Business/Bursar’s Office
The Business office takes cash payments. The Virtual Business Office (VBO) is an online hub where you can pay for college related products, services, and tuition and fees. Payment Plans and any tuition/fees paid by check or credit card can only be made through the VBO. Check out a complete list of services at Alamo Colleges District’s Marketplace Mall. It’s convenient and secure!
Employment
The constant demands that college places on you can leave you feeling overwhelmed. Most students have to work at least part-time while juggling coursework assigned by five professors at once. Finding a balance is hard but it can be done. Use the chart below as a guide for building your schedule:
| WORK (Hours per Week) |
SCHOOL (Course load should be) |
| 40 hours (Full-time) |
6 hours (1/2 time) |
| 30 hours (Part-time) |
9 hours (3/4 time) |
| 20 hours (Part-time) |
12 hours (Full-time) |
| 10 hours (weekend, etc.) |
12 + hours (Full-time) |
For assistance with job searches on and off campus, see Career Services in Contact Information and Hours on the left hand menu
Financial Aid
Various types of Financial Aid are available for those who qualify.
- Pell grants are federal need-based grants awarded to students who qualify and have not earned a bachelor’s or professional degree. Pell grants do not have to be repaid (unless, for example, you withdraw from school and owe a refund).
- Loans are money borrowed for college and must be repaid with interest.
- Work-study programs are federal need-based programs that provide funds that are earned through part-time employment.
- Scholarships are gifts and do not need to be repaid. There are hundreds of scholarships available that are offered by schools, employers, individuals, private companies, nonprofits, communities, religious groups, and professional and social organizations. See Scholarships.
To learn if you qualify for federal financial aid, you must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). We encourage you to submit your FAFSA application as early as possible.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition is the sum of money charged for instruction at a college or university. The cost of tuition is based on enrollment status (number of hours/types of courses) and residency status. A Tuition and Fees Schedule outlines cost. There are also fees associated with enrollment. Some fees are authorized by statute or by the governing board of an institution, and are charged to a student upon enrollment to provide services such as library, laboratory, course, student activity, etc. fees. Others are course-based fees required of all students enrolled in a particular course, such as fees for chemistry labs, or discretionary fees required of students in a given course. There are also fees for privileges, such as the campus access fee.
Refunds
Refunds are due to students who have paid more than the balance of their tuition. If your tuition and fees were lower than your financial aid award, you will receive a Financial Aid credit. If you withdraw from (drop/withdraw) a course, you may be eligible to receive a refund based on the college refund schedule.
Students who receive a refund are responsible for reimbursements to companies or agencies that have financially assisted them with their tuition.
Refunds to students on the Payment Plan will be applied to the balance due, as outlined in the Payment Plan Contract. All academic calendar days are considered for refund purposes, not only the days you attended class.
Refunds for other non-standard length courses (e.g., open learning, continuing education) are based on the Refund of Tuition table provided by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Get Your Refund, Your Way
During your college enrollment, you may at some time be eligible for a Financial Aid refund or other type of disbursement after tuition and fees have been paid. To receive your refund, you can choose the method that is best for you through the RefundSelect program. A Welcome email from Heartland ECSI will be sent to your ACES email address within 48 hours of registering for classes. Additional information is available at Refunds. (The Alamo CashCard has been discontinued due to new Federal regulations.)
Tuition Refund Petition
No refund is possible after the designated deadline, except in extraordinary circumstances and if approved by the Alamo Colleges District.
Tuition Installment Plan
A Payment Plan allows you breakdown tuition into three payments. The first payment is due when the contract is signed before the first payment deadline of the semester. Payment Plans are available online through ACES, and are available for all semesters with preset dates that determine when each payment is due.
3-Peat (Third Attempt) Tuition
A 3-peat is a course that has been attempted three or more times at any Texas public institution of higher education. The Alamo Colleges District charges a higher tuition rate to students registering the third or subsequent time for a course. Meet with an advisor to determine if you are repeating a course for the third time.
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