Navigating Financial Aid at Broward College: Your Guide to Funding Your Education

Embarking on a journey toward higher education is a significant undertaking, and understanding the financial landscape is a crucial step for aspiring and current students at Broward College. The institution is committed to empowering students by providing equitable access to financial resources that support their educational goals. This comprehensive guide aims to demystify the process of securing financial aid, from understanding the application to managing awards and maintaining eligibility.

The Foundation of Financial Aid: Understanding the FAFSA and Beyond

The cornerstone of accessing federal and state financial aid is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It is essential to understand that filing the FAFSA should not be an overwhelming experience. Assistance is readily available from a Financial Aid Specialist who is dedicated to helping current and future students navigate this process. The FAFSA application is designed to streamline the process, and it will automatically import your tax information from the IRS. However, there may be instances where you are requested to manually input certain information.

The Department of Education uses the information provided in your online application to generate a Student Aid Index (SAI). This SAI is a formula-based index number that ranges from -1500 to 999999. Where your SAI falls within this range is instrumental in helping your school determine the level of financial support you may need. It's important to note that the FAFSA application has been significantly streamlined, reducing the number of questions from 108 to 46, and due to its dynamic nature, some students may not even be presented with all 46 questions. Currently, the FAFSA is available in English and Spanish.

A significant update to the FAFSA for the 2024-25 academic year requires all individuals on the FAFSA to provide consent for the Department of Education to receive tax information or confirmation of non-filing status directly from the IRS. While in a very small number of cases, students and families might have to enter their tax data manually, for the majority, this data will be automatically transferred into the application. A contributor is defined as anyone required to provide information on a student's form, such as a parent/stepparent or spouse. A notable terminology update within the new FAFSA is the replacement of the term Expected Family Contribution (EFC) with the Student Aid Index (SAI). Previously, the FAFSA calculated the number of household members attending college into the EFC, dividing it proportionately to determine federal aid eligibility. Beginning with the 2024-25 FAFSA, the application will still ask how many household members are in college, but this information will not be calculated into the SAI. For dependent students, financial information was previously needed from the parent(s) the student had lived with the most in the last 12 months. When required, families must now report the value of their small business or family farm.

The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 1965, revised in 2008, mandates that postsecondary institutions participating in federal student aid programs disclose information from various administrative areas to students. The Broward College School Code is 001500. Financial aid applications must be submitted each year. To be considered for the maximum aid available, students must apply for financial aid as early as possible.

Types of Financial Aid Available at Broward College

Broward College offers a diverse range of aid programs designed to support students in achieving their educational aspirations. These programs include grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans.

Grants: Grants are funds provided by the federal and state government and are generally awarded to individuals who demonstrate exceptional financial need. These awards do not require repayment. Examples include the Federal Pell Grant, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), and the Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG). Pell Grants have a Lifetime Eligibility Usage (LEU), limiting students to the equivalent of 12 full-time semesters of Federal Pell Grant eligibility. The duration of a student’s eligibility encompasses all semesters during which a student received Federal Pell Grant funding. The FSEOG is a need-based award administered by the Financial Aid office, requiring a minimum enrollment of six credits. The maximum award amount for the 2024-2025 academic year is $1,500, dependent on the student's financial need and funding availability. The FGMG is another need-based award for Florida residents who are degree-seeking and enrolled in at least six credits, specifically for students whose parents have not earned a baccalaureate or higher degree. The FSAG, also a need-based award for Florida residents enrolled in at least six credits, has a maximum award amount of $3260.00 per academic year. Schedule changes during the term may lead to adjustments in these awards. Merit-based grants are also administered by the Financial Aid office, requiring a minimum 3.0 GPA for consideration.

Scholarships: Scholarships are funded by Broward College, the Broward College Foundation, generous private donors, or organizations. Each scholarship has its own specific criteria and does not require repayment. Students can find more information by visiting the Broward College Scholarships online portal. Where applicable, students must have a completed financial aid file, including the FAFSA and all requested documents, to be considered. The system matches scholarship criteria to students based on eligibility and fund availability. Scholarship funding is limited, and completing an application does not guarantee an award. Some Broward College Foundation Scholarships are available for international students who maintain a 2.5-grade point average, with specific deadlines advertised annually. Departmental/talent awards, such as those for student life, student ambassadors, and music, are also available. The Honors College offers opportunities for international students to secure scholarships while attending Broward College.

