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Blue Ridge CTC Board of Governors Meeting April 6, 2023Blue Ridge CTC Board of Governors Meeting December 7, 2022Blue Ridge Community and Technical College Receives Program CertificationBlue Ridge CTC Re-Designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense EducationBlue Ridge Community and Technical College hosted Explore: The New Manufacturing Academies on Friday, April 8, 2022.Blue Ridge CTC and TSPi Announce New Scholarship Opportunity for StudentsBlue Ridge CTC Announces Criminal Justice Degree Reforms to Reflect Changing Criminal Justice System DemandsBlue Ridge CTC Board of Governors Meeting 2/2/2022

Financial Aid FAQs - Resolve Your Queries

You can also make paying for college easier. We have various resources available for qualified students to make their education more affordable. If thinking of applying for the aid, check out these frequently asked questions about financial aid resources to make informed decisions.

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Financial Aid FAQ

Helping you reach your goals starts with assisting you to identify ways to pay for college. Below, we have listed possible questions that can help you resolve any queries you may have.

Financial aid is federal or state financial assistance that comes in the form of (1) grants, which do not have to be paid back, (2) work-study, a part-time job on campus, (3) student loans, which are required to be repaid starting six months after you leave school or otherwise go below half-time status. Students must be enrolled and attend classes in a financial aid eligible program.

Application

You can apply for financial aid online at www.fafsa.gov. You will be required to register for an FSA ID (Federal Student Aid ID) in order to register and electronically sign the FAFSA. If your parent is required to sign the FAFSA, one parent must also apply for an FSA ID.
You can begin applying for financial aid on October 1 of every year. The FAFSA now goes off of tax information from two years prior, so that it is easier for students and their families to complete the application earlier. The earlier you apply, the better, as some resources are limited and may run out. All WV residents are encouraged to apply prior to the state deadline of April 16th
Once your FAFSA is processed, you will be sent a Student Aid Report (SAR) via email or by mail. This report details the information that you provided and informs you of any corrections that need to be made. At the same time that you receive the SAR, the Financial Aid Office electronically receives your information if you listed Blue Ridge as one of your school choices. Once we receive your FAFSA information, the Financial Aid Staff will determine if additional information or documentation is required, at which time, the office will send you a letter indicating what is required.
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The FSA ID replaces the four digit FAFSA PIN and allows the student to use one username and password for multiple Department of Education websites. This will be required to complete the FAFSA, sign the MPN, complete Entrance and Exit Counseling, view information on NSLDS, and more. For the FAFSA, it will allow you to sign your application electronically, check the status of your application and make corrections to your application online. Your FSA ID is used to sign legally binding documents electronically. It has the same legal status as a written signature.
If you have applied for financial aid this past year, you may be able to fill out a renewal FAFSA rather than a new FAFSA. The renewal FAFSA will include all of last year’s information. You just need to update your (and your family’s) income information and any data that has changed. You will need your FSA ID to access your renewal FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov. If you do not remember your FSA ID or password, you can retrieve it online at www.fafsa.gov
The sooner you apply, the more likely your funding will be available when you start school. The “priority deadline” is March 1st of the year you plan to start. However, if this has already passed, we encourage students to apply no later than 6-8 weeks before the semester begins.
If you need to make a correction to your FAFSA before you receive your award notice, you can do so by making a correction online at www.fafsa.gov . If you have already received your award letter, contact the financial aid office to determine if the correction is necessary.
You can go online at www.fafsa.gov to add Blue Ridge CTC’s school code to your FAFSA. Blue Ridge CTC’s school code is 039573.
If you are selected for a process called verification or the Financial Aid Office needs additional documentation to complete your file, you will need to submit additional forms to receive financial aid. The Financial Aid Office will inform you of any documentation you need to submit. Students can also go to their Blue Ridge BRIDGE account and check their status under the financial aid tab. Financial aid forms requested can be downloaded and printed from the website. Please make sure all documentation is labeled with your name and student ID number before turning it into the office.

