Schools

BCCC Hosting Financial Aid Forum

Wednesday's forum is free and open to the public. It will be held on the Newtown Campus.

is hosting a Financial Aid Information Night Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Newtown Campus’ Gateway Auditorium.

The forum is free and will guide parents and students on how to complete federal forms to apply for financial aid at any college or university.

“We’ll go over the FAFSA line by line,” explained Donna Wilkoski, the college’s Director of Financial Aid.  “People look at the (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form and feel it’s overwhelming the first time they do it. But it’s the best way to find out if you qualify for aid, and the earlier you file, the better.”

Find out what's happening in Bensalemwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The FAFSA must be filled out annually by college students and their parents to determine eligibility for federal financial aid. In addition, many states and schools use the information on the form to decide nonfederal-aid awards, such as institutional grants and scholarships.

Tobias Bruhn, executive director of the Bucks County Community College Foundation, will give a presentation about scholarship opportunities available at BCCC. Each year, BCCC distributes more than 150 scholarships and awards. Most of the funds come from the BCCC Foundation, a nonprofit educational trust.

Find out what's happening in Bensalemwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

At the forum, representatives from BCCC’s Financial Aid office will discuss the types of aid offered through both the federal government and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA).  

“There’s a wide range of financial aid available. It all depends on a student’s situation,” Wilkoski said. “For instance, everyone can apply for a federal student loan. Then grants are dependent on income, household size, number of siblings, and other factors. Even at BCCC, more than one-third of our students receive some sort of aid.” 

Tuition at BCCC is $111 a credit for county residents. Most credits transfer to four-year colleges and universities. 

For more information about Financial Aid Information Night, call BCCC's Financial Aid office at215-968-8200. In case of bad weather, the program will take place Wednesday, Feb. 15.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here