Work-Study Programs: Work-study programs provide on- and off-campus part-time job opportunities for students to earn money to cover a portion of their college expenses while simultaneously gaining valuable job experience. Depending on eligibility and employer needs, students can work up to 25 hours per week. Funds are limited, and awards are made to eligible students who complete their financial aid file early. The America Reads program, funded through the Federal Work-Study Program, offers students opportunities to tutor reading and math in local elementary and middle schools. The Florida Work Experience Program (FWEP) is a state program that provides eligible Florida residents with opportunities to work in the public school system as teacher aides or tutors. VA Work-Study is an option for veterans enrolled in at least 9 credits (three-quarter time), allowing them to work up to 25 hours per week, with payment directly from the Veterans Administration. F1 international students are not eligible for work-study positions as these are federally funded.

Loans: Loans represent financial assistance that must be repaid with interest. Repayment is often deferred while students are enrolled in a minimum of six or more credit hours. In some instances, the federal government may cover the interest while the student is actively attending school. Eligibility for Federal Direct Subsidized Loans disbursed prior to July 1, 2021, is limited to 150 percent of the published length of the academic program. Federal student loans are an integral part of a student’s financial aid package. Repayment may be deferred while students are attending classes at least half-time. Once a student is awarded a Direct Loan, they have the option to reduce or accept the loan amount online. Direct Subsidized Loans are awarded based on financial need, while Direct Unsubsidized Loans are not. Direct Plus Loans are available to parents of dependent students who meet all federal government requirements and may be eligible to borrow up to the total cost of attendance minus all other financial aid received. Parents begin repayment 30 days after the final disbursement for the academic year, with a ten-year repayment plan and no prepayment penalties. In several countries, cooperative and thrift societies are viable sources of loans for international students, though such sources are severely limited within the United States. KeyBank is a resource for parents/guardians of international students for banking, credit, mortgages, and loans.

Managing Your Financial Aid and Enrollment Status

Once your financial aid is processed, you will be able to view your awards on your myBC account under the 'Awards' page. It is crucial to understand that student aid is based on hours of enrollment. Enrollment statuses are categorized as: 1 to 5 credits (less than half time), 6 to 8 credits (half time), 9 to 11 credits (three-quarter time), or 12 credits or more (full-time). You should only enroll in classes that are necessary to complete your degree and only in the number of credits that you can successfully complete for the term. If you are uncertain about your desired major or classes, it is highly recommended to consult a Broward College academic advisor.

Financial aid is awarded each semester based on your enrollment status and is subject to adjustments based on any changes you make to your schedule before and after the term begins. For instance, if you were initially awarded for 12 credits but then reduce your enrollment to 6 credits, your aid award will be adjusted accordingly. If you decide that you are no longer interested in attending a particular class or for a particular semester, you are responsible for officially dropping the class(es). Do not rely on being dropped automatically for non-payment or by the instructor.

A Program Objective Enrollment Compliance (POEC) review is a requirement for every student seeking federal student aid. Classes identified as not required to fulfill degree requirements for graduation, or not part of the declared degree program, will be flagged and excluded from financial aid coverage. This means any coursework not recognized as required will be excluded when calculating eligibility for Title IV funds, including Pell Grants and Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans. Students who qualify for aid that exceeds the actual cost of their compliant coursework may be able to apply that difference to non-compliant classes.

Textbook and Bookstore Information

To ensure a smooth academic start, it is important to plan to have your textbooks and materials by the first day of class. The campus bookstores are owned and operated by Barnes & Noble. You can visit your campus’s bookstore to purchase materials or utilize Barnes & Noble's online ordering platform. If you have financial aid in excess of your tuition and fees after your awards have been processed, you will be provided $60 per credit hour to use at the bookstore. Course registration is a prerequisite for using financial aid at the bookstore, and students wishing to use Federal Financial Aid must submit authorization prior to visiting the campus bookstore. To submit this authorization, log in to your myBC account, navigate to the 'my financial' tab, select 'financial authorization,' and answer the required questions. Please allow 3-4 hours after course registration or after completing the bookstore authorization before attempting to use your Financial Aid funds to purchase coursework materials.

Broward College has partnered with Barnes & Noble to offer the First Day Access Textbook Saving Program, which provides digital course materials included as an additional course charge for specific courses or programs. If your financial aid exceeds your tuition, fees, and other bookstore purchases, these charges will be covered.

