Financial Aid

Click on any of the following links for information:

• General Information
• Student and Family Resources
• Estimating Expenses
• Tuition Deferral Payment
• Rights and Responsibilities of Recipients
• How to Apply for Financial Aid
• Satisfactory Academic Progress for TAP, APTS, and Title IV Aid
• Financial Aid Refund Policies and Procedures
• Grants
• Loans
• Employment
• Financial Aid Time Frame

Considerable financial aid is available at Broome Community College, and the Financial Aid Office helps students through the financial aid process. Information about financial aid is sent to students who are seeking financial aid when they apply for admission. Any student accepted into a degree or certificate program and taking one or more classes may apply for financial aid.

Financial aid at BCC falls into three broad categories: 1) grants that do not have to be repaid; 2) loans on which interest rates are usually low and that must be repaid after graduation or leaving college; 3) part-time employment called “Work-Study.” Assistance usually comes from a combination of these resources, commonly referred to as a “financial aid package.”

“Financial need” is a term used to describe the funds required by a student to pay for his/her college education in excess of the amount that he/she and parents can afford to pay. Financial need is determined by using a standardized formula, which defines the “initial” or “demonstrated” need. The formula:

The Financial Aid Office at Broome Community College operates on the premise that all parents and students have a responsibility to contribute as much as they can toward the cost of the student’s education. This contribution plays the primary role in determining the actual initial need.

To qualify for financial aid, a student must be enrolled in a degree or certificate program of the College, be taking one or more classes, and have initial or demonstrated need. This need can be met in a number of different ways; a combination of grants, loans and work-study funds in varying amounts. These are determined by the financial aid administrator and are called a “financial aid package.”

Many students would be unable to attend college without financial aid. However, no matter when application for financial aid is made, disbursal of awarded money is not always made on an “as needed” basis. Students should have sufficient resources available for living and educational expenses for 12 weeks into a semester to confirm attendance.

Below is a chart showing the estimated average costs for the 2009-10 college year for student expenses. It covers a 9-month period; the length of the college year, September to May.

¹ Lab fees are $12 or $40 per lab (not included in the above estimates).

² A child care allowance is added to the student’s budget only when documentation of these expenses is submitted to the Financial Aid Office.

³ An out-of-state resident must pay additional non-resident tuition.

⁴ The tuition and fees amounts had not been officially established when this catalog was being prepared.  The amounts may be subject to increase.

- ALL COSTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE -

To be considered for financial aid, students must apply each adademic year.

All Financial Aid funds (with the exception of Work-Study, Stafford and Unsubsidized Stafford loans, PLUS loans, EOP, Pauline Parker, and miscellaneous financial aid funds) will be applied to the recipient’s outstanding tuition and fees for the current semester. Those applicants without finalized financial aid packages may be able to defer tuition payment by making arrangements with the Financial Aid Office.

Broome Community College does not defer SUMMER tuition based on a TAP award or on a student loan.

Student recipients of financial aid are the beneficiaries of money made available by a variety of agencies; federal, state, institutional, and/or private. The act of accepting a financial aid award signifies that the recipient knows, understands, and is willing to comply with both the rights and the responsibilities involved with that award.

It is the recipient’s RIGHT to know:

1. What federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs are available.
2. The deadlines for submitting application forms for each assistance program.
3. The cost of attending the College and the refund policy.
4. The criteria used by the College to determine academic eligibility.
5. What resources (such as parental contribution) are considered in the calculation of financial need and how much of that need, as determined by the College, has been or will be met, and how (loan, grant and/or workstudy).
6. How much of the financial aid will have to be repaid, and what portion is a grant (gift-aid). If the aid is a loan, the recipient should know what the interest rate is, the total amount that must be repaid, the repayment procedures, the length of time allowed to repay the loan and when repayment is to begin.
7. How the College determines whether the student recipient is making satisfactory progress and what happens if progress is not made.

