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Financial Aid

Baton Rouge Community College delivers a high-quality education at one of the most affordable costs in the region. Financial aid can help make your goals even more attainable. Our Office of Financial Aid is here to support you as you pursue your educational goals.

FAFSA

BRCC's School Code is 037303.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be completed by all students applying for financial aid.

  • The 2025–2026 FAFSA is the application for Fall 2025, Spring 2026, and Summer 2026.
  • The 2026–2027 FAFSA is the application for Fall 2026, Spring 2027, and Summer 2027.

Federal Student Loan Changes Beginning in 2026–2027

Beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year, federal Schedule of Reductions (SOR) rules may reduce your Federal Direct Loan eligibility if you are enrolled less than full-time.

Only courses that apply to your declared BRCC degree or certificate program count toward your enrollment for this calculation.

What is the Schedule of Reductions?

The Schedule of Reductions (SOR) is a federal regulation enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). It adjusts annual Federal Direct Loan limits based on your enrollment intensity each term.

Your annual Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loan maximums are determined by the number of qualifying, degree-applicable credits you take:

  • Full-time enrollment (12 or more required credits): You are eligible for 100% of your maximum annual loan limit.
  • Part-time enrollment (6–11 required credits): Your loan eligibility is prorated based on your enrollment intensity.
  • Less-than-half-time enrollment (fewer than 6 required credits): You are not eligible to receive Federal Direct Loan disbursements for that term.

Your Courses Matter

Only courses that directly satisfy requirements for your declared major or program of study at BRCC count toward the SOR calculation. Extra electives or courses outside your official degree plan cannot be included in your loan calculation.

How SOR Is Calculated

Your adjusted loan limit is calculated using a credit-ratio formula:

  1. Enrollment Ratio: Divide your degree-applicable enrolled credits by full-time credit 
    status ( ).
  2. Proration Percentage: Round the result to the nearest whole percentage point.
  3. Adjusted Loan Amount: Multiply your annual maximum loan limit by your proration 
    percentage.

Example Calculation

Assume your annual maximum federal Direct Loan limit is $5,500 for the academic year 
($2,750 per semester), and you enroll in 6 degree-applicable credits at BRCC for the term:

Diagram showing how enrollment ratio and adjusted federal student loan amounts are calculated.
If you are enrolled in 6 degree-applicable credits, your enrollment intensity is 50% of full-time enrollment (6 credits ÷ 12 credits). If your standard semester loan limit is $2,750, your adjusted loan limit would be 50% of that amount, or $1,375 for the semester.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Check your Degree Works audit. Log into LoLA and review your Degree Works audit to make sure every registered course applies directly to your active BRCC degree or certificate program.
  2. Contact Financial Aid before changing your schedule. Dropping classes or switching to non-required courses before the official BRCC Census Date may trigger an SOR adjustment and reduce your loan disbursement. This could create an unexpected balance on your account.
  3. Plan your course load. If you rely on full federal loan funding to help cover tuition, fees, and books, make sure you understand how your number of degree-applicable credits may affect your loan eligibility.

The statutory changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act require federal loan proration to better reflect enrollment intensity by aligning loan limits with a student's qualifying credit load.

No. SOR specifically applies to Federal Direct Loans under the OBBBA provisions. Federal Pell Grants, TOPS, and state grants have separate enrollment intensity rules and eligibility criteria.

Changes to your enrolled degree-applicable credits before the BRCC Census Date will recalculate your SOR percentage. If your eligible credits decrease, aid may be returned, and you may be responsible for paying the remaining balance to BRCC.

Questions?

If you have questions about your degree requirements or need assistance with your loan calculation, please contact us:

  • Location: Governors Building (First Floor), Mid City Campus
  • Address: 201 Community College Dr, Baton Rouge, LA 70806
  • Phone: (855) 220-8201
  • Email: finaid@mybrcc.edu
  • Student Portal: Access your financial aid status anytime via LoLA.

Financial Aid Reminders

  • Academic Progress is evaluated before aid is initially awarded.
  • Class schedules will not be held for students who are missing financial aid documents or waiting for an appeal decision.
  • Check LoLA on a regular basis for updates.

Financial Aid Appeals

The Financial Aid Appeal process is available electronically. Students interested in submitting a financial aid appeal must complete the form online and upload supporting documentation. For additional guidance, please review the How to Write a Successful Financial Aid Appeal (PDF) resource.

Financial Aid (SAP) Appeal Submission Deadlines

Fall

Classes Start Deadline Date and Time
August 24, 2026 August 10, 2026, at 12 p.m.
September 21, 2026 September 7, 2026, at 12 p.m.
October 19, 2026 October 5, 2026, at 12 p.m.

Spring

Classes Start Deadline Date and Time
January 11, 2027 January 5, 2027, at 12 p.m.
February 10, 2027 January 27, 2027, at 12 p.m.
March 15, 2027 March 1, 2027, at 12 p.m.

Summer

Classes Start Deadline Date and Time
June 1, 2026 May 19, 2026, at 12 p.m.
June 29, 2026 June 16, 2026, at 12 p.m.

Book Advances

Learn more about the book advance process.