Students must complete the FAFSA® annually to be considered for financial aid eligibility. All students seeking access to federal financial aid must abide fully with the filing mandates associated with the FAFSA Simplification Act (Act) that was enacted into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, and amended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022. The Act further amends the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), and impacts the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). The FAFSA® serves as the application for all federal, state, and institutional financial aid (grants and loans) at HCN and, generally, must be completed online at FSA’s website, www.studentaid.gov A notification of aid eligibility from the FAFSA® filing site is not confirmation, nor assurance, that a student will be eligible for aid. It is an early indicator of possible eligibility.
Beginning with 2024‐25, all persons, now known as contributors, on the FAFSA must provide consent for the U.S. Department of Education to receive tax information or confirmation of non‐filing status directly from the IRS using the IRS Direct Data Exchange (DDX). Denial of consent will result in FSA rejecting the application and the applicant will not be eligible for federal student aid until all required contributors provide consent.
Contributor is a new term used by FSA for the 2024‐25 FAFSA®. It refers to anyone asked to provide information on a student's FAFSA®. A contributor could be the student, the student’s spouse, a biological or adoptive parent, or the parent’s spouse (stepparent).
All students and their required contributors must create an FSA ID at www.studentaid.gov to complete a FAFSA form online. The FSA ID will be used to login to the FAFSA site and apply for aid consideration. To create an FSA ID, a Social Security Number (SSN), full legal name, and date of birth will be required. If a contributor does not have a social security number, they still can get a FSA ID using their Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) to fill out their portion of the FAFSA®.
The FSA ID will be used to file the FAFSA®, be used as the applicant’s electronic signature, and be used to access the FSA site for updates, corrections, and subsequent aid filing years.
Signing the FAFSA® through an electronic signature is recommended. In order to sign electronically, the student (and parent if applicable) must apply for a FSA ID
The information provided on-and-through the FAFSA® is used to determine the SAI. After the FAFSA® has been processed, the student will receive a FAFSA® Submission Summary (FSS). The student and/or their contributors must review their FSS for accuracy and update FAFSA® with any necessary corrections.
Financial need is determined by subtracting the SAI and other financial assistance from the Cost of Attendance (COA). Do note, COA is an estimate of a student's educational expenses for a 9‐month, 36 quarter credit hour based, full‐time period of enrollment. COA is not a representation of actual expenses incurred by each student. The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, defines COA components for all federal student aid programs. These components include Direct Costs. Direct costs are expenses that the College will charge directly to the student, such as tuition and fees. The COA will also include Indirect Costs. Indirect Costs are expenses that are not directly charged by the College, but should be budgeted for by the student, such as food and housing.
The SAI is the foundation for all financial aid awards. Students with a valid FAFSA® on file and a complete HCN Online Student Financial Aid Portal will be awarded maximum eligibility in accordance with all governing rules and regulations. Students may view their aid awards through the HCN Online Student Financial Aid Portal. Student aid is disbursed quarterly. Students must complete all requested and required steps/paperwork prior to disbursement.
Financial need is based on the following formula and applicable aid year:
Cost of Attendance (Direct Costs + Indirect Costs) - Student Aid Index (2024-25) - Other Financial Assistance = Financial Need
- Direct Costs include tuition, fees, books (if purchased through the College) and supplies (if purchased through the College).
- Indirect Costs include transportation, housing, food, personal and miscellaneous. These are not costs charged by the College, however, should be budgeted for by the student to prepare for a successful educational journey.
- Student Aid Index (SAI) is determined by a federally defined formula using information you provide on-and-through your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®).
Cost of Attendance
Cost of Attendance (COA) is established for use in determining Federal Student Aid eligibility. The COA below is an estimate of a student’s educational expenses for a 9-month, 36 quarter credit hour basis, full-time enrollment status, applicable program of study, and housing status.
The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, defines COA components for all federal student aid programs. These components include direct costs, such as tuition and fees, and indirect costs, like food and housing. COA can be adjusted annually to reflect changes to these cost components.
