HOLIDAY CLOSURE: No classes Tuesday-Wednesday, Nov. 26-27. Campuses will close at 5 p.m. Nov. 27 and reopen Monday, Dec. 2.

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Financial Aid

We are here to help you determine what financial aid options are right for you! 

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Get help at a financial aid workshop!

Our financial aid team holds weekly financial aid workshops at the Central Campus in Janesville. Students, prospective students and community members are welcome to stop by to learn about:

  • General financial aid information
  • Help with completing your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  • Guidance on what you need to do next
  • Help with understanding your financial aid

Stop by the Welcome Center on your way in and ask for the specific location of the workshop.

Questions? Contact btcfinaid@blackhawk.edu.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) allows you to determine the amount and type(s) of aid you are eligible for. Your financial aid award package will become available after you have applied and been accepted into a financial-aid eligible program.

Student in Student Success Center

Frequently Asked Questions

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:

Two-Year Associate Degree Programs
Two-Year Technical Diploma:
One-Year Technical Diploma:
*Less than One-Year Diploma

*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:

 

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

Follow these steps to apply for FAFSA online:
  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.

To complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you will need:
  • 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
Important Notes
  • 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.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

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.

Grants

The following federal and state programs are available after successfully completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 

Federal Programs

  • Pell Grants
    Federal law limits the total amount of Federal Pell Grant funds you can receive to the equivalent of six years of full-time study. This includes any year or school where you received Pell Grants.

National Programs

Loan Options

You might qualify for various types of loans, and we are here to help you through the process and answer any questions that you may have!

New Student

New Student Loan Borrowers

All new student loan borrowers must complete Entrance Loan Counseling along with a Master Promissory Note. These can be completed online and will require an FSA ID. 

Nursing Student Loan Graphic

Nursing Student Loan

The Nursing Student Loan Program provides loans to Wisconsin resident undergraduates or graduate students who are enrolled at least half-time at an eligible in-state institution that prepares them to be licensed as nurses, either RN or LPN. 

Electronic Devices

Parent PLUS Loan

The Federal Direct Parent PLUS loan is available to parents of dependent undergraduates through the US Department of Education and must be certified by the college. For more information, a parent should contact the Blackhawk Financial Aid Office at (608) 757-7664.

Graduates

Student Loan Repayment

Need student loan repayment help? Our partner, Ascendium Education Solutions, can help you transition to repayment at no cost to you. Contact the Student Loan Success Center at (833) 707-1220 to get started.

FAQ: If I graduate in December or during the summer, will this affect my loans?

  • The Department of Education requires schools to monitor your academic status and graduation date. Schools must pro-rate the amount of student loan(s) for your remaining period of study if it is less than an academic year in length.
  • If your status changes from what you indicated it would be when you applied for aid, you must notify the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible in writing at btcfinaid@blackhawk.edu.

For more information on subsidized and/or unsubsidized student loans, loan limits, interest rates, in-school interest subsidy, or other loan questions, please visit the Federal Student Aid website.

Emergency Financial Assistance

Funding is available for eligible Blackhawk students experiencing unforeseen financial expenses. If you are experiencing an emergency situation that could lead you to not continue at the college, the following are opportunities for funding support.

Coins for Caring

Our Foundation provides an emergency award program to students who find themselves in financial hardship. All emergency award applicants must be referred by a specific Blackhawk staff member, including those in the Financial Aid office, an advisor/counselor, instructor or faculty.

Apply for Coins for Caring

State Emergency Grant

The State Emergency Grant provides temporary emergency assistance to eligible Pell recipients who may experience unforeseen financial emergencies so they may continue their academic pursuits. Applicants will be required to meet with a CARE Center Team member and submit supporting documentation of their financial emergency.

Contact the CARE Center at carecenter@blackhawk.edu or (608)757-7603 to set up a Resource Navigation Appointment.


Clock-to-Credit Hour Conversion

The U.S. Department of Education has changed how credits are recognized for financial aid purposes for non-associate degree programs that do not fully transfer into an associate degree program. Wisconsin Technical College System students enrolled in a technical diploma that does not lead to an associate degree may not be eligible to receive full financial aid funding due to the new federal clock-to-credit hour conversion requirements.

The clock-to-credit hour conversion formula (the formula) determines if the program includes the minimum number of credit hours required to qualify as an eligible program for Federal Student Aid (FSA) purposes. The formula also determines the number of financial aid credits associated with each class used to determine a student’s financial aid enrollment status each semester.

The formula only pertains to FSA financial aid, including Pell Grant, Federal Direct Loans, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and College Work Study. It does not affect State of Wisconsin financial aid, VA veterans education benefits, Wisconsin G.I. Bill, or scholarships.

Previously, the formula required colleges to use a ratio of 37.5 in-class clock hours to each credit hour. Additionally, the college could include out-of-class hours in the calculation if the in-class hours met a ratio of 30 clock hours to every credit hour.

Under the new regulations, the formula no longer includes any out-of-class hours. The revised formula for determining the number of financial aid credits in each course is simply the total number of clock hours in the course divided by 30. The result is the course’s credits used for calculating 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 BTC.

The following programs 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:

CNC Technician (32-444-1)
HVAC/R (32-601-1)
Manufacturing Info Technology Specialist (32-631-1)

One-Year Technical Diploma programs:

Administrative Support Professional (31-106-3)*
Agribusiness Specialist (31-006-1)
Computer Service Technician (31-450-1)
Culinary Production Specialist (31-316-2)*
Dental Assistant (31-508-1)
Electrical Power Distribution (31-413-2)
Industrial Maintenance Mechanic (31-462-2)
Laboratory Science Technician Assistant (31-506-4)
Medical Assistant (31-509-1)
Welding (31-442-1)

The following programs are no longer eligible for financial aid based on the formula.

Phlebotomy Technician (30-513-1)

*Financial aid for all students in this program is prorated because it is less than 24 credits based on the formula.

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.


Prepare for the Next Semester

Are you planning to use financial aid to help pay for your next semester at Blackhawk? If so, there are some essential steps that need to be completed in advance.

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 the 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!