Tuition and Fee Information

Residency

Tuition rates are determined by the legal residence of the student. Residence is defined as the place where the student lives and which is the student’s true permanent home.

In-District. A student who temporarily moves into the district for the purpose of attending the College at the lower in-district rate will not be considered as having established a bona fide residence within the district.

In-district tuition rates will be charged for the following:

1. Resident. Any student whose legal residence is within the boundaries of Black Hawk College District 503 for at least 30 days immediately preceding the date classes begin.
2. Emancipated Minor. A student under 18 years of age who is solely responsible for his/her support, whose parents did not claim him/her as a tax exemption for the current year, and who legally resides in the district.
3. Land annexation. When other areas are annexed to the College district, and when that annexation becomes effective in accordance with the Illinois Public Community College Act, students from such areas will also be classified as resident students.

The Black Hawk College In-District zone includes the following high school districts:
Alwood Community Unit District 225
Annawan Community Unit School District 226
Cambridge Community Unit School District 227
Erie Community School District 1
Galva Community Unit High School District 224
Geneseo Community Unit School District 228
Kewanee Community Unit High School Dist. 229
Mercer County School District 404
Moline School District 40
Orion Community Unit District 223
Riverdale Community Unit School District 100
Rock Island/Milan School District 41
Rockridge Community Unit School District 300
Sherrard Community Unit School District 200
Stark County Community Unit School District 100
United Township High School District 30
Wethersfield Unit School District 230

In addition, any individual who provides proof of full-time employment by a company located within the Black Hawk College District will pay the in-district tuition rate.

Dual Enrolled High School Students

Tuition rates for a course taught by a high school faculty member approved to teach post-secondary coursework are billed at a reduced rate of $30 per credit hour.  Aditional lab fees or book charges may also apply.

Tuition rates for a course taught by Black Hawk College faculty members are billed at that year’s full tuition rate.  Rate is based on residency. Additional lab fees or book charges may also apply. 

Out-of-District. Out-of-district tuition rates will be charged to students whose legal residence is outside the boundaries of Black Hawk College District 503, but within the State of Illinois.

Out-of-district residents who would like to attend Black Hawk College must file a “Notification of Intent to Attend a Recognized Illinois Public Community College” application with their local community college or high school.

Prospective students may obtain appropriate forms from their local high school district or community college district. Prospective students should file this form 30 days prior to the start of the term they plan on attending at Black Hawk College.

Out-of-State. Out-of-state tuition rates will be charged to students who have not established legal residence within the State of Illinois.

International Students. Students approved for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Form I-20 student status of registration at Black Hawk College pay out-of-state tuition for the entire time that they are enrolled.

Documentation of Residency. Students may be required to furnish legal evidence of their residency. If required, a student must submit two documents (one from each category below) to Enrollment Services at the Quad-Cities Campus or the East Campus. Each document must list the student’s name and residential address (not a Post Office box).

Documentation must be submitted at least 5 calendar days prior to the start of the semester. Regardless of the date a student registers, residency will not be changed during a term. If a residency change is needed, it will be effective for the next term at the time of registration.

Students who move from outside the State or district and who obtain residence in the State or district for reasons other than attending the community college shall be exempt from the 30-day requirement if they demonstrate through documentation a verifiable interest in establishing permanent residency.

Students who are currently under the legal guardianship of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services or have been recently emancipated from the Department and had a placement change into a new community college district shall be exempt from the 30-day requirement if they demonstrate proof of current in-district residency. Documentation of current residency may be submitted to the district from the student, a caseworker or other personnel of the Department, or the student’s attorney or guardian ad litem.

District Provisions. Students shall not be classified as residents of the district where attending even though they may have met the general 30-day residency provision if they are:

• federal job corps workers stationed in the district;
• inmates of State or federal correctional/rehabilitation institutions located in the district;
• full-time students attending a postsecondary educational institution in the district who have not demonstrated through documentation a verifiable interest in establishing permanent residency; or
• students attending under a chargeback or contractual agreement with another community college.

Special State Provisions. Students shall be classified as residents of the State without meeting the general 30-day residency provision if they are:

• federal job corps workers stationed in Illinois;
• members of the armed services stationed in Illinois;
• inmates of State correctional/rehabilitation institutions located in Illinois; or
• employed full time in Illinois.

