Consortium Agreements

Typically a Consortium Agreement is used when a student needs a course(s) for their degree program but the Home School is not offering it or offers it during times that conflict with the student’s availability.

Your financial aid will be awarded by the institution from which you will receive your degree.

The school from which you will graduate is designated as the “home” institution. The “home” institution must process the consortium agreement with the other school, designated as the “host” institution.

You must take enough credit hours at Laurel Ridge CC to qualify for financial aid, at least six hours for undergraduate students. If you enroll simultaneously at Laurel Ridge CC and another school, the total registration hours between the two schools will be used to determine your financial aid eligibility.

You are responsible for paying all costs due to the host institution upfront according to that institution’s payment policy. Even if you are receiving financial aid from your home institution, the host institution will not wait for a refund to be issued. **Alternatively, if Laurel Ridge CC is the “home” institution, Laurel Ridge CC will not make payment directly to the “host” institution

If you receive financial aid for classes taken at another college or university, Laurel Ridge CC must receive an official transcript of these courses, even though the grades could be detrimental to your completion rate. It is your responsibility to provide an official transcript to Laurel Ridge CC. You may have to pay transcript fees to the host institution.

Note: We will take unofficial transcripts at the end of the summer and fall terms to calculate your satisfactory academic progress. We will require the official academic transcript at the end of spring term. If a student fails to provide an official transcript at the end of spring term, we will not process financial aid for the next award year until we receive the official transcript.

PLAN AHEAD! 

1. Speak to your advisor to ensure that the courses you wish to take at the “host” institution will transfer to your degree program here. Your advisor will also have to sign the consortium agreement form to verify that the courses are applicable.
   • Remedial and vocational/technical courses will not transfer and very few exceptions are allowed.
   • You may not use classes that you are auditing for the consortium agreement.
   • You may not repeat courses using the consortium agreement without first contacting both your advisor and the financial aid office.
2. Call the host school in advance and ask them what their procedures are for processing consortium agreements where they are the host school. Be aware that, as a consortium student, your aid payments may be delayed.
3. Download and print out the consortium agreement form below:
   • Laurel Ridge CC Consortium Agreement
4. Fill out the student section and be sure to sign the form. Please read through the form carefully, as it contains important information.
5. Meet with your Laurel Ridge CC advisor to have the form signed. If you cannot meet with your Laurel Ridge CC advisor, you can fax or scan and email the form to your Laurel Ridge CC advisor.
6. Once your Laurel Ridge CC advisor signs the form, YOU, the student, are responsible for sending it to the host school.
7. The host school must verify your enrollment and costs for the term, sign the form, and return the form to the financial aid office at Laurel Ridge CC.

When we receive the form, we will process it within 3 business days of receipt. During disbursement and the first two weeks of the term, we are especially busy, and we may exceed the above processing time. We will only accept consortium agreements through the second week of the term.

• Email: [email protected]
• Fax: 540-868-7274