Important Policies

Attendance Verification
Why do I need to confirm my attendance?

Census & Proration Policy
How does my enrollment affect my financial aid awards?

Complete Withdrawal
How does a complete official or unofficial withdrawal from the college affect my financial aid?

Dependency Status
Who is considered "dependent for financial aid purposes" and what are the criteria?

Release of Information
Who does the college release my information to?

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
What is SAP and how does it affect my financial aid eligibility?

Scholarship Policies
What scholarship policies are in effect?

Student Eligibility Criteria
What general criteria must a student meet in order to be eligible for financial aid?

Attendance Verification
Why do I need to report my attendance?

In order to receive financial aid funds BCC requires students to confirm attendance in at least one class before picking up their check.

Once your have received your Award Notification Letter, we will automatically pay your tuition if you are enrolled for at least half-time or six credits. Students who only receive student loans, however, must either pay their tuition or request a deferment.

If after paying your tuition there are no funds remaining, the aid office will send you an email and or a letter requesting verification of attendance. If you do not immediately provide this office with proof of attendance you will be withdrawn from classes and the funds that paid your tuition will be returned to the financial aid program.

Online students who do not live in the Bellevue area can have their check mailed after the aid office receives an email from you requesting that we mail the check and the instructor has confirmed your participation (not enrollment) in the class.

Census & Proration Policy

Your Credit Load Affects Your Aid

Your awards were based on full-time enrollment in each quarter that you were offered aid. If you register for less than full-time in any quarter including summer, your aid will be prorated based on your lower enrollment status.

If your enrollment changes prior to Census, your awards may fluctuate according to the schedule below. Dropping credits after your awards have been disbursed may result in a repayment notice. The census date will determine your award or disbursement amounts.

BCC’s Financial Aid office does not count audited courses toward students' enrollment status. Please notify this office if you are auditing a class.

Disbursement Schedule
Programs # of Credits % of Award Received
Grants
Pell Grant See Pell
Payment Chart		 See Pell
Payment Chart
BCC Grant 12 or more credits 100%
FSEOG 9 to 11 credits 75%
WA State Need Grant 6 to 8 credits 50%
  5 or less credits 25%
Scholarships See individual donor criteria for your scholarships.
Work-Study
Federal/State 6 or more credits 100%
  5 or less 0%
Loans
Stafford Subsidized
or Unsubsidized 		6 or more credits 100%
  5 or less credits 0%
PLUS 6 or more credits 100%
  5 or less credits 0%

Complete Official Withdrawal

Circumstances may necessitate complete withdrawal from college courses in which you are registered. The impact of complete withdrawal on your financial aid depends on when the withdrawal is initiated and the type of financial aid you received. However, in all cases, your financial aid must be recalculated. Also, complete withdrawal may negatively affect your Satisfactory Academic Progress.

If the quarter has not yet begun, and you withdraw from classes, your financial aid for the quarter will be cancelled and any tuition payments that were made will be returned to the appropriate financial aid accounts.

If you officially process a complete withdraw from the college after the census date, but before the 60% point of the quarter (see right column for dates) has lapsed, BCC’s aid office will perform the Title IV calculation to determine if you owe a repayment. However, the aid office will recalculate your Title IV aid based on the Federal Return of Title IV Formula.

If you officially process a complete withdraw from the college after the 60% point of the quarter, you will not be required to return any financial aid you received that quarter.

Unofficial Complete Withdrawal (Dropping Out)

If you stop attending classes and do not initiate an official withdrawal, you will receive no passing grades for the quarter and will incur significant financial penalties: your future aid will be cancelled. Because of this, it is CRITICAL that you initiate an official withdrawal prior to the end of the semester and that you keep your mailing address current.

At the conclusion of each quarter, the Financial Aid Office will determine if you have passed any courses for the quarter. If you have not, you are required to provide official documentation of attendance in an academically related activity. If documentation is not provided within the time frame specified, you will be required to repay all financial aid received for the semester on demand. If you document your attendance, you will be required to repay up to 50% of the Title IV aid received for the quarter on demand.

Dependency Status

You are considered dependent for financial aid purposes for the academic year unless you can answer "yes" to at least one of the following FAFSA questions (as of the date your FAFSA was filed):

 

Were you born before January 1, 1984?

During the school year 2008-2009, will you be working on a master's or doctorate program?

Are you married?

Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you?

Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2009?

Are you an orphan, or are you or were you (until age 18) a ward/dependent of the court?

Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?

If extenuating circumstances exist between you and your parents (i.e., abuse, abandonment), you can request a review of your dependency status by submitting a Petition To Apply For Financial Aid Without Parental Information form

A parent's unwillingness or refusal to contribute to educational costs or provide income information is not, by itself, a basis for review.

Release of Information

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

There are several laws protecting the privacy of your information, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This act allows you access to your educational records while limiting access to others (parents/spouse).