For questions, please contact Enrollment Services at 309-796-5300.

*can be used for either category I or II - not both.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees are subject to change

Tuition Rate. For a current list of tuition rates, special class rates and course/lab specific fees, please see the College website at www.bhc.edu/tuition.

Application Fee
Any person who applies to attend regular, college coursework at Black Hawk College must pay a non-refundable $20 application fee. www.bhc.edu/apply Students who do not attend for two or more consecutive years are subject to the application fee at time of readmission to the College. BHC students who complete the GED program, high school program, or Bridge Program, at one of the BHC outreach centers are eligible for a waiver of the $20 application fee.

Commencement Ceremony Participation Fee. Students who submit a graduation application, indicating a desire to walk in the spring commencement ceremony, will be charged a $20 non-refundable fee to cover the cost of regalia and ceremony. This fee applies only to those students participating in one of our ceremonies.

Course fees: Fees are charged for courses for which materials and/or services are supplied by the College. This includes fees for some Science classes for the online Associate in Arts Degree. The fees for these courses are shown in the semester schedule of classes or on the website at www.bhc.edu/tuition.

Music Fees. In addition to the regular tuition, music lesson students will be assessed private lesson fees as published in the current schedule of classes.

Dual Credit Fees. Dual credit courses taught by High School instructors are charged a $30 fee per credit hour.

Tuition Waiver Administration Fees. There is a $30 per credit hour fee when tuition is waived. Students who receive Achievement Awards from Black Hawk College will be assessed an administration fee on a per credit hour basis. The tuition waiver administration fee does not apply to 3rd party scholarship awards.

Tuition waivered Black Hawk College scholarships include:

• Presidential Scholarships
• Athletics Scholarships
• Judging Teams Scholarships
• Equestrian Teams Scholarships
• Departmental Scholarships (Music/Art/Ag)
• VIVA, MLK, Bridges ESL Scholarships

Payment of Tuition and Fees. All tuition and fees are due and payable by established due dates, whether or not a bill was received by the student. Students will be dropped for non-payment if payment is not received. Black Hawk College will assess a late fee of $10 to all past due accounts.

Students participating in the deferred payment plan will also be assessed a late fee after each late scheduled payment.

Students applying for financial assistance should contact the Financial Aid Office. Please see the Financial Aid  section of this catalog for options.

Students documented as using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Ch. 33) or Veteran Readiness and Employment (Ch. 31) benefits may not have their classes dropped or late fees assessed if they meet the requirements outlined in the Veteran’s Benefits section of this catalog.

Available payment options include the following:

Online - Black Hawk College accepts VISA, Mastercard, Discover Card and personal electronic checks online through the myBHC Student Billing tab. Convenience fees are applied to online payments. Deferred payment plans may also be set-up online (more information below). Current convenience fees and returned electronic check fees can be found at www.bhc.edu/payments.

On Campus (Bursar’s Office - both campuses) - The Bursar’s Office, at both Campus locations, can accept in-person payments of cash, check, money order, cashier’s check, debit card, credit card, electronic check, and deferred payment plan. Convenience fees are applied to debit card, credit card and electronic check payments. Please include the student’s Black Hawk College ID number on the check and make check payable to Black Hawk College. Mailing addresses for each office can be found at www.bhc.edu/tuition on the bottom of the page. Current convenience fees and returned check fees can be found at www.bhc.edu/payments.

Over the Phone - The Bursar’s Office, at both Campus locations, can accept payments of debit card, and credit card over the phone. Convenience fees are applied to payments when processed. Assistance with setting up a deferred payment plan is also available over the phone. Please have the student’s name and Black Hawk College ID ready when calling. Phone numbers for each office can be found at www.bhc.edu/tuition on the bottom of the page.

Payment Drop Box (QC Campus only) - Payments can be made via the Payment Drop Box located near the Bursar Office in Building 1. Availability is subject to the building’s open access hours. Check, Money Order, or Cashier’s Check may be placed in the payment drop box. Please include the student’s Black Hawk College ID number on the check and make the check payable to Black Hawk College.

