2. Determining financial need

3. Putting together a financial aid award

4. Adjusting awards

5. Disbursing funds

6. Refunds and Repayments

Establishing a Budget:

Student budgets establish the basis for determining a student’s financial need. These budgets, developed by the Director of Financial Aid, are within guidelines developed by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education with consideration given to the local economy. We are required to assign a student budget based on residency, living arrangement, and enrollment. Budgets are not designed to reflect your particular individual circumstances and expenses, but instead are intended to provide a standardized foundation upon which to build a financial aid package. This does not mean that students must spend the amount indicated. There are many ways to control costs, such as having a roommate, taking the bus, sharing child care with other students, etc.

The academic year is considered to be the Fall and Spring semesters for all programs. Student budgets are based upon individual enrollment during the academic year. Some programs and classes have additional costs for specialized equipment, tools, uniforms, and testing. Contact the academic department for specifics. Also, the class schedule lists lab fees for individual classes. The following chart provides information about average costs associated with attending our college:

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Cost of Attendance
1999-2000
Based on Full-Time Enrollment*

*To calculate the cost for attending half-time (6-8 credits a semester), divide in half the figures listed in tuition and fees and in books and supplies.

Determining Financial Need:

A student’s financial need is the difference between the appropriate budget and the expected family contribution talked about at the beginning of this brochure. The formula is simple:

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Putting Together A Financial Aid Package:

1. A student having more than $2,000 in unmet need, after Pell Grant consideration, will be awarded Campus-based Federal and State Grants (either an SEOG, CSIG, or CSG) for Fall and Spring semester in priority order based on their Federal process date (the date the FAFSA was processed). The award will be for Fall and Spring semester and can range up to $900 for each term enrolled full-time. For program descriptions please refer to the "Getting Started" brochure, available upon request from the Financial Aid Office.
2. A student who meets the requirements for the Colorado Diversity Grant will also be awarded in priority order. The award will be for Fall and Spring semester and can range up to $600 for each term if enrolled full-time.
3. A student who meets the requirements for the Colorado Part-Time Grant will also be awarded accordingly. The minimum award is $200.
4. Scholarships must be applied for separately by the student.
5. A student may request work-study and/or a student loan. Both programs have individual brochures outlining their specific information. These are available upon request at the Financial Aid Office.
6. Upon completion of the awarding process and after each revision, the student will be mailed an award letter which will specify the current amount of his/her financial aid offer. Keep this for your records unless you are declining all or a portion of the aid offered. This award letter will include the student’s budget as determined by the school, the family contribution, the financial need, and the itemized amount of each award for individual semesters. This is the amount of financial aid that you have available to assist with your education expenses, beginning with your tuition and fees. The back of the award letter contains information about the use of funds, satisfactory progress, refunds and disbursements.

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