Frequently Asked Questions Paying My Bill a What payment methods are available for paying my bill? Category: Billing Paying Online: Debit/Credit card (MasterCard, Discover, VISA, and American Express) eCheck Paying Over the Phone: Debit/Credit card (MasterCard, Discover, VISA, and American Express) Paying via Mail: Check Paying in Person: Debit/Credit card (MasterCard, Discover, VISA, and American Express) Check Cash (exact change preferred) a Do I need to pay my bill if I have applied for financial aid? Category: Billing If you have been awarded financial aid by the bill due date and your aid will cover your entire bill, no further action is required for payment. If you have been awarded financial aid by the bill due date and your aid will cover a portion of your bill, you are responsible for paying the portion not covered by aid by the bill due date or signing up for the payment plan. If you have not been awarded financial aid by the bill due date, you are responsible for paying your bill in full by the bill due date or signing up for the payment plan. Note: Financial aid funds are dependent on continued enrollment, the number of credits you are taking, and regular class attendance. Changes in any of these things can alter your financial aid award. If your financial aid award changes and you are left with an increased balance due, you are responsible for the increased balance. a I expect all or a portion of my bill to be paid by a private scholarship, a third party, or a government agency. As the due date of my bill approaches, what do I need to do? Category: Billing You are responsible for ensuring the payment is received by the college. If any documentation is required by the college, you are responsible for coordinating that transfer of information (college address, billing statement, etc.). If your outside resources are not covering the entirety of your bill, you are responsible for paying the remaining amount by the bill due date or enroll in the payment plan. Ultimately, the student is always responsible for making sure their bill is paid in full. If your outside resource is never received by the College, you are responsible for making payment or your account will follow regular past due procedures. a What will happen if I do not pay my bill in full or sign up for the payment plan by the due date of my bill and I have no alternative means for paying my bill? Category: Billing If this is your situation, your account may end up being considered "past due." Past due bills are subject to the following: GCC reserves the right to cancel your class schedule for nonpayment. You will be denied additional services such as: future registration, release of your grades, or release of academic transcripts until your bill is paid in full. Past due accounts with balances of $100 or greater will be assessed a one-time $35 late fee per semester. Your account will be submitted to a collection agency and you will be responsible for additional collection charges of up to 22.7% of your unpaid balance. Your account will be reported to the Massachusetts Debt Intercept Program (balances of $25 or greater) where state and federal payments due you, including state tax refunds, will be intercepted and transferred to Greenfield Community College until your bill is paid in full. Debt Intercept Program: Overdue accounts are subject to Mass. Department of Revenue intercept of state and federal payments, including state tax refunds (MGL C.62D). Please contact the Bursar's Office to dispute overdue charges or submit a written request for a hearing as allowed under MGL C.30A. A $10 late fee may be charged to payment plan accounts for each month a payment is more than 30 days past due. a What are my payment options if I cannot pay my bill in full by the due date and I have no alternative financial resources to pay my bill? Category: Billing You can sign up for the payment plan. This breaks your bill up into four payments with a $35 enrollment fee being applied to the first payment. It may worth reviewing the refund deadlines to determine whether withdrawing and returning at a later date is an option. a Who do I contact with questions regarding my bill? Category: Billing You can reach the Student Financial Services Office at: Phone: 413-775-1301 Fax: 413-775-1133 Email: sfs@gcc.mass.edu For information regarding your financial aid package call (413) 775-1109. Tuition & Fees a What is the estimated cost to attend GCC? Category: Tuition & Fees For the best estimate of your GCC cost of attendance, reference either our Tuition Estimator or page 2 of our Explanation of Charges document. a How do I qualify for in-state charges? Category: Tuition & Fees A student is considered in-state if they are a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident who established residence in Massachusetts and has maintained continuous residency in Massachusetts for at least six months immediately prior to the date of enrollment. For more information, visit our Residency page or contact Enrollment Services at (413) 775-1801 or (413) 775-1807. a What are NEBHE tuition charges and how do I qualify? Category: Tuition & Fees When a student qualifies for NEBHE charges, they are charged at 150% of the in-state tuition rate. To qualify, a student must be a resident in one of five of the other New England states and be pursuing a degree or certificate program not offered at a two-year community college in their home state or offered at a Massachusetts community college closer to their home. For more information, visit our Residency page or contact Enrollment Services at (413) 775-1801 or (413) 775-1807. a What is the difference between day and D/D tuition and fee charges? Category: Tuition & Fees From a student's prospective, there is no difference between day and D/D charges. These day charges are categorized as such strictly for college accounting purposes. If your bill shows D/D charges, they are treated as regular day charges for billing purposes. However, D/D charges may not be eligible for certain types of tuition and fee waivers. Health Insurance a Why am I being charged for the Student Health Insurance Plan? Category: Student Health Insurance Under the Massachusetts Mandatory Health Insurance Law, all students who are enrolled in a degree or certificate program for nine or more credits must participate in the student health insurance program. As of the fall 2020 semester, we are required to charge the insurance fee even if some or all of a student's nine or more credits are remote. This change is due to the required transitioning to online education resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. a I am already covered by another insurance plan. How can I get this charge removed from my bill? Category: Student Health Insurance Verify that you have comparable coverage. Once you have done this, complete our health insurance waiver (instructions here). For more information, visit our Student Health Insurance page. a What is the cost and coverage period for health insurance purchased through the College? Category: Student Health Insurance Annual coverage is active from September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2023 and costs $3,858. Spring only coverage is active from January 1, 2023 to August 31, 2023 and costs $2,574. a Can I pay my insurance charge with financial aid funds? Category: Student Health Insurance Yes, however, Federal financial aid/loan funds will not pay