The BCC’s Financial Aid Office adheres to the college policy relative to the release of information on your student account and will not release information to your spouse, parent or another individual unless you have completed the Permission to Release Information Form. Please return this form to the aid office.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

To be eligible for federal and state aid programs, you must meet all three Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards regardless of whether you have received financial aid previously.
  • Maintain a 2.0 Cumulative GPA (CGPA)
  • Complete all the credits you register for
  • Credit hour limitation

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) terms

  • Probation
  • Suspended/Cancelled

Financial Aid Probation

Probation is a warning status resulting from lack of Academic Progress ie non-completion of credits or a low CGPA. During the quarter you are on probation you must earn a 2.0 and complete all the credits you registered for.

Financial Aid Suspension

SAP status if you do not meet the 67% pass rate standard at your second measurement. Students with this SAP status are ineligible for financial aid. If the measurement occurs after a quarter has begun, aid for that quarter will be cancelled. You will also lose aid eligibility for subsequent quarters. This policy is not applicable to scholarships or employee tuition benefits.

Scholarship Policies
What scholarship policies are in effect?

If you are bringing the scholarship check yourself to Financial Aid…..

  • Turn your check in to the Scholarship Coordinator found in room B123B building B.
  • Your scholarship will be put into the system usually within two working days that the Scholarship Coordinator is here.
  • Once in the system the scholarship will pay towards tuition overnight.
  • Check online the third day after you have brought the check in to see if your tuition is paid and if you have a balance. If you have a balance, please pay it as soon as possible.
  • For books see below in the Both section.

If your scholarship foundation is sending Financial Aid the scholarship check….

  • Check with your scholarship foundation to see if they have sent your scholarship check to us.
  • After one to two weeks from the day the foundation sends your check, check online to see if your tuition has been paid.
  • If the check has not arrived and paid, please contact your scholarship foundation to check on the status of the check. Financial Aid cannot do this for you.
  • You can also check with the front desk in Financial Aid to see if a check has arrived for you from your scholarship foundation.
  • Once the scholarship check arrives and is put into our system it will pay tuition overnight.
  • Important Note: As mentioned above it is your responsibility to make sure your scholarship check is received by BCC. The financial aid office is not responsible for following up on checks that have not arrived.
  • For books see below in the Both section.

Both

  • I want to buy books. How/can I do that? Once your scholarship check has been put into the system you can potentially buy books. There are three scenarios...
     
    • It is before the quarter starts….if your scholarship money is here before the quarter starts, you can get your books early.
      • Step one Go to the bookstore and get a voided book receipt
      • Step two Take the receipt to the Scholarship Coordinator. She will make you out a book voucher.
      • Step three Take the book voucher to the bookstore to get your books. Bring back the copy with the receipt stapled on it to the Scholarship Coordinator.
         
    • It is after the quarter starts and my scholarship doesn’t generate me a check for extra money….you can get a book voucher for any money that remains in your scholarship account after your tuition has paid. See above for book voucher rules.
       
    • It is after the quarter starts and my scholarship generates me a check for extra money. Once this check has been produced for you, you will need to use that money for books.
       
  • What if I don’t spend all my money and I want to attend next year?
    • If you let the Scholarship Coordinator, located in room B123B, know that you plan to attend next year, we can roll your unspent money to the following year.
       
  • Can I go to summer school?
    • You can go to summer school. Just let the Scholarship Coordinator, in room B123B, know BEFORE the quarter starts so that she can set up the scholarship payment for you.
       
  • If I transfer schools can my scholarship money transfer with me?
    • Yes, notify the Scholarship Coordinator and provide her with the information about the school you’re transferring to and the funds will be forwarded there.

Student Eligibility Criteria

Students must meet the following minimum criteria to be eligible for most federal, state and institutional funding:
  • You are a U.S. citizen or national, permanent U.S. resident or other eligible noncitizen.
  • You are admitted as a degree-seeking student to a qualified undergraduate or eligible certificate program. (Some types of aid are restricted to certain degree levels and/or programs.)
  • You have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) certificate, or pass a test approved by the U.S. Department of Education.
  • You are making Satisfactory Academic Progress.
  • You have submitted all requested documents, including the FAFSA, and those documents have not been found to limit your eligibility.
  • You are not in default on any prior student loan.
  • You do not owe a repayment on any Title IV financial aid.
  • Your enrollment status is such that it allows for disbursement of your awarded financial aid. (Audited courses are not counted.)
  • You are registered, if required by law, with the Selective Service Administration.
  • You have a valid Social Security Number — This requirement does not apply to students who are residents of the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau.
  • You have not been convicted of any offense involving the sale or possession of a controlled substance. The loss of eligibility and duration of ineligibility depend on the number of convictions, and date of conviction(s).

Return to the Financial Aid Office's main web page.

Last updated on