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butte college financial aid

Butte College is committed to the success of our students. One way we can look out for you is through Financial Aid. At Butte College, we understand that not everyone’s situation is the same. We offer a variety of resources to help you create a plan for paying for your education. In this article we will discuss Butte College Financial Aid, butte college counseling, butte financial aid disbursement dates, butte college financial aid staff and how do i know if i get a refund check from college. Butte College provides a variety of financial assistance programs to help students fund their education. In addition to grants and scholarships, the Financial Aid Office also processes student loans and work-study opportunities.

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Help Lab - Financial Aid - Butte College

Butte College Financial Aid is the comprehensive financial aid office. The office can establish a package for you, take care of your finances, provide you with the tools to understand how your tuition dollars are allocated over the year and help you find a job to pay for it. Butte College Financial Aid Office will also inform students about additional financial aid available if it’s not included in the original cost of attendance figure established by the college. Read on to know more on Butte College Financial Aid, butte college counseling, butte financial aid disbursement dates, butte college financial aid staff and how do i know if i get a refund check from college.

Butte College Financial Aid

We begin with Butte College Financial Aid, then, butte college counseling, butte financial aid disbursement dates, butte college financial aid staff and how do i know if i get a refund check from college.

The Financial Aid Office supports the mission of Butte College in its student centered approach, by providing aid and financial guidance to enable student access, persistence and completion of higher education.

BC for FREE!

Butte College Promise Scholarship Program offers Free Tuition!

Students who are California residents (CA) or a AB540 eligible resident students who are first-time college students that are attending Butte College full-time (12 units or more) at the college census date will have their tuition and service fees paid. 

Program Information

The Butte College Promise Scholarship Program offers free tuition and fees for up to two years.

The Butte College Promise Scholarship will offer up to two years of free tuition and fees for first-time, full-time college students. The program is designed to support Butte’s goal that every student have the ability to learn a trade, complete a career program or transfer to a four-year college or university.

Who is eligible?

All first-time students, including students who earned college units while still in high school who:

  • are California Residents or AB540 eligible
  • complete a FAFSA or CA Dream Act application by the college census date
  • Be enrolled in 12 or more units at the college census date and complete 12 or more units with at least a 2.0 GPA per term
How much is this scholarship worth?

This scholarship is designed to be “last dollar,” meaning it is to cover tuition and fees that are left over after students have completed financial aid to see if they first qualify for any other grants such as PELL or CA Promise Grant (formerly BOG Fee Waiver).

What exactly is covered?

The program covers full-time enrollment fees ($46 per unit) & full-time “service fees” like transportation, technology and health fees ($132 per semester).

Are books covered?

Not at this time.

Are materials fees for students engaged in special programs covered?

Not at this time.

How will fees be paid?
Can students get their tuition waived if they take more than 12 units?

Yes!

How long is this scholarship good for?

The program is for up to two years. First time, full-time students starting in the Fall semester can receive the Butte Promise for two consecutive academic years.

Can a student begin in the Spring semester and receive the scholarship?

Yes. However; the Butte Promise will only cover the spring semester and next two consecutive semesters (fall and spring)–excluding summer.

What if a student drops below or doesn’t complete 12 units?

Completion of 12 units with a 2.0 GPA is a requirement. Students who don’t do so become ineligible for the next term. Students that experience extenuating circumstances that prevent them from completing 12 units in the awarded term may appeal for reinstatement.

butte college counseling

Next, we review butte college counseling, butte financial aid disbursement dates, butte college financial aid staff and how do i know if i get a refund check from college.

How can Butte College Counseling help you?

As a new student, seeing a counselor is probably the most important thing you can do. Our counselors can help you find the right level of classes, and assist you in designing a short or long term educational plan. Continuing and returning students can receive assistance with academic issues, plan for graduation or transfer, and receive general academic guidance.

Not sure how to chart your path to academic and career goals?

For new and continuing students, Counselors use Career and Academic Profile (CAP), prior academic history, and life experiences to help determine the course selection. We’re here to help you even if your goals are unclear. We can also help you better utilize on-line research tools related to your goals.

Are you experiencing personal issues that are affecting your academic performance?

We can listen and direct you to Butte College’s many support services and community resources. Our Counselors are skilled at assisting students with a variety of concerns which affect their educational success.

Where can you see a Counselor?

The Butte Counseling Department full-time and part-time faculty and staff assist our students in three different locations: The Main campus, Chico Center, and the Glenn Center in Orland. All of our Counseling faculty are “generalists,” though we also have counselors specific to our International, Veterans, Foster Youth, and Student Athlete population.

Butte students can also access Counseling through other programs on campus:

Veterans Services –  Main Campus Swing Space C

Student Athlete Counseling – Main Campus Athletics Office

Career Counseling  – Main Campus SAS 210

Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) – Main Campus SAS 238

Extended Opportunity Program and Services (EOPS) – Main Campus SAS 281

Transfer Counseling Center – Main Campus SAS 258

Inspiring Scholars Program – Main Campus MC 121

butte financial aid disbursement dates

Now, we find out butte financial aid disbursement dates, butte college financial aid staff and how do i know if i get a refund check from college.

