The RRCC Financial Aid Office can help you apply for grants, loans, and work-study to help you pay for college

Financial aid is money from the federal Department of Education and the State of Colorado to help students pay for educationally-related costs.  Federal financial aid eligibility is based on classes that are required to earn your declared RRCC degree or certificate.  Log into The Rock student portal and view your Degree Check, or work with your Pathway Advisor to make sure you are taking classes that count toward your program of study. The deadline to update your program of study is the posted Census date for each semester.

Will I qualify for a Federal Pell Grant in 2024-2025?
2025-2026 federal student aid estimator (Fall 2025 through Spring/Summer 2026)
Which parent should I use on my FAFSA?

Dependent students under 24 years of age: view the income requirements for the Pell Grant here*
Independent students: view the income requirements for the Pell Grant here*
*If you do not see your income listed, you could still qualify for Pell and other state grants. We will review your financial aid application to determine your eligibility.

Has your income changed since the tax year you reported on your FAFSA or CASFA?  Talk to us about Professional Judgment to see if you can receive additional grant funding.  If you are required to provide parent information on your FAFSA but are unable to do so, please talk to our office.  

Financial Aid News

When will I get my refund?
Fall aid was disbursed into eligible student accounts on Monday, September 9th. Refunds will be processed by BankMobile on Friday, September 13th after 3pm.
If you use a BankMobile bank account, you should receive your refund after 3pm on 9/13/2024. 
If you elected to have your refund deposited into a non BankMobile bank account, your refund should arrive no later than Wednesday, 9/18/2024.
If you did not select a refund preference or requested a paper check, a check will be mailed to you within 10 business days from 9/13/2024.

If you have questions about how your refund will be delivered to you, check the BankMobile button in The Rock student portal or contact the RRCC Cashier's Office at RRCC.CashiersOffice@rrcc.edu or (303) 914-6221. To view the amount of your refund, log into The Rock student portal and click on the Student Account link on the left of the page. Then, click View Monthly Statements or Billing Notices. A negative balance due reflects the amount of a refund that BankMobile will process for you on Friday.

Our hours have changed! Stop by Lakewood or Arvada to meet with Financial Aid in person - no appointment needed!
Lakewood Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 8am-6pm / Friday: 9am-12pm
Second Saturday of every month: 9am-12pm

Arvada Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 8am-5pm / Friday: 9am-12pm

Prefer to meet virtually (phone or video)?  Click here to schedule an appointment with a staff member through Navigate, or check in at the Navigate Virtual Front Desk:
Log into The Rock student portal, click the Navigate button, and then click on "Appointments." 
For virtual appointments, select the Student Affairs - REMOTE SERVICES location, or the VIRTUAL FRONT DESK - Financial Aid location to receive a phone call when an advisor is available.

In-person assistance with the FAFSA financial aid application is available on Mondays and Thursdays at the Lakewood campus.  To request a virtual appointment for FAFSA assistance, click HERE.  Before attending your meeting for FAFSA assistance, complete this intake form online.

You may email documents to us at rrcc.financialaid@rrcc.edu.  Please use your student email account if you have one.  To avoid being charged a $40 late fee, be sure to submit documents at least 2 weeks before the payment deadline.  If you are completing your financial aid file during the month that classes start, we recommend that you set up a payment plan to ensure you are not charged late fees.  You will not be dropped from your classes due to non-payment.

You can also call us at 303-914-6256.  If you need to leave a voicemail, we will call you back within 24 hours. We will send you an email if we cannot reach you over the phone.  

Student loan requests cannot be processed after the last day of classes/after you have stopped attending classes for the semester.  Submit all requested financial aid documents at least 2 weeks before the end of the semester to improve your chances of being offered aid.  You are not guaranteed to receive financial aid if you are completing your file after the semester has ended.

Use this Federal Student Aid Estimator to see what types of federal financial aid you may qualify to receive during the 2024-2025 aid year.

Summer 2024 financial aid 
The deadline to submit paperwork to request financial aid for the Summer 2024 semester was July 15th. The deadline to apply for aid for Summer 2024 was June 30th, 2024.

Help with Books 
To use up to $750 of your expected financial aid refund at the campus bookstore before classes start, make sure you have the Bookstore Authorization Form (TIV) on file at the Financial Aid Office.

Care Forward Colorado*

All Care Forward Colorado funding was exhausted in the Summer 2024 semester. Effective Fall 2024, no funding is available through Care Forward Colorado at RRCC. We recommend students pursue other financial aid options through the FAFSA or CASFA (for undocumented/DACAmented/ASSET-eligible students) after the summer term.

Career Advance Colorado* - Ends Spring 2025

Grant funding is available for certificates in the fields of Construction, Education, Firefighting, and Law Enforcement, as well as for the Associate of Arts degrees in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education. Funding is expected to run out after Fall 2024 and is not guaranteed for the entirety of your program. Continuing students will be prioritized for Spring 2025, but not all students will qualify due to funding limitations. 

If your tuition and fees have already been paid by another source of grant, scholarship, or benefit funding, you may not qualify at this time.  

Funding is limited, and will be offered to students as long as funding is available.

To qualify, students must:

• Be a Colorado resident for tuition purposes (students with ASSET status qualify)
• Complete the financial aid application (FAFSA or CASFA, depending on your citizenship status) 
• Declare an eligible certificate or degree program - the deadline to update program of study with the Student Records office is the posted Census date for each semester (September 6 for Fall 2023, and January 31 for Spring 2024)
• Enroll in required classes for your eligible program of study. Your Pathway Advisor can help with this.
• Complete your file with the Financial Aid Office, including high school completion and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements 

*Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill® and Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) beneficiaries are ineligible for the Career Advance and Care Forward Colorado programs. All other VA education benefits are compatible with these programs.
          GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Further details about the education benefits provided by the VA can be found on the official U.S. government website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Refunds

If your financial aid is more than your tuition/fees balance, you could qualify to receive some funding in the form of a refund. Refunds are typically made available via BankMobile the Friday after your aid has paid into your RRCC student account balance. To check your refund preferences, click on the BankMobile button in The Rock student portal.  Contact the Cashier's Office with questions about BankMobile. 

