Policies and Procedures

If at any time during a semester an account becomes past due with an unresolved balance, a hold will be placed on the student’s account and the student will be unable to enroll in additional classes. The balance can be from tuition and fees, missed promissory note payments, DDA book charges, financial aid repayments, parking fines, library fines, and unreturned items (laptops, calculators, etc.).

An account becomes past due when a balance is on the account and that balance is not paid by the next posted payment due date. Holds will be placed on accounts with any unpaid balance over $1.00.

Accounts with past due balances of $50.00 or more may be subject to referral to our third-party collection agency, TSI, Inc. If sent to collections, students are responsible for payment of all additional collection and/or attorney fees charged by the agency.

Black Hawk College will assess a late fee of $10 to all past due accounts; up to 3 late fees can be charged per semester. Students participating in a 3-installment or 4-installment promissory note will also be assessed a late fee after each missed or late payment.

Students are encouraged to speak with the Financial Aid Office before withdrawing from any classes. The student’s hours will be recalculated and some students may be required to return a portion of the federal financial aid they’ve been awarded for that semester. If the recalculation results in the student owing funds back to Black Hawk College, the student will receive a bill and payment in full is expected within 30 days. A payment plan may be available by contacting the Bursar’s Office.

For current and former students with any questions, concerns, or complaints about their student loans, please reach out to Black Hawk College’s Director of Financial Aid at 309-796-5442.

The IL Attorney General’s Office also created the Student Loan Helpline, 1-800-455-2456, to provide struggling student borrowers with free resources about repayment options and information on avoiding default. Individuals with hearing or speech disabilities can reach us by using the 7-1-1 relay service. Borrowers can also call to file consumer complaints regarding issues with the billing and servicing of their loans.

Parking tags can be purchased, and parking fines can be paid, in the Bursar’s Office. Important information regarding payments for parking permits and/or fines is available through the Black Hawk College Police Department.

Most bookstore charges are paid directly to the bookstore upon purchase of the required materials for a given semester. The bookstore accepts cash, check, major credit/debit cards, Financial Aid, and third-party vouchers.

There are a few instances when bookstore charges will be billed directly to a student’s account. The most common of these are Direct Digital Access and Unreturned Textbook Rental charges.

Many instructors are using DDA in lieu of a traditional textbook. For more information on DDA, read the Direct Digital Access FAQ.

DDA charges are posted to the student account 2-3 weeks after a class using DDA begins. Notification with a link to your bill reflecting these charges will be sent to the student’s myBlackHawk email account if a balance is due – when available, financial aid or 3^rd party vouchers can be used to pay the balance. DDA access charges are expected to be paid in full by the published due date each semester. If DDA access charges are not paid in full by the published due date, a hold will be placed on the account restricting future enrollment in courses. Once the charges are paid in full, the associated holds and restrictions will be lifted.

Some books are available for semester rental. If a student rents a textbook, they must sign a Textbook Rental Agreement and pay the associated rental price. The agreement will list the date that the book must be returned to the bookstore. Late returns are not accepted.

If a student fails to return the book by the published rental return due date, a charge for the current shelf price of the book will be billed to the student’s account. An invoice will be sent to the student’s myBlackHawk email account and payment is due within 30 days upon receipt. Unpaid Unreturned Textbook Rental charges are subject to a $25.00 late fee and hold will be place on the account that will restrict enrolling in future courses. Once the charges are paid, the associated holds and restrictions will be lifted.

It is Black Hawk College’s policy to apply all awarded grants, scholarships and/or loans toward a student’s balance due before being eligible for a refund. You can learn more about our refund policy here.

View Student Handbook

View Student Achievement PDF

Maps and Locations

Information regarding classes and programs is available in the Quad-Cities Campus Advising Center and the East Campus Advising Office or here:
Credit Degree and Certificate Programs
Community & Continuing Education Programs
Adult Education Programs
Business Training

View tuition and fees here or contact the Bursar’s Office or the Financial Aid Office for more information.

Also, learn more about Payment policies and Withdrawal procedures.

BHC Police Department
Emergency Responses

If a student or BHC employee has a concern about a student who is exhibiting ‘red flag’ behaviors or is involved in incidents of student misconduct (but does not warrant immediate intervention) they are welcome to fill out a Behavioral Incident Report.

For information regarding accommodations, contact Disability Services at the Quad-Cities Campus or the Admissions Office at the East Campus.

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) established the right of students to inspect and review their education records; provides that personally identifiable information will not, with certain exception, be disclosed without the student’s written permission; provides for guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal or formal hearings; grants students the right to file complaints with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office concerning alleged failures of the College to comply; and makes provisions for notice to the students concerning their rights.

Black Hawk College has adopted policies and procedures implementing FERPA, which are outlined in the BHC academic catalog.

Drug-Free Schools and Community Act Information

Students may be subject to criminal and civil penalties if they engage in the illegal distribution of copyrighted materials. Black Hawk College monitors network activity and utilizes network traffic shaping for stopping illegal file sharing and copyright use. For further information refer to the Student Handbook.

Read about the  Athletic Participation, Equity In Athletics Disclosure Act

A student who has a complaint should work with the individual who the complaint is against. If that person is not available or the student is uncomfortable working with that individual, the student should discuss the complaint with a BHC employee who can direct the student to the proper individual. The student may also contact a Director, Dean, Vice President, Executive Director or the Title IX Coordinator for assistance. A student wishing to file a complaint without speaking to a person may do so by completing the Black Hawk College website contact form. If the specific concern has not been resolved in an expeditious and fair manner at BHC, the student may file a complaint with the Illinois Community College Board or out-of-state online students may also file a complaint in the state which he or she resides.

Black Hawk College is a member of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) which ensures quality BHC online courses, opens up intern opportunities for our students, streamlines the process of sharing our online courses with our students who live in another SARA state. IMPORTANT: Students who change residency from a state the institution is authorized in to one it is not authorized in may experience adverse consequences.

Information and voter registration applications can be found at the Illinois State Board of Elections

BHC is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for the BHC community and its guests. In support of this commitment, BHC establishes restrictions on the ability to carry firearms or weapons on the BHC campus in accordance with the Board of Trustees’ authority to promulgate rules and regulations and the 2013 Illinois Firearm Concealed Carry Act. Read the full policy here.