Glen Oaks Community College

Consumer Information

In accordance with federal regulations set forth by The Higher Education Act of 1965, certain consumer information must be made available to all students, parents, guidance counselors, and coaches. The following information is required to be disclosed or is information the College would like you to know:

The purpose of this information is to acquaint you with financial assistance programs, the process

Close up smiling young woman holding envelope with paper letter or invitation inside, waiting for good news notification, banking loan approval. Happy student reading university college admission.

involved to be considered for aid, cost factors, policies, and miscellaneous information.

We sincerely hope this information will benefit you. Please direct any questions to our office, phone: (269) 294-4260, or message Financial Aid via email.

What is Financial Aid?

Financial aid is any source of funds available to assist students for the costs of a college education. If you think you will need assistance, you are encouraged to apply for financial aid. Whatever your situation, you can be sure that you will be treated fairly and equitably with respect to students in similar financial circumstances as your own. Most assistance is based on demonstrated financial need; however, some is based solely on merit. Merit programs, including most scholarship programs, help students who have special abilities. Often, you do not have to show financial need to receive money through merit-based programs.

There are four main types of financial aid. Usually, a student is offered a combination of aid (known as a “package”) from these four programs: Grants, Loans, Scholarships, and Work-Study.

Who is Eligible for Financial Aid?

Basic Requirements

While each aid program has special requirements, the following are basic. In order to be eligible to receive financial aid, you must:

  1. Have financial need (except for some loan programs and many scholarship programs). Students who think they may need financial assistance are strongly encouraged to apply for aid by the deadline dates listed in this guide in order to be considered for all eligible aid programs;
  2. Have a high school diploma or a recognized equivalent (such as a General Educational Development certificate (GED) or have been home-schooled;
  3. Be accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program at a school that participates in the federal student aid programs;
  4. Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-U.S. citizen;
  5. Have a valid Social Security Number;
  6. Be making satisfactory academic progress (continuing students only);
  7. Use federal student aid only for educational purposes;
  8. Not owe a refund on a federal grant or be in default on any federal educational loan

Undergraduate Students Who Have Already Received One or More Bachelor’s Degree(s)

Undergraduates who have already received a bachelor’s degree will only be eligible for loans.


Students Enrolled at More than One Institution

Students who are enrolled at more than one college or university at the same time may receive financial aid from only one of the institutions, not both. Contact the Financial Aid Office for more information.

How Eligibility for Need-Based Aid is Determined?

Financial aid programs were created with the idea that the primary responsibility for paying college costs rests with the student and his or her family. Need-based financial aid is available to students who demonstrate a need for additional resources to help them pay college costs. The formula used to determine whether you are eligible for need-based aid is:
Cost of Attendance
Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
Other Financial Resources
= Eligibility for Need-Based Aid

Cost of Attendance minus Expected Family Contribution (EFC) minus Other Financial Resources (grants, scholarships, etc) equals Eligibility for Need-Based Aid.

Cost of Attendance is the estimated cost of attending Glen Oaks for a full academic year (two semesters), including estimated amounts for tuition and fees, books and supplies, transportation, living expenses, plus a modest allowance for personal/miscellaneous expenses.

Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is derived from an assessment formula legislated by Congress that is applied uniformly to all aid applicants and considers the financial information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The formula determines ability to contribute toward the cost of education. For dependent students the EFC is the result of a combination of the parent and student income and asset information. For independent students the EFC is the result of the student and spouse (if married) income and asset information.

Packaging Policy

Financial Aid packages are created for students throughout the academic year. All financial aid awards are contingent on the continuation of the programs and the availability of funds.

