FAQs

Yes, you must live within the college district for 30 days prior to the first day of the term to get in-district rates. If you previously reported you lived outside of the district, you must provide proof of residency. Examples of proof would include a current Illinois state-issued drivers’ license or ID, vehicle registration, voter registration card or a billing statement. Any of these items must be dated 30 days prior to the beginning of the term.

Based on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, college students’ records are protected from access of non-directory information without their written consent. Your student may come to Enrollment Services and sign a statement giving you permission.

During the first 15 days of the term (seven days for four-week summer sessions), you may exchange one class for another as long as they are the same number of credit hours.

To receive a 100% refund on tuition and fees, you need to drop classes no later than the day BEFORE the term begins. Hint: You can e-mail registrar@bhc.edu in the middle of the night if you need to drop a course. The first seven days of the term, we grant 75% refund; calendar days eight through 14, we grant 50% refund. On day 15 of the term, no refund is granted.

If you have extenuating circumstances as to why you must withdraw from all of your classes, you may complete a refund appeal and submit it to Enrollment Services via mail, fax or e-mail (link to refund appeal form here). The committee will review your appeal and determine if a refund is warranted.

We always recommend you talk with your instructor before making the decision to drop a course. Dropping the course is your responsibility. You must initiate the request to drop a course. You may drop it yourself without instructor permission if the course is not 75% completed. Once 75% of the course has expired, you are not permitted to drop a course without the instructor’s permission. Contact Enrollment Services for specific dates

One semester before you plan to complete your requirements, complete a graduation application. Enrollment Services will review your records and let you know if you are missing anything.  Click here for Graduation Procedures.

Put yourself on the wait list. We will contact you via your myBlackHawk e-mail account when we have a seat for you.

Refunds are delivered via the option selected when activating the BHC Money Card. Click here to activate your refund preference and make your refund selection. Once your refund preference is selected, funds are sent from BHC to Higher One who then disburses the refunds according to your selection. If you want the fastest access to your money, simply choose to have your refunds deposited directly into your OneAccount—a fully functioning FDIC Insured checking account. (Please note: In order to receive a refund, you must select your refund preference as soon as your card arrives in the mail.)

Students need to have their picture taken at the Campus Police Department. Black Hawk College students will receive a BHC Money Card from Higher One in the mail at their primary address on file with BHC. It is important that the Enrollment Services office has your current address on file as the ID card will not be forwarded to a different address.

Although you might not currently expect a refund from Black Hawk College, we may have a refund for you in the future. After all, it may be necessary to drop a class, a class may be canceled, or you may simply receive a scholarship or assistance you were not anticipating. Selecting your preferred method to receive refunds from BHC ensures you’ll always receive your refunds in a timely manner.

Even if you’re already receiving a refund from Black Hawk College, you are required to activate your refund preference as soon as you receive your card. It only takes a minute to activate your refund preference with BHC and Higher One to avoid any delays in getting your refund.

• Easy Refund to the OneAccount (refunds available the same day BHC releases them).
• ACH Transfer to other bank (refunds available 2-3 business days).

The OneAccount is a fully functioning FDIC Insured checking account with no minimum balance and no monthly fees. Selecting the OneAccount allows you to access your Financial Aid refunds quicker and easier than ever before and offers a world of great benefits such as:

• FREE Internet banking features
• The ability to make purchases anywhere Debit MasterCard® is accepted.
• You may also withdraw cash with no fees at the Higher One ATM located on campus.

• Depositing your refund to the OneAccount and selecting an Easy Refund is the quickest way to gain access to your refund money.
• The BHC Money Card is not a credit card. However you can use it for purchases at all participating merchants that accept Debit MasterCard, get cash at ATMs, pay bills and more.
• Parents and friends can easily send you money online with a simple e-mail and a linked bank account.

Higher One will send an email to the address you entered during activation when your refund has been deposited to your OneAccount. Additionally, you can view the details of your OneAccount by accessing your statement online at BHCMoneyCard.com or by signing up to receive text messages sent directly to your cell phone with Mobile Alerts.

Yes. You may have your refund deposited to the bank of your choice. In order to have your refund deposited to your bank, activate your refund preference as soon as you receive the card by clicking here. During the activation process, select ACH Transfer to other bank for your refund preference and simply complete, print, and send the required third party form to the designated address. The form will be available online during the activation process.

