Qualifications for Financial Aid

In order to be considered for all the federal and state aid programs students must:

1. Be accepted in a degree program or eligible certificate program by the Office of Admissions and Recrutment.
2. Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
   This is the application document used for determining eligibility for both federal and state financial aid programs.
   The Bergen Community College’s Title IV Federal School code is 004736 and must be included in the section “What Colleges Do You Plan To Attend?”.
   Online FAFSA applications are highly recommended and FAFSA on the Web can be found at www.fafsa.edu.gov. Because electronic signatures hold the same legal status as written signatures, students and parents applying for aid must sign their FAFSA on the Web applications by using their FSA ID Numbers, allowing the process to be completed totally online.
   If students or their parents do not have a FSA ID Number, the FSA ID Number can be requested at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/fsaid before completing the FAFSA. The FSA ID numbers can be requested as early as the student’s senior year in high school.
   Students who are in need of assistance in completing the FAFSA can contact the Federal Student Aid information center at 1-800-433-3243 during the student’s senior year in high school.
3. Meet the standards of Academic Progress as set by the College to conform with federal and state regulations.
   These standards are in addition to the Satisfactory or Conditional Academic Standing Regulations. (See the section on Academic Regulations in this catalog).
4. Register for classes and meet the required enrollment status for each financial aid program.
   Most state and federal financial aid programs require a minimum of six college credits for eligibility. Enrollment status is determined by the students’ official enrollment at the census date. 

Please refer to the following table for enrollment status definition:

Full Time	12 credits or more
Three Quarter Time	9-11 credits
Half Time	6-8 credits
Less than Half Time	1-5 credits

5. Eligible non-citizens must submit a copy of their Alien Registration card.
6. Students selected for verification by either the Federal or State Government will be required to submit relevant documents/forms to the Financial Aid office to determine aid eligibility.
7. *State grant recipients must meet the enrollment status requirement at the time of disbursement. In many cases, the state (HESSA) will require additional documentation prior to awarding.
8. *Loan recipients must be enrolled in at least six credits at the time of disbursement (before loan funds are disbursed).