It is the recipient’s RESPONSIBILITY to:

1. Know and understand fully the financial aid program and one’s specific financial aid package before signing forms.
2. Make sure that all application forms are completed accurately and submitted, on time, to the right place.
3. Pay special attention to, and accurately complete, the application for student financial aid. Errors can result in long delays in the receipt of financial aid. Intentional misreporting of information on application forms for federal financial aid is a violation of law and is considered a criminal offense subject to penalties under the U.S. Criminal Code.
4. Return any and all additional documentation, verification, correction, and/or new information requested by either the Financial Aid Office or the agency to which the application is submitted.
5. Read and understand all forms that one signs and keep copies of them.
6. Accept responsibility for all agreements signed.
7. Notify the lender of changes in name, address, or school status, if one has a loan.
8. Perform the work that is agreed upon in accepting a Federal Work-Study award.
9. Know and comply with the deadlines for application and/or reapplication for aid.
10. Know and comply with the College’s refund procedures.
11. Understand how class attendance and passing grades that result in good academic standing relate to the continuance of Financial Aid.

Packaging Policy

At Broome Community College the equity concept of financial aid packaging is used. Eligible students are funded on a need basis and in first-come, first-served order.

The Federal Pell Grant and the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) represent the floor of the package followed by any employment, loans, and grants available.

This kind of financial aid packaging ensures that any student who wishes to attend a post-secondary institution will have the opportunity to obtain the needed funding.

An example of the equity concept:

1. Total Student Costs of Attendance
2. Subtract Resources:
       a.  Parental Contribution
       b.  Student Contribution
       c.  Other Resources
   _________________________
       =  Initial Financial Need

      3.  Subtract:
              a.  Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)
                   Grant or Estimate
              b.  Federal Pell Grant or Estimate
           ________________________
               = Unmet Need for Campus-Based Aid

      4.  Subtract:
              a.  Educational Opportunity Program (EOP)
              b.  FWS
              c.  FSEOG
              d.  BCC-Grant in Aid
            _________________________
               = Unmet Need

Most students are able to satisfy their unmet need through the Federal Stafford Student Loan Program. The amount of unmet need may vary from year to year.

Federal and State Grants

All financial aid applicants will be expected to apply for two major sources of financial aid: the Federal Pell Grant and New York State’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). Out of state residents should contact their State Educational Agency or the Financial Aid Office for information on state grant assistance from their state of residence. Although the College provides information and assistance, these funds are not generated by the College and must be applied for directly by the student to the agency. Students may apply for the Pell and TAP grants with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the New York State TAP application.

Part-time students who enroll for at least 3 but less than 12 credits may be eligible for New York State’s Aid for Part-Time Study (APTS) program. Unlike TAP, students must apply directly to the College for determination of eligibility.

Applications and information regarding these and other programs are available at the Financial Aid Office (Student Services Building, Room 111, Phone 778-5028).  The FAFSA application is available at http://www.FAFSA.ED.GOV.

Campus-Based Financial Aid

For a student to be considered for both the Federal Pell Grant and financial aid administered by the College (Campus-Based Aid), the Financial Aid Office must electronically receive the student’s Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) from the FAFSA processor. Receipt of the ISIR will allow students to be considered for the following campus-based financial aid, in addition to the Federal Pell Grant:

Federal Campus-Based Aid

• Federal Work-Study (FWS)
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

Institutional Campus-Based Aid

• BCC Foundation Grants

The College administers a number of programs which have been established by private individuals, companies, and organizations. These scholarship and grant programs have varying eligibility requirements. Students who wish to apply for these special scholarships must complete the FAFSA.

Priority Funding Dates

Incoming students should apply for financial aid when they apply for admission. Because all campus-based funds are limited, students are strongly encouraged to submit the appropriate forms at least four weeks before the above priority dates.

Completed applications received prior to April 1 will be given first priority. Applications received after this date will be considered as long as funds are available, and will be completed in date-received order.

The FAFSA should be completed on-line (http://www.fafsa.ed.gov) before March 1. After processing, the student will receive an acknowledgment and the College will receive an electronic ISIR from the Federal processor. All students are required to complete a FAFSA, regardless of their eligibility for Federal Pell Grant funding, in order to be considered for any of the Federal financial aid programs.

Verification

Once the Financial Aid Office has received the results of your processed application, you may be selected for a process called verification. This is a procedure used to check the accuracy of the information you reported on your federal financial aid application. You will be required to bring or send any supporting documentation that is necessary to verify the information you reported. If selected, you must complete the process before your financial aid can be awarded.

Notification of Decisions

Students are generally notified of the action taken on their application beginning in mid-March and continuing on a rolling basis. Students who apply late will be notified as their files are completed.

If a student’s request for aid is denied, the reasons for the decision are explained. Students may request an appeal of financial aid decisions by writing a letter to the Director of Financial Aid.