Guidelines for awarding financial aid:

  1. The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is determined as a result of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
  2. The Federal Pell Grant is the foundation of the financial aid package.
  3. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is awarded according to federal guidelines. Federal Pell Grant recipients with the lowest Expected Family Contribution (EFC) have first priority for FSEOG funding. Due to limited funds, FSEOG is awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. The minimum FSEOG award is $400.
  4. Award packages are created based on expected full-time enrollment. Adjustments will be made up to the end of the published freeze date (approximately two weeks after the start of each semester) for changes in enrollment status. These adjustments will affect assigned budgets and award amounts and may result in reduced or cancelled awards. Students not enrolled in courses as of the published freeze date, will have a personal freeze date. The personal freeze date will be the first day the student registers for the semester; therefore, students will want to maximize their aide eligibility by enrolling in all of the courses they are planning to take on that initial personal freeze date.
  5. The College reserves the right to issue adjusted award letters due to an error in calculating.
  6. The College reserves the right to review, change and cancel awards at any time.

Verification

The Federal processor selects some student financial aid applications (FAFSA) for verification. Students selected are required to submit a student, and spouse if applicable, federal tax transcript, a verification worksheet, documentation of untaxed income and income exclusion. Parent federal tax transcript and documentation of untaxed income and income exclusion documentation will also be necessary for a student whose parent information is required on the FAFSA. Other documentation may be required depending on results from the federal processor. The Financial Aid Office will send notification to students of all required documentation. Processing of a student financial aid file and awarding will take place once all required documentation is received.

Unusual Enrollment History – Students that show an unusual enrollment history up to the previous four years will be selected by the Department of Education or Glen Oaks Community College and asked to provide official transcripts from each school previously attended. If a student cannot prove they received academic credit from their prior institutions, or a review shows that a student enrolled just long enough to receive a credit balance payment, the student will not be eligible for Title IV funds.

Personal Student/Parent Documentation

All paperwork submitted to the Financial Aid Office is held in strict confidence under the guidelines of the FERPA privacy act. Required personal documentation must be maintained in the student files due to federal regulations. Student should retain a copy of all documents for their records. If the student requests a copy of documentation from their file, a signed request by the student is required. If a parent requests a copy of parent documentation from the student’s file, a signed request by the parent is required.

How Need-Based Aid is Awarded

Your eligibility for need-based aid is the total Cost of Attendance minus your Expected Family Contribution and other financial resources. In order to meet your need, the Financial Aid Office first awards any federal and state grants and scholarships for which you are eligible (e.g., Pell Grant and Michigan Competitive Scholarship). Applicants with financial need beyond federal and state grants can apply for scholarships, loans and the Work-Study program. Award amounts are determined by a combination of demonstrated financial need, federal award maximums, and available funding, among other factors. Because Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) funds are limited, they are awarded to applicants with the highest need.

Offer Letter

When your file is complete, you will receive an offer letter with a link to important supplemental information that you are responsible for reading, via student portal.

The offer letter and supplemental information contains the following information:

  • Name of award
  • Amount of award for each semester
  • Total amount of award for academic year
  • Federal Pell Grant entitlement figures for full-time enrollment.

Special Note to Students Enrolled Less than Full‐Time: Your financial aid will be awarded to you based on full‐time enrollment. If you are not enrolled full‐time by the end of the posted freeze date, your aid will be adjusted at that time.

Supplemental information includes, student’s annual cost of attendance. A student’s total award package may not exceed the student’s cost of attendance.

Offer letters should be reviewed carefully by the student. To decline an award or reduce a loan amount, contact the Financial Aid Office. Unless the Financial Aid Office is notified to reduce or cancel offers, it is assumed that all awards are accepted by the student.

Enrollment Levels for Financial Aid

These enrollment levels apply to all semesters, including summer semester:
Full-Time 12 or more credit hours
3/4 Time 9-11 credit hours
1/2 Time 6-8 credit hours
Less than 1/2 Time Less than 6 credit hours

*Any courses for which there is an “I” grade on your transcript from a previous semester will not be counted toward your level of enrollment for a current semester for financial aid. An “I” grade means you agreed to complete the course by a specified date without re-enrolling.

