Financial Aid

Financial aid can help college students pay educational expenses (tuition, fees, books, supplies and other approved expenses) by using funds provided by federal, state and institutional sources. The funds are distributed in the form of grants, scholarships, student employment or loans. Federal and state agencies have developed regulations governing how to apply for these resources and award procedures.

How to Apply for Financial Aid

To be considered for most types of financial aid, a student needs to:

• Apply for admission to CCBC.
• Enroll in a degree or eligible certificate program (16 credits minimum).  Personal Enrichment is not an approved financial aid program.
• Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) the first year and every year of college enrollment.
  • For priority consideration of Maryland state grants and scholarships, submit the FAFSA between January 1 and March 1.

Application instructions are available in high schools, CCBC’s Financial Aid offices and online.

The U.S. Department of Education reviews the information submitted on the student’s FAFSA to determine the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Most financial assistance received by CCBC students is based on federal need-based requirements and is determined by subtracting the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the student’s budget. The student’s budget is determined by factors such as course load and dependency status.

Requirements for Financial Aid Recipients

• Be an accepted CCBC student.
• Enroll in an eligible degree or certificate program.
• Register only for the courses required in the eligible declared major (program of study) to earn a degree or credit certificate.
• Demonstrate financial need as determined by the FAFSA application.
• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
• Possess a high school diploma or GED.   A student with a home school educational experience needs to:
  • Provide a secondary school completion credential for home schools as required by state law. 
    or
  • Have completed a secondary school education in a home school setting that qualifies for an exemption from the compulsory attendance requirements if a credential is not required by state law.
• Register for at least six billable hours per semester (Pell Grants can be fewer).
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward the completion of an approved certificate or degree program.
• Not be in default on any prior educational loan or owe a refund on an educational grant or loan
• Does not owe a repayment on any Title IV, HEA grant previously received from any institution
• Register with Selective Service if the student is a male 18 to 25 years of age and is not currently an active member of the Armed Forces
• Is not convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs after July 1, 1998 for an offense that occurred while receiving Federal student aid such as grants, loans, or work study.

Certificates Not Approved for Federal or State Financial Aid

The following credit certificates do not meet minimum federal and state qualifications for financial aid eligibility.  Financial aid is not available for these credit certificates.

• A+
• AutoCAD Operator   
• CAD Architecture   
• Computed Tomography
• Construction Methods (Introduction)
• Construction Project Controls  
• Corrections Professional
• Flight Attendant
• HVAC and Energy Technology (Advanced)
• Legal Aspects of Construction
• Microsoft Certified Information Technology Professional
• Minor Engineering
• Physician Assistant (Prof., M.A.)
• Preparation for Network + Certificate
• Quality Assurance Technician

Types of Financial Aid

Federal

• Federal Pell Grants
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
• Federal Work-Study Program (FWS)
• Federal Loans:
  • William D. Ford Direct Stafford Loans (Subsidized and Unsubsidized)
  • William D. Ford PLUS loans for parents of dependent students

Maryland State

• Need-based grants
• Legislative scholarships
• Career/Occupational programs
• Merit based scholarships
• Other special programs

Specific information about state aid is available from the Maryland Higher Education Commission or call 410-767-3300.

Federal Loans

Loan eligibility is determined by financial need and is awarded as part of the student’s financial aid package.  Students must accept or decline an offered loan or loans in SIMON.

Loan Application Requirements

Loan applicants need to meet general federal financial aid guidelines.

All first-time CCBC borrowers are required to complete loan entrance counseling.

• Student borrowers are required to complete the Master Promissory Note (MPN). The MPN is valid for 10 years.
• A student can be denied a loan based on the professional judgment of a Financial Aid officer.
• A student borrower will be contacted by the Financial Aid office to complete the federal exit interview counseling after graduating or when no longer attending CCBC at least half time (six or more credits/billable hours).
• A student borrower is required to be enrolled in a program leading to a degree or certificate.
• A student needs to maintain enrollment in at least six credits/billable hours for all terms of all enrollment.

A student’s grade point average, number of completed credits, current course enrollment and previous loan history will be reviewed.

Loan disbursement for a first-time borrower occurs 30 days after the start of the semester.

