Welcome to Bakersfield College (BC) Financial Aid!
The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships 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-4pm using the Zoom link below to speak with financial aid staff "in-person".
Visit Virtual Lobby (Monday-Thursday, 8am-4pm)
Voicemails will not be returned at this time. Please communicate with us via email. We greatly appreciate your cooperation and flexibility during this time.
Get a jump on your 2021-22 Financial Aid Application
FAFSA or Dream Act applications for 2021-22 are available now! Need help? Financial Aid staff are available via zoom in our virtual lobby Monday-Thursday 8:00am-4:00pm. Have your 2019 tax return or income information available.
No Adjustments to Fall Awards as of 9/9/20
Late start classes that were registered on or after 09/09/20, will not be included in a continuously enrolled student’s* total enrollment for financial aid purposes. Therefore, if you make changes to your course load after this date, you will not see an increase/decrease to your total financial aid for the Fall 2020 term. Please note that new students* who have just registered for a late start course (who were not attending any courses at the start of the term) can still be awarded Pell, the Promise Grant (BOG) Fee Waiver and potentially more if they enroll now. However, we do encourage that you visit our Virtual Lobby should you feel that changes to your course load were a result of an extenuating circumstance.
| How will adjusting my course load on or after 09/09/20 affect my financial aid? |
| New Student* |
Continuously Enrolled Student* |
| California Promise Grant (BOG) will be awarded to the student (if eligible) to cover tuition costs |
California Promise Grant (BOG) will be awarded to the student (if eligible) to cover tuition costs |
| Pell Grant can be included up to eligibility |
Pell Grant will not be adjusted on/after 09/09/2020 |
|
*New Student: A newly enrolled student that was not currently attending courses at the start of the Fall 2020 term.
*Continuously Enrolled Student: A student that was currently attending courses at the start of the Fall 2020 term and has added courses on/after 09/09/20.
**Completion of the FAFSA/Dream Act Application will check student eligibility for multiple awards and should be completed by all students ASAP
|
Important Update Regarding COVID-19 Excused Withdrawals
Beginning with Summer 2020 & Fall 2020, if you request an Excused Withdrawal (EW), Business Services will NOT issue refunds. If you have or plan to withdrawal, contact Financial Aid at bc_faid@bakersfieldcollege.edu or your assigned technician for an individual assessment of your situation and how it will affect your financial aid.
To request an EW, contact Admissions & Records directly at bcadmission@kccd.edu.
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) |
The Office of Financial Aid will be automatically updating this status. Please contact our office with questions. |
How to Apply:
Steps to Financial Aid at BC
Step 1: Fill out a FAFSA or Dream Act Application
Step 2: Check InsideBC for additional requirements.
- 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.
Step 4: Monitor your BC student email and InsideBC
Look for:
- Award notifications
- Satisfactory Academic Progress status
- Requests for additional documents
- Refund notifications
- Workshop announcements
- Other important 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.
Faculty & Staff: Financial Aid Presentations
Financial aid is happy to speak to your students on a variety of topics, such as:
- FAFSA Completion
- Verification
- Types of Aid (Grants, scholarships, etc.)
- Satisfactory Academic Progress
- And more!
Financial Aid 101
FAQs
Helpful Information
Don't Forget Your ID!
Bring your photo ID to the Financial Aid office to get answers to specific questions about your account.
Dates to Remember
- October 1: FAFSA, Dream Act, and BC Scholarship applications available for upcoming year
- February 1: BC Scholarship Deadline
- March 2: Cal Grant Deadline
- May 1: Priority Document Deadline
- July: Award notifications go out
Financial Aid Important Links
Pell Grant Disbursements
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.
Schools BC does Consortium Agreements with:
Taft College
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.
- Request a Consortium Agreement form by emailing Adriana Vega, Financial Aid Assistant. 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.
Watch this video answer to Can the college give out my personal information to my parents or friends?
Steps for Giving Consent to an Authorized Party
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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