Bakersfield College's physical campuses are closed. All classes and student services have moved online for the remainder of Summer 2020. Stay up to date on the response for COVID-19.
Welcome to Bakersfield College (BC) Financial Aid!
The Office of Financial Aid is Open, Remotely (Now with VIRTUAL LOBBY!)
The Bakersfield College campuses are closed, but our staff are still available for you! We are working remotely during regular office hours. If you need assistance with general questions, send an email to bc_faid@bakersfieldcollege.edu. For questions specific to your financial aid account, contact your technician directly. For efficient service, please remember to include your BC ID number, if you have one.
Prefer face-to-face? Financial Aid now has a Virtual Lobby! Visit us Monday-Thursday, 8am-12pm & 1pm-4pm using the Zoom link below to speak with financial aid staff "in-person".
Voicemails will not be returned at this time. Please communicate with us via email. We greatly appreciate your cooperation and flexibility during this time.
Financial aid awards for Summer 2020 will NOT be adjusted for enrollment, up or down after 06/22/2020. Whatever you were registered in on 06/22/2020 is what will be used to determine your financial aid eligibility for the semester. This includes any late start classes added. NO EXCEPTIONS!
Important Update Regarding COVID-19 Excused Withdrawals
If you are in a late start class and needing to drop and are receiving Federal aid, contact Financial Aid at bc_faid@bakersfieldcollege.edu for an individual assessment of your situation.
If you request an Excused Withdrawal (EW), due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID19), refunds can be applied. At this time receiving a refund, can affect your financial aid status and can result in repayment. Contact Financial Aid at bc_faid@bakersfieldcollege.edu for an individual assessment of your situation.
Tuition Payment Method
What to Expect
Cash, Check, or Credit Card
You will receive a full tuition refund
California College Promise Grant Waiver
No further action needed
Federal financial aid dollars, such as PELL or a student loan
BC will send additional information no later than April 15
If you received a refund check, you will not be expected to pay any funds back to the college after you have completed 60% of the term. For most courses, the 60% completion date is effective March 28. For students who enrolled in a late start course, please contact Financial Aid at bc_faid@bakersfieldcollege.edu for an individual assessment of your situation.
If you withdraw between March 16 and April 9, you will receive a EW (Exceptional Withdrawal due to COVID19) and financial aid will adjust your account to ensure you do not experience any negative impact on your future financial aid eligibility.
If you withdrew before March 16, do not worry; we want to work with you! We are fully committed to ensuring any students affected by COVID-19 at any point in time will not be negatively affected at BC. Connect with financial aid by email bc_faid@bakersfieldcollege.edu so we can discuss your options. Learn more about excused withdrawals due to COVID-19.
Special Event Status for Financial Aid SAP
Enrolled students that received a Special Event (Federal Mandate) status on their Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) are currently under review by the Office of Financial Aid and will receive an updated SAP status by July 1st, 2020.
Need Help Understanding Your SAP Status?
At the end of each term, after grades are posted, a process is run to determine what your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) status is. Students are notified by email of their status and can also check it by logging into InsideBC and checking the Financial Aid tab.
Below is a simple chart to help you understand what your status means for your financial aid
Status
Effect on Financial Aid
Satisfactory Progress
None. You will still be eligible to receive aid if you continue to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher, complete at least 67% of units you attempt overall, and have below 90 attempted units.
Warning or Warning Not Enrolled
None. You will still be eligible to receive aid if you continue to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher, complete at least 67% of units you attempt overall, and have below 90 attempted units.
Approaching Maximum
None. You will still be eligible to receive aid if you continue to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher, complete at least 67% of units you attempt overall, and have below 90 attempted units.
Suspended or Max Units for Program
You can continue to receive the CA College Promise Grant (or BOG waiver) and some scholarships. You are ineligible for all other forms of State or Federal Aid. If you have extenuating circumstances you may file an appeal.
Special Event (Federal Mandate)
See update above regarding this status. It should be resolved by July 1, 2020.
Contact BC Financial Aid Staff
For specific questions regarding your financial aid status, please contact the Financial Aid Technician responsible for the alpha-section based on your LAST NAME. Emails MUST include your BC Student ID.
Step 2: Check InsideBC for additional requirements. Submit as necessary.
Log in to InsideBC. Your user ID is @00xxxxx and if it is your first time logging in, your password is your six-digit birthday (MMDDYY).
Select Financial Aid.
Select Financial Aid Status.
Select the Award Year from the drop-down menu and Submit.
Review your Academic Progress standing and Unsatisfied Requirements
Complete all required items four weeks or more before the start of the semester to avoid delays. If you were selected for verification, get more information on verification process.
Look for: Award notifications, Satisfactory Academic Progress status, requests for additional documents, refund notifications, workshop announcements, and other updates.
Latest News & Updates
NOTICE: Students who are in the process of completing their financial aid will not be dropped for the Fall Semester. It is important to check your insideBC regularly for updates and complete all document requirements as soon as possible to avoid delays.
Pell grant payments are disbursed in 2 payments per semester. Unsure about how your payment is calculated? Read important information about Pell Grant Calculations.
