Financial Information

Westchester Community College, because of its substantial support from the State University of New York and Westchester County, is able to maintain relatively low tuition and fees.

Residence Requirements

(Foreign students on the following visas do not qualify for the residence rate: F (student), B1, B2, B1/2 (visitor), J1, J2 (exchange), C1, C1/D, C2, C3, D, F2, H2A, H2B, H3, H4 if on H2/H3, M1, M2, NATO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 02, P1, P2, P3, P4, Q, R1, R2,TN,TD visas.)

In order to qualify for the lower resident tuition rate,* students on visas other than those listed above MUST:

Be a resident of New York State for at least one year and be a permanent resident of Westchester County for at least six months

or

Qualify for the resident tuition rate under New York State July 2002 legislation for undocumented and out-of-status students.

or

Present a Certificate of Residence issued by the Chief Fiscal Officer of your home county in New York State.

A New York State Resident whose legal residence is not Westchester County must present a Certificate of Residence signed by the Chief Fiscal Officer of his/her county of residence at the time of registration or pay the non-resident tuition rate.

If you have resided in more than one county in New York State during the last six months, you must obtain a Certificate of Residence from each county.

Students who live outside of New York State must pay the non-resident tuition rate.

A signed Certificate is valid for only one year from the date of issue. See the current Course Schedule for a Certificate of Residence Application. Please check with the Chief Fiscal Officer of your home county concerning the issue date.

Note: A person does not acquire a New York State Domicile (Legal Residence) simply by being physically present in New York State for a period of 12 months or for the sole purpose of attending a New York State College or University.

Fees for Valhalla-Campus Students

 
Please Note: Full-time tuition covers 12 credits or more—there is no additional fee for taking more than 12 credits. However, if you wish to enroll for more than 19 credit hours in one semester, you must obtain permission from the curriculum chairperson and the appropriate Academic Dean.

Fees for Off-Campus Students

 
Other Fees Which May Apply

* Applies only to students in Dietetic Technology, Human Services, Nursing, Radiologic Technology, and Respiratory Care. All students taking Hematology must pay a one-time malpractice fee. The fee is for the academic year (September-August) or any part thereof.

Payment is accepted in cash, by VISA, MasterCard or Discover credit cards, by personal check and by financial aid voucher. Tuition and fees may change without notice. Visa, MasterCard and Discover credit cards are accepted for online payments.

Students may apply for and receive a refund upon completion of a refund request form, under the following conditions:

• If the course is dropped prior to the first day of the semester, there will be a 100% refund of tuition and refundable fees.
• If the course is dropped during the first three weeks of classes, the student may receive a percentage of tuition only (not fees), according to the schedule below. Refunds are calculated on a net of activity by week during the refund period. The refund schedule applies to all registrants, including those who are permitted to register late.

In the event of cancelled courses, 100% of tuition will be refunded. Refunds require up to four weeks to process through the Business Office.

The college encourages all students to apply for financial aid. The Financial Aid staff of professionals conducts numerous workshops to assist with the financial aid application process. Counselors are also available to meet with students and parents regarding policies and procedures. In addition, the office is staffed by a Veteran’s Counselor to help veterans obtain pertinent veteran educational benefits while in attendance at the college.

The college is certified to participate in most Federal Financial Aid Programs such as the PELL Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Federal Academic Competitive Grant (ACG), Federal Work Study (FWS) and Federal Direct Loan Programs (Student Federal Direct Loan and Parent Federal Direct Loan [PLUS]).

State Financial Aid Programs such as the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), Aid for Part-time Study (APTS), Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) and the SUNY Empire State/Diversity Honors Scholarship (ESDHS) Program are also available at Westchester Community College.

Most financial aid programs are based on the philosophy that financial aid awarded to the student is intended to supplement, not replace, student and parental responsibility/contribution. Thus, apart from meeting eligibility requirements specific to each program, students, in most cases, must demonstrate need. Need is defined as the cost of education minus family contribution.

Information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is based on the student’s and family’s prior year income data, e.g. for the 2009-2010 financial aid year, the 2008 income and family data should be used. This data is derived from information the student submits on the FAFSA. The data is run through a formula established by the U.S. Congress. Students should be aware that the determination of how much a family is considered to be able to contribute to education takes into account several factors such as family income (both taxable and non-taxable), family assets, family size, age of the head of the household, and number of family members attending college on at least a half-time basis. This does not always reflect what the family may feel that it is able or willing to contribute. Information on the FAFSA is the first step in determining a student’s eligibility for all federal aid and for most state programs. Results of the calculation made from the information submitted on the FAFSA are used to determine a student’s financial aid need.

Cost of education includes tuition, mandatory fees, books, transportation, room and board, and personal expenses.

General Financial Aid Guidelines

In order to qualify for financial aid, students must be enrolled in an approved degree or certificate program and be pursuing courses in a declared major. There are specific state and federal eligibility requirements for aid. Generally, to be eligible for federal aid students must be U.S. citizens or eligible citizens such as permanent residents.  State aid requires that students meet state residency requirements. Level of enrollment also determines the type and quantity of aid you may receive.  Federal and State guidelines also mandate that aid recipients meet specific pursuit and progress standards measured by courses attempted, courses completed and grade point average achieved within a specific time frame.

For a very detailed description of specific aid programs, application procedures and eligibility requirements, visit the Financial Aid section of the college web site at www.sunywcc.edu/finaid.

References

Students requiring additional information on financial aid are referred to the following sources:

1. The Federal Student Aid Handbook prepared by the Department of Education.
2. Student Guide prepared by the Department of Education.
3. Paying for college which is prepared by NYSHESC.
4. Refer to the following web pages www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/Students (for more information on federal student aid programs).
5. Refer to www.hesc.com for more information on state aid programs.

Students requesting additional information on financial aid should come to the Student Financial Assistance Office where all current regulations on federal and state aid are available.

Students requesting additional information on financial aid should come to the Student Financial Assistance Office where all current regulations on federal and state aid are available.

Please note: Rules and regulations on federal and state aid as well as college policy are subject to change.
 

Many needs of Westchester Community College and its students cannot be met by public funds. The Westchester Community College Foundation was established to help meet these needs. Providing scholarships to students and enriching the educational life and environment of the college are primary objectives of the Foundation.

Since 1969, the Foundation has directly helped more than 12,000 students advance their education through scholarships and grants.

As part of its mission, the Foundation works to develop support from individuals, local businesses, corporations, and foundations to provide scholarships and awards for: incoming, continuing, and graduating students.

• Incoming Students – Recent high school graduates or other students who have little or no post-high school education.
   
• Continuing Students – Those who have completed some academic work at Westchester Community College or other institutions beyond high school, and who have at least one semester of study remaining at Westchester Community College.
   
• Graduating Students – Students who graduated (or will graduate) in the fall, spring or summer of the current academic year.

For more information about obtaining scholarships students should visit the Scholarships section of the college web site, call the Scholarship Office at 914-606-6442, or email the office at scholarships@sunywcc.edu.

Other Scholarship Opportunities

The Foundation does not maintain comprehensive information about scholarships from other institutions.  Students seeking such information should contact:

• Civic Groups such as Lions and Rotary Clubs
• Labor Unions
• Your Church or Synagogue
• Your School District
• Your Community Development Center