Financial Aid

In order to be eligible for federal or state financial aid, you must:

• Have a High School Diploma, General Education Development (GED), High School
• Equivalency Diploma (HSED), or have been homeschooled in a State approved program
• Be enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program
• Have a valid Social Security number unless you are from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress
• Be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen

Learn more at studentaid.gov.

Enrollment status is based on the number of credits you are enrolled in within your program:

• Awards are based on full-time status. If you are not in full-time status, financial aid will be reduced.
  • Full-time, 12 or more credits
  • Three quarter time, 9-11 credits
  • Half-time, 6-8 credits
  • Less than half-time, 5 or less credits
• If you are in a program that is considered less than one-year, your offer could be reduced to reflect the number of credits.
• To be eligible for student loans, you must be taking at least six credits within your declared program.
• Some basic skills and pre-college courses are not covered by financial aid. Please consult the financial aid department before classes start to verify the classes you are enrolled in will be covered.
• Enrollment status is locked two weeks after the beginning of the fall and spring term and one week after the beginning of the summer term for all Federal Financial Aid. If you want financial aid to pay for late starting classes, you must be enrolled for those classes before lock date.

Programs that are funded by financial aid:

• Accounting
• Administrative Professional
• Agribusiness, Science & Technology
• Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Technology
• Automation Systems Technology
• Behavior Technician
• Business Management
• Criminal Justice Studies
• Culinary Arts
• Dental Hygienist
• Diagnostic Medical Sonography & Vascular Technology
• Digital Marketing
• Early Childhood Education
• Electromechanical Technology
• Fire Protection Technician
• Foundations of Teacher Education
• Health Information Management
• Hospitality Management
• Human Resources
• Human Services Associate
• Individualized Technical Studies
• IT Technical Support Specialist
• Laboratory Food Science Technician
• Leadership Development
• Manufacturing Engineering Technology
• Medical Administrative Specialist
• Medical Laboratory Technician
• Nursing
• Paramedic Technician
• Physical Therapist Assistant
• Radiography
• Substance Use Disorder Counseling
• Supply Chain Management
• Surgical Technology
• Web Software Developer
• Welding Fabrication & Robotics

• Automotive Technician
• Computer Numeric Control (CNC) Technician
• Culinary Production Line Cook
• Diesel & Heavy Equipment Technician

• Accounting Assistant
• Agribusiness Management Technician
• Business Management Specialist
• Child Care Services
• CNC Machine Operator/Programmer
• Culinary Production Specialist
• Dental Assistant
• Electrical Power Distribution
• Industrial Maintenance Mechanic
• IT-Help Desk Support Specialist
• Laboratory Technician Assistant
• Medical Assistant
• Residential HVAC
• Substance Abuse Education
• Supply Chain Assistant
• Welding

• Law Enforcement Basic Recruit Academy (720 Hours)

*The diploma and certificate in this column have partial financial aid funding since they are less than one-year programs/certificates. Please see the financial aid office for more details.

Programs that are not funded by financial aid:

• Apprenticeships
• Central Service Technician
• Computed Tomography
• Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) / Advanced-EMT
• Unless Declared in Fire Science two-year associate degree program
• Law Enforcement Basic Jail Academy
• Nursing Assistant
• Nursing Bridge Course
• Phlebotomy Technician

For priority processing, please have your FAFSA completed by April.

1. Go to studentaid.gov and click "Create Account" to set up your Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID). 
2. Go to studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa and login with your FSA ID.
3. Fill out your FAFSA application online. Note: BTC’s school code is 005390.

Note: you will need your federal tax returns ready in order to complete the application.

Once processed, you can expect a letter in the mail explaining an estimated amount of funding that you are eligible for. Your federal student aid may be distributed as grants, work-study opportunities, or loans. See the next section to learn more.

If you would like assistance filling out your FAFSA, please contact the Financial Aid Office at (608) 757-7664. Walk-ins are welcome.

• Your Social Security Number
• Your Alien Registration Number or Permanent Residence Card (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
• Your federal income tax returns from two years ago, if filed
  (i.e. IRS Form 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ; foreign tax return; or tax return for Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or Palau)
• W-2s and other records of money earned from two years ago
• Current bank statements (checking, savings, cash, etc.), if applicable
• Records of current business and investment mortgage information, if applicable
  (i.e. business and farm records, stocks, bonds, etc. but not retirement account information)
• Records of untaxed income from two years ago, if applicable
  (i.e. disability, worker's compensation, child support paid and/or received, veteran benefits records, etc.)
• An FSA ID to sign electronically

• If you are a dependent student, then you will also need most of the above information for your parent(s). To learn more, browse FAFSA's FAQs. 
• If you are married (as of the day you submit your FAFSA), then you will also need most of the above information for your spouse. 

You may not receive Pell grants at two schools at the same time. Students may sometimes receive Federal Direct Loans at two schools concurrently if they do not exceed annual loan limits while doing so. Check in with the Financial Aid Office if you are considering this option.

You can also ask the college you are receiving your degree from if you can participate in a consortium agreement. Participating in a consortium agreement allows students to take program courses at two colleges as the same time. Students only receive financial aid from the degree-granting college, but applicable credits from the second college are used in determining the amount of financial aid awarded. The degree-granting college monitors the student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress. Please ask the Financial Aid Office for more details.