Eligibility

Never assume you will not be eligible! You will not know what types of financial aid for which you are eligible until you apply. When you complete the FAFSA application process, you will be considered for Federal and State grants, work study and loans
Unless you are over the age of 24, in Graduate school, married, have children or other dependents that you financially support, are an orphan or in foster care, a legal ward of the court, homeless, or a veteran or active duty member of the military, you are a dependent student. You are required to submit both your and your parents’ tax information. If you have any questions about a possible special circumstance, please contact the Financial Aid Office.
You are required to use the tax information from two years prior on the FAFSA. If your (and/or your family’s) income information has changed significantly in the current year due to unemployment, death, divorce, medical expenses, or other special circumstances, you may be eligible to be considered for a special circumstance or re-evaluation. You can download a Special Circumstance form from our “forms” section of the website and submit it with documentation of the changes (pay stubs, more recent tax information, medical bills, or unemployment compensation payout report, etc.). The Financial Aid Office will then consider your current situation to determine if you will be eligible for more financial aid.
Living on your own doesn’t automatically qualify you as an independent student. The Federal Government requires parents to complete their information and considers you a dependent until you are 24 years old, married, have children of your own that you provide more than 50% support for, are pursuing a graduate degree, or were an orphan or ward of the court, or homeless, or are a veteran of the US Armed Forces. If there are unusual circumstances, please discuss them with our Financial Aid staff, and they will determine the best way for you to complete the FAFSA.
Students with exceptionally high needs may be eligible for a Pell Grant as a less-than-half-time student. Complete the FAFSA, and your eligibility will be determined based on the results of the FAFSA and based on your enrollment status of full time (12 or more credits), three quarter time (9-11 credits), half time (6-8 credits) or less than half time (1-5 credits). The Financial Aid Office will automatically consider you for the Pell Grant and any other type of financial aid for which you may be eligible. Students must be enrolled at least 6 credits or more to be considered for work-study and Federal Direct Stafford Loans.
Yes, when determining the amount of financial aid for which you are eligible, the Financial Aid Office assigns each student a budget, which includes tuition, fees, books, room and board, personal expenses, transportation, and loan fees. Child care expenses, excessive transportation, or disability-related expenses are not budgeted unless the student provides documentation to the Financial Aid Office for consideration.
Yes. All types of financial assistance, scholarships, other community agency grants, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation grants, Dislocated Worker benefits, etc. must be reported to the Financial Aid Office to be coordinated with your federal and state aid.
No, parents cannot be included in the number in college
The “150% subsidized loan limit” (SULA) went into effect in 2013. The rule, which applies to first-time borrowers after July 1, 2013, limits subsidized loan eligibility to 150% of (or 1.5 times) the length of your academic program. Once eligibility has lapsed, if students wish to borrow further, they would have to borrow unsubsidized loans.

Financial Aid Awards and Disbursements

You can see your financial aid award package by logging into your BRIDGE account. Amounts awarded as well as details of the individual award types can be accessed after your financial aid package has been created.
Yes. When you log into your BRIDGE account and view your financial aid award, you can accept or decline any financial aid that has been offered to you. Grants and Scholarships will automatically show as accepted, but for student loans, you may accept or decline a type of loan (Subsidized or unsubsidized) or accept or decline a portion of the loan offered.
Financial aid is disbursed to your student account two times a semester. Per federal regulations, BRCTC is required to wait until 30 days into the semester before we can disburse financial aid to a student’s account. Federal Grants, State Grants, Scholarships and waivers are disbursed 30 days into the semester. Federal Loans are disbursed in two equal disbursements each semester. See below for an example of disbursements for a semester:

Fall Semester

Type of Aid Fall Semester Award Amount Disbursement Date Disbursement Amount
Pell Grant $2,000 9/16 $2,000
SEOG Grant $375 9/16 $375
Subsidized Loan $1,750 9/16 $875
10/13 $875
After your financial aid is disbursed to your student account, the funds applied will go towards paying the charges on your account (tuition, fees, books, etc). If your financial aid award is more than your student bill, you will receive a difference in a refund. If your financial aid award is not enough to cover your student bill, you will owe a bill to BRCTC. This bill will need to be paid before you would be eligible to register for future semesters.
After financial aid disbursements are made, the Finance Office will process the information. If you are eligible for a refund, you will see “Financial Aid Refund” on your BRIDGE account. Refund distribution is determined by the Finance Office (not the Financial Aid Office). The Finance Office will send an email to notify students when refunds will be distributed. Make sure you have completed information regarding BankMobile to get your refund in your preferred method. Our school delivers your refund with BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc. Visit their website for more information.
View the BankMobile Contract online.

