What is the award and how is it paid out?

BCC Financial Aid Award Letter

Once your financial aid file is complete, you will receive a financial aid award letter listing your financial aid award offer. Review the letter carefully. The award offer is valid only for the enrollment level specified on the letter. Contact the Financial Aid Office if you expect your enrollment to be different from what is specified on the letter. In most cases, the award offer will fluctuate with enrollment changes. Follow-up on any comments listed or additional information requests.

John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Recipients
Send a copy of your award letter to the Financial Aid Office – be sure to keep your original letter. To receive these funds, you need to enroll in college for the fall semester immediately following high school graduation; complete the FAFSA maintain full time enrollment and a 3.0 GPA. Twelve credits or more is considered a full time semester. At BCC, the scholarship is valued at $24 per credit or a minimum of $288 per semester. This program is administered by the Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance.

Book Advance Program

Book advances give students the opportunity to use some of their financial aid funds in advance of the first disbursement to purchase books at BCC’s Bookstore. To be eligible for a book advance you will need to have a complete financial aid file, have received a financial aid award letter, and have a pending credit balance on your bill. The advances are available for the Fall and Spring semesters only. A book advance is not a grant and is not in addition to your financial aid award package.

No additional paper work is needed to use a book advance; however, you must have a valid BCC Student ID Card. The card will be swiped at the BCC Bookstore when you make purchases. It is important that you bring class schedule to the BCC Bookstore when you purchase your books.

To see dates for the program check the Financial Aid Calendar

Book voucher limits are:

$400 for full-time students (12 or more credits)
$300 for 3/4-time students (9-11 credits)
$200 for 1/2-time students (6-8 credits)
$100 for 1/4 time students (less than 6 credits)

A student may meet the eligibility requirements, but not be eligible for the limit. An example would be a full-time student with a $200 pending credit balance. Although the full-time limit is $400, the student will only be eligible for $200 book advance.

There are no cash refunds on books returned that were bought with a book advance. Also, you don’t need to spend your entire book advance. All book advance charges are added to your tuition bill from BCC. If your eligibility changes and/or your financial aid award is not enough to cover the book advance charges, you are responsible for repaying the charge. Also, if you drop a class or fully withdraw from Bristol Community College and used the book advance, you may be responsible to pay back all or part of the book advance. Contact the Financial Aid Office if more information is needed

Financial Aid Check Distribution
Your financial aid award is first applied to outstanding charges and any advances you've received, such as book vouchers. So, if your financial aid award is greater than your charges, you will receive a check in the amount of the excess funds.

Your accessBCC account will show an estimated disbursement date which reflects the date the college expects to receive payment from federal and state agencies. This is not the date you can expect to receive a check. Awards, enrollment, and charges are verified and checks are then distributed to students. We distribute funds within fourteen days of receipt.

Check distribution dates are posted on the BCC Event Calendar. For the Fall semester, check distribution begins in October; for the Spring Semester, check distribution begins in March; for the Summer, in August.

Loan Checks
Loans are made in two payments. As is the case with all financial aid, the payment is applied to your charges first; any remaining funds are then paid to you. If you are attending in the Fall and Spring, you will receive a payment in the Fall and a payment in the Spring. If you are attending for one semester only, the loan (except Perkins) will still be made in two payments – usually half of the loan is paid around mid-semester and the second half is paid about one month later. Promissory notes and entrance interviews must be complete before payments can be authorized.

FACTS Monthly Payment Plan

BCC offers the convenience of a monthly payment plan for tuition and fee charges. Contact the Student Accounts Office or more information.

Health Insurance Waiver

If you are being charged health insurance on your bill and already have health insurance, you can waive this charge.