Cost of Attendance will vary depending on your program of study, credit hour enrollment, and housing status. Students are not allowed to receive aid that exceeds their COA. It is important to budget wisely and make responsible borrowing decisions. Please email [email protected] for COA information for enrollment other than full-time.
The COA below is an estimate of a student’s educational expenses for a 9-month, 36 quarter credit hour basis, full-time enrollment status, applicable program of study, and housing status. It does not represent the cost of the overall program nor when charges are applied. All institutions of higher education are required to provide an estimated budget that would best state the average overall COA for a student to attend their school. In addition to tuition and fees, categorical items in this budget include the estimated cost of living expenses, books, supplies, & course materials, miscellaneous personal expenses, and transportation. The COA provides an idea, or estimate, of how much the student might need to spend, in addition to paying tuition and fees. These estimates can help to determine the student’s ability to attend HCN. Anything listed in the COA budget that is not tuition and fees is not owed to HCN unless the student purchases items through the College, such as books, computers, supplies, etc.
Diploma of Practical Nursing Student: 2024-25 Award Year
Federally Derived Cost of Attendance (COA)
9-Month Academic Year Basis, 36 credit hours, Full-time enrollment
Independent**, Off-Campus
| Cost Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition (36 credit hours)* | $13,860.00 |
| Fees* | $957.60 |
| Books, Supplies, & Course Materials | $2,524.32 |
| Food & Housing (Living Expenses) | $10,260.00 |
| Miscellaneous Personal Expenses | $3,222.00 |
| Transportation | $2,079.00 |
| Total | $32,902.92 |
Dependent** with Parent or Military Housing
| Cost Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition (36 credit hours)* | $13,860.00 |
| Fees* | $957.60 |
| Books, Supplies, & Course Materials | $2,524.32 |
| Food & Housing (Living Expenses) | $5,139.00 |
| Miscellaneous Personal Expenses | $3,114.00 |
| Transportation | $2,079.00 |
| Total | $27,673.92 |
*PN Students attending the Indianapolis Campus must add an additional Tuition & Fees charge of $411.60 and an additional $5.09 in Books & Supplies.
**As Determined by the United States Department of Education, Office of Federal Student Aid, Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Associate Degree Nursing Student (ADN): 2024-25 Award Year
Federally Derived Cost of Attendance (COA)
9-Month Academic Year Basis, 36 credit hours, Full-time enrollment
Independent**, Off-Campus
| Tuition (36 credit hours)* | $15,984.00 |
|---|---|
| Fees* | $1,101.96 |
| Books, Supplies, & Course Materials | $2,685.24 |
| Food & Housing (Living Expenses) | $10,260.00 |
| Miscellaneous Personal Expenses | $3,222.00 |
| Transportation | $2,079.00 |
| Total | $35,332.20 |
Dependent** with Parent or Military Housing
| Tuition (36 credit hours)* | $15,984.00 |
|---|---|
| Fees* | $1,101.96 |
| Books, Supplies, & Course Materials | $2,685.24 |
| Food & Housing (Living Expenses) | $5,139.00 |
| Miscellaneous Personal Expenses | $3,222.00 |
| Transportation | $2,079.00 |
| Total | $30,211.20 |
Diploma of Medical Assisting Student (MA): 2024-25 Award Year
Federally Derived Cost of Attendance (COA)
9-Month Academic Year Basis, 36 credit hours, Full-time enrollment
OHIO/MICHIGAN - Independent**, Off-Campus
| Tuition (36 credit hours)* | $9,000.00 |
|---|---|
| Fees* | $843.75 |
| Books, Supplies, & Course Materials | $1,254.26 |
| Food & Housing (Living Expenses) | $10,260.00 |
| Miscellaneous Personal Expenses | $3,222.00 |
| Transportation | $2,079.00 |
| Total | $26,659.01 |
OHIO/MICHIGAN - Dependent** with Parent or Military Housing
| Tuition (36 credit hours)* | $9,000.00 |
|---|---|
| Fees* | $843.75 |
| Books, Supplies, & Course Materials | $1,254.26 |
| Food & Housing (Living Expenses) | $5,139.00 |
| Miscellaneous Personal Expenses | $3,222.00 |
| Transportation | $2,079.00 |
| Total | $21,538.01 |
Diploma of Medical Assisting
The U.S. Department of Education Office of Federal Student Aid (USDOE FSA) has changed how financial aid eligibility is determined for non-associate degree programs that do not fully transfer into an Associate Degree offered at the same institution. Hondros College of Nursing students enrolled in the Diploma of Medical Assisting program are not eligible to receive full financial aid funding due to a federal mandate known as the Clock-to-Credit hour conversion, outlined in Chapter 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations, 668.8(k) and (l).