Dependency Status

The federal student aid programs (programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 that provide grants, loans and work-study funds from the federal government to eligible students enrolled in college or career school) are based on the concept that it is primarily your and your family’s responsibility to pay for your education. A dependent student is assumed to have the support of parents, so the parents’ information has to be assessed along with the student’s, in order to get a full picture of the family’s financial strength. If you’re a dependent student, it doesn’t mean your parents are required to pay anything toward your education; this is just a way of looking at everyone in a consistent manner.

All applicants for federal student aid (Financial aid from the federal government to help you pay for education expenses at an eligible college or career school. Grants, loans and work-study are types of federal student aid. You must complete the FAFSA form to apply for this aid) are considered either “independent” or “dependent.” Dependent students are required to include information about their parents on the FAFSA. By answering a few questions, you can get a good idea of which category you fit into.

  • Will you be 24 or older by Dec. 31 of the school year for which you are applying for financial aid?
  • Will you be working toward a master’s or doctorate degree (such as M.A., M.B.A., M.D., J.D., Ph.D., Ed.D., etc.)?
  • Are you married or separated but not divorced?
  • Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you?
  • Do you have dependents (other than children or a spouse) who live with you and receive more than half of their support from you?
  • At any time since you turned age 13, were both of your parents deceased, were you in foster care (A temporary living arrangement for dependent children when their parent(s) or another relative cannot take care of them), or were you a ward or dependent of the court?
  • Are you an emancipated minor (An individual (under the age of 18) who has legally been determined to be an adult by a court in his or her state of legal residence) or are you in a legal guardianship (A relationship created by court order, through which the court appoints an individual other than a minor’s parent to take care of the minor. A legal guardian is not considered a parent on the student’s FAFSA form. In fact, a student in legal guardianship does not need to report parent information on the FAFSA form because he or she is considered an independent student) as determined by a court?
  • Are you an unaccompanied youth who is homeless (An individual is considered homeless if he or she lacks fixed, regular and adequate housing. You may be homeless if you are living in a shelter, park, motel or car, or temporarily living with other people because you have nowhere else to go. Also, if you are living in any of these situations and fleeing an abusive parent you may be considered homeless when completing your FAFSA form even if your parent would provide support and a place to live) or self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?
  • Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. armed forces for purposes other than training?
  • Are you a veteran of the U.S. armed forces?

If none of the criteria listed above apply to you, you may be considered a dependent student (A student who does not meet any of the criteria for an independent student. An independent student is one of the following: at least 24 years old, married, a graduate or professional student, a veteran, a member of the armed forces, an orphan, a ward of the court, someone with legal dependents other than a spouse, an emancipated minor or someone who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless) and may be required to provide your parents’ financial information when completing the FAFSA. If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may be an independent student (An independent student is one of the following: at least 24 years old, married, a graduate or professional student, a veteran, a member of the armed forces, an orphan, a ward of the court, or someone with legal dependents other than a spouse, an emancipated minor or someone who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless). You may not be required to provide parental information on your FAFSA.

The federal student aid programs are based on the concept that it is primarily your and your family’s responsibility to pay for your education. A dependent student is assumed to have the support of parents, so the parents’ information has to be assessed along with the student’s, in order to get a full picture of the family’s financial strength. If you’re a dependent student, it doesn’t mean your parents are required to pay anything toward your education; this is just a way of looking at everyone in a consistent manner.

Parental information must be provided by your birth parents or adoptive parents. Parental information cannot be provided by grandparents, legal guardians, or foster parents.

If you meet certain special circumstances, you may be able to complete the FAFSA with your information only. If you are unable to provide parental information due to one of the circumstances listed below, you may complete and submit the FAFSA with only the information about you and your finances and leave parental information blank:

  • You have no contact with your parents and do not know where they are (and you have not been adopted by someone else); or
  • You have left home due to an abusive situation; or
  • Your parents are incarcerated; or
  • You are homeless or at risk of being homeless but are unable to answer ‘Yes’ to questions 56, 57 or 58

Your FAFSA will not be complete until the financial aid office verifies and approves your circumstances. If you do not meet any of the above conditions, but still feel that you have special circumstances, you should contact the financial aid office to discuss your family situation.