Student Employment

Federal Work is awarded to enrolled students for employment in a variety of jobs throughout the college and the surrounding community. Students are required to be enrolled in at least six credits/billable hours and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress to maintain employment eligibility.  Jobs are generally limited to a maximum of 12 hours a week while classes are in session and by the award amount for each student. Apply here for student employment.

CCBC Foundation Support for CCBC students

Community friends support CCBC’s mission of providing accessible, affordable, high-quality education by contributing generously to scholarships that help many students attend CCBC.  Scholarships and grants are types of financial assistance that do not need to be repaid and are typically awarded to students who have demonstrated financial need, academic merit, or are preparing for certain career fields.  Scholarships and grants have varying application dates.  Please check AcademicWorks for all deadline dates.

Typical Student Budget Used to Calculate Financial Need

To determine eligibility for need-based assistance, the Financial Aid office considers each student’s ability to contribute to the educational budget. Family contribution is also considered. The following budget is typically used when calculating financial need. A student may request an adjustment to this budget from the Financial Aid office if special need allowances exist.

Average Budget for a Full-Time Student with Baltimore County Residency

The estimated student budget is different for an out-of-county and out-of-state resident. Budget amounts may vary depending on the number of credits in which a student is enrolled:

Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid

Federal regulations require all federal financial aid recipients be enrolled in a degree-seeking or approved certificate program and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to maintain eligibility. The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) complies with this requirement by monitoring each student’s academic progress against three standards: minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA), minimum completion rate and maximum time frame for completion of a degree, consistent with the provisions of this policy. All federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs administered by CCBC are governed by this policy.

CCBC evaluates SAP once a year, after the spring semester for students currently in Good Standing who seek an associate degree.  A student who is:

• Assigned a Warning or Probationary status or is on an Academic Plan will be reviewed at the end of each semester/payment period.
• Enrolled in a certificate program will be reviewed at the end of each semester or payment period.

A student must successfully complete at least 67 percent of his or her total attempted coursework, including developmental courses, and must maintain the following grade point averages for the number of attempted credits/billable hours:

Satisfactory Academic Progress standards are different from the college’s academic standard criteria.

A student is allowed to attempt 90 credits/billable hours to complete the degree or credit certificate and receive financial aid funding. A student who plans to pursue additional credits must submit a completed appeal form with a degree audit signed by an academic advisor for approval.

A student who is enrolled in developmental courses and is awarded financial aid cannot exceed 30 billable hours of developmental coursework.

Read about Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). 

Class Registration Deadlines for Students with a Financial Aid Award

Late start or special session courses that are added to a student’s schedule after the third week of the fall or spring semester will not be covered by financial aid.

Tuition Payment Deadline

A student is required to make tuition payment arrangements using the tuition payment plan if financial aid is not awarded by the time tuition payment is due.   CCBC encourages students to apply for a tuition payment plan in SIMON.

Return of Federal Funds

The Financial Aid office is required by federal statute to recalculate federal financial aid eligibility for a student who withdraws, drops out, is dismissed, or takes a leave of absence before completing 60% of a payment period or term. The federal Title IV financial aid program is recalculated in these situations.

If a student leaves the institution before completing 60% of a payment period or term, the Financial Aid office recalculates eligibility for Title IV funds. Recalculation is based on the percentage of earned aid using the following Federal Return of Title IV Funds formula:

The percentage of payment period or term completed equals the number of days completed up to the withdrawal date divided by the total days in the payment period or term.  Any break of five days or more is not counted as part of the days in the term. This percentage is also the percentage of earned aid.

Funds are returned to the appropriate federal program based on the percentage of unearned aid using the following formula:

Returned aid equals 100% of the aid that could be disbursed minus the percentage of earned aid and multiplied by the total amount of aid that could have been disbursed during the payment period or term.

• If a student earned less aid than the disbursed amount, the institution is required to return a portion of the funds and the student is required to return a portion of the funds. When Title IV funds are returned, the student borrower may owe a balance to the institution.
• If a student earned more aid than was disbursed to him or her, the institution owes the student a post-withdrawal disbursement which must be paid within 120 days of the student’s withdrawal.

Refunds are allocated in the following order:

• Unsubsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loans
• Subsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loans
• Federal Direct Parent (PLUS) Loans
• Federal Pell Grants for which a return of funds is required
• Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grants for which a return of funds is required
• Other assistance under the Title for which a return of funds is required (e.g., LEAP)

For more information, call 443-840-CCBC (2222).

