Financial Aid Process

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Financial Aid Process

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Using Your Financial Aid

How to apply, what to expect

It can take up to eight weeks to process your application, so please apply early to avoid a payment contract or paying on your own. We have established the following priority dates for submitting any required forms and documents that Financial Aid may request:

Fall Classes: July 1
Spring Classes: December 1
Summer Classes: May 1

Use the following instructions to process your financial aid. Not everyone will need to address each step, and for guidance you should always feel free to contact the Financial Aid Office.

Apply for Admission

New students must fill out an Application for Admission . Returning students who have not been enrolled for one or more semesters must submit an Enrollment Update/Release to Enroll form. Enrollment Update/Release to Enroll form.

Fill out the FAFSA

In order to receive Federal aid of any kind you must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Review your Student Aid Report

After you have applied, you will receive an email link to your Student Aid Report (SAR) from the U.S. Department of Education which summarizes the information you submitted on your FAFSA. Butler will receive a copy of the report as well. Make sure the information is correct. If any portion is incorrect, you can return to the FAFSA website and make corrections.

Communicate with the Butler Financial Aid Office

You will receive a letter from the Butler Financial Aid Office informing you how the office will correspond with you. Financial aid communication is by U.S. Postal Service or by email to your Butler email. You have the option to change your method of communication as designated in your communication letter. However, you may only choose one option. Simply call us at 316.322.3121, or email us from your Butler email at finaid@butlercc.edu. If you inform us with your Butler email, include your name and your student ID number. Be sure to read how to access your Butler Pipeline account that is included in your communication letter. Pipeline will become your personal portal for all Butler information related to you.

Apply for Scholarships

Additional funds may be available for students who apply for scholarships

Submit Required Documents

Some students who apply for Federal Financial Aid may need to have their information verified. Students selected for verification must provide additional information, such as citizenship documentation, or a federal IRS tax transcript, etc. If Butler requires additional information, you will be sent a letter or an email explaining what is needed. All requested documentation must be submitted in order to continue the processing of your application. All documents received by 3:00 p.m. in our office will be posted the same day. Otherwise, the posting date will be the following business day. File completion is processed in date order according to the date that the last required and accurately completed document was received. Verification can take 4-6 weeks. All required documents are due in the Financial Aid office by:

Fall Classes: July 1
Spring Classes: December 1
Summer Classes: May 1

Submit documents early to help avoid the necessity for a payment contract or payment by you.

Receive Offer Letter

You will be sent an offer letter when your financial aid file is complete. Offer letters will be mailed late November for the following academic year. Make sure you apply early and that you submit all requested documentation or forms in a timely manner. Offer amounts printed on offer letters are based on full-time enrollment (12 credit hours). Offers are subject to adjustment, for example if additional offers are added.

Federal offers are based on your enrollment status:

Full-time status (12 or more hours)
Three-quarter status (9-11 hours)
Half-time status (6-8 hours)
Less than 6 credit hours (Pell Grant only)

You must be making satisfactory academic progress to receive disbursements. Federal Financial Aid covers only courses required for your Course Program of Study (CPoS) or Pathway.

Your offer letter will state your eligibility for Grants, Federal Work-Study, Federal Loans, and scholarships. Federal Work-Study, Federal Loans, and Scholarships require additional steps for acceptance.

Special Circumstances

The FAFSA process does not provide a place for students and their families to explain special circumstances. A Professional Judgment refers to Butler's authority to adjust data on the FAFSA and override a student's status.

Withdrawing from Classes

If you withdraw from some or all of your classes both you and Butler Community College may be expected to repay some or all of the federal financial aid you have received for the semester. For information on withdrawal from classes and how it may effect your financial aid, review our Return of Title IV Policy.

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