Read also: Funding Your Education in Broward

Payment Plans and Sponsorships

Broward College understands that managing tuition costs can be a challenge, and offers several options to assist students. 0% interest payment plans are available to all students, with a sign-up fee ranging from $35 to $50 and an additional $5 processing fee paid to the college. Payments are due by the 20th of each month. It is imperative that all accounts are either paid in full or have payment arrangements made to remain registered for classes. For detailed payment information, please visit the Cashier Page.

Students also have the option to upload their third-party sponsorship voucher, which covers all or a portion of tuition, as a PDF file in Dynamic Forms. This option is particularly relevant for programs like Summer 2026 tuition.

Broward College has partnered with Nelnet Business Solutions to offer a tuition payment plan to help students afford their education. Students can enroll in a tuition payment plan for any term at Broward College, though a new plan is required each term. Enrolling earlier provides more plan options. The tuition payment plan is only available until the day before the term starts. Payments are processed on the 20th of each month and continue for the duration of the selected monthly option until the balance is paid in full. For additional information, visit the tuition payment plan section or contact the cashier’s office on Central Campus.

It's important to be aware that schedule changes during the term can affect your tuition payment plan. If you drop or add classes, or if your financial aid or other tuition coverage changes, your tuition payment plan agreement amount will automatically be adjusted within the enrollment dates set by Nelnet Campus Commerce. The timeframe for increasing plan amounts is limited to the start of the enrollment period to the end of the enrollment period. Therefore, the last day to increase the agreement amount is typically the day before the term begins. However, the last day to decrease the amount is approximately 30 days after the term starts. Please be mindful of these dates when dropping or adding classes after the term has commenced. Once the term has started, if you drop a class within the drop/add period for the session, your tuition payment plan amount will automatically be reduced. Should you add a class back, your payment plan amount will not increase. The College’s tuition payment plan administrator will remit all payments to the College within 60 days after the end of the drop/add period for the session.

Verification and Special Circumstances

Verification is a process mandated by the U.S. Department of Education to confirm the accuracy of the information provided on the FAFSA. If you are selected for verification, Broward College requires specific documents to cross-reference your FAFSA data with your financial and family information. The IRS Tax Transcript is now available for use. However, if you are selected for Verification and are unable to obtain a Tax Transcript, and can provide proof of this inability, Broward College will accept a signed copy of your IRS Paper 1040 Tax Return.

Federal Student Aid regulations also allow for the consideration of unforeseen changes in students' and parents' income and/or assets after the FAFSA has been filed. These special circumstances can include job loss, income reduction, asset value reduction, or illness. Students may complete one or more forms based on their specific circumstances and can request a review of their financial aid file. The Department of Education examines enrollment patterns over the previous four award years for students applying for financial aid.

Maintaining Financial Aid Eligibility: Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

To maintain eligibility for federal financial aid, all students, including veterans, must demonstrate Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Academic progress is evaluated after each term. Key SAP requirements include:

Pace: Students must be on track to complete their degree requirements within 150 percent of the required number of credit hours for their program. This is measured by dividing the cumulative number of hours successfully completed by the cumulative number of hours attempted. Remedial courses are not included in these quantitative measures. For repeated courses, only the most recent earned hours are included in the numerator, while all attempted hours are included in the denominator. Courses from which a student officially or unofficially withdraws after the drop/add period are counted as attempted hours in the denominator with no earned hours in the numerator.
Completion Rate: Students must achieve a 67 percent completion rate or higher for college-level coursework attempted. For example, if a student has completed 35 credit hours but attempted 62, their completion rate is 56 percent (35/62).
Time to Complete: A student is only eligible to receive financial aid for credit hours or clock hours that do not exceed 150% of the published program hours. Federal regulations stipulate that a student becomes ineligible for aid when it is mathematically impossible to complete their program within this 150% maximum timeframe. Therefore, a student may fail the "Time to Complete" measure even if they have attempted less than the 150% maximum, if they require more credit hours than are available within that timeframe. For repeated courses with grade forgiveness, all attempted hours are included. Courses from which a student attempts and officially or unofficially withdraws after the official college drop/add period are used in the "Time to Complete" calculation.

If a student fails to earn a passing grade in any enrolled courses of a term or payment period, they are considered to have unofficially withdrawn. If a student officially withdraws, the college uses the official withdrawal date to determine refund calculations and the amount of aid earned. As reauthorized by the Higher Education Act on October 7, 1998, and with revisions to regulations effective July 1, 2021, the Return of Title IV Funds Policy governs these situations. Withdrawing from classes can result in a debt to the school, the federal government, or both. Students should register for only the classes they can successfully complete. By withdrawing, enrollment status changes, potentially affecting the financial aid award. If a student completes 60 percent or more of a term/payment period, they earn all eligible aid for that period, and a Return to Title IV calculation is not required. The 60 percent point is typically a day or two before the last day to withdraw from classes.

Warning Status and Appeals: In a term where a student fails SAP, and this term follows a term where they passed SAP, or if it's their first SAP evaluation, they will be placed on a "Warning Status." Students on Warning Status may receive Federal financial aid funds for that one term. At the end of the Warning term, if all SAP requirements are met, they can continue receiving Federal financial aid. Students on Warning Status should consult an academic advisor for guidance on courses and grades needed to regain compliance. Meeting with an advisor or completing an academic plan does not guarantee financial aid eligibility.

A student may petition for an appeal of their Failed SAP status. If an appeal is approved, the student enters an "Approved Appeal Status," which can last for a maximum of three consecutive terms. A consecutive term is defined as enrollment in a term that includes grades, such as Spring, Summer, and Fall. A student cannot petition for more than three appeals throughout their entire enrollment at Broward College. The student must document a qualifying extenuating circumstance that coincided with the term(s) of academic difficulty and impacted their ability to meet SAP measures. If the terms of the first appeal are not met, but new, unrelated extenuating circumstances arise, another appeal may be considered. In all cases, students must meet with an academic advisor and submit an Academic Advising Plan. Students regain financial aid eligibility when their progress demonstrates the passing of all SAP standards. Specific guidance is outlined in College procedure 6Hx2-5.11A. Students who meet all SAP standards after losing eligibility will have their eligibility reinstated for the next academic term.

Remedial Coursework: Federal regulations permit financial aid to cover up to 30 remedial/developmental credits, equivalent to one academic year. If a student has already taken 30 credits of remediation, financial aid will not cover additional remedial classes, excluding ESL courses. Financial aid exclusively covers credit courses required for degree completion.

Special Considerations for International Students and Veterans

International Students: International students are generally not eligible for federal financial aid, with very limited aid available from private sources. Most private scholarships for international students require applications to be submitted from their home country. Full-time international students in F-1 status are permitted to work part-time on campus for up to 20 hours per week. It is advisable to check with campus departments for available openings. F1 students are not eligible for work-study positions due to their federal funding. After one year in F1 status, international students may be eligible for part-time off-campus employment through Optional Practical Training (OPT), Curricular Practical Training (CPT), or due to economic hardship. Some Broward College Foundation Scholarships are available for international students maintaining a 2.5 GPA.

Veterans: Broward College offers educational programs for Veterans, including associate and bachelor’s degrees and certificate programs approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs. VA benefits are disbursed each semester, and attendance is monitored throughout the semester. To be certified by Broward College Veterans Services, all Veterans, Reservists, National Guardsmen, and eligible dependents must submit a Veterans Benefits Certification request form each term they are enrolled. Note: As of May 24, 2022, students who withdraw from classes during the semester may have their funds returned to the VA, creating a liability to Broward College. Students owing Broward College will be unable to register for future terms until the balance is paid in full. VA Work-Study is available to veterans enrolled in a minimum of 9 credits (three-quarter time).

Important Reminders and Resources

Before your financial aid can be processed, students must fulfill all outstanding requirements. Log in to myBC and check the Financial Aid 'Application Status' page to review any "red flags" and understand how to resolve them. Any required documents are reflected as a “Red Flag,” and it is the student’s responsibility to confirm exactly which forms/documents need to be submitted to complete the financial aid process. In instances where required documents are not submitted, students may have to pay out of pocket and await reimbursement (if eligible) or risk being withdrawn from their classes.

Once your application has been processed by the Department of Education, it can take an additional 3 business days for Broward College to receive your information. After Broward College receives your application and your financial aid file is complete, with no Red Flags, and you are registered for compliant classes, the system will automatically package your aid to cover your classes. Check your myBC account for notifications regarding your financial aid, which will indicate the amount of money available to use toward your tuition and fees.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your financial aid application, please reach out to the financial aid office by joining our QLESS virtual line to speak with a representative. Student Financial Services departments include the Financial Aid Office, Bursar, and Credit and Collections areas. These departments provide assistance to Broward College students who can benefit from furthering their education but cannot afford to attend school without financial support. For further information, feel free to visit the campus offices or join QLESS.

tags: #Broward #College #financial #aid #information