tuition and related expenses. The form may be useful in calculating the amount of the allowable education tax credits. Rend Lake College is required by the Internal Revenue Service to provide you with this form. The IRS also dictates the manner by which the data on the form is calculated.
Q. What am I supposed to do with my form 1098-T?
A. Students who receive a form 1098-T from Rend Lake College should provide a copy of this form to their tax preparer. Students are also encouraged to provide their tax preparer with copies of their statements showing credits and charges for calendar year 2020.
Q. Why is there information in box 1, but not box 2?
A. Beginning with the 2018 tax year, the IRS requires Rend Lake College to report payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses in box 1. Prior to tax year 2018, Rend Lake College reported amounts billed for qualified tuition and related expenses in box 2.
Q. What are “qualified tuition and related expenses”?
A. According to the IRS, “Qualified tuition and related expenses are tuition, fees, and course materials required for a student to be enrolled at or attend an eligible educational institution.” (www.irs.gov)
Q. The amount of money I paid to Rend Lake College does not match the information on the 1098-T. Why?
A. According to the IRS, box 1 includes, “…the total amount of payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses from all sources during the calendar year. The amount reported is the total amount of payments received less any reimbursements or refunds made during the calendar year that relate to the payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses during the same calendar year. The amount reported is not reduced by scholarships and grants reported in box 5.”
This means that if a student made a payment in calendar year 2020 for charges assessed in calendar year 2019, that payment will not be reported in box 1.
Q. If I paid more in tuition and fees than what is reflected in box 1, can I claim more on my taxes?
A. We cannot offer tax advice. We encourage you to contact a qualified tax advisor.
Q. Can you explain to me how the amount in box 1 was calculated?
A. The number of payments reported in box 1 is limited to the total amount billed for qualified tuition and related expenses during the same calendar year. This means that if a student made a payment in calendar year 2020 for charges assessed in calendar year 2019, that payment will not be reported in box 1. Please note, this calculation method is based upon IRS regulations, and Rend Lake College is required to follow these regulations.
Q. Can I access my 1098-T online?
A. Visit www.tsc1098t.com
Enter Site ID = 11453
Username = Your 9-digit Warrior Tag number
Password = Last four digits of your SSN
After logging in, you can consent to accessing this and future 1098-T forms electronically rather than by mail delivery. Doing so helps reduce costs at RLC and lessens the environmental impact.
If you have additional questions, please contact the Rend Lake College Business Office.
Business Office
(618) 437-5321 ext. 1235
Address: 468 N. Ken Gray Parkway, Ina, IL 62846 Attn: Business Office
Fax Number: (618) 437-5677 Attn: Business Office
Office of Financial Aid
Phone: (618) 437-5321 Ext. 1385
Email: rlcfa@rlc.edu
Address: 468 N. Ken Gray Parkway, Ina, IL 62846 Attn: Financial Aid
Fax Number: (618) 437-5677 Attn: Financial Aid
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