Student Enrollment & Financial Services Responsibility Statement Classes begin Tuesday, September 2. Please read the following information carefully, as you are responsible for adhering to the policies and deadlines described. Helpful Telephone Numbers Welcome Center……………………… Frost 221…………………… 552-2000 Bookstore…………………………………. G Building 1st floor……… 552-2521 Counseling Services………. Frost 224…………………… 552-2232 Disabled Student Services Donahue 131……………….. 552-2417 Disabled Student Services………TTY………………………… 536-0602 Advising Center……………………………. Frost 271…………………… 552-2722 ESL………………………………………… Donahue 203……………….. 552-2553 Financial Aid………………………………. Frost 201…………………… 552-2150 Student Accounts…………………………..Frost 201…………………… 552-2101 Veteran Services…………………………… Frost 221…………………… 552-2265 Changing Courses before Classes Begin Educational Planners are available to assist you in Frost 271 Monday-Thursday 8:30-7:00 and Friday 8:30-4:30. For more information, please call 552-2722. More complete information on all course offerings, programs, and policies can be found in the HCC College Catalog, the Student Handbook, and the Policy Guide. Changing Courses after Classes Begin Add/Drop Period: Students can add/drop courses in the Welcome Center (Frost 221) and Advising Center (Frost 271) the first 4 days of the semester. This Fall it will be Tuesday, Sept. 2 – Thursday, Sept. 4 from 8:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m. and Friday, Sept. 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Online add/drop through MyHCC will also be available to returning Spring students during this period. Add/Drop is the last time you can add classes, provided seats are available. You may drop a class and have it erased from your semester record only during these 4 days. Exception: The last day to register for a fully online course (distance learning course) is Friday, August 29 at 4:30 p.m. Students may "drop" an online course during the add/drop period but they will not be able to "add" or "switch to" a fully online course during the add/drop period. Withdrawal from a class: After Add/Drop, if you no longer want to take a class, complete a withdrawal form which you can obtain in the Welcome Center. Day classes require an instructor signature. New Student Orientation To familiarize you with the campus and to provide other useful information to help you off to a successful start, we have HCC Orientation (mandatory for new students) August 28 and 29. More details will be mailed by mid-July to all students who must attend. Immunizations Massachusetts General Law requires all full-time students to submit an updated immunization record. The immunizations required are: MMR-measles, mumps, rubella (2 shots), Tdap (tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis) (must be within last 10 years), and Hepatitis B (3 shots). Contact your doctor or the high school you attended to obtain a copy to submit to HCC Health Services, FR 101, by the first day of class. All of these vaccines are available @ HCC Health Services at a low cost to the student. Student ID Cards HCC students are expected to carry their ID cards when on campus. New students obtain ID cards in Frost 271. There is no charge for the initial ID card, but for a replacement card you will need to pay $7 in Student Accounts. For a replacement ID, go to FR 271. Returning students - validate your ID in Student Accounts once tuition & fees are paid or a payment plan arranged. A valid ID card is required for library and lab use, PVTA bus service, and use of the Bartley Center. Voter Registration For information on how to register to vote, go to the HCC home page at www.hcc.mass.edu and click on “Life at HCC” then “Voter Registration Information”. Parking on Campus A valid HCC parking decal is required for student vehicles to park on campus. Register vehicles at the Campus Police Department (E Building) weekdays from 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM, and after 4:00 PM at the switchboard in the main lobby of Frost Building, third floor or log-on to Student Self-Services at "MY HCC" (www.hcc.edu) and click on Parking System. Your vehicle registration is required in order to obtain a parking decal. Parking rules and regulations are strictly enforced. Violators are subject to ticketing and immediate towing without notice. Failure to pay parking fines will result in withholding of transcripts. When driving a vehicle with no decal, obtain a temporary permit from Campus Police before parking to avoid fines or towing. Bookstore Information & Hours (552-2521) Information will be updated by the end of June for the Fall semester. Disabled Persons Parking For special parking accommodations in G lot next to Donahue building, disabled drivers must have a Registry-issued disabled plate/placard. Those who have applied for the registry placard may apply for a temporary G lot parking pass through the Office for Students with Disabilities