The following reasons do not constitute a change in dependency status:

  • The student chooses not to live with parents
  • The student chooses to live with other relatives
  • The student has no communication with the parents
  • The parents refuse to contribute to the student’s education
  • The student will not qualify for aid if the parent’s income is used
  • The parents refuse to provide required information
  • The parents live out of state

Parent Refusal

The U.S. Department of Education regulations give schools the authority to allow a dependent student to borrow a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan when the student’s parents have ended all financial support and have refused to complete and sign a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In order to make this decision, the Financial Aid Office must verify that the parents have ended all financial support and refuse to file the FAFSA. Please contact the Glen Oaks Financial Aid Office for questions and information about required documentation.

Financial Aid Re-evaluations & Appeals

Request for Reevaluation of Aid Eligibility

Circumstances that will be considered include:

  1. Loss of income (wages, benefits, etc) because of unemployment (job loss/employment change), change in healthcare costs, or change in parents’ marital status;
  2. High unreimbursed medical and/or dental expenses;
  3. Unreimbursed elementary or secondary private school tuition for children with special needs;
  4. Business loss (because of bankruptcy, foreclosure, or natural disaster);
  5. High cost of attendance because of circumstances such as higher than usual book or supply expenses or child care costs.

    Note: The cost of attendance can only be adjusted for child care expenses if the student is [1] single and provides at least 51% of the child’s support; [2] married, with a spouse/partner who is employed at least 20 hours per week; or [3] married, with a spouse/partner who is also a student.

If you wish to present your special circumstance(s) to the Financial Aid Office, you should complete a Special Circumstance Appeal form available in the Glen Oaks Financial Aid Office.

If after completing the appeal process you feel the situation warrants further consideration, you may ask for a review and consultation with the Director of Financial Aid.


How to Appeal a Financial Aid Decision

If you have a question or concern regarding a financial aid policy or decision, you may request a consultation with the Director of Financial Aid.

Grants, Scholarships, Work-study Employment, Federal Loans

Year Round Pell Grant

The Department of Education has announced that students that are eligible for Pell Grant may be able to receive a third disbursement of Pell Grant. Glen Oaks Community College will implement “Year Round Pell Grant” beginning in the summer of 2018.

Students must be eligible for Pell Grant as determined by the Department of Education, and must be enrolled at least half‐time for the summer semester. Half‐time enrollment is six credit hours for undergraduate students.

It is important to note that this change will not result in extra Pell Grant being awarded to a student over the course of their undergraduate enrollment. The maximum time frame that eligible students may receive Pell Grant is for the equivalent of twelve (12) full‐time semesters. In the past, a full‐time student could receive only two disbursements per year. Now that student will be able to receive up to three Pell disbursements in one academic year.

For a comprehensive description of all the different aid available, please visit the following pages: Grants, Loans, Scholarships, and Work-Study

Reporting Additional Financial Aid Resources

Students are required by federal regulations to report all sources of financial assistance to the Financial Aid Office. All resources of aid must be included in the student’s financial aid award package to ensure an over award has not occurred. In general, if you receive outside aid (including scholarships from Glen Oaks), it will first be applied against any costs that have not been accounted for in your financial aid package (i.e., the gap, if one exists, between the cost of attendance and your EFC plus the financial aid offered). Next, it will be used to reduce your loan or Work-Study award, thus reducing the funds you must borrow or earn by working.

Late Financial Aid Awards

Awards made by the Financial Aid Office or notification of additional aid by the student or an outside source after the initial award letter is mailed may result in the adjustment of awards. Adjustments are made to ensure compliance with individual program requirements and to avoid over awards in the total award package.

Applying for Financial Aid

For detailed information about applying for financial aid, please see our Apply for Aid page.

