How to Apply for Financial Aid

Financial Aid eligibility is based on taxable income, untaxed income and benefits, assets, family size, and the number of family members attending post-secondary institutions, as well as other factors. Other eligibility requirements include your academic performance record, enrollment status, state residency, and student loan borrowing history.

  • Admission application on file. Note: You may apply for the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) prior to completing an Admission’s application but be aware the Financial Aid Office will not be able to process your FAFSA until an Admissions application to BCCC has been submitted.
  • Be a U.S. Citizen or eligible noncitizen (such as a permanent resident)
  • Register with Selective Service if you are a male 18 years of age or older
  • Making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) if you have attended previously
  • Be in good standing with any student loans (not in default)

How to Apply for Financial Aid

Students may apply for federal student aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on the internet. BCCC School Code: 008558

Note: Applying on-line is only the first step in a process, which can take up to three to four weeks to complete.

Once you have submitted your FAFSA application BCCC will receive your student aid report (SAR) and will notify you by mail and email of your results. Please make sure your mailing address is current with the BCCC Admissions Office.

Additional documentation may be requested to process your financial aid.

Once your financial (file) process is complete, you will be awarded according to your eligibility and will receive an award letter in the mail. You may also view awards, bookstore charges, tuition and fees in your student portal Self Service. Students should retain their award letter and keep it with their important records for future reference.

Enrollment Status & Award Adjustments

Financial aid awards are based on full-time enrollment. Full-time eligibility for financial aid is 12 or more credit hours. Financial aid award will be reduced proportionately if attending less than full time. The Financial Aid office regards enrollment status as follows:

Full time:

12 or more hours

Three-quarter time:

9 – 11 hours

Half-time:

6 – 8 hours

Less than half-time:

1 – 5 hours

Note: The NCCCG (North Carolina Community College Grant ) implemented “Full-Time Plus” (15+) which assigns the maximum award total based on 15 or more credit hours and this total will be the amount shown on the award letter.

Financial aid amount(s) received will be prorated (reduced) based on enrollment status. The table below indicates the percentage of award amount(s) based on the number of hours enrolled:

Enrollment Status

Pell Grant

NC Community

College Grant (NCCCG)

NC Education

Lottery Scholarship Grant (NCELS)

FESOG

15 hours

100%

100%

100%

100%

12+ hours

100%

Prorated

100%

100%

9-11

75%

Prorated

50%

100%

6-8 hours

50%

Prorated

50%

100%

1-5 hours

25%

Not eligible

Not eligible

100%

Note: Dropping and adding classes during the Drop/Add period may cause changes in your award total(s). Please see a Financial Aid Specialist if you are uncertain how it will affect your aid.

The enrollment status of students in Basic Law Enforcement Technology and Practical Nursing is determined differently and may affect your award amount. Federal regulations require these programs use a formula based on the number of class hours in which the student is enrolled each week. As a result, the enrollment status will not be the same as students in an associate degree program.

Loans: BCCC no longer participates in the Federal Direct Student Loan program. Students wishing to borrow must apply for private loans and must be registered for a minimum of 6 credit hours.

Outside Scholarships: Students are obligated to report to the Financial Aid Office any additional financial aid resources received to be used for educational purposes such as scholarships, loans or educational gifts.

Text Book Purchases

Required books and supplies are currently ordered through the campus bookstore - Follett.

Students using financial aid to purchase books and supplies in the bookstore may begin using financial aid ten days prior to the start of each term. Dates of availability to use financial aid funds to purchase books will be announced through campus monitors, student emails & website. For assistance with book orders, please contact the bookstore located in Bldg. 5 or 252-940-6260.

If purchasing books from an alternative source is more convenient, the College offers a service allowing students to buy books and supplies with grant money at off-campus locations. However, the student is limited to one vendor each semester (i.e., the student will not be allowed to purchase books and supplies at the BCCC Bookstore and an off-campus location). The following conditions apply:

The student must request in writing to the Financial Aid Office 10 days prior to the first day of class that grant monies be used at an off-campus location.

The student must provide the Financial Aid Office with an invoice from the off campus vendor or, if books are to be purchased on the Internet, a list or printout including ISBN(s) from the online vendor. The student must also provide an acceptable shipping address for the vendor. BCCC is not responsible for problems regarding shipping or quality of the merchandise.