in Donahue 131. Individuals with temporary orthopedic disabilities may also apply for a short term spot in this lot through the Office for Students with Disabilities in Donahue 131. Explanation of Costs Spring 2008 Tuition and Educational Service Fee: In-state residents…………………………… $ 113.00 per credit Out-of-state Regional Compact……………. $ 125.00 per credit Out-of-state (& foreign) residents…………. $ 319.00 per credit MASSPIRG Fee - $7 per semester for students enrolled in any day course. This is a student-imposed fee to support the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, which works for environmental preservation and consumer rights. If you do not wish to contribute, you must complete the waiver form that came with your bill. Note: This fee may be waived only when tuition is paid; retroactive waivers are not possible. Music Fee - Private music lesson classes carry additional fees. PVTA Transit Fee - $14 per semester, mandatory for students taking any day course or online course taught by a full-time instructor. Student Service Fee - $15 per semester, mandatory for all students taking credit courses. Technology Fee - $55 per semester, mandatory for all students taking credit courses. Payment of Your Bill You must pay your bill in full to Student Account Services or arrange with them another payment method by your payment due date. Paperwork for Financial Aid applications, the online payment plan, and veteran or other tuition waivers must also be completed. If after registering you decide not to attend HCC this Fall, immediately notify the Student Records Office IN WRITING, to have your classes and bill canceled. Non-payment of your bill does not constitute withdrawal from the College. If, before classes start, you make any schedule changes which affect the amount you owe, you will receive a revised bill. But your first due date remains the deadline for paying any amount currently due. Refund Policy A withdrawal form must be completed to receive any refund. Refunds are based on the date the form is received, regardless of registration date or attendance. Refund policy for credit courses: If you withdraw: Refund will be: Prior to & including the first week of classes……… 100% tuition, ESF* & fees Second week of classes…………………………….. 50% tuition and ESF* Third week of classes and beyond…………………. No refund *ESF=Educational Service Fee Music Fee refunds also follow the schedule above. No refunds will be granted after September 12, 2008. Note: Student Service, Technology & PVTA Fees are refunded 100% for College withdrawals prior to the end of the first week of classes. Health Insurance State law requires students taking 9+ credits to prove health insurance coverage or be billed $840.00 for basic coverage from September 2, 2008 to August 31, 2009. Students may waive to avoid the charge only if their insurance (or their spouse’s or parent’s) provides comparable coverage. To waive, log on to www.universityhealthplans.com. Paper waivers are no longer accepted. Note: We cannot accept insurance waivers based on non-U.S. insurance coverage. Also, if you withdraw from the College, there is no refund of the insurance fee unless you withdraw by the last day of add/drop for the semester. Tuition and Fees Disclosure Statement Tuition and fees may be subject to change as required by the Mass. Board of Higher Education or the HCC Board of Trustees. Financial Aid Applications If you have already applied for financial aid for the 2008-2009 school year, you may have already received a financial aid award letter from us. If you have not received an award letter, you may want to check student self-service on the HCC website or see us to find out if your file is incomplete. If you have not yet filed for financial aid for 2008-2009, you can still do so, but you may need to pay your own bill and get reimbursed later to the extent of your financial aid eligibility. Please note that you must re-apply for financial aid each academic year. Incomplete Files/Verification In some cases, we may need you to submit additional documentation (usually as a result of verification). When this happens, we ask that the documents be submitted to our office within 3 weeks of the date we notify you that we need the information. If we do not receive the documents within this time frame, we will consider your file incomplete and will take no further action on your application while your file remains in incomplete status. (If the documents are submitted after the 3-week period, we may take action on your application if federal and state rules are met.) Also, we will not be able to disburse any aid that has been awarded, and not yet disbursed, while your file is incomplete. If corrections to your application are required after receipt of the requested documents, we will make the corrections and, when necessary, submit the corrections to the Federal Processor. If your awards change as a result of any corrections, we