Transient Students | Financial Aid

A transient student is a student who is enrolled at an institution of higher learning (known as the home institution) and has decided to take classes at another institution of higher learning (known as the host institution). Many times, students decide to become transient because the host institution offers some of the classes they need online, at a more convenient time, closer to their home, or at a lower tuition rate. Transient students may still be eligible for financial aid but it works a bit differently from the normal financial aid process.

GHC – Home Institution

If you are currently enrolled at Georgia Highlands and are considering taking classes at another institution, there are some procedures and regulations in regards to financial aid that you need to know about. First you must request a Transient Letter to be sent by Georgia Highlands to your host institution. Second, you must get a Consortium Agreement from the GHC Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid to be turned in and filled out by your host institution. Once your host institution fills out this Consortium Agreement telling us what classes you are taking there, we will be able to award your account with the appropriate amount of financial aid. Please be aware that Georgia Highlands will disburse financial aid to you at the regularly scheduled refund date for that semester. You will need to be prepared to pay your tuition and fees at the host institution out of pocket. You will then be reimbursed for whatever amount of federal aid you might be eligible for during normal refunding timeframes at GHC.

Please be aware there is no guarantee that the financial aid you’re eligible for will be the same as any amount paid out of pocket. The amount of financial aid you receive will be determined by the processing of your Consortium Agreement and NOT by the amount of money you may have to pay out of pocket.

While federal aid cannot be paid to you at the host institution, the HOPE Scholarship can be paid out at your host institution if you fill out a HOPE Transient Request form and turn it in to the GHC Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. These steps need to be completed well in advance of fee payment deadlines at the host institution. However, there is no guarantee that HOPE will be added to your account at the host institution ahead of any fee payment deadlines. If it is not added ahead of the fee payment deadline, you will need to be prepared to pay all tuition and fees out of pocket. You will then be reimbursed for whatever amount of HOPE funding you might be eligible for during normal refunding timeframes at the host school.

GHC AS THE HOME SCHOOL-TRANSIENT CHECKLIST:

For students who plan to be transient TO another school FROM GHC, documentation is needed.

For federal aid consideration (Pell/loans):

___The student should consult the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at GHC to request a consortium agreement be sent to the host school.

___After the drop/add period at GHC, the consortium agreement will be sent to the Office of Financial Aid at the host school so that they can confirm the student’s schedule there and return the form to GHC.

___Students are expected to pay their balances up front at GHC and/or the host school by applicable fee payment deadlines and look for reimbursement from GHC for any applicable federal aid during normal refunding timeframes at GHC.

For State Merit Award consideration (HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship):

___The student should consult the GHC Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid to fill out a HOPE/Zell Miller Transient Request form. Subject to approval, a HOPE/Zell Transient Certificate will be submitted to the host school via the HOPE/Surfer website.

___The host school will then process the HOPE/Zell Miller Transient Certificate provided the student has been accepted to the host school with a schedule in place for the applicable semester. HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship is awarded up to 15 credit hours (these 15 credits are a total of any credit hours taken at the home and host school combined if applicable).

___Transient students from GHC are expected to pay any balances due out of pocket at the host school by applicable fee payment deadlines and look for any applicable reimbursements later during normal refunding timeframes at the host school.

Students who are transient from GHC to an Out-of-State college (meaning outside of Georgia) cannot receive the HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship award. This is because GHC cannot authorize HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship payments to an Out-of-State college.

GHC – Host Institution

If you are currently enrolled at another institution and wish to take classes at Georgia Highlands as a transient student, you first need to APPLY to Georgia Highlands. Then, you will request a transient letter from your home institution. You will need to pick up a Consortium Agreement from your home institution and drop it off at the GHC Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid on any of our campuses. A Financial Aid Counselor will then fill out the Consortium Agreement and send it to your home institution after the appropriate drop/add periods at GHC (drop/add usually occurs after the first two-three days of class for any session(s) you’re registered for) letting them know how many credit hours you will be taking so that they can award your financial aid accordingly. You will be expected to pay for any charges associated with your enrollment such as tuition, fees, and books by posted GHC fee payment deadlines. There are no exceptions to this rule. Your home institution will issue your financial aid refunds at their regularly scheduled refunding timeframes.

The HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship is the only financial aid that will pay out at two different institutions at the same time. In order to receive the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship at Georgia Highlands as a transient student, you will need to fill out a HOPE transient request at your home institution so that they can release those funds to the GHC Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. Your home institution must be a HOPE eligible institution in the state of Georgia in order for you to be considered a HOPE Transient eligible student at GHC. These steps need to be completed well in advance of payment deadlines to guarantee financial aid payment. However, there is no guarantee that HOPE will be added to your account at the host institution ahead of any fee payment deadlines. If it is not added ahead of the fee payment deadline, you will need to be prepared to pay all tuition and fees out of pocket. You will then be reimbursed for whatever amount of HOPE funding you might be eligible for during normal refunding timeframes at the host school.

You should contact a college’s Business Office to check on getting a refund option set up (if applicable) and to inquire about any other refund options available to you. students eating outside at student center

GHC AS THE HOST SCHOOL

For students who plan to be transient FROM another school TO GHC, documentation is needed.

For federal aid consideration (Pell/loans):

___The student should consult the Office of Financial Aid at their home school to request a consortium agreement be submitted to the host school (GHC).

___After the drop/add period for the applicable semester at the host school (GHC), the consortium agreement will be filled out by the GHC Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid confirming the student’s schedule and will be returned to the home school. All federal aid (if applicable) will be disbursed by the home school.

___Students are expected to pay their balances up front at the host school (GHC) by applicable fee payment deadlines and look for reimbursement from their home school for any applicable federal aid.

For state merit award consideration (Hope/Zell):

___The student should consult the Office of Financial Aid at their home school to request a Hope/Zell Transient Certificate be submitted to the host school (GHC) via the Hope/Surfer website.

___The host school (GHC) will then process the Hope/Zell Transient Certificate provided the student has been accepted to GHC with a schedule in place for the applicable semester. Hope will pay up to 15 credit hours (these 15 credits are a total of any credits taken at the home and host school combined if applicable).

Hope/Zell does not cover the full amount of the GHC balance, so transient students are expected to pay any remaining balances out of pocket by applicable fee payment deadlines at GHC.

Students who are transient to GHC from an Out-of-State college cannot receive the Hope/Zell award. This is because an Out-of-State college cannot authorize a State of Georgia Hope/Zell payment.

___The student will be refunded for any excess Hope/Zell awards (if applicable) at the host school (GHC) within normal refunding timeframes.

You can contact the GHC Business Office to discuss payment of balance and in regards to setting up a refund option at GHC: busoff@highlands.edu.