Disbursement of Awards

Glen Oaks Student Account

Grants, scholarships, and loans administered by the Financial Aid Office are first applied directly to your student account to pay tuition, fees, and other college charges. Financial aid awarded for a specific term can only pay for charges for that same term.

Aid That Exceeds Your Institutional Charges

Students whose financial aid exceeds the charges on their student account will receive a refund on their account, which may be used to pay other educationally related expenses. The refund will be in the form of a check and will be mailed to your current address on file with the Glen Oaks Registration Office. Financial aid refunds are paid (disbursed) to you no sooner than 4 weeks after classes begin.

Thereafter, students will receive their aid within two weeks after they have:

  1. Responded to all requests for additional information.
  2. Enrolled (not wait listed). Some scholarships require full-time enrollment before disbursement. Being wait-listed for a course does not count toward your enrollment level.

    Note: Aid awarded for a specific term will only be disbursed to you during that same term.

  3. Completed/signed all loan paperwork, if applicable:
    • If you have Direct Loans, you must complete your Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) online at StudentLoans.gov website to receive your funds. If you previously signed a Direct Loan MPN, you do not need to sign another one to receive Direct Loan funds. First-time Direct Loan borrowers who are first-year students must also complete Loan Entrance Counseling.

    Note: All loans are disbursed in TWO payments.

  4. Student loan borrowers that have completed their degree/certificate or are not planning to return to GOCC, must complete Loan Exit Counseling online. A hold will be placed on the students account and transcripts will not be available until the process is completed.

Work Study Employment

Work-Study awards are earned as wages by working in positions with eligible employers. Wages are typically paid bi-weekly. Students who are interested in community service may find a number of positions available through the Work-Study program.

Private Scholarship Checks

  • If your scholarship check is sent to the College, it will be directly applied to your student account, one-half in the Fall Term, one-half in the Winter Term, unless otherwise specified by the scholarship sponsor. Payments are usually processed within four weeks of the start of each term, upon full-time registration. If the payment creates a credit balance on your student account, the credit will be released to you by check.
  • If your scholarship check is sent directly to you, but it is made out to the College, you should take it or send it to the Financial Aid Office for processing.
  • If your scholarship check is sent directly to you, and it is made co-payable to you and the College, endorse the check and submit it to the Financial Aid Office.
  • If your check is made payable to you only, it is your responsibility to report this resource to the Financial Aid Office to apply any funds necessary to your student account.

Student Terms & Conditions

When you accept the offer of financial aid specified in your award letter, you agree to accept and fulfill all of the following responsibilities, including the terms and conditions set by the federal regulations for financial aid. You can see the full details on our Student Terms & Conditions page.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Please review the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy in our catalog.

Repeat Classes

Federal Financial Aid Repeat Course Policy

Effective July 1, 2011, due to changes in federal regulations the Financial Aid Office is required to monitor and adjust a student’s enrollment level for Title IV aid if, or when, they repeat course work for credit that they have already earned. Students can retake courses and receive federal aid if they had previously failed a course, but can only receive financial aid twice for a course that has been previously passed. A passing grade is defined as 1.0 or higher. Please note that the repeat course policy for financial aid is separate from institutional academic polices regarding repeat courses.

The policy allows a student to receive financial aid under the following situations:

  • To repeat any failed or withdrawn course until a passing grade is received.
  • To repeat one time any course in which they originally received a passing grade.

Note: Regardless of the outcome (i.e. fail or withdrawal) courses are not eligible to be covered by financial aid after a 2nd attempt has been made for a course that has at any time previously earned a passing grade.

Refund Policy & Return of Title IV Funds

Institutional Refund Policy

Glen Oaks has a tuition refund policy that stipulates the amount of tuition and fees that are refunded to a student who withdraws from all classes during a term. The Registrar’s Office determines specific refund dates each term and publishes them in the semester class schedules. The chart below shows the amount of tuition and fees returned to a student, depending upon when the student withdraws.

Students must immediately notify the Registration Office that they are withdrawing by following specific withdrawal procedures posted in the Glen Oaks Catalog, on the web site, and in the semester schedule.