will send you a revised award letter within one week of the date the re-calculations are made. Anticipated Financial Aid/Temporary Payment Extensions on Bills If you have already received a financial aid award letter then your anticipated financial aid should appear on your student bill. You will be responsible to pay any balance that the anticipated financial aid does not cover. If anticipated financial aid does not appear on your bill, the Financial Aid Office may have estimated your financial aid eligibility (for both grants and loans) and put a Temporary Payment Extension (TPE) on your bill. The TPE temporarily allows the portion of your bill that may be covered by financial aid to be extended until the financial aid is actually applied to your student account. You will be responsible to pay any balance that the TPE does not cover. It is important to keep in mind that the TPE is just an estimate of the amount of your aid eligibility and the actual funds you receive may be different. Also, the TPE is normally processed before our office has officially reviewed your financial aid file. Therefore, even if you have received a TPE on your bill, it is possible that when your file is reviewed we may have additional questions or require additional information. Please note that your actual financial aid awards will not be processed until after you have responded to all requests for additional information. If you fail to submit all information, (including failing to complete a loan promissory note and attend a loan entrance interview) the anticipated aid and/or TPE will be removed from your student account and you will be responsible for all tuition, fees and book charges. The anticipated financial aid and TPE are based on enrollment data at the time of aid packaging or extension processing. If you have changed your enrollment (i.e., number of courses/credits), the actual financial aid you receive may be different than the amount on your bill. Bookstore Vouchers If your financial aid is expected to be more than your student charges, the excess funds will be made available as a bookstore voucher in the college bookstore. A list of students with approved vouchers is posted outside the bookstore and outside the Financial Aid Office 2-3 weeks before the start of the term. Financial aid bookstore vouchers can be used up through the third week of the term. Financial Aid Disbursements Actual financial aid funds are normally credited to student accounts approximately 30-45 days after the start of the semester. If your financial aid file is incomplete, or if there is some question about your attendance, your disbursement will be later. After your disbursement has occurred, if your aid is more than your outstanding charges, a check for the credit balance will be sent to you within 2 weeks. Student Loan Requirements If you have been awarded a student loan your loan funds cannot be disbursed to your account until you have signed a master promissory note and attended an on-line entrance interview. If you have questions about these student loan requirements please contact our office. Also, please remember that in order to remain eligible to receive loan funds, you must maintain at least half-time enrollment (6 credit hours.) Federal Work-study Job Placement If you have been awarded Federal Work-study you will need to obtain a “Student Employment Authorization” from our office each semester. Work-study job openings are posted on pink cards on a bulletin board outside of our office and on the HCC website. You should review the job postings and then contact the supervisors identified on the postings to request interviews for the job(s). If you are hired, you will receive a bi-weekly paycheck for the hours you work. Satisfactory Academic Progress In order to be eligible to receive financial aid you must maintain a high enough grade point average to avoid probation and also successfully complete two-thirds (2/3) of your attempted semester hours. In addition, you cannot receive any further financial aid once you have reached 150% of the normal time frame allowed to obtain your degree or certificate. (Please see our office for a complete copy of this policy.) Withdrawl from College If you leave school the College is required to determine how much financial aid you “earned” prior to your departure. If you received more financial aid then you “earned” the excess funds must be returned to the federal and/or state government(s). The amount of financial aid you are considered to have “earned” is determined on a pro-rata basis. Therefore, if you completed 30% of the semester, you would have earned 30% of your financial aid. (More detailed information on this regulation is available in our office.) Please be aware that if you leave school before your financial aid is fully processed, you may be responsible for all your educational expenses. Also, financial aid cannot pay for any course you never attend.