The BHC Money Card can be used to make purchases wherever Debit MasterCard® is accepted. It's important to note that the BHC Money Card is not a credit card, but rather a debit card backed by the purchasing power of the MasterCard® Network.

Yes. Once activated, the new BHC ID & Money Card will replace your current BHC student ID for building entry, library services, printing services, and identification on campus. And ride the Metro Bus FREE with your card.

Answers to additional questions along with an activation demo can be found by visiting BHCMoneyCard. com, or stopping by Bursar’s Office to learn more today. Additionally, Higher One offers easy answers to your questions with Easy HelpSM–our self-service database containing answers to frequently asked questions.

Dropping a class can delay reaching your academic goal. Still, dropping a course may be your best option. Visit your advisor before deciding. Advisors can also discuss whether to add a class.

The Transfer Center is your up-to-date source for admissions and major requirements at four-year colleges and universities. Access college catalogs, admission requirements and scholarship information. Meet college representatives visiting Black Hawk College and learn first-hand how your courses transfer.

Career programs range from short-term certificate programs to Associate of Applied Science degrees. Career programs give you up-to-date skills that prepare you to enter the workforce. Click here for career programs.

Transfer programs prepare you to continue your studies at a four-year university or college. At Black Hawk College you’ll earn an associate degree in all transfer programs, complete the general education courses accepted by most universities, and begin taking courses in your major area. Click here for degree planning worksheets and additional information on transfer degrees.

Absolutely. With good planning, you can attend part-time and still make steady progress toward your goal. Plan to meet regularly with your advisor to stay on track.

Are you struggling with adjusting to college, or with stress, relationships, physical or emotional issues, depression, or something else unique to you? The college’s professional counselors are here to help.

Yes! Advisors are knowledgeable first contacts at Black Hawk College. Get help with becoming a student, discuss your educational goals, understand your program and degree choices, and learn about the college’s resources to help you succeed.

Use the Programs of Study link to locate your program and required courses.

If you have a busy schedule, online courses could be a convenient way to work your education around your active life. What does it take to do online classes? Computer skills? Time management skills?  Find answers to these questions and even take a short quiz by choosing Is Online Learning for Me?.

You are not alone. It is not uncommon to be uncertain about what you want to do in college or afterward.
Options are available to help you below:

Career Services Center (CSC)
You can visit the CSC to learn about the wide range of career options available. You can take a career assessment of your skills and interests to see what career is a good fit for you. You can also do career searches and job hunts.

Counseling (link)
You can meet with a BHC counselor to take a career inventory or to discuss majors that might work for your interests.

Psychology 105: Career Exploration and Planning
You can attend this course to help you complete an in-depth exploration of your interests, abilities and personality to identify careers that match who you are! See the class schedule for times.

Also, watch for career workshops offered throughout the year!

Seeing which courses you’ve taken – and the final grade you earned – is at your fingertips in your myBlackHawk account. Once you login to myBlackHawk, click through the Student tab to Student Records, then open Academic Transcript to see your unofficial transcript.

No, counseling can also assist with the following:
• Adjusting to new surroundings/circumstances or a new culture
• Building self-esteem
• Choosing a major or career path
• Coping with grief, loss and depression
• Learning new communication skills
• Learning stress management
• Overcoming math or speech anxiety
• Overcoming social anxiety
• Resolving a conflict with a teacher, friend or relative

Due to a high demand for services, and to ensure that the greatest number of students can receive services, the college sets a limit on the total number of individual counseling appointments students may receive. Please discuss the specifics of this policy with your counselor.

A counselor is a faculty member as well as a master’s degree-level professional trained in counseling. Counselors also work with faculty and staff as consultants and trainers and provide all services of academic advisors.

All of our counselors have master’s degrees and extensive coursework of additional post-graduate study.

An academic advisor is a professional staff or faculty member trained to assist students with academic planning. Advisors make referrals for various student concerns to counselors or other campus services.

Yes, Anne Bollati (bollatia@bhc.edu or 309-796-5183) works with English as a Second Language and Juanita Zertuche (zertuchej@bhc.edu or 309-796-5186) works with international student advising. All counselors are trained to work with a diversity of students from many cultures.