Time of Withdrawal % of Charges Refunded
Before the 1st day of class 100% tuition; 100% fees
Registration period and the first 10% of the academic period 100% tuition; 100% fees
After the first 10% of the academic period 0% tuition; 0% fees

Financial Aid Return of Title IV (Federal) Policy

The federal government mandates that students who withdraw or do not complete all classes may only keep the financial aid they have “earned” up to the time of withdrawal. Title IV funds that have been disbursed in excess of the earned amount must be returned by the college and/or the student to the federal government. Thus the student could owe aid funds to the college, the government, or both. The federal policy requires a return of Title IV aid if the student received funds from any of the federal programs and withdrew, or stopped attending, on or before completing 60% of the semester. After the 60% point, no return of funds is required. To determine the amount of aid the student has earned up to the time of withdrawal, the Financial Aid Office divides the number of calendar days the student has attended classes by the total number of calendar days in the semester (minus any scheduled breaks of 5 days or more). The resulting percentage is then multiplied by the total federal funds that were disbursed (either to the student’s account or to the student directly by check) for the semester.

This calculation determines the amount of aid earned by the student that he or she may keep (for example, if the student attended 25% of the term, the student will have earned 25% of the aid disbursed). The unearned amount (total aid disbursed minus the earned amount) must be returned to the federal government by the college and/or the student. The Financial Aid Office will notify and provide instructions to students who are required to return funds to the government.

Determination of Last Date of Attendance:

There are two types of withdrawals that fall under the return of Title IV (R2T4) federal regulations:

  1. Official Withdrawal: A student can withdraw from all courses for a semester only in-person by completing the appropriate paperwork required by the Registration Office located in Student Services. If a student withdraws from all of his or her courses for a semester, the date of the last withdrawal status will be used in the R2T4 calculation.
  2. Unofficial Withdrawal: If a student begins to attend classes, receives federal Title IV aid, but then ceases to attend all classes without withdrawing from the courses, the Federal Government considers this to be an “unofficial withdrawal.” For Title IV purposes, faculty members will be asked to document the student’s last date of academic contact. The latest last date of academic contact will be used in the R2T4 calculation. If the faculty does not provide a last date of academic contact, the midpoint of the semester will be used.

Some students may have a mixture of unofficial and official withdrawals from courses. In all cases, the latest date will be used in the R2T4 calculation. Students whose circumstances require that they withdraw from all classes are strongly encouraged to contact the Financial Aid Office and their academic advisor before doing so. At that time, the consequences of withdrawing from all classes can be explained and clearly illustrated. The financial aid office can provide refund examples and further explain this policy to students and parents.

Allocating Returned Title IV (Federal) Aid

Funds that are returned to the federal government are used to reimburse the individual federal programs from which the student received the aid. Financial aid returned (by the college and/or the student or parent) must be allocated, in the following order, up to the net amount disbursed from each source:

  1. Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loan
  2. Federal Subsidized Direct Loan
  3. Federal Direct PLUS (Parent) Loan or Grad PLUS Loan
  4. Federal Pell Grant
  5. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

Note: Students that received financial assistance from a non-federal source, (i.e., private scholarship, Glen Oaks scholarship, etc.) may be required to return a portion of the funds to the source, depending on the terms of the scholarship. Glen Oaks Community College will bill the student for the over-payment amount. Financial Aid eligibility will be suspended and a Business Office hold will be in effect until over-payment amount is paid in full.

Post-Withdrawal Disbursement If a student has accepted his/her federal aid and it has not disbursed, the reason for the non-disbursal will be ascertained. If any of the following conditions have been met below, the aid will be included in the “Aid that Could Have Disbursed” section of the calculation to determine if a post-withdrawal disbursement is due;

  1. Federal Pell Grant: ISIR received date with an “official” EFC preceding the withdrawal date and student meets all other eligibility criteria.
  2. FSEOG: Aid was awarded prior to withdrawal date.
  3. Direct PLUS, Subsidized and Unsubsidized: Loans had originated prior to withdrawal date and Master Promissory Note (MPN) was signed prior to R2T4 calculation date.

