Retraining

Program InfoLine (215) 968-8030

Free Tuition Program Overview

A maximum number of 30 credits may be taken within one academic year on a space-available basis. The program will be in effect from January 2009 to January 2010, with students able to complete their studies by August 2010. Although tuition will be waived, students must pay for all applicable fees, books, and supplies. Free tuition applies only to college credit courses. Continuing Education programs are not eligible for this program.

The Free Tuition Program at Bucks is not related to the government's efforts to expand access to financial aid through Pell grants. In order to take advantage of expanded access to Pell grants and other federal financial aid opportunities, you must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid through the Department of Education. The Bucks Free Tuition Program is administered in accordance with eligibility and program guidelines set forth by the Board of Trustees.

Eligibility requirements and policies regarding the Free Tuition Program are subject to change.  Please check this site regularly for updates. Also, all Bucks students including those participating in the Free Tuition Program are responsible for checking their BucksMail accounts for any official communications from the College. Failure to read messages from the College regarding changes to this program is not grounds for appeal of any decision to terminate a student's participation in the program due to an oversight on the student's part.

Information for New and Prospective Free Tuition Participants

Information for Current Free Tuition Participants

Registration Under the Free Tuition Program

Frequently Asked Questions

New and Prospective Free Tuition Participants

To avoid delays, apply to the college as early as possible before the information session you wish to attend. Your Bucks ID will be included in the acceptance letter you receive. Also, remember to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2009-2010 academic year. If you completed a FAFSA for a previous academic year, you will need to submit a renewal FAFSA for the 2009-2010 academic year. Also, when you file your FAFSA, you must designate Bucks County Community College as the institution you plan to attend.

Application for financial aid is required to be eligible for the Free Tuition program. The last day to file your FAFSA is December 17, 2009. In order to comply with this requirement, you must designate Bucks as a recipient for your financial aid information and renew your FAFSA for each academic year.

Eligibility

To be eligible, the applicant must:

  • apply to Bucks using the free online application.
  • be a resident of Bucks County
  • have been permanently laid off from a full-time position on or after December 1, 2007
  • not be receiving financial assistance for education or retraining from the former employer or the government
  • attend a mandatory information session to verify eligibility and prepare for registration.
  • Effective immediately: All participants in the Free Tuition Program including anyone admitted to the program in January, February or May must complete the Free Application For Student Aid (FAFSA) by December 17, 2009 to remain eligible for the program. Please contact the Financial Aid office with questions about Financial Aid at (215) 968-8200. Anyone awarded partial aid will still be eligible for Free Tuition.

Individuals who have been out of the workforce since before December 1, 2007 and/or due to anything besides a lay-off (disability, displaced homemaker, etc.) are not eligible for this program; however, they may be eligible for other assistance through CareerLink.

Spring 2010 Mandatory Information Session: Anyone new to the Free Tuition program must attend an information session where they will receive information about how the program works and be approved for entry. The next session will be held on December 14, 2009 at noon in the Gateway Auditorium, Newtown Campus. A Student number is required to be approved for the program. Apply to the College at least one full week before the session to make sure you receive your admission letter before the 14th.

What to bring to the sessions:

  • Documentation of your lay-off that includes the date of the lay-off (must be on or after 12/1/2007) and specifies that you were not at fault. Acceptable forms of documentation include the following:
    • Notice of Financial Determination from the Unemployment Compensation Office
    • Letter from your employer on letterhead
    • An email from your employer that includes a contact phone number and email address for that employer on the printed email
    • Documentation must be surrendered to the verifier at the time of verification. If you need a copy for your records, make one in advance.
  • You Bucks Student ID. To avoid delays, apply to the College as soon as possible before the information session you plan to attend. Your Bucks ID will be included in the acceptance letter you will receive in the mail.

If you have already been verified and received a signed copy of the form, you do not need to attend another session. Just remember that you will only be able to register for courses under the free tuition program during late registration. You may qualify for retraining benefits through PA CareerLink. Please call PA CareerLink for information on their retraining programs at 215-781-1073.