Drops, Withdrawals and Satisfactory Academic Progress

If a student completely withdraws from school (drops all classes) or quits attending before the 60% point in the semester, the student will be required to repay a portion of the aid he/she received for that semester. A Return of Title IV worksheet is completed using the amount of aid received and the withdrawal date to determine if any repayment is due. Students are notified by mail as to the repayment amount if necessary NOTE: It is important to consult with the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawal or dropping to determine how your financial aid eligibility will be affected.
There are reasons a student would have to pay back a Pell Grant. First, if a student drops courses which impact enrollment status (for example: full time to three-quarter time, etc.). If the student drops a class before it starts and receives 100% refund or if a student drops courses and the only classes left on their schedule are short-term courses, they are also subject to repayment. If the student has not received their funds yet, the award will be recalculated, and the student will be notified. If Pell funds have been credited to the account or disbursed; the student will be required to repay a portion of the Pell Grant. If a student withdraws from school (drops all classes) before the 60% point in the semester or quits attending, a Return of Title IV worksheet is completed using the amount of aid received and the last date attended to determine if any repayment is due. You will be notified by mail with the repayment amount if necessary.
Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (G.P.A.) of 2.0 and complete at least 67% of their cumulative attempted credits, as well as complete their program of study within 150% of the required number of credit hours. A Student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) will be reviewed at the end of each semester. Students will be placed on Warning Status if they do not meet the standards at the end of the semester, and will be suspended the following semester if still not meeting SAP standards. If the student’s lack of progress was due to extenuating circumstances, the student can submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal to the Financial Aid Office. The student may be required to complete an Academic Plan with their advisor as part of the appeal process.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards require students to complete their program before attempting more than 150% of the credits required for their graduation. Example: a program that requires 60 credits for graduation. 60 credits x 150% = 90 credits maximum.
You have currently gone below half-time status (six credit hours). This can be that you either started off the semester in less than six credit hours, have dropped or withdrawn below that number, or have graduated. We put this requirement on your account because you are required to complete Exit Counseling at www.studentloans.gov. Blue Ridge CTC will be electronically notified 1-2 business days after completion, at which time the hold will be removed.

Transfers

If you received financial aid at Blue Ridge during the first semester and now want to transfer to another college at the end of the semester, it is important to notify the Financial Aid Office to cancel your funds for the second semester. You will need to add your new college to the FAFSA at www.fafsa.gov so they have your information to award you at that college.
You may only get financial aid at one college for each semester. You should request financial aid through your home college (the school you intend to graduate from). A Consortium Agreement can be used to include the credits from both schools. If Blue Ridge is considered your home school (where you intend to graduate from), you should request your Consortium Agreement through the Blue Ridge Financial Aid Office. If you are pursuing a degree at your other college, contact their Financial Aid Office to initiate a Consortium Agreement. Credits taken must apply toward graduation for your program of study.

Federal Work Study

The Federal College Work-Study program provides jobs to eligible financial aid students. It gives them the opportunity to earn money like a part-time job as well as gain valuable work experience. Most jobs are on campus and can offer more flexibility than a traditional part-time job in that your class schedule is considered when setting up your work hours. There are some off-campus jobs as well.
Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and be offered work-study as part of their Financial Aid award. If you are interested in work-study, but were not offered it, contact the Financial Aid Office to review your eligibility for the program. After determining eligibility for FWS funds, you will need to apply for a position through the BRCTC website Human resources page.
Positions start at $9.19 per hour, but can vary based on the department and the type of position. Please see the individual job postings at the HR website for more details.

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