If the post-withdrawal disbursement calculation indicates that a post-withdrawal disbursement is due from grant funds and the student has outstanding institutional charges, the funds are automatically applied to the student’s billing account. If the calculation indicates that a post-withdrawal disbursement is due from loan funds, or grant funds remain available after being applied to outstanding institutional charges, the student/parent is sent a letter notifying him/her of the amount available. The student/parent is asked to return the letter within 14 days indicating whether he/she wishes to receive the aid and if so, the amount. The R2T4 disbursement will be made as soon as possible, but no later than 45 days after the date that GOCC determines that the student withdrew.

A school may not make a Post-Withdrawal Disbursement to the account or estate of a student who has died. Also a student’s estate is not required to return any Title IV funds.

R2T4 refunds will be calculated throughout the semester. GOCC will notify the student of the results of their calculation within 45 days of the student’s last withdrawal or the date GOCC is aware of the student’s last date of attendance.

Student Cost of Attendance

The Financial Aid Office establishes standard student budgets each year as a basis for awarding financial aid funds. These budgets reflect typical “modest but adequate” expense patterns of Glen Oaks Community College students based on research conducted by the Financial Aid Office. While actual expenses will vary, the estimated costs listed below should assist you in planning your budget. The estimated budgets for the Fall/Winter and Summer terms are published annually. The Fall/Winter estimates are updated in June, after actual tuition and fees are determined for the coming year. Below you will find a cost of attendance for Glen Oaks Community College. Included in the totals are tuition and fees (fees are assessed by contact hours), books and supplies, living expenses (room & board), transportation, and personal/miscellaneous expenses.

Tuition rates vary by residency. In-District includes St. Joseph County residents. Service Area Residents include Cass County, Calhoun County, White Pigeon or Constantine School Districts, Branch County, Kalamazoo County, and LaGrange, Elkhart, Steuben, and St. Joseph counties of Indiana. All other areas are considered State of Michigan or Out of State Residents. If you are an International student, please see details in the college catalog located on our website.

2023-24 Cost of Attendance

Academic Degrees

Please visit the Programs of Study page for full, detailed information about all of our available programs.

Accreditation

Please visit our Accreditation page for information about our accreditation status.

Student Retention

Please see our IPEDS Data Feedback Report (PDF) for up-to-date information on Student Retention and Graduation numbers.

Graduation and Retention Rates for Student Athletes

This must be provided to student-athletes, their parents, high school coaches, and guidance counselors when an athletically related student aid offer is made. For information, contact the Athletic Department at 269-294-4215.

Athletic Program Participation and Financial Support

Glen Oaks is committed to providing equitable athletic opportunities for its male and female students. Please review the Student Outcomes area of our Student Disclosures page for more detailed information on Equity in Athletics.

Facilities & Services Available to Disabled Students

Please see the Disability Support Services page for a complete listing of facilities and services available to disabled students.

Program Completions

For a full listing, please see our Course Completion Rates (PDF) for up-to-date information on Program Completion numbers.

College Policies

Please review our Student Policies & Handbooks page for a full listing of all polices, procedures, and handbooks for Glen Oaks students.

Student Complaint Process

Occasionally a student will encounter a problem on campus that he or she does not know how to resolve. When this happens, students should always try to work out the problem by first discussing it with those most involved with the issue. Dealing with concerns in the most direct and honest fashion should always be the first step toward resolution. Most issues are settled and problems resolved when a student makes an appointment with a faculty or staff member and calmly and honestly communicates their frustration or concern.

If, however, an issue or problem is not resolved, there is a formal complaint process at GOCC that students may initiate. All formal complaints must be submitted in writing.

For complaints regarding college faculty or program integrity, students should contact the Administrative Assistant to the Vice President of Academics and Extended Learning for a packet of information that describes the student concern process and outlines steps in mediation. The Administrative Assistant is located in the Administrative Offices on campus and at 269-294-4308. For more information please see the Student Concern Procedure.