Mail - A check, money order or a cashier’s check can be mailed to the Bursar’s Office at either campus. Do not send cash. Please include the student’s Black Hawk College ID number on the check and make check payable to Black Hawk College. Mailing addresses for each office can be found at www.bhc.edu/tuition on the right-hand side of the page.

Deferred Payment Plan - A payment plan is available for students to pay for their tuition and fees throughout the same semester (books and Direct Digital Access not included). There are two deferred payment plan options available for students which include a three-installment or a four-installment plan. These payment plans can be set-up at the Bursar’s Office on either campus or online through the Student Billing tab on myBHC.

To be eligible for a payment plan, students must be in good standing with the Bursar’s Office and have no outstanding administrative holds on their accounts. Deferred payments are available for spring, summer, and fall semesters. For students opting for the 4-installment payment plan, the last payment is due after registration opens for the next semester. In order to register for upcoming classes, students must be paid in full for all current and prior semesters. Therefore, if students want to register as soon as registration opens, they must make their final payment before the fourth payment due date.

To set-up a payment plan:

1. Students must pay an initial payment, plus a non-refundable deferred payment fee at the time of initial payment plan set up.
2. Students must also sign a promissory note for the outstanding balance.
3. The remaining charges will be evenly split into two or three additional payments. Scheduled payments must be received on or before stated due dates to avoid late fees.
4. A promissory note must be paid in full even if a student withdraws from, or stops attending, classes after the refund period.
5. Any balance that remains outstanding after the semester ends may be turned over to a collection agency; the collection costs and attorney fees will be paid by the student.

The current deferred payment plan setup fee amount can be found at www.bhc.edu/payments. Questions about the deferred payment plan should be directed to the Bursar’s Office at 309-796-5200

Cooperative Educational Agreements and Chargebacks

Students interested in pursuing a program that is not offered at the community college in the district where they live, may qualify for a Chargeback/Cooperative Agreement. If approved, the student is responsible for the tuition costs equivalent to the in-district rate at the receiving community college.

Chargeback/Cooperative Agreements are available only for career programs resulting in an applied science degree or certificate, not for individual courses.

Students in the Black Hawk College District applying for Chargeback/Cooperative Agreement benefits may obtain additional information and request an authorization form in the office of the Vice President for Instruction at the Quad-Cities Campus, or in Enrollment Services at the East Campus. Completed forms must be submitted to the Vice President for Instruction no less than 30 days prior to the start of the term.

Tuition and Fees Refund Schedule

Tuition and Fees Refund Policy

1. If a student has completed registration and withdraws from class(es), the withdrawal must be received by the Enrollment Services Office or emailed to registrar@bhc.edu. This withdrawal date will be used to determine the tuition and fees refund amount according to the refund schedule above.
2. In the event a class is cancelled by the College, 100% of all monies paid for the course will be refunded.
3. 100% of tuition will be refunded if a licensed physician recommends that the student withdraws from all his/her classes for medical reasons (See Medical Withdrawal). Appeal forms are available in the Enrollment Services office; the physician’s recommendation must be submitted on official letterhead. Students may still be responsible for bookstore charges and/or any Financial Aid refunds already issued to them.
4. 100% of tuition and course fees will be refunded in the event that a student does not attend any registered courses in a given semester. Attendance in any one course will be considered intent to enroll, and the student will be subject to the Refund Schedule for dropped courses.

Questions concerning refund eligibility and exceptions to this policy are referred to the Enrollment Services Office, and questions concerning amounts refunded are referred to the Bursar’s Office.

Refund Appeal

Students may appeal for refund of tuition and course fees after withdrawing from one or more courses. Students should submit a Refund Appeal form to the Bursar’s Office on the Quad-Cities Campus, or the Enrollment Services window at the East Campus. The form can be found at the bottom of www.bhc.edu/refund and once completed it can be emailed to bursar@bhc.edu. Refund Appeals must be submitted prior to the end date of term in which courses were dropped. A cross-departmental committee reviews the refund appeals and makes decisions within 45 days of refund appeal submission.