this charge without your written authorization. To apply financial aid to your health insurance charge, you must complete the health insurance section of the Acknowledgements and Certifications form (available on your MyGCC account). a If there is not an insurance charge on my bill, does that mean I cannot purchase health insurance through the College? Category: Student Health Insurance Students are only eligible for the Student Health Insurance Plan if they are enrolled in 9 or more credits. If you do not see the health insurance charge on your bill, you have either waived the health insurance or you are not eligible to be charged. a If I am ineligible to purchase insurance through the College, are there any other health insurance options for me? Category: Student Health Insurance There may be alternative insurance options available to you. Due to recent federal and state health care laws, students may be eligible for coverage under a parent's plan or a under a state subsidized plan. Your parent should refer to their insurance company or employer to determine your eligibility for coverage. To learn more about other insurance options, visit the Massachusetts Health Connector website. a What do I do if I know my health insurance charge has been paid and I need to seek healthcare treatment but the insurance company has no record of me? Category: Student Health Insurance Contact our office at (413) 775-1301 or sfs@gcc.mass.edu to verify that your insurance charge has been paid in full. On a case-by-case basis, we will consider your emergency for expedited insurance reporting. Refunds a If I want to withdraw from all of my classes before the semester begins, will my charges be reduced to zero? Category: Refunds No. Once you register, whether for a single class or multiple classes, you are responsible for the $20 non-refundable registration fee. a If I withdraw from some or all of my classes after the start of the semester, will my charges be reduced? Category: Refunds You may be eligible for a reduction of charges if you withdraw from your courses prior to the refund deadlines. a To obtain a reduction in charges based on the school's refund policy, if I decide to drop all or some of my classes, what do I need to do? Category: Refunds The first thing you want to do is refer to the refund deadlines for the term for which you are dropping classes. Generally, for the purposes of obtaining a reduction in charges, if you withdraw from regularly scheduled credit class(es) during the refund period dates, you will receive a reduction in charges of both tuition and fees. To drop one or more classes, but not all of your classes, before the add/drop deadline: Log into your MyGCC account. Get help with your username and password if necessary. On the left-hand side of the page, click the green button labeled Submit a Form Select Drop a Class Complete and submit the form To drop all of your classes: Log into your MyGCC account. Get help with your username and password if necessary. On the left-hand side of the page, click the green button labeled Submit a Form Select Withdraw from Classes Complete and submit the form a Will I receive any reduction in charges after the refund period has passed? Category: Refunds You are not eligible for a reduction of charges after the refund period has expired -- you are responsible for paying all charges remaining on your account. a My financial aid changed after dropping one or some of my classes or withdrawing from all of my class. Am I responsible for the balance on my account? Category: Refunds Financial aid awards are determined based on continued enrollment, the number of credits you are taking, and regular class attendance. Changes in any of these things can alter your financial aid award. If your aid is reduced, you are responsible for paying the owed balance on your student account. If your aid is reduced and you have received a financial aid refund, you may be responsible for repaying your refund amount. For more information, reference our Financial Aid Refund Policy page. a If I withdraw due to medical reasons after the semester starts, will I receive any reduction in charges? Category: Refunds Our regular refund policy applies for medical withdrawals. There is no reduction of charges for medical withdrawals once the refund period has expired. For more information on requesting a medical withdrawal, click here. Information Release a What is the Information Release Form? Category: Information Release Federal law restricts Greenfield Community College from discussing a student's financial aid status or tuition and fee account information with any third party individual without student consent. An Information Release Form authorizes Student Financial Services staff to discuss specifics of a student's financial aid and/or tuition and fee account with any third party(s) a student designates (parent, spouse, employer, government agency, etc.). a Am I required to complete the Information Release Form? Category: Information Release No. Students who choose not to authorize the disclosure of any account information to anyone other than themselves do not need to complete this waiver. a If I complete the Information Release Form, what information will be released to the persons I've listed on that form? Category: Information Release Completing this waiver means you (the student) are waiving your right to confidentiality by authorizing both the Student Financial Services Office staff to discuss with persons you designate on the form, specific or general questions regarding your: Tuition & fee charges Cash type payments, waivers, third party payments Balances (including credit balances) Refunds for cash type overpayments or financial aid/student loan excess refunds Tuition and fee account status (current, pass due, paid in full) Financial Aid application status Financial aid/student loan awards, Financial aid requirements FAFSA (Federal Application for Student Aid) issues Any other issues associated with and affecting a student's Tuition & Fee account Even with the student's consent, the Student Financial Services Office is prohibited by federal law from sharing FAFSA/financial aid information with third party entities/agencies such as Mass Rehab, SNAP, DTA, and Housing and Fuel Assistance. These agencies must obtain FAFSA information directly from the student. a Do I need to complete the Information Release Form if I've already completed it in the past? Category: Information Release The Information Release Form needs to be completed only once for each individual to whom you are granting access. You would only need to complete the Information Release Form again if you are granting us permission to discuss your account in detail with additional people or persons. a Why must I provide a password when waiving my right to confidentiality? Category: Information Release The password serves to verify that the person(s) you designate on the waiver form have authorization to obtain information about your account. a How do I remove someone's permission to discuss my account? Category: Information Release Log into your MyGCC account. Get help with your username and password if necessary. Click on My Account Under the Billing menu, click on Information Release Form To remove permission, check the "Withdraw" checkbox next to the person's name Click Save Changes Permissions do not expire. You must complete this process if you wish to remove permission.