Current Free Tuition Program Students

Effective immediately: All participants in the Free Tuition Program including anyone admitted to the program in January, February or May must complete the Free Application For Student Aid (FAFSA) by December 17, 2009 to remain eligible for the program. Please contact the Financial Aid office with questions about Financial Aid at (215) 968-8200. Anyone awarded partial aid will still be eligible for Free Tuition.

Reverification

All students who were authorized to participate in the Free Tuition Program in or before Fall 2009 must submit a reverification form. This form is only valid if submitted between November 16 and January 11. Due to staffing limitations, the College is unable to provide receipts for forms returned to the College. However, we will accept them in person at Student Services, Newtown as well as by mail to the attention of Sara Riffey at 275 Swamp Road, Newtown, PA 18940.

Registration (New & Current Free Tuition Students)

Registration for free tuition program participants must be done in person. All participants must have a registration form signed by an advisor.

All Free Tuition Program participants must register during late registration for the upcoming semester in order to avoid paying tuition and fees. The first day Free Tuition participants can register for Spring 2010 courses is Friday, January 15 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Bucks will no longer permit students in the Free Tuition program to elect to pay for one course and take the rest of their courses under the Free Tuition program. Holding a seat by paying for it will result in disqualification from the program. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.

Bucks Students Currently Paying for Courses & Interested in this Program

Students who have currently registered for courses in the upcoming semester and would like to take advantage of the free tuition program must drop all of the courses they are currently enrolled in and re-register during late registration if they want to avoid paying tuition for those courses.

Additionally, students must be current on all financial obligations to the College to be eligible for this program.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you believe you meet the basic eligibility requirements, you will find that most of your questions will be answered during the mandatory information session.

To contact Career Services please click here. You may also call our Free Tuition Program InfoLine at (215) 968-8030. Please use the information on this web page and the information on the InfoLine as much as possible before calling the College's main number. At Bucks, we like to bring a personal touch to everything we do, and we wish we could provide one-on-one support to everyone with questions about this program. Unfortunately, due to the overwhelming response, we are not able to respond to every email and phone call as quickly as we would like to. If you do email anyone directly or call and leave a message, please be aware that it may take up to three business days to receive a response.

Appeals/Special Circumstances

The Free Tuition Program works on a seat available basis and is not funded by the government or any outside organization. In the interest of fairness and making the most seats available to those in need, the College needs to adhere to the criteria set forth by the Board of Trustees. Please read the following responses to some of the most common requests for appeal before requesting one.

  • I am not currently a Bucks County resident or I was a Bucks County resident, but I moved out of the county
    • This program is available to Bucks County residents only. You must have a Bucks County address to register for classes under this program.
  • I was laid-off from a permanent position, but worked less than 40 hours a week. Do I qualify?
    • When you come to the College for verification into the Free Tuition program, you will need to provide documentation of the lay-off. In general, if you worked 30 hours per week or more, the position is considered full-time for the purposes of this program.
    • If the documentation you provide us specifies that the position was considered part-time, we cannot allow you into the program.
  • I need retraining, but I was laid-off before December 1, 2007 or I need retraining, but I have been a stay at home caregiver for the past several years
    • Bucks supports your interest in enhancing your skills and is committed to maintaining a well trained workforce. If you are in this situation, we recommend that you apply for financial aid using the FAFSA and contact PA CareerLink at 215-781-1073 about training programs they offer.
  • Will I need to pay anything for my courses at Bucks if I participate in this program?
    • Yes. All Free Tuition participants are responsible for fees (this includes all normal fees as well as fees for transcripts and other services.) Participants also are responsible for the cost of books and supplies. If you plan on taking studio art courses, materials fees can add up. Be sure to check details about the course in the credit mailer for complete details.
    • If you have an outstanding balance with Student Accounts, you will need to settle it before you can register for courses under the Free Tuition program. This program does not work retroactively to eliminate outstanding balances.