Note: Students enrolled in a combination of regular start classes and late start classes and relying on financial aid to pay for books & supplies, all bookstore purchases must be ordered at the beginning of the semester. The time period to use financial aid to purchase books & supplies is limited. Please be aware of the deadline to be announced. Students using alternative off-campus book & supply sources must notify the business office two weeks prior to the beginning of each term.

Tuition Payment

Once you have registered for classes, and provided your financial aid (file) process is complete, your Federal and/or State awards, including private loans and scholarships will appear on the BCCC Cashier’s Office computer records, as well as in the Student portal Self Service. Tuition, fees and book/supply charges will be automatically deducted from your student aid account.

Please be aware of the published due dates for paying tuition & fees. If your financial aid (file) process is not complete and no award entered, you must pay your balance out of pocket or your classes will be dropped.

Award Disbursements

Beaufort County Community College Students are eligible for financial aid disbursements based upon the actual start dates of their courses rather than the start date of each term.Only the courses for which the student has attended will be included in the initial disbursement. Enrollment status are reviewed prior to each financial aid disbursement and changes to enrollment may impact awards.The disbursement will be equivalent to the amount remaining on the student’s financial aid account after deduction of tuition, fees, and bookstore purchases. Disbursements will be released in accordance with the anticipated disbursement schedule. Please note that students completing their financial aid application after July 1, these dates may not apply.

Students can view their financial aid awards online via the student Self-Service portal.

If you have been awarded financial aid at BCCC, it is important to verify your mailing address with the Admissions Office to avoid delays in receipt of your disbursement. All financial aid refunds will be mailed on the date of disbursement to the address that is on file with the College. Please allow 7-10 business days to receive your refund via standard mail.

To verify your mailing address, login to User Profile in Self-Service. Login information for Self-Service is the same as your login for Blackboard and BCCC email. To update your mailing address, complete and submit an Information Change Form with the Admissions Office. Information Change Forms are available online and in the Admissions Office (Building 9, Office 906).

Financial Aid Anticipated Disbursement Schedule

*Scheduled disbursements are subject to adjustment.

Transcripts

Students must submit official transcripts from high school, GED, or any previously attended colleges to the Admissions office.

Student Information

Student are responsible for keeping all student information current. Please notify the Financial Aid Office & Admissions office of any changes to the following: contact information (name, address, phone numbers, email etc...), marital status, change of major, withdrawing from classes, adding classes, or withdrawing from the college. Any delay in the receipt of correspondence or financial aid checks to students due to incorrect contact information is not the responsibility of the Financial Aid Office.

Program of Study

Students must enroll in an eligible program or study leading to a degree, diploma or certificate to qualify for financial aid. However, most diploma and certificate programs are not eligible for federal or state funding. Financial aid is based on one primary program of study and the catalog year of record. Financial Aid will not be applied to any course not in the program of study.

Late Start Classes (Modules and Mini-mesters)

Students enrolled in courses with irregular start dates are paid out based on the credit hours actively attending at the beginning of each term. Financial aid payments for late start courses will be disbursed once the course has begun and attendance has been verified.

Example: A student registered for 12 credit hours (full-time) but one of 3 credit hour classes is a late start & begins in October. This late start class will be held for the student but he/she will be awarded based on her active 9 hrs and will receive ¾ (75%) of his/her award. Per Federal regulations, financial aid cannot be paid for a course until the course has started. Once the student enters/attends the late start class, the student will receive the remaining ¼ (25%) of his/her total award balance.

*Students must register for late start classes at the same time they register for regular starting classes in order to use financial aid to pay for classes. Exception: If a student is not registered nor attended any regular start classes, then financial aid may be used for late start classes.

Development Course Work Limitation

Federal Regulations limits students to 30 hours of developmental coursework which may be paid with federal student funds. Your award will be adjusted for any remedial courses taken in excess of 30 credits.

Repeated Course Work Limits

Students are limited to one repeat for a course previously taken with an earned credit/grade for the purposes of earning a higher grade. If the course is taken a third time, it will not be considered for financial aid enrollment purposes.