Financial Aid Eligibility for Shortened Flex Start and Accelerated Session Courses

You can earn your degree at Rockland Community College with a schedule that works best for your life. There are a diversity of courses available in our Flex Start and Accelerated Sessions that include online and evening classes. You may begin your enrollment in any Flex Start or Accelerated Session. See our Flex Start web page and Accelerated Session web page for more information.

Financial Aid Limitations

There are federal and state financial aid eligibility limitations if you enroll in courses that are shorter than the full semester. Federal and state financial aid programs use your enrollment status to determine the amount of your award and/or your general eligibility to participate in a given program. Based upon when you register, Flex Start and Accelerated Session courses may or may not count in your enrollment status for financial aid purposes as outline in the scenarios below.

In general, the following rules apply:

Federal aid (programs include Pell Grant, SEOG Grant, Federal Work Study, and Direct Student Loans.)

  • The course must be a required course in your program of study.
  • For Direct Student Loan eligibility, you must enroll in six or more credits.
  • You must attend and/or participate (at least one time) in the course.

New York State aid (programs include TAP, Excelsior Scholarships, APTS, Part-Time Scholarship, NYS Academic Scholarship, Veteran’s TAP, and the World Trade Center Scholarship.)

  • The course must be a required course in your program of study.
  • For the Flex Start or Accelerated Session course to count in your enrollment status, you must register for the course during the first three weeks of the full-length semester.
  • For the Flex Start or Accelerated Session course to count in your enrollment status, you must be registered in at least one course that spans the entire length of the semester.
  • For TAP and Excelsior Scholarship, you must enroll in twelve or more credits in the semester.
  • You must attend and/or participate (at least one time) in the course.

The following examples are illustrative of financial aid scenarios for matriculated, degree-seeking students. Non-matriculated and visiting students generally are not eligible for federal and state financial aid. Please note that each individual student’s financial aid eligibility varies and specific eligibility information for your given enrollment scenario should be received directly from Financial Aid. Contact [email protected] for more information.

Scenario A:

A student is seeking a degree in Liberal Arts Math & Science and has 4 courses (12 credits) in the full semester and 1 course (3 credits) in Flex Start 1. The student registers for all courses prior to the end of the Add/Drop period.

  • This example assumes that all 15 credits are degree requirements in the Liberal Arts Math & Science degree. The student, in this example, is considered full-time for federal and New York State financial aid purposes. Because there is at least one course that spans the entire length of the semester and because all credits were registered for prior to the end of the Add/Drop period, all credits can be counted in the student’s federal and New York State financial aid enrollment status.
  • There is a flat tuition rate for 12 or more credits. This student is billed as a full-time student. Standard and course-related fees apply.

Scenario B:

A student is seeking a degree in Liberal Arts Math & Science and has 3 courses (9 credits) in the full semester and 1 course (3 credits) in Flex Start 2. The student registers for all courses prior to the end of the Add/Drop period.

  • This example assumes that all 12 credits are degree requirements in the Liberal Arts Math & Science degree. The student, in this example, is considered full-time for federal and New York State financial aid purposes. Because there is at least one course that spans the entire length of the semester and because all credits were registered for prior to the end of the Add/Drop period, all 12 credits can be counted in the student’s federal and New York State’s financial aid enrollment status.
  • There is a flat tuition rate for 12 or more credits. This student is billed as a full-time student. Standard and course-related fees apply.

Scenario C:

A student is seeking a degree in Business Administration and has 3 courses (9 credits) in the full semester and 1 course (3 credits) in Flex Start 2. The student registers for the full-length courses prior to the end of the Add/Drop period but registers for the Flex Start 2 course six weeks into the semester after the end of the College’s Add/Drop period.

  • This example assumes that all 12 credits are degree requirements in the Business Administration degree. The student, in this example, is considered full-time for federal aid. However, because the student did not register for the Flex Start 2 course prior to the end of the Add/Drop period, the student is considered ¾-time for New York State Aid and would not be eligible for the awards that require full-time attendance (TAP, Excelsior, Veteran’s TAP and WTC).
  • Once the student registers for the late Flex Start 2 course, the student is billed as a full-time student. In addition, the late registration may increase standard and course-related fees.

Scenario D:

A student is seeking a degree in Early Childhood Education and has no courses in the full semester and 5 courses (15 credits) one in each of the 5 Accelerated (3 week) Sessions. The student registers for all the Accelerated Session courses prior to the end of the Add/Drop period for the semester.

  • This example assumes that all 15 credits are degree requirements in the Early Childhood Education degree. The student, in this example, is considered full-time for federal aid. However, because the student does not have at least one course that spans the entire semester, the student is not eligible for New York State aid.
  • Once the student registers for all of the Accelerated Session courses, the student is billed as a full-time student. Standard and course-related fees apply.

Scenario E:

A student is seeking a degree in Early Childhood Education and has one 3-credit course in the full semester and 5 courses (15 credits) one in each of the 5 Accelerated Sessions. The student registers for all the courses prior to the end of the Add/Drop period for the semester.

  • This example assumes that all 18 credits are degree requirements in the Early Childhood Education degree. The student, in this example, is considered full-time for federal aid. Because there is at least one course that spans the entire length of the semester and because all credits were registered for prior to the end of the Add/Drop period, all 18 credits can be counted in the student’s federal and New York State’s financial aid enrollment status.
  • Once the student registers for all the courses, the student is billed as a full-time student. Standard and course-related fees apply.