Medical Withdrawal

To be eligible for a medical withdrawal, a student must withdraw from all classes in the term and not simply a reduced load. The Physician Statement, along with a signed Add/Drop form, must be submitted to Enrollment Services on either campus or by email to registrar@bhc.edu in a timely fashion, no later than the beginning of final exam week for the term enrolled. Required forms can be found by visiting www.bhc.edu/enrollmentforms.

Course Withdrawal

The responsibility for dropping a course rests with the student. Withdrawal or non-attendance may result in loss of financial aid. A student is financially responsible for tuition and fees for all classes not officially dropped within the refund period.

After a term begins, any drop from a course becomes part of the student’s permanent academic record and is recorded as a “W” (withdrawal).

Financial Aid recipients should discuss course withdrawals with the Financial Aid Office after the semester has begun. A student may withdraw from a course through the 12th week of the semester (for 16-week classes). Any withdrawal after this date must be approved by the instructor and must be completed prior to the start of finals week at Black Hawk College. If the class meets less than 16 weeks, consult Enrollment Services regarding withdrawal deadlines and whether instructor permission is needed.

If a student stops attending a course without officially withdrawing, the student is likely to receive an “F” grade. If a student never attends or ceases to attend any course in which he/she has enrolled, the student may be administratively withdrawn.

If a withdrawal request is sent by mail, it must be addressed to the Enrollment Services Office at either campus. Withdrawal requests may be faxed to Enrollment Services at 309-796-5209 or e-mailed from the student’s myBHC account to registrar@bhc.edu. The date the withdrawal is received by the College will determine the percentage of the refund. No refunds are granted if a student is dismissed for disciplinary reasons.

Additional items to keep in mind when withdrawing: The deadline may be on the weekend. If so, please email registrar@bhc.edu with the information regarding the class you would like to drop. If the date stamp on your email is before the deadline, it will be processed on the next business day and considered to be dropped by the deadline.

Students should check their myBHC account within a day or two to be sure the drop was processed.

Financial Aid Refunds

Refunds are processed by the Bursar’s Office and are made payable to the student. When a student owes the College money, it is College policy to deduct outstanding balances from refunds before they are disbursed to the student. These outstanding charges may include past due tuition, fees, returned checks, fines, or other obligations. Any funds remaining after tuition and charges are paid in full are refunded to the student.

Refund Method Options

Black Hawk College partners with Transact, Inc. to disburse refunds. Students will receive their refunds either ACH direct deposit or via a paper check mailed through the USPS. Instructions to sign up for ACH direct deposit can be found here at https://www.bhc.edu/current-students/refund-policy/. If you do not sign up for ACH direct deposit, you will default to the paper check option. Students need to be sure to always have their current mailing address on file so there is no delay in receiving their refund. To update your address, you need to fill out a Change of Address form and turn it into Enrollment Services on either campus. Residency documentation may be required.

If a student made any payments by credit or debit card or electronic check, the Bursar’s Office will first disburse refunds to card or account used, up to the amount paid. If a refund due to a student is larger than what was paid via credit or debit card or electronic check, then the Bursar’s Office will issue a refund through the Transact disbursement process described above.

Collections

Individual payment arrangements are available to all students with a past due balance. Setting up a monthly payment plan with Black Hawk College will assist in avoiding future late fees as well as avoid being turned over to collections as long as the payments are current. Students will not be allowed to register for additional with a past due balance on their account.

Students who do not make an effort to pay their balance or default on their payment arrangement will be turned over to our outside collection agency, Transworld Systems Inc (TSI) (formerly Alltran Education and Enterprise Recovery Systems Inc.). Once a student’s account is sent to TSI, it will be in a “pre-collect” period for the first 30 days at TSI. During this pre-collect period, all payments should still be made at the College. After the pre-collect period has lapsed, the account will fully go into collections and all payments or payment plans must be made through TSI. Once TSI is handling an account, a minimum collection fee of 20% is added to the total balance due and must be paid to be considered paid in full at Black Hawk College. TSI can be reached at 1-800-377-1904 or payments can be mailed directly to:

Transworld Systems, Inc.
PO Box 15109
Wilmington, DE 19850-5109

If a student account is still with TSI after two years and no money collected nor a payment plan in place, the account is then returned to the College. Black Hawk College reserves the right to place the account with a second collection agency.

