Financial Aid
A. Financial aid consists of grants, scholarships, loans and part-time job opportunities for students. It is designed to assist students and their families with paying for a student’s cost of education. Students must complete a FAFSA in order to be considered for financial aid.
A. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at www.fafsa.gov. You will need to sign the application with a PIN issued by the Department of Education. If you are providing parental information, one of your parents must also sign using a PIN. You can apply for a PIN at www.pin.ed.gov. CCRI’s Title IV Code is 004916. If you did not list CCRI’s Code on the initial application, you can go to the above website and add our school code. It is best to begin the application process as soon as possible after January 1st for the upcoming academic year. The deadline for filing your FAFSA application for the Rhode Island State Grant is March 1 and for the Massachusetts State Grant is May 1.
A. No. For most programs you need to be enrolled at least half-time. Some Pell recipients can receive a grant if they are enrolled less than half-time.
A. Students who need assistance filling out financial aid forms should contact the EOC (Educational Opportunity Center) Office. Representatives are available at each CCRI Campus.
The EOC schedule is:
Warwick Campus – Room 1040, Phone 825-2158
Monday - 9:00 - 4:00
Tuesday - 9:00-12:00
Wednesday - 9:00 – 4:00
Thursday - 9:00 – 12:00
Lincoln Campus – Room 1146, Phone 333-7012
Monday - 9:00 – 12:00
Tuesdays - 8:30 – 4:30
Wednesdays - 9:00 - 12:00
Newport Campus – Phone 851-1638
Thursday - 9:00-4:00
Providence Campus – Room 2254, Phone 455-6028
Monday - Friday 8:30 - 4:30
A. Yes. CCRI does offer a payment plan for students. Please contact the Bursar’s Office on any of the campuses to inquire about the EasyPay Deferred Payment plan. Students who are registered for courses and have not completed the financial aid process, should consider EasyPay as a payment option to avoid the drop for non payment.
A. Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is calculated using the income information
you provide on your FAFSA. The EFC is the amount the Department of Education determines
you can reasonably contribute towards your education.
Cost of attendance (COA) - Expected Family Contribution= Financial Need.
A. Verification is a process initiated by the U.S. Department of Education requiring you (and your parents, if you are a dependent student) to submit copies of official IRS federal tax return transcripts and any other required forms to the Financial Aid Office. Applicants are encourage to utilize the Data Retrieval Tool on FAFSA instead of submitting transcripts. If you are chosen for verification, your financial aid will not be finalized until all required documentation has been submitted and reviewed. About 30% of all financial aid applicants are selected at random each year for verification when their FAFSA is processed as well as those students selected by the college.
A. Check the status of your financial aid and/or documents required for your file through yourMyCCRI account.
A. Once your file is reviewed, we will send you an award notification through your MyCCRIaccount. Your award is based on full-time status and may be adjusted at the end of the add/drop period.
A. Complete the FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov
B. Once your file is reviewed, a loan may be awarded if grant funds are not sufficient
to meet your educational expenses. Student must be enrolled for at least half-time
(6 credits) at the time of disbursement to remain eligible for a loan.
C. First-time borrowers at CCRI must accept the loan through your MyCCRI account and then complete Entrance Counseling and a Master Promissory Note at www.studentloans.gov.
A. If your financial aid award exceeds your bill, you may be entitled to receive a refund. Refunds for the Fall and Spring semesters are generally disbursed in October and March. Summer refunds are disbursed by July. If you are only enrolled in Summer Session I, refunds may be processed earlier.
A. Yes. If an instructor reports you as a No Show (“NS”), you are not considered enrolled in the class. Your financial aid award may be adjusted.
A. Initial financial aid awards are based on full-time enrollment. Any classes added or dropped during the add/drop period may result in an adjustment in your financial aid award package.
A. Yes. A student must have a cumulative Financial Aid GPA of 2.0 or higher and must
earn 67% of all credits attempted. The maximum timeframe for completion of a program
may not exceed 150% of the program length. All attempted credits, including credits
earned at other colleges and accepted towards your current program of study, incomplete
grades, withdrawals and repeats, are counted toward the calculation of satisfactory
academic progress (SAP). Students who are not making SAP have the right to appeal if there are extenuating circumstances.
(www.ccri.edu/oes/fa/academic_progress.html)
A. The Federal Financial Aid Title IV Refund Policy requires colleges to calculate how much federal aid a student has earned if they withdraw or stop attending prior to completing more than 60% of the semester. Students may have to return a portion of the aid received, as well as owe the college a portion of the tuition and fees.
A. No. According to Federal Regulations a student must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progressin order to be eligible for the Federal College Work Study Program.
A. You are responsible for notifying the Financial Aid Office of any outside assistance. Additional financial assistance would include (but is not limited to) the following:
If you receive additional financial assistance, the College reserves the right to revise or cancel your awards as necessary.
A. If you or your family have experienced any unusual circumstances (divorce, death of a parent, loss of employment, loss of income or benefits, homelessness, unusually high medical expenses, military service, natural disaster, etc.) please contact the financial aid office, as this may affect your need for financial aid. A financial aid officer may be able to use professional judgment to adjust your financial aid eligibility.
A. Check Important Financial Aid Dates on the website for bookstore authorization dates.
A. If you are eligible for a bookstore authorization, you will be able to view the amount on yourMyCCRI account. To view your bookstore authorization:
A. Your bookstore authorization is determined by your enrollment status and authorized financial aid minus tuition and fees. Bookstore authorizations range from $25.00 up to a maximum of $600.00 (Certain Allied Health programs may have a higher amount authorized).
A. Yes, as long as you have completed all the steps required for your loan (see “What is the process to apply for a loan”) and will be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits) at the time of disbursement. If the amount of your direct loan is more than your tuition and fees (see above “How much is my bookstore authorization”) you may be eligible for a bookstore authorization.
A. If your bookstore authorization is not posted; check the following before calling or visiting campus:
A. The actual amount charged in the bookstore will be deducted from your financial aid award. If there are no other college charges, any credit balance will be issued as a refund.
A. Textbooks, reference books, and related educational supplies sold in the bookstore can be purchased using a bookstore authorization. Bookstore authorizations cannot be used to purchase gift cards.
A. Yes.
A. Contact the campus bookstore.
If your question was not answered above, you may submit your question directly to the Financial Aid Office by clicking here.
This page developed and maintained by Financial Aid. Send comments and suggestions to ccrifafaq@ccri.edu .