Despite HCN’s Medical Assisting program requiring 48 academic quarter credit hours to complete, the USDOE FSA clock-to-credit conversion requires that the College only offer 33.5 quarter credit hours of financial aid.
The following chart provides a description of each Medical Assisting course and the applicable Title IV Federal Financial Aid eligibility conversion. For specifics concerning the academic work associated with the Medical Assisting program, please refer to the applicable academic section.
Term 1
| Course | Quarter Academic Credits Assigned | Hours of Classroom Instruction Theory | Hours of Instruction Lab | Hours of Instruction Clinical | Total Clock Hours | Converted Federal Aid Credit Hour Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAS 100 | 4.00 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 2.00 |
| MAS 101 | 3.00 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 1.50 |
| MAS 102 | 3.00 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 1.50 |
| MAS 103 | 2.00 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1.00 |
| Quarter Totals | 12.00 | 120 | 0 | 0 | 120 | 6.00 |
Term 2
| Course | Quarter Academic Credits Assigned | Hours of Classroom Instruction Theory | Hours of Instruction Lab | Hours of Instruction Clinical | Total Clock Hours | Converted Federal Aid Credit Hour Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENG 200 | 3.00 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 1.50 |
| MAS 110 | 6.00 | 20 | 80 | 0 | 100 | 5.00 |
| MAS 111 | 3.00 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 40 | 2.00 |
| Quarter Totals | 12.00 | 70 | 100 | 0 | 170 | 8.50 |
Term 3
| Course | Quarter Academic Credits Assigned | Hours of Classroom Instruction Theory | Hours of Instruction Lab | Hours of Instruction Clinical | Total Clock Hours | Converted Federal Aid Credit Hour Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAS 120 | 3.00 | 10 | 40 | 0 | 50 | 2.50 |
| MAS 121 | 4.00 | 10 | 60 | 0 | 70 | 3.50 |
| MAS 122 | 1.00 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0.50 |
| MAS 123 | 1.00 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0.50 |
| MAS 124 | 3.00 | 10 | 40 | 0 | 50 | 2.50 |
| Quarter Totals | 12.00 | 50 | 140 | 0 | 190 | 9.50 |
Term 4
| Course | Quarter Academic Credits Assigned | Hours of Classroom Instruction Theory | Hours of Instruction Lab | Hours of Instruction Clinical | Total Clock Hours | Converted Federal Aid Credit Hour Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAS 130 | 3.00 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 1.50 |
| MAS 131 | 2.00 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1.00 |
| MAS 132* | 7.00 | 10 | 0 | 180 | 190 | 7.00 |
| Quarter Totals | 12.00 | 60 | 0 | 180 | 240 | 9.50 |
* HCN cannot award more credit for Title IV purposes than the amount of credit approved by our institutional accrediting agency ABHES and, under ABHES rules, HCN cannot award more than 7 credits for the MAS 132 course.
MEDICAL ASSISTING DIPLOMA (MA) PROGRAM TOTALS
| Total Credits | Hours of Classroom Instruction Theory | Hours of Instruction Lab | Hours of Instruction Clinical | Total Clock Hours | Converted Federal Aid Credit Hour Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 | 300 | 240 | 180 | 720 | 33.5 |
- The overall MA Diploma program meets the necessary quarter hours of instruction to qualify as an eligible program for FSA purposes at 33.50 overall credit hours (the Federal requirement is 24 quarter hours).
- The MA Diploma program funding is determined and calculated according to the Converted Federal Financial Aid Credit Hour Eligibility Column.