The following information shows how Pell grant amounts are pro-rated based on the number of units in which you are enrolled:
12 or more units, which means you are full-time and there is no pro-rating of the award
9 - 11.5 units, which is 3/4 time and the adjustment = Semester Award x .75
6 - 8.5 units, which is half-time and the adjustment = Semester Award x .50
.5 - 5.5 units, which is less than half-time = [Contact a Financial Aid Technician, as this can vary depending on the student's Pell grant amount]
Consortium Agreements
Consortium Agreements allow students enrolled at more than one school in a given semester to receive the maximum amount of federal aid for which they are eligible considering enrollment at both schools. A student may receive federal financial aid from only one school during any given semester. If a student is enrolled at more than one school, a Consortium Agreement between BC (the home institution) and Taft College (the host institution) will allow a student to count classes from both schools during one semester and receive the maximum amount of financial aid for which the student is eligible. If either school chooses not to enter into a Consortium Agreement, a student’s financial aid will be based solely upon his/her enrollment at only one of the schools. The BC Financial Aid Office and any other institution reserve the right to deny consortium agreement requests.
Before requesting a Consortium Agreement, with BC acting as the home institution, a student must meet the following criteria:
Admitted as degree-seeking and actively pursuing a degree from BC and only receiving financial aid with BC.
BC is home school
Enrolled at BC; and
Concurrently enrolled or planning to enroll at Taft College. The units you are taking with Taft College must be transferable to BC and be necessary for the degree you are pursuing at BC.
Please note that while a Consortium Agreement allows a student to receive full eligibility for Title IV Aid (Pell Grants, CAL grant and any other additional free aid) The Consortium Agreement does not honor those applying for a student loan. You will still need to be enrolled in 6 degree applicable units with BC to be eligible.
After any Title IV aid has been disbursed, no increases in financial aid can be made due to enrollment level changes. If units are added after aid has been disbursed, no adjustments can be made to the student's financial aid package.
Students are advised to request a Consortium Agreement at least four (4) weeks prior to the beginning of the semester so proper eligibility can be determined.
Disbursement of aid cannot take place until your enrollment can be certified at both institutions.
A Consortium Agreement must be completed for each semester a student wishes to take classes simultaneously and receive financial aid. Students must contact the BC Financial Aid Office prior to each semester.
It may be difficult to obtain an in-school deferment for prior loan payments when a student is enrolled at two institutions. Contact your lender or servicer for details on obtaining an in-school deferment while simultaneously enrolled. .
All other federal regulations and BC policies and procedures are applicable while a Consortium Agreement is in place. For questions regarding the Consortium Agreement procedures, please call the Office of Financial Aid at (661) 395-4428.
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and list BC (code: 001118) as a school to receive the information and respond to all requests for additional information. The student's Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) will be processed and an award letter will be sent to the student with estimated financial aid eligibility amounts based on total enrollment/tuition for that semester. The student's cost of attendance will reflect actual tuition/fees assessed by the host and home institutions. The remaining cost of books, supplies, room and board, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses will be based upon BC’s standard cost of attendance. Adjustments will be made at the time of disbursement if enrollment changes or original estimates of expenses differ from actual expenses.
Determine enrollment level and make any desired changes before any federal financial aid is disbursed. Aid eligibility cannot be changed, for any reason, after funds are disbursed.
Submit a Consortium Agreement form [under construction; see Financial Aid Office for form] to the BC Office of Financial Aid. A formal institutional Consortium Agreement will then be submitted by the Financial Aid Office to the other school for enrollment certification. Note: Some institutions cannot certify enrollment until after 30 days of class; therefore, it is the student's responsibility to make whatever arrangements are necessary for fee payment and books at each school. Financial aid cannot be disbursed until the Consortium Agreement has been certified and returned to the BC Financial Aid Office.
The Business Services office will apply all available funds to any outstanding college charges. Excess financial aid will automatically be forwarded to the student via check. It is the student's responsibility to make fee payment arrangements at both the home and host institutions.
Request an official academic transcript be sent to the BC Admissions and Records Office at the end of the Consortium Agreement semester for determination of satisfactory academic progress. This must be completed before the student can receive financial aid for the next period of enrollment.
Financial Aid and FERPA
Student records are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, state law and Kern Community College District Board Policy from access by casual or unauthorized persons. Access to records is provided to the student, appropriate college staff members, persons having written consent of the student, or by court order or subpoena.
If a student wishes to allow a written consent for authorized party, they must go through the following steps:
Student must to come in the Financial Aid office and fill out the year specific FERPA form. (A FERPA form allows authorized person to call or come in on the behalf of that student if that student isn’t present.) The student cannot send a form remotely (i.e. email, fax) because the student's identity must be verified in-person.
Student must supply their student ID to be copied by a Financial Aid staff member to be placed with their FERPA form.
Their FERPA is then added to the students file. The FERPA form will posted the student’s tracking requirements with the authorized person(s) name.
The FERPA form is only good for the Award Year it was filed for. This will need to be completed every new Award Year.
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