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Frequently Asked Questions

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Q. Who is eligible?
1969 views, College Opportunity Fund (COF)

If you attend a public college or university:

Undergraduate students enrolled at state colleges and universities are eligible if they are classified as in-state students for tuition purposes. 

If you attend a participating private college or university:

Undergraduate students enrolled at participating private colleges or universities may be eligible if the college or university is approved for the program by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education and the student:

Is classified as an in-state student for tuition purposes;

Is a graduate of a Colorado high school or has successfully completed a non-public home-based educational program in Colorado;

Financially eligible by demonstrating financial need through the student's eligibility for the federal Pell Grant, or its successor program; 

Is not pursuing a professional degree in theology; and

Meets any other eligibility requirements established by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE).

Note: "Eligible Undergraduate Student" does not include a student enrolled in an off-campus, extended campus, or continuing education class not supported by state general fund moneys, except as approved by CCHE. 

Q. How much is the College Opportunity Fund stipend worth?
1183 views, College Opportunity Fund (COF)

It will vary. The per credit hour stipend amount will be determined each year by the Colorado Legislature.

The amount of the stipend for the 2011-2012 academic year is $62 per semester credit hour for eligible students attending participating public colleges and $31 per semester credit hour for eligible students attending participating private colleges.

Q. Is there a cycle for refund checks?
1055 views, Financial Aid - Disbursement

Yes. Because we are one of 13 Community Colleges in Colorado, we cannot run refunds whenever we choose. Refund checks are generated by the Student Accounts office once a week on Monday's (please note, these days are subject to change). If there is a credit balance by 9:00 a.m. on Monday morning, the credit will turn into a 'batch refund' on the Student's Account and a refund will be generated by Higher One. Student's will either have their funds direct deposited into their bank account or put onto their Debit Card and funds will be available one week later on the following Monday. Please remember that refunds may be held if there is a past due balance for a previous semester until payment is received in full When you see 'batch refund' on your account and have not received your funds within 10 business days after the refund date, please call Student Accounts at 502-2300 for further assistance. Again, we cannot stress enough the importance of keeping your address and telephone information up-to-date with the Enrollment Services Center.

Q. What will the College Opportunity Fund pay for? What do I pay?
884 views, College Opportunity Fund (COF)

Your college or university bill will show the total in-state tuition, the amount paid by the fund (the state's share) and the portion for which you are personally responsible (the student's share). You will pay the total in-state tuition minus the portion paid by the College Opportunity Fund and minus any financial aid you receive.

Q. Do I have to reapply each year?
877 views, College Opportunity Fund (COF)

No. You only apply once. When you complete the stipend application you create an account with 145 available undergraduate hours. You can receive stipend funding for these hours at any participating college in the state of Colorado.

Q. How old do I have to be to apply for the College Opportunity Fund?
709 views, College Opportunity Fund (COF)

You can apply for the College Opportunity Fund if you are thirteen years or older.

Q. What is authorization? How do I do it?
684 views, College Opportunity Fund (COF)

You authorize your college to request the stipend funding on your behalf from your COF stipend account. Authorization is done when you register for your classes and is part of the registration process on the college's registration screens. If you have any problems finding this information or if you have registered for classes but do not know if you have authorized the college to request your COF stipend, contact your college.

Q. How do I get funding for Summer?
664 views, Financial Aid - Summer Awards

Each year; the student must let the financial aid office know that they are intending to attend the summer term. The Summer Intent Form becomes available on March 1 (or the closest Monday following March 1, if March 1st lands on a weekend). These forms are available in each Enrollment Services Center and on the Internet. The student must complete the form and leave it in the Enrollment Services Center. Or, they may print the form off of the Internet and fax it to the office at 719.502.2069. The time of day is not important; however, the date is. When awarding is taking place, each student is evaluated for awarding that had an intent form in on March 1. If there is funding left over, the students who waited until March 2 to turn in a form will be evaluated.

Q. My friends at CSU Pueblo get their refunds before school starts. Why do I have to wait so long?
657 views, Financial Aid - Disbursement

PPCC's policy is to pay financial aid on the students account the day after Census (15% of the main term). Keep in mind that paying financial aid onto your account IS NOT the same thing as you receiving your refund. By Federal law, the financial aid office is not allowed to generate any cash refunds. The Student Accounts Office (Financial Services) takes over at that point.

Q. If I drop a course or withdraw, what happens to my financial aid?
605 views, Financial Aid - Basics

Federal and State financial aid pays at the beginning of each term. Students are expected to attend class and be successful.  If you are considering withdrawing from a class (after drop/add is over), please contact a financial aid advisor prior to withdrawing.  There could be serious consequences of not earning the financial aid that you were paid.  There is a chance that you could be suspended from financial aid for future semesters here at PPCC.  You may also have to pay a portion of the funds back.

Although the Colorado Opportunity Fund (COF) is not considered financial aid, there are also repercussions for withdrawing.  The law creating the College Opportunity Fund caps a student's stipend at 145 credit hours to earn a bachelor's degree.  When you withdraw from classes, you are still using COF credits; therefore, you will reduce the amount of COF you have available to you to earn your degree.

If you are considering withdrawing from a class, please contact a Financial Aid Advisor to discuss all of the issues you may encounter by doing so.