- It is the policy of HCN to use two decimal places at the individual course level for the conversion calculation.
- At the overall term or quarter level assessment for Title IV purposes, HCN is not permitted to and does not round up. Therefore, aid is determined at the highest overall whole number point (e.g. 9.5 = 9 financial aid eligible hours).
- For enrollment reporting and class level determination, Converted Federal Financial Aid Credits are used as the determining or reporting standard for Federal purposes including, but not limited to, enrollment reporting.
- Currently, the MA Diploma is only available at HCN’s Ohio Campuses.
Cost of Attendance Components – Definitions
Below we provide the updated definitions of commonly used COA terms based on the statutory changes in section 472 of the HEA, incorporating, as applicable and/or requested via the Professional Judgement process:
Tuition and fees – charged by the College directly to the student
An amount normally assessed a student carrying the same full-time academic workload, as determined by the institution.
Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment – possibly charged by the College, if the student purchases through HCN
An allowance for books, course materials, and equipment, which must include all such costs required of all students in the same course of study, including a reasonable allowance for the rental or upfront purchase of a personal computer, as determined by the institution.
Miscellaneous personal expenses – not charged by the College
An allowance, as determined by the institution, for a student attending the institution on at least a half-time basis.
Transportation – not charged by the College
An allowance, as determined by the institution, which may include transportation between campus, residences, and place of work.
Living expenses – not charged by the College
An allowance for food and housing costs, as determined by the institution, to be incurred by the student attending the institution on at least a half-time basis, including a standard food allowance that provides the equivalent of three meals each day.
Dependent care – not charged by the College
An allowance based on the estimated actual expenses incurred for dependent care, based on the number and age of such dependents. The period for which dependent care is required includes, but is not limited to, class-time, study-time, field work, internships, and commuting time.
Disability-related expenses – not charged by the College
An allowance, as determined by the institution, for expenses associated with a student’s disability, including special services, personal assistance, transportation, equipment, and supplies that are reasonably incurred and not provided for by other agencies.
Professional licensure, certification, or a first professional credential – possibly charged by the College, if the student purchases through HCN, please contact [email protected] for further information.
An allowance for the costs associated with obtaining a license, certification, or a first professional credential, for a student in a program that prepares them to enter a profession that requires such a qualification.
Net Price Calculator (NPC)
HCN’s Net Price Calculator is a valuable financial planning tool that provides an early estimate of:
- The expected cost to attend HCN, and
- How much financial aid you may qualify for.
Note: The NPC is an estimation tool not an application for admission or an application for financial aid.
Dependency Status
The federal government has established how dependency status is determined for federal financial aid purposes. If a student is considered a dependent, his or her parents’ income and asset information must be included on the FAFSA. This information will be used in addition to the student’s income and asset information to determine the EFC.
Verification
The federal government requires some federal student aid applicants to verify the accuracy of information on their FAFSA®. In accordance with federal requirements, Hondros College of Nursing requires students to submit verification documents prior to disbursement of funds. Students and their spouses or parents may be required to submit a verification worksheet, federal tax return transcripts and additional information necessary to complete verification or clear conflicting information.
If information on any documents is found to be conflicting, students may be selected for verification and required to provide additional information. Failure to complete verification may result in a loss of financial aid eligibility. All verification documentation must be submitted prior to the student's last day of their academic year.
If Hondros College of Nursing suspects that an individual falsified information and/or altered documentation and fraudulently obtained federal funds, Hondros College of Nursing is legally obligated to file a report with the Office of the Inspector General and/or local law enforcement officials.
Professional Judgement
Based upon the receipt and review of specific documentation, financial aid may exercise Professional Judgement and make adjustments that effect student’s financial aid eligibility. Professional Judgement is the ability of financial aid to make adjustments to a student’s aid eligibility on a case by case basis. The adjustments may be made to the cost of attendance, to a data element required to calculate the student’s expected family contribution (EFC) or to dependency status.
All professional judgment requests require a Special Circumstance form and supporting documentation. Please contact your campus financial aid representative for additional information.