Financial Aid Office Hours
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday limited services 8:00 a.m. to 12 noon,  opening 12 noon to 5:00 p.m.
Thursday open 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. with limited services 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Make your College experience even more affordable.

We believe that a lack of finances should not keep people from attending Highland Community College. Contact the Office of Financial Aid at 599-3519 with any questions.

Scholarships & Campus Aid

• The HCC Foundation offers over $250,000 in scholarships each year. You may download scholarship applications from our web site.
• Apply for a student worker position in our Career Services Center. Students may be paid to work up to 10 hours per week in a variety of on-campus assignments.

Federal Financial Aid

Highland students may be eligible for Federal financial aid. To learn more about federal financial aid awards, go to www.ed.gov and click on the department of education link and the financial aid tab.

Some of the aid options are listed below:

• Apply for federal financial aid including: Pell Grant, SEOG, Work Study, and Stafford Loans. Our Financial Aid Office will help you file the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form electronically or you can complete an application online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. We recommend you apply as early as possible. If you apply online, be sure to complete the application for the correct academic year and note the FAFSA deadline.
• Apply for a paid work-study position on HCC's campus.
• If necessary, apply for loans with the Financial Aid Office.
• Veteran's Assistance - G.I. Bill

Tax Credits

Taxpayers can claim one, or in some cases, two tax credits for expenses they pay for post-secondary education for themselves and their dependent children. These tax credits can directly reduce the amount of federal income tax.

• Hope Scholarship Credit
  A tax credit equal to all of the first $1,000 of tuition and fees (less scholarships, grants, and tax-free tuition benefits) and half of the next $1,000 of tuition and fees is available to parents of dependent students or to students who are not claimed as dependents on their parents’ return. The Hope credit can be claimed only for two tax years and applies only to the first two years of post-secondary education. Students must be enrolled at least halftime during at least one academic period that begins during the tax year and cannot have had a drug-felony conviction in a year that the credit applies.
• Lifetime Learning Credit
  This credit applies to tuition and fees for undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education course work. A family can claim on its tax return a credit equal to 20 percent of $10,000 in educational expenses; so the maximum benefit is $2,000 each tax year.

Eligible education expenses are offset by scholarships, grants, and other tax-free tuition benefits.
Education expenses paid for with tax-free grants, scholarships, and employer-education assistance are not eligible for either tax credit. Education expenses paid with loans are eligible for these tax credits. Taxpayers need to consult current IRS rules and/or their tax advisor for individual eligibility.

State Aid

The State of Illinois also offers a number of financial aid programs. To learn more about state programs, go to www.collegezone.com. If you completed the FAFSA form for federal aid and you are an Illinois resident, your information will be automatically forwarded to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to determine your eligibility for the Illinois MAP grant. Some of the state aid programs are listed below:

• MRS - Illinois Merit Recognition Scholarship
• MAP - Illinois Student Assistance Commission 

           Monetary Award Program
• IIA -  Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access

           Program
• IVG - Illinois Veteran’s Grant
• ING - Illinois National Guard Grant

Chargeback Tuition & Cooperative Agreements

Students living in the Highland Community College district who wish to pursue a degree or certificate that is not offered at Highland, but is offered at another Illinois community college, may apply to the Vice President of Academic and Student Services for a tuition chargeback. The chargeback allows the student to pay the “In-District” tuition rate at the other community college.

Veterans Educational Benefits

Many of Highland’s programs are approved for training of veterans and war orphans. We are also an approved training facility for members of the U.S. Military Reserve and Illinois National Guard. Veterans should apply for aid in the Financial Aid Office. If you served in the armed forces for more than one year, were a resident of Illinois for at least 6 months prior to service, returned to Illinois at least six months after discharge and have other than a dishonorable discharge, you may qualify for the following benefits:

• Illinois Veterans Grant
• G.I. Bill (Illinois residency not required)

Further information related to veteran eligibility is available in our College catalog.

Eligibility

The student must fulfill the following requirements to participate in financial aid programs:

1. Be a citizen of the United States or a permanent resident.
2. Be enrolled at HCC for at least six hours per semester (for most financial aid programs).
3. Be enrolled in an approved degree or program requiring 16 semester hours or more.
4. Maintain satisfactory academic progress toward a certificate or degree. (Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy Statement as it pertains to students receiving Financial Aid are available at the Financial Aid Office.)
5. Be a high school graduate or have earned a GED certificate or passed an Ability-to-Benefit (ATB) test.

You must complete the following forms each year to be considered for financial aid: