Financial Aid Census Date and Schedule Changes

Financial Aid Census Date and Adding/Dropping Courses

Your financial aid offer is based on anticipated full-time enrollment at HFC (e.g. 12 credit hours or more per semester). If your class schedule or actual attendance drops below full-time, your financial aid awards will be adjusted accordingly.

HFC adjusts awards each semester, as required by federal law, based on your enrollment as of a specific date each semester, called the “Census Date.” If you receive Pell Grant, your Pell Grant eligibility will be based on the number of eligible credit hours for which you are enrolled as of the Census Date for that semester. (Eligible is defined as classes that are required for your active HFC program of study.)

• The Census Date for Fall 2023 is Friday, September 8, 2023.
• The Census Date for Winter 2024 is Tuesday, January 23, 2024.
• The Census Date for Summer 2024 is Wednesday, July 3, 2024.

For financial aid purposes, the College has four enrollment statuses:

Full Time: 12 credit hours or more
3/4 Time: 9-11 Credit Hours
1/2 Time: 6-8 Credit Hours
Less than 1/2 Time: 1-5 Credit Hours

If you have been awarded Pell Grant and are enrolled as of Census Date

If you have been awarded Pell Grant and are enrolled as of the Census Date, your enrollment status as of the Census Date determines your Pell Grant eligibility. (i.e. the number of eligible credits you are enrolled in as of Census Date).

If you have been awarded Pell Grant but are not enrolled at Census Date

If you have been awarded Pell Grant but are not enrolled at Census Date, your enrollment status will be determined as of the date of your enrollment. For example, if you are not enrolled as of Census Date but then register for one 12-week and two 2nd 8-week classes on September 13th (after the Census Date), then the credits for the 12-week and two 2nd 8-week courses will be locked as your Pell Grant eligibility as of the date of enrollment (September 13th)) Any additional credits for which you would enroll after your initial enrollment date will not be included when determining your Pell Grant eligibility.

If you are awarded Pell Grant after you have begun attendance in your classes

If you are awarded Pell Grant after you have begun attendance in our classes, your enrollment status will be determined at the time the Pell Grant is added to your Financial Aid offer.

General Information related to Census Date

• Credits for which you are waitlisted are NOT counted as part of your enrollment at Census Date (or the date your enrollment status is determined).
• If you are being reviewed for eligibility after the semester ends, only completed, eligible credits will be eligible for Pell Grant.
• A student must begin attendance for any credits for which Pell is paid.
• The Financial Aid Census Date only applies to Pell Grant eligibility. Eligibility for Federal Direct Loan funds is based on enrollment of at least 6 eligible credit hours and is not impacted by date of registration.
• Pell Grant enrollment status can never be locked at zero eligibility.

Enrollment Adjustments

Students are sometimes dropped from a course at the start of the semester for not successfully passing a pre-requisite course or a class may be canceled. If this occurs, the student may need to register for a different class required for their program. It is the student’s responsibility to maintain the appropriate number of credit hours to remain eligible for the financial aid for which they have been awarded.