Financial aid has many different rules and regulations. It is your responsibility as the recipient to be familiar with the policies and expectations that accompany the type of financial aid that you are receiving. Knowing what is expected of you will help you maintain your eligibility for financial aid in the future. Students receiving Federal Financial Aid must meet all of the eligibility requirements listed on the FAFSA and on the "Applying for Federal Aid" portion of our website.
> Programs of Study
> Cost of Attendance
> Disbursement Policies
> Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
> Consortium Agreements
> Preparatory Coursework
> Definition of an Academic Year
> Return to Title IV Repayments and Refunds
Cost of Attendance
Cost of attendance (COA) is an estimate of the total expenses for a student attending Barton Community College. The total figure includes tuition and fees, room and board (dorm and meal plan costs for an on campus student, or housing and food allowances for an off campus student), books, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses. The Office of Financial Aid uses the cost of attendance when calculating aid eligibility, it is not representative of a student's actual charges. Students and parents should use the cost of attendance to build a budget for the academic year and determine how much aid the student will need. Please note all amounts are based on averages, and that a student's COA will change based upon their enrollment status and enrollment periods. All students are initially awarded based on a full-time, fall and spring COA. Their award amounts could change once their COA is updated to reflect their actual enrollment. Students have the right to appeal that their COA be adjusted. Appeals will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Disbursement Policies and Procedures
Disbursement Policies and Procedures can change from one academic year to the next. It is the student's responsibility to read these policies and procedures and meet the deadlines that are set therein.
If you have questions concerning these policies and procedures, please contact the financial aid office.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
If you are receiving financial aid through federal, state or institutional funding at Barton, you must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards as determined by the college. At the end of each term you will be evaluated on two factors: 1) Qualitative Measure - Your term GPA must be at least 2.0; and, 2) Quantitative measure - You must complete at least 67% of your total attempted hours in the term. Your progress will be evaluated at the end of each term and your SAP status will be determined. You can view the full SAP policy or appeal your SAP status by clicking on the links below.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
To appeal contact Barton's Financial Aid Office -- [email protected]
Consortium Agreements
A Consortium agreement is an agreement between Barton and another participating school that allows a student to take classes from both schools during one semester and receive the maximum amount of financial aid for which that student is eligible. Schools are not required to enter into consortium agreements and may refuse to do so. If a school does not participate and will not enter into a consortium agreement, a student's financial aid will be based upon his/her enrollment at only one of the schools. A student may receive federal financial aid from only one school during the same semester.
Barton's Policy on Consortium Agreements | Barton's Consortium Agreement Form
Students who are utilizing a consortium agreement with Barton as the Host school may submit those consortium forms via email to [email protected]. Students are encouraged to refrain from emailing any documents that contain their full social security number.
Forms may also be submitted via mail to:
Office of Financial Aid
Barton Community College
245 NE 30 Rd.
Great Bend, KS 67526
Preparatory Coursework
Per CFR 668.32 of the federal regulations, students must be seeking a degree at the institution where they receive federal financial aid. An exception can be made for students taking preparatory coursework for admission to a program at another school, or for students who are seeking admission to a special admittance program at Barton (Paramedic, LPN and Registered Nursing). In these situations, a student meeting all other eligibility requirements for Title IV aid may apply for a Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Student Loan. To be eligible for this exception, there must be documentation that the classes the student is taking are required for admission to the program. This exception does not apply to students taking classes to raise his/her GPA, taking classes not required for admission to a program, or taking classes in order to determine what program he/she wants to pursue. For more information on receiving a federal loan for preparatory coursework, contact Barton’s Financial Aid Office -- [email protected] or call the following toll free number: (866) 257-2574.
Preparatory Coursework Contract
Definition of an Academic Year
For federal aid purposes, Barton defines "academic year" as a period that begins on the first day of classes and ends on the last day of classes or examination, and includes a minimum of 30 weeks of instructional time in which a full-time student is expected to complete at least 30 semester hours. At Barton, the beginning of the award year is the Fall semester which is followed by the Spring semester. Summer is considered a "trailer" and is not part of the academic year definition, but if any aid is leftover from the fall or spring semester, the student may be able to use it during the summer term.