Student Central: Financial Aid, Payment and Records

Student Handbook - Student Central

In this Section

BHCC Student Central offers centralized student services related to Financial Aid, Student Payment, Registration and Academic Records. In addition to a physical Student Central location in the Charlestown Campus second floor B Lobby, students may also visit the Chelsea Campus Student Services Office, or access the Virtual Student Central, providing access to services from home or after business hours.  For more information, please visit Student Central webpage.

Academic Records

The Academic Records Office maintains student academic records, ensures that student rights are protected under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and provides many services that support registration, schedule adjustments, withdrawals, grade processing, transcript requests, program changes, graduation and verification requests.

Adding/Dropping a Class

You may adjust your schedule online via SelfService or in person at the Academic Advising Office during the registration period or during the schedule adjustment period. After the schedule adjustment (drop/add) period, you may add only courses offered through the Center for Self-Directed Learning or Mini Session II. Refer to the College’s academic calendar for deadlines.

Change of Grades

Students must direct questions regarding grades to the course instructor. The instructor will change final grades only if a clerical error exists. If you feel you have received a grade in error, submit a written request to the instructor for reevaluation. The final decision rests with the instructor. Students may initiate grade complaints no later than 30 calendar days following the last day of the instructional period for which the grade was granted. See Grade Appeals for more information.

Program Changes

If you are thinking of changing your program from one program of study to another, consult your advisor. To make a program change, a completed change of program form must be completed prior to the end of the Schedule Adjustment period.  Forms are available  in Advising & LifeMap. If you receive financial aid, consult with the Financial Aid Office (Student Central) about the financial impact of your decision.

When you change programs, you must fulfill the curriculum year program requirements in effect at the time of the program change.

Note that a program change may increase the time needed for you to complete program requirements for graduation.

Readmission of Degree- and Certificate-Seeking Students

If you are readmitted after an absence of two or more consecutive semesters, you will need to follow curriculum year requirements for your degree or certificate program in effect at the start of the semester of reenrollment.

If you are applying for readmission to nursing and allied health degree or certificate programs, you must meet with the appropriate academic dean, chairperson or program director prior to readmission.

If you are applying for readmission to earn a degree and have

  • officially withdrawn from the College,
  • stopped attending for two consecutive semesters, or
  • graduated from a degree or certificate program,

you must submit a new application form. You may also need to submit another copy of your high school diploma or GED certificate.

Withdrawal from a Course

You may withdraw from a course only during the semester in which you are registered for the course and must do so by the withdrawal deadline date stated on the academic calendar for that semester. The College does not refund tuition for the course from which you withdraw.  

To withdraw from a course, you must complete and submit a withdrawal form, available at Student Central available on the myBHCC student self service portal. After officially withdrawing from a course, your transcript will show a grade of W. The College designates course withdrawals as “uncompleted courses,” which may adversely affect academic standing and financial aid eligibility. Failure to attend or ceasing to attend a class or classes does not constitute official withdrawal and results in grades of F or NA Failure to withdraw formally may affect your academic standing and eligibility to receive financial aid (see Satisfactory Academic Progress).

Withdrawal from the Semester or the College

You may withdraw from the semester only during the semester in which you are registered and as noted on the academic calendar. You do not have to be registered to withdraw from the College. If you withdraw from the semester, you are not entitled to a refund.

To withdraw from the semester or College, you must complete and submit a withdrawal form available on the myBHCC student self service portal. If you withdraw from the semester or the College, you will receive a W grade for all courses that semester on your transcript.

Failure to attend or ceasing to attend a class or classes does not constitute official withdrawal from the College and results in grades of F or NA. Failure to withdraw formally may affect your academic standing and eligibility to receive financial aid (see Satisfactory Academic Progress).

If you want to be readmitted to the College after withdrawal and have not registered for courses within the five years since the date of withdrawal, you must submit a new application.

Financial Aid

The Financial Aid Office at Bunker Hill Community College, a division of Student Central, helps you and your family meet the costs of a college education. BHCC participates in a wide variety of federal, state and private financial aid programs. Be aware that all institutions, including BHCC, are subject to changes in funding allocations from both the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States Department of Education.

Through the online services system, you can see and print your financial aid award letters, view current and previous years’ financial aid records and check the status of your current financial aid application. You can find more details on financial aid at BHCC Financial Aid.

Work Study/Employment

Federal Work-Study is a need-based federal program that is part of your financial aid package. You must complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Financial Aid) Form to be eligible for Work-Study. The program provides students with part time on/off campus employment. Funds for this program are awarded to eligible students as part of financial aid process. To view available work-study positions on and off campus, please use your BHCC username and password to log into Handshake, BHCC’s internship website. Check the site frequently as new positions are posted throughout the school year.

Student Payment Office

The Student Payment Office at BHCC is responsible for student billing and payment processing for charges including, but not limited to, tuition, fees, access charges, health insurance, liability insurance (may apply for some health courses) and returned checks. Payments can be made online in full through a checking/savings account or credit card, via payment plan provided by ACI Payments, Inc (domestic payments) or PayMyTuition (international payments), or by third party billing. Click here for more information on payment options.

In addition, the office is responsible for issuing Financial Aid and overpayment refunds. Refunds are processed differently depending on how the payment was made. Financial aid refunds are issued fourteen (14) days after the funds are disbursed from financial aid. We partner with BankMobile Disbursements (powered by BMTX, Inc) to issue most refunds. Click here for more information on refunds.  You may be able to use financial aid funds to help with your book expenses during the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. An agreement with the BHCC Bookstore, managed by Barnes & Noble, allows for a line a credit to be made available for students who are enrolled in six or more credits and whose aid is greater than their projected costs. You can see if you have bookstore funds available in BHCC Self-Service at https://selfservice.bhcc.edu/Student/FALink/BookSpending. Please remember that adding or dropping courses may change the amount of financial aid that you are eligible to use in the bookstore.

Through the online self-service system, you can view and print your statements, make payments, enroll in a payment plan, and view and print your annual 1098T tax forms.

You can find more details on Student Payment at BHCC Student Payment.

Student Health Insurance

Chapter 23 of the Massachusetts Act of 1988 requires that all students registered for nine or more credit hours must participate in a comprehensive health insurance plan unless they certify that they are participating in a health insurance plan with comparable coverage. If a student has comparable coverage and wishes to waive participation in the Massachusetts Community Colleges insurance plan, the student must submit waiver information via the Internet at the time of registration. It is your responsibility to review the SHIP material to be sure your health insurance plan meets your school’s waiver requirements. Students may access the waiver form online at https://www.gallagherstudent.com/bhcc. The fee is charged in the fall and spring semesters only. More information can be found online at https://www.bhcc.edu/healthinsurance/.

Outstanding Financial Obligations

It is the student’s responsibility to abide by the Student Financial Responsibility Agreement and understand the Terms and Conditions of Course Registration.

Students who have any outstanding financial obligations to the College are not permitted to register.

Bunker Hill Community College is responsible for making “diligent efforts” to collect amounts due the state. Diligent efforts shall include written billings, dunning notices, and subsequent assignments to a collection agency. The student is responsible for all collection costs and any fees incurred in the collection of debt and for informing the College of any dispute regarding the debt. The College advises students that their debts may be discharged through the intercept of any Commonwealth and Federal payments that are due to them, including but not limited to tax refunds, lottery winnings, etc. Please be advised that your student account debt constitutes an "educational benefit overpayment or loan" as defined pursuant to 11 U.S.C section 523(a)(8), and therefore is not dischargeable in bankruptcy.