If you have childcare or computer purchase expenses, or if you need to request additional loan funds than you were initially offered, please contact Financial Aid to discuss your options.

Financial aid process and timeline - most types of financial aid require that you take at least 6 credits that count toward your program of study at RRCC. 

1. Complete the online.  You must renew your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA) every year. The FAFSA becomes available by the end of the calendar year for the following fall, spring, and summer semesters. It takes 3-5 business days for your FAFSA/CASFA to be sent to RRCC after you submit it online. To send your FAFSA or CASFA to RRCC, use our school code:  009543.
2. Log into student portal and select "Financial Aid Requirements" to see if we have received your FAFSA, and to see if you need to turn in any additional paperwork before we can offer you financial aid. If you have submitted all required documentation and you meet all eligibility requirements, RRCC's Financial Aid Office will offer financial aid to you based on your eligibility.  Allow about two weeks for processing of all financial aid paperwork.

3. Log into student portal and select "Financial Aid Award" to view your awards.  "Free" money like grants are automatically accepted for you. Click here for instructions on how to accept a loan being offered to you. Financial aid is typically offered each spring for the upcoming aid year. 2024-2025 offer notices are expected to be sent before August 2024 due to federal deadlines. Student files that are completed during the semester will be packaged for financial aid once all paperwork is completed and processed. Financial aid offers are made based on the availability of funds at that time.  It may take up to about two weeks to be packaged aid after completing your file during the semester.

Important Dates & Deadlines

You must submit all completed documents to the Financial Aid Office by the following dates to be considered for an offer. Do not delay! Submitting documents on or near these deadlines does not guarantee that aid will be available.
Fall deadline:  December 1
Spring deadline:  May 1
Summer deadline:  July 15
The last day to submit a FAFSA or CASFA for the 2023-2024 aid year was June 30, 2024.

Fall 2024 classes start:  August 19
Fall tuition payment deadline:  September 4
      Late fees for fall semester will be applied on October 8th ($40 charged if no payment plan on file and aid has not covered balance in full)
Last day to drop full-semester classes:  September 4
Last day to update fall degree/certificate program of study:  September 4
Fall financial aid disbursement date:  September 9
Fall financial aid refunds released through BankMobile:  September 13
Loans for first-time borrowers disbursement date:  September 23

Payment Deadlines
If your financial aid is not enough to cover your tuition bill, you will need to establish a payment plan with the Cashier's Office by Census Date or you will be charged a late fee. Summer 2024 payment is due by Thursday, June 6.  If your authorized financial aid is not enough to cover your balance in full, and you have not set up a payment plan online through The Rock student portal or paid your balance in full, you will be charged a $40 late fee.  You will NOT be dropped from your classes due to non-payment.  To set up a payment plan, which requires a portion of your tuition to be paid, follow the steps listed here. Outstanding summer balances as of August 5, 2024 are subject to collection action.

Click here to read RRCC's Payment Policy.

Red Rocks Community College Estimated Cost of Attendance*

Colorado Residents

Tuition and Fees: $4,679
Books and Supplies: $1,460
Housing and Food: $11,187
Transportation: $1,548
Personal/Medical: $4,707
Loan Fees: $36
Total: $23,617

Non-Residents

Tuition and Fees: $17,279
Books and Supplies: $1,460
Housing and Food: $11,187
Transportation: $1,548
Personal/Medical: $4,707
Loan Fees: $36
Total: $36,217

*Note: Tuition, fees, and books are direct costs and vary depending on the total number of credits you take. Other listed fees are estimates provided by the State of Colorado and the Colorado Community College System (CCCS) and are not paid directly to RRCC. The amounts above are based on approved budget parameters for the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 aid year, for a full-time student living with parents. Your financial aid offer cannot exceed your cost of attendance. However, you may request an increase of your cost of attendance if you have documented childcare expenses and for a one-time computer purchase.

Information on RRCC policies and procedures can be found throughout this website and in the Financial Aid Handbook. It is every RRCC financial aid applicant's responsibility to be familiar with the contents of this document.

Read the Terms and Conditions of receiving financial aid at RRCC

To be eligible to receive any type of federal student financial aid, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident, or other eligible non-citizen.*
• Be working toward a degree or a financial aid approved certificate (click here for programs that are not eligible for financial aid).*
• Federal financial aid amounts are based on classes that are required to earn your declared RRCC degree or certificate. 
• Meet RRCC's Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.
• Not owe a refund on any federal grant, must not have borrowed federal student loans in excess of annual or aggregate loan limits, and must not be in default on any federal student loan.
• Most types of financial aid require that you take at least 6 credits that count toward your declared program of study to qualify to receive the funds.

*State financial aid is available for ASSET recipients and students enrolled in short certificates that do not qualify for federal financial aid.

All documentation requested by the Financial Aid Office must have been completed by the student and processed by our office by the published deadlines. Availability of funding is subject to state, federal, System, and institutional regulations, and many funds are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.  Financial aid cannot pay for a class that you have alrIf you have a class canceled, your financial aid may need to be adjusted, and you may owe a balance to the college. 

Student Resources

RRCC cares about your ability to thrive as a student and in your personal life.  We are committed to providing as many resources as possible to help you succeed and meet your highest potential.  Visit the Student Resources webpage for a comprehensive list of campus and community resources.