Black Hawk College may use any and all means necessary to collect a past due debt in accordance with state and federal laws. Please contact the Bursar’s Office at 309-796-5335 for questions regarding our debt collection procedures.

Return of Federal Financial Aid Policy

If a student completely withdraws during the semester after federal financial aid payment has been received, the student may be required to return a portion of the federal financial aid awarded. The federal formula requires a return of funds if the student received assistance from the Pell Grant, Supplemental Grant, or Stafford Loan and withdrew on or before completing 60% of the semester. The calculation is based on the percentage of the semester completed. The portion of federal aid to be returned is equal to the number of days remaining in the semester divided by the number of calendar days in the semester. Sample calculations and a complete explanation of this policy is available at the Financial Aid Office.

Military Called to Active Duty

Black Hawk College will allow withdrawal from courses without penalty for military students who are called to active duty. This shall include a 100% refund of tuition and fees and book charges upon verification from the service member’s commanding officer. This verification should be submitted to Enrollment Services prior to deployment/activation. In addition, the College supports faculty in enabling service members who are called to active duty and who have substantially completed a course, to complete such courses without losing the time and effort they have already invested. No refund will be given if credit for a course is awarded. Black Hawk College is committed to assisting students during their transition to active duty and back again. Students returning to Black Hawk College after deployment of any length will readmitted without the requirement of an updated admissions application or associated application fee. Please see “Readmission of Service Members ”. Students needing additional support services are encouraged to discuss their needs with a BHC Counselor.

Senior Citizens Tuition Waiver

Illinois Senate Bill 972 grants a waiver of tuition to any Illinois resident 65 years or older whose annual household income is less than the threshold amount provided in Section 4 of the “Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief Act” approved July 17, 1972, as amended. Forms to request waiver are available in the Bursar’s Office.

Note: All fees and the costs of books are not covered by this waiver. In addition, the Tuition Waiver Administration Fee that is assessed per credit hour is not covered and must be paid by the student.

Books and Supplies

Textbooks and other supplies are available for purchase at the Hawk’s Hub (located in Building 1 of the QC Campus) and at the East Campus Bookstore (located in Building A of the East Campus). The bookstore offers a wide range of class supplies, such as notebooks, folders, writing utensils, and backpacks. The bookstore also offers various merchandise such as clohing, tumblers, and lanyards. Textbooks and other supplies may be ordered online at http://hawkshub.bhc.edu.

Please contact the bookstores with any questions at bookstoregroup@bhc.edu, 309-796-5500 (QC) or 309-854-1716 (East).

Returned Checks

If a personal check is returned to Black Hawk College as unpaid, a returned check fee will be assessed to the student’s billing account.  Notification of nonpayment will be sent, along with an updated account balance, to the student.  This notification will be sent via one or more of the following methods of communication: email, United States Postal Service, telephone call.  A personal check will not be accepted as payment for the unpaid balance - payment must be made by cash, debit or credit card, cashier’s check, or money order.  Once the unpaid balance has been repaid, personal checks will once again be accepted.  If a student has 3 returned checks on their account, Black Hawk College will no longer offer personal checks as a payment option.  Current returned check fees can be found at www.bhc.edu.  Please note, if a student has set up an online payment plan with Transact through their myBHC portal, any returned check fees will be charged by Transact and must be paid through their myBHC portal. 

Financial Arrears

If, according to the records of the Bursar’s Office, any current or former student is in financial arrears to the College for any services, the College will not permit the student to re-register until the matter is settled to the College’s satisfaction.

For students who qualify for federal financial aid, Black Hawk College may apply up to $200 of an anticipated financial aid refund toward a student’s past due balance. The student (or parent, if borrower) must complete a required authorization form from the Bursar’s Office. The anticipated financial aid must cover all anticipated charges in the upcoming semester, including bookstore vouchers and DDA, before a past due balance can be considered for approval. If a student’s authorization is received and approved at Black Hawk College, a registration hold can be removed to allow registration in an upcoming semester. If a past due balance has already been sent to a collection agency then the student is responsible for paying the agency in full (including all fees) before allowing registration to occur. When students register for classes, they assume financial responsibility for all related tuition and fee charges billed to their student accounts. Students should not assume that classes are automatically dropped for non-payment or non-attendance