Financial aid is available to eligible students who enroll in certificate and degree programs; but not all programs are eligible. Apply early and meet priority dates to have the best likelihood of being eligible for maximum funding each year.
You must demonstrate financial need to be eligible for most assistance. Financial aid is designed to cover the gap between your own financial resources (savings, income, help from parents or guardians, etc.) and school expenses. Financial Aid can be grants, scholarships, low-interest loans, and student employment.
Apply between October 1 and May 15 each year that you are enrolled at BTC. Please be sure to activate your BTC email. BTC Student Financial Resources correspondence will be sent to the email address that you listed on the FAFSA.
To receive most types of financial aid, you will need to complete the following steps. You are encouraged to begin these steps approximately two months before you plan on attending.
Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) IF ONE of the following applies to you (the student):
Complete a Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) if the following apply to you (the student):
Be aware that there may be two FAFSA/WASFA applications open at the same time. The following shows which application to complete based on the quarter you will attend.
If you plan to attend Summer 2021 through Spring 2022, complete the 2021-2022 FAFSA or WASFA.
If you plan to attend Summer 2022 through Spring 2023, complete the 2022-2023 FAFSA or WASFA, available October 1, 2021.
About one week after submitting your financial aid application, log into your Financial Aid Portal to view your financial aid status and to review documents that are required. You will also receive an email to notify you when documents are required.
Items listed under "Information We Need From You" must be submitted before your financial aid will be determined. Use the link in the portal to access required forms.
Financial aid awarded to you will be listed under "My Awards".
BTC delivers your refund with BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc.. Visit this link for more information https://bankmobiledisbursements.com/how-it-works.
To receive a refund in a timely manner, you must select your refund preference using the information mailed to you.
Your refund can be used for educational expenses such as books, supplies, housing, food and transportation. Contact the Student Financial Resources office if you did not receive refund information by mail.
Financial aid is generally awarded based on full-time enrollment level (12+ credits). If you plan to enroll for fewer than 12 credits, notify our office by submitting an email to finaid@btc.edu. Adjustments are made through the 10th day of each quarter.
Your academic progress is monitored quarterly. To remain eligible for financial aid, you must meet the requirements outlined in the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.
If you decide to withdraw from one or more credits, you may owe a repayment of some or all of the financial aid you received.
Learn more about a variety of ways to finance college through grants, scholarships, and FAFSA by activating your free ionTuition account!
Pell Grants are awarded to help with educational expenses. Like all grants, Pell Grants do not have to be repaid.
The Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant is awarded to high-need, Pell Grant-eligible students who apply early, as funds are limited. It does not have to be repaid.
Students in default with their Federal Student Loan may qualify for the Fresh Start Initiative.
Available for Washington residents only, eligibility for this grant is determined by FAFSA or WASFA information and is adjusted for less than full-time enrollment. It will not exceed tuition and fees for each quarter, and does not have to be repaid.
Scholarships are provided by Bellingham Technical College Foundation, and other organizations and donors, based on certain criteria.
Washington residents who are enrolled at least half time can pay for education-related expenses through the Work Study program. On-campus, part-time positions are available through the Student Financial Resources office finaid@btc.edu. Call 360.752.8351 for details.
Money students may borrow to finance their education. Loans accrue interest and must be paid back. Students begin to pay back their loans after graduation or after reducing their enrollment to fewer than six credits. There are flexible repayment options available.
The Bellingham Technical College (BTC) Emergency Funding program provides financial assistance to students who experience financial difficulties that impact their ability to continue their education.
Scholarships are another source of free money to help pay for school. They are provided by Bellingham Technical College Foundation, and other organizations and donors, based on certain criteria. The BTC Foundation receives donations from generous individuals, businesses, and organizations throughout the year to give as scholarships just for BTC students.
Learn more about BTC Foundation Scholarships
Funding for high wage/high demand programs Opportunity Grant Scholarship
Learn more about the Baccalaureate Scholarship and Career and Technical Scholarships available through the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship
Find a variety of scholarships on theWashBoard.org, the Washington Scholarship Coalition’s website.
Immigrant Rising's List of Undergraduate Scholarships contains scholarships for undergraduate studies that don't require proof of citizenship or legal permanent residency.
Funding Resources for Undocumented Students contains additional links and funding options for undocumented students attending BTC.
College Success Foundation - Offers a variety of scholarships to support under-served and low-income students.
Apply for need and merit-based scholarships for Washington State residents from the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC)
SallieMae - Scholarship Search - College Answer features over 600,000 scholarships, grants, tuition waivers, internships and fellowships.
Federal Student Aid - US Department of Education financial aid and scholarship information.
College Board Scholarship Search - Locate scholarship and other information that matches your educational level, talents, and background.
Beware of Scholarship Scams
Did you know that every year, hundreds of thousands of students and parents lose hundreds of millions of dollars to scholarship scam sites?
Scam sites use official-sounding names like "Federal", "National", and "Administration" to sound legitimate.
Be wary of scholarships that ask you to pay an application fee. Legitimate scholarship foundations do not charge application fees.
Beware of any scholarship service that "guarantees" success. No one can guarantee you’ll win a scholarship.
Avoid sales pitches disguised as financial aid seminars.
Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
Learn more about scholarship scams and how to protect yourself.
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