All disbursement dates are estimated; the Financial Aid Office cannot guarantee the date you will receive your funds. We recommend you have an alternate plan if there is a delay in your funding.

Once the Financial Aid Office completes student’s file, each student will receive a Financial Aid Award Notification Email which will indicate an estimated Financial Aid Disbursement Date. IMPORTANT: Financial aid is disbursed according to Need (EFC) and number of units in which you are enrolled. Student must be enrolled.

Financial Aid disbursements (including loans) will be delayed, canceled, or reduced for students who are disqualified from financial aid because of lack of Satisfactory Academic Progress (GPA, Pace, Time Frame). Students on Financial Aid Probation or in Maximum Timeframe status without an approved appeal must wait until their file is reviewed and approved by the Financial Aid Office. Students who are not approved are disqualified from receiving aid.

Fall 2021

Pell Grant Disbursement Dates

Freeze Date for Fall 2021 is September 6, 2021
August 19, 20211st  Pell Grant (if not yet received)
August 26, 20211st  Pell Grant (if not yet received)
September 2, 20211st  Pell Grant (if not yet received)
September 9, 20211st  Pell Grant (if not yet received)
September 16, 20211st  Pell Grant (if not yet received)
September 23, 20211st Pell Grant (if not yet received)
September 30, 20211st Pell Grant (if not yet received)
October 7, 20211st Pell Grant (if not yet received)
October 14, 20211st Pell Grant (if not yet received)
October 21, 20212nd Half of Pell Grant Payment or total Fall 2021 Pell Grant award for eligible students who have not yet received their 1st payment.
October 28, 2021Total Fall 2021 Pell Grant award for eligible students who have not yet received Pell.
November 4, 2021Total Fall 2021 Pell Grant award for eligible students who have not yet received Pell.
November 18, 2021Total  Fall 2021 Pell Grant award for eligible students who have not yet received Pell. 
December 2, 2021Total  Fall 2021 Pell Grant award for eligible students who have not yet received Pell.
December 9, 2021Total  Fall 2021 Pell Grant award for eligible students who have not yet received Pell.
December 16, 2021Total  Fall 2021 Pell Grant award for eligible students who have not yet received Pell.

Spring 2022

Pell Grant Disbursement Dates

Freeze Date for Spring 2022 is February 6, 2022
January 27, 20221st half of Pell Grant (if not yet received)
February 3, 20221st half of Pell Grant (if not yet received)
February 10, 20221st half of Pell Grant (if not yet received)
February 17, 20221st half of Pell Grant (if not yet received)
February 24, 20221st half of Pell Grant (if not yet received)
March 3, 20221st half of Pell Grant (if not yet received)
March 10, 20221st half of Pell Grant (if not yet received)
March 17, 20221st half of Pell Grant (if not yet received)
March 24, 20222nd Half of Pell Grant Payment or total Spring 2022 Pell Grant award for eligible students who have not yet received their 1st payment
March  31, 2022Total  Spring 2022 Pell Grant award for eligible students who have not yet received Pell.
April 7, 2022Total  Spring 2022 Pell Grant award for eligible students who have not yet received Pell.
April 14, 2022Total Spring 2022 Pell Grant award for eligible students who have not yet received Pell.
April 21, 2022 Total Spring 2022 Pell Grant award for eligible students who have not yet received Pell.
April 28, 2022Total Spring 2022 Pell Grant award for eligible students who have not yet received Pell.
May 12, 2022Total Spring 2022 Pell Grant award for eligible students who have not yet received Pell.
May 19, 2022Total Spring 2022 Pell Grant award for eligible students who have not yet received Pell.
  

Federal Direct Loan Payment Dates

Refer to your Financial Aid Loan Certification Email for your anticipated first disbursement date. Federal Student Loans are required to be disbursed in two payments and will be disbursed following the freeze date. Fall-only and Spring-only Direct Loans will have different second disbursement dates than annual Direct Loans, which are also different from the second half of Pell Grant payment dates. Please contact the Financial Aid Office for your specific second disbursement date. 

For individual information, we recommend that students refer to their Financial Aid Award Notification Email, which is sent to their Butte College email account after their file is completed. Please note that Pell Grant is normally disbursed in TWO payments per semester for California residents and AB 540 students that are a U.S. citizen or Eligible Non-citizen. Out-of-state students are disbursed once a semester. Out-of-state students will receive any remainder from their financial aid once unpaid fees are automatically paid first.

Important Things to Know:

  • The Freeze Date for Fall 2021 is September 6th and for Spring 2022 semester the Freeze Date is February 6th. Students must be registered for all courses BEFORE the FREEZE DATE in order for all units to count for financial aid.
  • Students who are waitlisted for a course(s) and have already received their Pell payment based on their original enrollment, may receive the difference, for course(s) officially added before the FREEZE DATE, at a later payment date.
  • Pell Grant is normally disbursed in two payments per Fall and Spring semesters (CA residents and U.S. Citizen or Eligible-Non Citizen that are AB 540 residents).
  • Cal Grant and Chafee Grant payments are not guaranteed because they are based on availability of state funds. Cal Grant is usually disbursed after the beginning of the semester. Chafee Grant recipients will be notified by student email if funds become available for them.

