Financial Aid

What financial have I been awarded that is is a grant and does not have to paid back and what does have to be paid back?

While I can’t/won’t comment about your particular situation, I can give you some ideas on how you can answer your question.
I’m assuming that your viewing your award via MyCharleston. If not, check out this page for additional details.
The last word in the Fund Name usually refers to the type of aid. For example, with a Federal Direct Sub Loan, what ‘Sub’ means might be a bit confusing (it’s short for ‘subsidized’), but ‘Loan’ means loan. Things listed as Grants or Scholarships (occasionally abbreviated ‘Sch’) are “free” money meaning that you do not have to repay them. Loans require repayment. The one exception are the two programs for education majors (TEACH Grant and SC Teacher Loan) that have been nicknamed Groans, because they can be grants if you become a teacher and are loans if you don’t.
Starting on the Types of Aid page, you can find information about every, or very nearly every, program that we have awarded so far.
The first word in the Fund Name often refers to the source, but that’s just random knowledge and probably doesn’t help answer your question.

My daughter has been accepted to this college and three others, however this is her first choice, but she would need more financial aid or scholarship. What could we do? I would like to have a position at the college if that would help. I have experience in real estate, my college major. I would like some advice and assistance. My daughter has been a certified working lifeguard for three yrs. Do you have any ideas for us?

I’ve turned over the answer to this one question a couple times in my head. Ultimately, I have to recommend contacting one of my counselor coworkers. I prefer email (financialaid@cofc.edu), but if you prefer phone (843-953-5540) I would recommend not calling between 11:30 and 2. It’s either our heaviest call volume time or when most of my coworkers want to take lunch, but either way it always seems to be the busiest. Monday mornings are pretty bad, too, but Friday afternoons are smooth.
There are a two main reasons I can’t answer your question via the blog:
1) I don’t want to reveal in personal information and want to keep the blog useful for everyone.
2) I don’t know how much help you need. For example if you only needed a little bit of help, something like signing up for the payment plan or choosing less-expensive housing might be the solution. On the other hand, you might have had a significant change in income that isn’t reflected on the FAFSA, in which case you should download the Parent Contribution Adjustment Request.

We were selected for verification. IRS did not complete our tax return until May. On May 19 we finally received our Tax Return transcript. Does my daughter lose out on all the “unlimited” funds since our paperwork is so late into the process.

I’m doubtful that I can correctly answer your question because to do so would require personal information that I won’t ask for and you shouldn’t disclose via the blog. For personalized answers, email us at financialaid@cofc.edu or call 843-953-5540.
If your daughter is not an entering freshmen, see my upcoming post about completing verification. Also thank you for the idea.
If your daughter completed her FAFSA on/before the March 1 priority deadline, she should have been awarded back in March. If verification made significant changes to the FAFSA data, then the award will be adjusted if required. If the changes make your daughter eligible for the Pell Grant, she will receive that, but will not receive any additional grant funds. If funds free up, possibly after the drop/add period, then we’ll go back and automatically reevaluate students that are eligible for the limited grants but have not been awarded.