Financial Aid recipients may occasionally need to attend another institution to obtain coursework when Athens State courses are not available. A financial aid recipient in good standing may request to enroll in a course at another college or university through the Financial Aid Consortium Agreement.
Consortium Agreements are a binding agreement between schools, and the student, that enables a student to receive federal aid from Athens State University while being enrolled as a visiting student at another school. The university from which a student intends to earn a degree is called the “home institution,” while the other school is considered to be the “host institution.”
A student should complete a financial aid consortium agreement because they may be entitled to receive additional financial aid based on the combined credits at both schools. They must have at least one-three enrollment hours at Athens State to receive federal grants and at least six enrollment hours at Athens State for federal loans through this agreement. A student must also have a transient/visiting student authorization on file in the Athens State Registrar Office for courses specified on the financial aid consortium agreement.
Athens State does not make any payment to the host institution on the student’s behalf. The student must verify payment guidelines with the host institution before enrolling in any course.
Not all institutions participate in consortium agreements. A list of institutions that participate are below:
- Bevill State Community College
- Calhoun State Community College
- J.F. Drake State Community and Technical College
- Northeast State Community College
- Northwest-Shoals Community College
- Snead State Community College
- Wallace State Community College – Hanceville
The form can be found here: Consortium Agreement
The Financial Aid Consortium Agreement consists of two pages. The student must complete page 1 and submit to the host institution for completion of page 2. The agreement must be completed in full before it will be processed. A student checklist is below:
To participate a student must:
- Make sure you are meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress and have met all other financial aid eligibility requirements.
- Complete and submit a transient/visiting student authorization to the Athens State Registrar Office for approval of the required course. The form must be on file in the Registrar’s Office before the Financial Aid Consortium Agreement is processed.
- Register for the required course at the host institution after all admissions requirements guidelines have been met.
- Complete and sign page 1 of the Financial Aid Consortium Agreement.
- Submit the Financial Aid Consortium Agreement to the host school’s Financial Aid Office to have page 2 completed and follow up later to make sure the completed form has been forwarded to the Athens State Financial Aid Office.
- Check with the host school to determine when its enrollment fees are due. Even if payment is due prior to financial aid disbursement at Athens State, you may be obligated to pay your host institution in a timely manner.
- Must notify the Athens State Financial Aid Office of any changes in enrollment at the host Institution.
The Athens State Financial Aid Office will verify that all steps have been completed, attendance has been confirmed at the host institution and will update the financial aid offer based on the combined credits at both institutions per federal guidelines.