Bookstore charges allow a student to charge their books to their excess financial aid at the Blackhawk Bookstore. Bookstore charges are available a week before school starts and goes two weeks into the semester. To be eligible to use your financial aid at the Blackhawk Bookstore, you will need to have your financial aid award completed and accepted, be enrolled in courses within your declared program, and your financial aid must be more than your tuition bill.

You are required to make satisfactory academic progress in the program you are enrolled in to continue to receive financial aid.

Return of Title IV Policy (R2T4) 

The Return to Title IV policy goes into effect for students who completely withdraw from Blackhawk Technical College before more than 60% of the term has been completed or who do not officially withdraw and receive all failing grades for the term. 

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must always be completed based on the tax year required. For example, the 2023-2024 FAFSA must be completed using 2021 income information. However, students who have experienced a reduction in income may apply for a reevaluation of financial aid eligibility by contacting our Financial Aid office at btcfinaid@blackhawk.edu or call (608) 757-7664.

Private education loans are offered by banks and other private lenders and are not part of the federal student aid programs.

Blackhawk Technical College does not recommend, rank, or endorse any private education loan lender. Students may use any lender who is eligible to make education loans. Blackhawk processes private education loan certifications consistently across all eligible lenders.

Before pursuing a private education loan, students are strongly encouraged to explore federal and state financial aid options. These programs are guaranteed, regulated, and may offer more favorable terms, protections, and repayment options than private education loans.

For students considering private education loans, the GradReady® Paying for College learning path is a free educational resource that helps students understand borrowing options, costs, and long‑term repayment considerations. GradReady® does not promote or endorse any specific lender or loan product.

Private lenders set their own eligibility and approval criteria, and not all applicants are approved by every lender. Approval decisions are based on individual circumstances and lender requirements.

Students who wish to compare private education loan options may use neutral lender comparison resources of their choosing.

If you would like to review your eligibility for federal, state, or institutional financial aid before considering a private education loan, please contact the Financial Aid Office for assistance.

The Schedule of Reductions is a federal requirement that reduces a student's annual Federal Direct Loan eligibility when the student enrolls less than full-time. Prior to July 1, 2026, students who were enrolled at least half-time generally remained eligible for their full annual loan limit. Under the new requirement, students enrolled less than full-time receive a proportionally reduced annual loan limit based on the number of eligible credits in which they are enrolled.

For programs subject to clock-to-credit-hour conversion, the financial aid credits for each course are calculated by dividing the course's total clock hours by 30. The result determines the number of credits that can be counted when calculating a student's financial aid eligibility.

Example: If a 2-credit hour course consists of 18 in-class clock hours and 36 lab clock hours, then the course includes a total of 54 clock hours (18 + 36 = 54). Using the formula, 54 is divided by 30, which equals 1.8. For financial aid purposes, the course is worth 1.8 credits.

(18 class clock hours + 36 lab clock hours)/30 = 54 clock hours/30 = 1.8 credits

The formula must be used for any program that does not lead to an associate degree and does not transfer fully into an associate degree program at Blackhawk.

The following information is based on the 2026-2027 catalog year.

The programs below are eligible for financial aid, but students in these programs may have reduced financial aid eligibility because of the formula.

Two-Year Technical Diploma programs:

Automotive Technician (32-404-2)*

Computer Numeric Control (CNC) Technician (32-444-1)*

Diesel & Heavy Equipment Technician (32-412-1)*

One-Year Technical Diploma programs:

Dental Assistant (31-508-1)

Diesel Medium & Heavy Truck Technician (31-412-8)*

Electrical Power Distribution (31-413-2)*

Laboratory Science Technician Assistant (31-506-4)

Law Enforcement - Basic Recruit Academy (30-504-2)**

Medical Assistant (31-509-1)

Medical Coder (31-530-3)*, **

Welding (31-442-1)

*Financial aid credits for this program are generally only reduced for semesters during which a student is taking a Pre-College (PC) prerequisite course.

**Financial aid for all students is this program is prorated because it consists of than 24 financial aid eligible credits.

Every student’s situation is unique. The formula doesn’t change financial aid eligibility for all courses in any program and will have varying impacts based on each student’s course schedule. Students should reach out to the Financial Aid Office each semester after registering for their courses to confirm their enrollment status for that semester. The Financial Aid Office can be reached at (608) 757-7664 or BTCfinaid@blackhawk.edu.

Complete the FAFSA if using financial aid. Make sure it is the correct year's FAFSA form.

Veterans: Reach out to the School Certifying Official to begin the process of using your veterans' benefits. 

• Finalize your plans to pay your bill for the semester.
  • Accept enough financial aid to cover your bill.
  • Set up a payment plan with a down payment.
  • Provide your third-party voucher or agreement to the Registration & Records Office.
• Set up a direct deposit account in TouchNet if you expect a financial aid refund.
• Verify your address is correct in our Financial Aid Dashboard.

• Purchase your books from the Bookstore using financial aid.
• Verify your schedule is accurate and make changes if necessary.
• Confirm the dates, times and locations of each of your classes.

• Attend a Smart Start event for help with anything you haven’t already taken care of, including:
  • Locating your classrooms and campus resources.
  • Assistance navigating MyBTC and Blackboard.
  • Purchase any books or supplies you don’t already have.
  • Get a student ID card.

Attend your classes and have a smooth start to the semester!