Enrollment Status

Payment of Pell, Cal Grant and FSEOG is prorated based on a student’s enrollment status per term.

Enrollment Status per Term
Full Time12 Units100%
Three Quarter Status9-11.99 Units75%
Half-Time6-8.99 Units50%
Less Than Half-Time.5-5.99 UnitsApprox. 25%-Pertains only to Pell Grant

BankMobile Disbursement Information

Butte College partners with BankMobile to disburse financial aid to students. Each student who has a FAFSA on file with the Financial Aid Office and enrolled in courses will receive a BankMobile Refund Selection Kit by mail. Once the student receives their Refund Selection Kit, the student will need to follow steps provided in the green envelope and select a disbursement method. If the student, did not receive their Refund Selection Kit, the student can contact the Financial Aid Office for assistance.  

butte college financial aid staff

At Butte College, we believe that everyone deserves a chance to learn. We offer a variety of financial aid options to help you achieve your educational goals.

Our staff is here to help you understand the different types of financial aid and how they work. We can also help you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.

Help Lab - Financial Aid - Butte College

The FAFSA is used by most colleges and universities to determine your eligibility for federal student aid and state grants. You must complete the FAFSA each year you are enrolled in college. If you have questions about completing the FAFSA form, contact one of our counselors.

We have collected these links to help you find access to financial aid forms, applications, and more. If you have any questions, please contact us by email at financialaid@butte.edu or call 530-895-2311.

Federal Student Financial Aid Links

  • Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To submit a free financial aid application, to make corrections, to renew application each year 
  • Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID). Apply for an FSA ID, which is required to electronically sign your FAFSA. Parents need one too if the student is a dependent.
  • Federal Student Aid.  Step-by-step federal financial aid planning guide
  • studentaid.gov. To track your Federal Pell Grant and Direct Loan history
  • Debt Resolution. MYEDDEBT.com  for Student Financial Aid Debt Resolution

how do i know if i get a refund check from college

How Education Refund Payments Work

Each school has its own policy and timing for disbursing and refunding financial aid. First, you need to meet the federal minimum requirements to receive the aid, and this means taking a certain number of credits, making satisfactory progress and completing any necessary documentation. Depending on the school, your loans may get disbursed once at the start of the term or twice per term.

Your school’s financial aid procedures determine specifically how long after the disbursements that refunds will go out. This might happen soon after classes start or require you to wait until halfway through the term in some cases. Your refund usually comes as a direct deposit or paper check, though some schools provide a debit card as well. You usually set up this arrangement when you accept your award package.

Tracking Your Refund Payment Check

Even though the money comes from the U.S. Department of Education, your school handles any financial aid refunds. So, you’ll usually track your refund status through your school rather than the federal department. Often, you can log in to your school’s portal, visit the financial aid section and see whether your loans have been disbursed yet. Checking your account activity should show all transactions that have taken place with your grants and loans.

When your school refunds the excess aid, you should see a refund entry in your account activity with the date and refund amount, and that indicates you should see your refund soon. Usually, it takes up to a week to get your refund through a paper check or direct deposit. However, direct deposit speeds things up since you don’t have to wait the extra few days for the mail to come.

If you use direct deposit, you can simply keep an eye on your account through your banking website or app or set up mobile alerts to see whether your refund has arrived. However, you can contact your bank if you notice a problem with your deposit. On the other hand, if you receive a paper check, you often can’t track it along the way since you won’t have a USPS tracking number. However, you can reach out to your school if you haven’t received your check within a week so that they can confirm when they mailed it and provide help in case the check doesn’t get delivered for some reason.

Choosing How to Use Funds

When you receive your education refund payment check, you then have the task of deciding how to use it. Your options include using it for allowed expenses, saving it for future costs or returning the money to the U.S. Department of Education.

If you decide to spend the money now or in the future, keep in mind that you should only use it for educational costs and related living expenses. This means that using the refund for books, transportation, housing and course costs would be appropriate, but using it for a fun summer vacation would not. Misusing those funds could mean being required to pay them back immediately.

Keep in mind that you have 120 days to simply decide to return part or all of your refund without interest or fees. While you’ll probably want to keep any grant funds, you can return extra loan funds and reduce your future financial burden. You’ll want to check your budget to decide if that option works for your situation.

It is great to be thinking about going to college and getting funding for your education. Be sure to avoid student loans because you will be in debt for a long time.

Having the right information at hand can help you feel confident and empowered during the financial aid application process. Start by familiarizing yourself with common questions, admissions requirements, and financial aid policies. Keep an eye out for deadlines, and get in touch if you have any more questions before starting college.

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