Payment for Repeat Coursework

There is a limit to the number of times when financial aid can be used to pay for repeated coursework.  If a student receives an F, W, I, or U for a course, financial aid can be used to pay for the repeated class in order for the student to earn a passing grade.  When the course has been passed with a grade of D or better (A, B, C, or S), financial aid can be used only one more time to pay for the course in order for the student to attempt to obtain a better grade.

Any second or subsequent repetition of the passed course will not be included in the student’s enrollment status for purposes of the Title IV programs. A Withdrawal (W), Incomplete (I) or failing grade (F or U) is considered a failed attempt. If a student previously passed a course and is repeating it for a better grade and earns a W, I, F, or U grade, the course is no longer eligible for payment because it is a failed attempt to improve the grade.

• Example: If a student receives an “F” the first time he or she takes a course and subsequently passes the course with a “D”, the student may only receive financial aid one more time to improve the “D” grade. If the student receives a “D” the first time, takes a course and withdraws (W) or fails (F or U grade) the course on the second attempt, the course will not be paid by financial aid for a third attempt.

Financial Aid for Continuing Education Programs

An eligible financial aid student may receive assistance for enrollment in the education programs listed below. Contact the campus Financial Aid office for more information.

• Cardiovascular Technician
• CNC Machine Tool Operator
• Medical Assistant
• Polysomnographic (Sleep) Technologist
• Surgical Technology

National Guard Benefits

A student who is enlisted in the National Guard can receive as much as 36 months of tuition assistance when enrolled in a VA approved institution. The student must agree to serve six years and complete initial basic training to be eligible.

A guardsman or reservist who plans to enroll in a CCBC degree or certificate program will need to submit the original Notice of Basic Eligibility (DD2384) to Veterans’ Service before applying for benefits.

Veterans’ Educational Benefits

CCBC is approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission to grant and administer the Veteran Educational Benefits Program through the Department of Veteran Affairs for veteran students, enrolled in approved associate degree and certificate programs. A veteran who plans to enroll in an approved CCBC degree or certificate program will need to submit all of the required VA forms, documents and paperwork, including the original separation papers (DD214) member 4 copy for enrollment certifications by the Veteran’s Certifying Official. Benefit payments will vary depending upon the student’s eligibility and the VA Educational Benefits Program. Complete information concerning eligibility requirements for veterans, eligible spouses or dependents, how to apply, programs covered and payment rate information for the benefits listed below is available on the Department of Veterans Affairs website: www.gibill.va.gov.

• Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act Chapter 33
• Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty (MGIB-AD) Chapter 30
• Montgomery GI Bill - Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) Chapter 1606
• Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) Chapter 1607
• Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance Program (DEA) Chapter 35

Contact CCBC Veterans Service office for assistance with veterans and other military personnel educational benefits applications.

Tuition Information for Military Related Students

A student who meets one of these descriptions and lives in the State of Maryland while attending CCBC shall be charged a rate of tuition not to exceed the in-state rate for tuition and fees purposes:

• A Veteran using educational assistance under either chapter 30 (Montgomery G.I. Bill – Active Duty Program) or chapter 33 (Post-9/11 G.I. Bill), of title 38, United States Code, who lives in Maryland while attending a school located in Maryland (regardless of his/her formal State of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of discharge or release from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.
• Anyone using transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits (38 U.S.C. § 3319) who lives in Maryland while attending a school located in Maryland (regardless of his/her formal State of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of the transferor’s discharge or release from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.
• Anyone described above while he or she remains continuously enrolled (other than during regularly scheduled breaks between courses, semesters, or terms) at the same school. The person so described must have enrolled in the school prior to the expiration of the three year period following discharge or release as described above and must be using educational benefits under either chapter 30 or chapter 33, of title 38, United States Code.
• Anyone using transferred Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits (38 U.S.C. § 3319) who lives in Maryland while attending a school located in Maryland (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and the transferor is a member of the uniformed service who is serving on active duty.
   

The policy shall be read to be amended as necessary to be compliant with the requirements of 38 U.S.C. 3679(c) as amended.

Tuition and fees.