For general concerns or complaints or for Code of Conduct violations, please complete one of the forms located on the Report A Concern page. The VP of Students (or his/her designee) will review the report and investigate the concern.

Accreditation Complaints

For information regarding accreditation, please visit our Accreditation page. As required by the Department of Education as of October 29, 2010 regulations (34 C.F.R. 668.43), the following information is provided for complaints that are unresolved after addressing them at the College as described above. The Higher Learning Commission will take complaints related to general practices that may affect accreditation. To get more specific information, contact the HLC at 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604-1411 or visit the Higher Learning Commission website.

Consumer Protection Complaints

If the unresolved complaint is a consumer protection issue, contact the Attorney General at the Consumer Protection Division, P.O. Box 30213, Lansing, MI 48909-7713 or visit the State of Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs website. The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs’ Corporations, Security & Commercial Licensing Bureau is the agency designated to review complaints against institutions of higher education providing online education. Complaints concerning MCCC’s online education activities regulated by Michigan’s Higher Education Authorization and Distance Education Reciprocal Exchange Act (2015 PA 45) may be directed to the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau, P.O. Box 30018, Lansing, MI 48909 through the process described in the Post-Secondary Student Complaints document Adobe PDF file icon.Students who do not reside in Michigan may contact the authority in their home state, which may be found on the website of the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association Adobe PDF file icon.

If the unresolved complaint involves an active duty service member or veteran of the U.S. military, contact the DoD Post-Secondary Education Complaint System.

Cohort Default Rates

Glen Oaks Community College provides the following information regarding our institution’s cohort default rate for federal student loans. A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school’s borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL) or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year. For more details on how cohort default rates are calculated please refer to the Cohort Default Rate Guide, which is a comprehensive publication that the U.S. Department of Education publishes. The U.S. Department of Education releases official cohort default rates once per year. Sanctions can apply to schools with high official cohort default rates.
School Sanctions (34 CFR 668.206)
A school’s three most recent official cohort default rates are 30.0 percent or greater for the three-year CDR calculation. Except in the event of a successful adjustment or appeal, such a school will lose Direct Loan and Federal Pell Grant program eligibility for the remainder of the fiscal year in which the school is notified of its sanctions and for the following two fiscal years.
A school’s current official cohort is greater than 40.0 percent, for the three-year CDR calculation. Except in the event of a successful adjustment or appeal, such a school will lose Direct Loan program eligibility for the remainder of the fiscal year in which the school is notified of its sanction and for the following two fiscal years.

Note: A school is not subject to the loss of Federal Pell Grant Program eligibility if, prior to October 7, 1998, the school requested in writing to withdraw from or lost its eligibility to participate in the FFEL and/or Direct Loan programs and has not subsequently participated in the programs. In addition, a school is not subject to the loss of Federal Pell Grant Program eligibility if it did not certify any FFELs and/or originate any Direct Loans on or after July 7, 1998. A school that resumes participation in the FFEL or Direct Loan programs is no longer eligible for either of these Federal Pell Grant Program exemptions.

Fiscal Year Rate Type Numerator (# of defaults) Denominator (total in cohort) Cohort Default Rate (CDR) National Average CDR
2018 3 Year Official 20 116 17.2 7.3
2017 3 Year Official 32 132 24.2 9.7
2016 3 Year Official 27 157 17.1 10.1
2015 3 Year Official 38 189 20.1 10.8
2014 3 Year Official 71 293 24.2 11.5
2013 3 Year Official 82 402 20.3 11.3
2012 3 Year Official 55 280 19.6 11.8
2011 3 Year Official 46 259 17.7 13.7
2010 3 Year Official 30 172 17.4 14.7

For any questions regarding the cohort default rate, please contact the Financial Aid Office

Information prepared by the Financial Aid Office at Glen Oaks Community College.