NOTE — Students who have been administratively dropped from their class(es) for non-attendance will receive a reduced financial aid award. If financial aid has already been disbursed, a repayment of a portion or all of these funds may be owed to the Federal program.

Federal regulations require aid recipients to maintain “satisfactory academic progress” before receiving Title IV aid (Federal Pell Grant, FWS, FSEOG, Federal Stafford Student Loan, Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loans and FPLUS). The College also requires satisfactory academic progress before students may receive grant assistance from the BCC Foundation or Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). The guidelines used to determine academic progress are outlined on page 23 of the catalog.

Students who have been placed on academic probation may continue to receive financial assistance while on probation. These students have one semester to achieve the minimum standards before facing dismissal from the College.

Students who have been academically dismissed will be denied aid until they meet the criteria set forth for satisfactory academic progress. Students who petition for a waiver of dismissal may be eligible for financial aid under the following conditions: 1. The student is granted an academic petition due to unusual circumstances; 2. After dismissal the student has completed 6 or more credit hours in a single term and received grades of “C” or better in all credit hours attempted. Only one petition of academic dismissal based on unusual circumstances and only one petition of academic dismissal based on completion of 6 or more credit hours is allowed during a student’s educational career.

Students who are allowed to continue taking classes but are not in good academic standing are not eligible to receive financial aid.

The College has also adopted New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and Aid for Part-Time Study (APTS) guidelines which require good academic standing for students to continue receiving TAP & APTS. Contact the Registrar’s Office in Room 105 Student Services Building for a copy of the guidelines.

Financial aid refunds will be made for those students who receive tuition and fee refunds in accordance with the College’s refund policy (see page 15), and for those students who are administratively withdrawn from classes due to non-attendance (see page 25). Students who are administratively withdrawn for non-attendance, or who drop classes during the first week of the semester, will lose 100% of the financial aid received for each course that is dropped. All other students may lose a percentage of their financial aid based on the percentage refund of tuition and fees that they receive.

As mandated by Federal law, the institution will credit refunds of financial aid in the following order:

1. To outstanding balances on Unsubsidized FFEL/Direct Stafford Loans;
2. To outstanding balances on Subsidized FFEL/Direct Stafford Loans;
3. To outstanding balances on Perkins loans;
4. To outstanding balances on FFEL/Direct PLUS Loans;
5. To Federal Pell Grant awards;
6. To Federal Academic Competitiveness Grants;
7. To Federal SEOG awards;
8. To other Title IV aid programs;
9. To other Federal, State, Institutional or private aid; and
10. To the student.

NOTE - The following financial aid information is current as of Fall 2009. Due to reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, some of this information may be changed during the academic year. Please contact the Financial Aid Office for updated or additional information.

FEDERAL WORK-STUDY employment is available for full-time or half-time students with financial need. It is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Students may work up to 20 hours a week when classes are in session or up to 37-1/2 hours a week during vacation. Pay is minimum wage. Forms and additional information are available in BCC Financial Aid Office.

Students may receive Federal financial aid for only up to 150% of the time/credits necessary to graduate from their program of study (i.e. if the degree requirement equals 60 credit hours, the student may attempt up to 90 credit hours with funding). Beginning with the first semester of matriculation into a degree granting program of study, all college level credit hours (i.e. courses designated at the 100 level or higher) that a student registers for (excluding those dropped during the first week of classes or those never attended) are counted toward this time frame. Credit hours that a student attempts at their own expense also count toward the 150% time limit. At any time that it is determined that a student can not complete their degree within the 150% time frame, they become ineligible to receive any form of Federal financial aid.

Changes in major do not set back a student’s maximum allowable time frame. Rather, a change in major program may impact the total number of credits allowable in either a positive or a negative direction, based on the new degree requirement.

Remedial courses (i.e. those designated below the 100 level) and English as a Second Language (ESL) courses that a student attempts do not count toward the 150% time frame. Students are allowed to attempt up to 30 credit hours of remedial course work and 30 credit hours of ESL course work with Federal funding. Once a student has attempted up to this limit, they are no longer eligible to receive any form of Federal financial aid for additional remedial or ESL course work attempted.

New York State has set up a separate policy in regard to time frames for TAP recipients. Students attending two-year colleges in the State of NY (with the exception of those students enrolled in the Educational Opportunity Program [EOP]) may only receive up to three years of TAP payments.