Home > Schedules/Catalogs > 2013-2014 Catalog > Paying For School

Paying For School

In this section

Tuition & Fees

Tuition, fees and charges are mandatory and support essential activities and services, student organizations and special events. Tuition is based on credit load and residency status. Tuition, fees and charges are subject to change without notice. Students with unpaid debts to ACC, any of its auxiliary enterprises, or any Colorado Community College System institution, will not be allowed to register until debts are paid. For detailed tuition and fee rates, please see the Schedule of Classes or view at www.arapahoe.edu/tuition-and-financial-aid/tuition-and-fees.

COF Stipend

College Opportunity Fund (COF) Stipend

In 2004, the Colorado Legislature established the Colorado Opportunity Fund (COF). Under this new law, the State gives money for a subsidy to students by sending it to the institution the student designates. This money, known as COF, is applied to a resident student’s tuition if the student applies for and authorizes the use of the stipend. ACC will receive the money and it will appear as a credit on your tuition bill. Students who do not apply for and / or authorize the payment of the stipend to ACC by the appropriate deadline will be responsible for paying the COF portion of their tuition bill. Students who chose not to utilize their COF Stipend must decline the use of the stipend by a particular deadline each semester. Please contact the ACC COF Administrator for additional information.

Payment Options

Do not wait for a bill. Unless your account is paid in full, or you have a deferred payment plan in place by the semester payment deadline (published in the semester schedule), you may be dropped from your classes for an outstanding balance. Consult the Schedule of Classes for payment option details.

Access myACC for a list of the semester payment deadlines. ACC conducts drops for non-payment throughout each semester.

Refund, Drop and Withdrawal Policy

Our refund policy is enforced for several reasons. When you enroll in a class, you reserve a space that is no longer available to others. At the same time, the state commits to paying a portion of the costs of offering you that course. Even if you officially withdraw, the state loses its investment in that space – while ACC loses the other percentage of expenses that your tuition and fees cover.

Dropping a Class

If you drop a course by the course census (add/drop) date (the first 15 percent of the class term), you will receive a full refund of tuition and fees for that dropped course. Students may access their Detailed Student Schedule via myACC to view the census (add/drop) deadline for their course(s).

You can drop online at www.arapahoe.edu by accessing myACC or by submitting a Schedule Adjustment Form to Information Central prior to the census (add/drop) date. No refunds are granted after the census date for a course.

Drop for Non-Attendance

You are expected to attend all classes. If you do not attend any class sessions between the start of the course and the census (drop) date of the course, you may be identified as a "no-show" by the faculty member and dropped from the course. Being dropped as a no-show student can have significant negative consequences for students using financial aid and / or veterans benefits. If you are identified as a no-show student and dropped from a course, you may not be re-registered in that same section.

Attendance in an online course is defined as accessing the course and completing at least one academic activity. What constitutes an academic activity may vary from course to course based on the uniqueness of each course.

Instructors will inform you of their individual attendance policies. If you miss too many sessions you may be advised to withdraw from a course.

Withdrawing from a Class

You can withdraw from a class after the census (drop) date and before the course withdrawal deadline (80 percent of the class term) has passed. You may withdraw online by accessing myACC, or by submitting a Schedule Adjustment Form to Information Central or the Admissions and Records Office. You may view the withdrawal deadline for your course by accessing your Detailed Schedule available via myACC.

Once withdrawn from a course, the student may not be re-registered back into the same section of that course during that semester. The class will still appear on your transcript along with a "W" grade. Refunds are not given for withdrawals.

If you withdraw from a course and have an unpaid balance, you remain obligated to pay this amount. Unpaid balances are sent to State Collections and a collection fee is assessed.

Tuition Credit Appeal Due to Extenuating Circumstance

The College gives students the opportunity to submit an Appeal for Tuition Credit if there is an unforeseeable or extraordinary circumstance that prevents the student from dropping a course by the census (drop) deadline. For more information please download and complete the Appeal for Tuition Credit form, available at www.arapahoe.edu/admissions/forms, or contact the Student Affairs Office. Additional forms that may be needed are the Financial Aid Acknowledgment Form and the Medical Documentation Form.

