Paying with Financial Aid

When does financial aid pay for my courses?

The entire financial aid process must be complete in order for your award to pay for your courses. This includes:

Applying online at FAFSA® Application | Federal Student Aid
Gateway receiving your FAFSA, and there are no errors or corrections
Completing the verification process (if selected for verification)
Receiving your financial aid award (via myCommNet)

Gateway Community College’s automated process to update the amount of your award is performed nightly. In most cases, you will not be able to see the impact of today’s registration activity on myCommNet until the following day. Any adjustments made on a student’s account usually take 24 hours to reflect the change.

How will I know I have completed the process?

You can check the status of your Financial Aid online at myCommNet.

How do I know if financial aid will pay for all my courses?

You will need to compare the amount of your award against the cost of tuition and fees for the semester. For example, if you are eligible for the full Pell Grant, you would receive $3447.50 for the semester ($6,895 for the year) as a full-time student. Tuition and fees for the semester equate to $2,298 as a full-time student. Thus, there would be funds remaining for the purchasing of course materials.

If the amount of your authorized financial aid is higher than your account charges, you will not be dropped from your courses for non-payment.

You are responsible for paying any portion of your bill that is not covered by your financial aid award. Additionally, you will be held immediately responsible for full payment of the total balance due, regardless of when the change occurs, for the following reasons:

If your financial aid is not awarded
If your financial aid award amount is reduced for any reason (such as reducing your course load)
If your authorization is rescinded later

If you are unable to adhere to the payment deadlines, please contact the Bursar immediately to avoid being dropped.

What if my financial aid is not complete when I register for courses?

If you have not completed the full financial aid process and have not received your award by the time you register for courses, then you must be prepared to make payments.

If it is before the tuition due date, you will be required to cover the fees for courses to hold your classes. Once your financial aid is complete, you will receive a refund of your fees if your award covers the cost of your courses.
If it is after the tuition due date, you will be required to cover the entire cost of tuition and fees to hold your classes, or to set up an installment plan with the Bursar. Once your financial aid is complete, you will receive a refund of your fees if your award covers the cost of your courses.

What happens if I add or drop classes?

Please keep in mind that the formula for calculating your award amount considers the number of credits you are registered for. Your award amount will be recalculated if you change your course load. Because it is common for a student receiving financial aid to owe money to the college after dropping a course, you are strongly advised to contact the Financial Aid Office before doing so.

Please note that a financial aid application does not guarantee eligibility for a financial aid award, nor does it exempt a student from payment.