Administrative Withdrawal Petition

The College gives students the opportunity to submit an Administrative Withdrawal Petition if there is an unforeseeable or extraordinary circumstance that prevents the student from withdrawing from the course by the withdrawal deadline. Administrative Withdrawal Petition decisions (approval / denial) are made by the Dean of Student Services, or their Designee and are not automatically granted. For more information please download and complete the Administrative Withdrawal Petition form, available at www.arapahoe.edu/admissions/forms, or contact the Student Affairs Office.

Financial Aid & Veterans Programs

ACC offers VA, financial aid grants, scholarships, student loans, work-study programs and opportunities to assist you with the cost of your college education. In most cases, you can receive financial assistance for tuition and fees, books and supplies and miscellaneous expenses.

Applying for Financial Aid

To apply, you must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen and not be in default on any federal student loans or owe a repayment on a federal grant. Apply online for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.gov. The ACC FAFSA School Code is 001346. Financial Aid Advisors can help you complete the online application in the financial aid office.

If your file is selected by the Department of Education for verification, you will be required to provide the following additional information or documents before we can award financial aid:

Your (and your parents’) Tax Return Transcript
Additional Income and Asset Information (TANF, SSI, Business Income, etc.)
Verification Worksheets
Other information as requested

The Financial Aid year begins with the Fall semester each year and the financial aid priority application date is May 1 for each new aid year. Students who apply (successfully complete their FAFSA and have it submitted to ACC) by this date will receive first priority in awarding all types of grant and work-study funds.

It takes approximately four - six weeks for your financial aid to process after ACC has received your completed FAFSA. Students must have awarded Aid in place prior to the semester payment deadline in order to avoid being dropped for outstanding balance. Please visit the ACC website for more detailed information (www.arapahoe.edu).

Veteran Educational Assistance Programs

Veteran Services is located in the Financial Aid Office. ACC has been approved for most education and training programs by the Colorado State Approving Agency, including:

Post 9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)
The GI Bill (Chapter 30)
National Guard/Reserve GI Bill (Chapter 1606/1607)
Dependents’ Benefits for Deceased or Disabled Veterans (Chapter 35)
Vocational Rehabilitation (Chapter 31)

To Apply for Veteran Education Benefits:

Visit the VA Web site (www.gibill.va.gov) to apply. In general, you will need the following before your benefits can be determined and awarded:

Copy of your DD214

NOBE- Notice of Basic Eligibility for National Guard or Reserve
Form 22/1990 for New Veterans Obtaining Benefits
Form 22/1995 for Veterans Continuing their Benefits
Form 22/5490 for New Dependent benefit recipients
Form 22/5495 for Continuing Dependent benefit recipients

You must be prepared to pay your own tuition, fees, books and supplies while the VA processes your certification/application. Contact the ACC Veterans Certifying Official at 303.797.5934 for more information.

Obtain the ACC Financial Aid Handbook for More Information

The following provides additional information about loans, federal and state grants, scholarships and work-study programs available. Please obtain an ACC Financial Aid Handbook at the Financial Aid Office or online at www.arapahoe.edu/paying-college/financial-aid

Student Rights - You have the right to:

Know what financial assistance is available from ACC, including information on Federal, State and other financial aid programs.
Know the deadline or priority dates for submitting applications for financial programs.
Know the cost of attending ACC and the refund and repayment policy.
Know the criteria used by ACC to select financial aid recipients.
Know how the College determines financial need, including how costs for tuition, room and board, books and supplies, travel, personal insurance and miscellaneous expenses are considered in establishing cost of attendance.
Know what resources (such as parental contribution, financial aid, private scholarships, income, assets and other resources) are considered in calculating financial need.
Know what portion of your financial need, as computed by ACC, has been met.
Request an explanation of the various programs included in your financial aid package and appeal for a review of your award if you feel that it does not adequately meet your needs.
Know what portion of your financial aid package is a loan that must be repaid. If your award package does contain a loan, you have a right to know the interest rate, total amount that must be repaid, repayment procedure, length of time you have to repay the loan and when the payment is scheduled to begin.
Know what portion of your financial aid package is earnings from part-time employment, (Federal or State work study) and conditions of employment and how and when you will be paid.
Know how the College determines whether you are making satisfactory progress in your course of study and what happens to your financial assistance if you do not maintain satisfactory academic progress.
Know the completion or graduation rate for students.
Know campus security policies and crime statistics.
Know what facilities and services are available to students with disabilities.

Student Responsibilities - you have the responsibility to:

Complete all application materials on time and make sure the various forms are sent to the right place.
Complete your application accurately. Errors can result in delays in your considerations for financial assistance. Intentional misreporting of information on applications for Federal financial aid funds is a violation of the law and is considered a criminal offense subject to penalties under the U.S. Criminal Code.
Promptly return all additional information, documentation, verification and/or corrections requested by either the Financial Aid Office or the agency to which you submitted your application.
Read and understand all documentation you are asked to sign and keep copies for your personal records.
Accept full responsibility for agreements you sign.
Notify your lender(s) of changes in your name, address and/or student status if you have borrowed a loan.
Perform the work you have agreed to in accepting a work study award.
Know and comply with the refund/repayment policies and procedures of Arapahoe Community College.
Understand the conditions under which each element of your financial aid package is offered and comply with the criteria for retention of your financial aid awards.
Notify the Financial Aid Office if you receive assistance of any kind, from any source, that was not reported on your application for financial aid. This includes, but is not limited to:
1. Private scholarships and/or grants
2. Social Security payments
3. Aid to Dependent Children
4. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) awards
5. JTPA assistance
We advise you to keep records of tuition and fees charged, books, supplies, etc., for all semesters you attend during a calendar year. You are required to report financial aid, with the exception of loans, to the Internal Revenue Service as income if the aid received is greater than the tuition and fees charged less the amount paid for books and supplies. You are strongly encouraged to contact the IRS for specific details.
Enroll for classes that apply toward your degree. Classes taken by audit or challenge do not qualify as financial aid hours attempted and are not eligible for aid.
You must possess a high school diploma or GED.
You cannot have violated any federal or state drug possession or sale law.

Contact the Financial Aid Office for more information: 303.797.5661.

Grants

Federal Pell Grants

This federally-funded assistance is available if you need help with college expenses. Awards vary, depending on the amount of support your family can provide. A federal formula determines the size of your award.

Federal Pell Grants are intended to build a base of financial support that can be supplemented with other kinds of assistance if necessary.

Colorado Student Grant

State funds are available to Colorado residents with financial need. Awards vary depending upon student’s need. Funding is provided by the Colorado General Assembly.

Loans - William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program

Federal Direct Loan

This loan is offered as either subsidized or unsubsidized. The amount of the loan that a student is eligible for is based on year in college, program length, need, dependency status, etc. Students who can demonstrate financial need through the FAFSA are eligible to get a subsidized Federal Direct Loan. Loans that are subsidized do not accrue interest as long as the borrower remains enrolled in at least six (6) or more credit hours. Repayment begins six (6) months after the student is no longer enrolled in six (6) or more credit hours. Students who cannot demonstrate financial need for the maximum loan each year may be eligible to receive an unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan. The student is required to pay the interest on this loan from the time the loan is disbursed by the lender. Federal Direct Loans are provided through the US Department of Education Direct Loan Program. They are guaranteed and insured by the Federal Government.

Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)

Parents of dependent students may qualify for this loan program. If a financial aid award offer is not sufficient for a dependent student’s needs, a PLUS loan can be taken by parents for the benefit of their student. This loan requires that parents complete a credit check and assume responsibility to repay the loan. If the parents are denied this loan, check with the Financial Aid office for further options. Repayment of PLUS loans begins sixty days from the second disbursement of the loan.

Work Study

Work Study is a financial aid award that allows students to work part-time on campus at ACC. Students must complete the FAFSA in order to be eligible for work study funding. If eligible for work study, the Financial Aid Office will send you a letter stating that you are eligible and give you directions on how to find a job. Students using work study start at a wage of $8.50 / hour, must be enrolled in a minimum of six (6) credit hours and can work no more than 20 hours per week.

Return of Title IV Funds

Students at ACC receiving federal student aid funds who do not attend through more than 60 percent of the enrollment period may owe a repayment of financial aid funds received. Cases will be examined to determine if a repayment is applicable. If so, the refund will be calculated and returned in accordance with Federal regulation. If you are required to repay financial aid funds you have received, you will be notified by US mail and/ or student e-mail. Students cannot appeal the requirement to repay financial aid funds. If no payment is made by the due date stated in the return of funds notice, outstanding balances will be referred to Colorado State Collections.

Students may be required to repay Title IV Programs. Refunds are calculated in the following order: