Consortium Agreement

School Policy and Important Information to Know

A consortium agreement is a written contract that enables students to pursue coursework at two institutions simultaneously. Under such an agreement, a student may receive financial aid based on total hours of enrollment at both institutions.  With the agreement, the Home school agrees to increase the level of enrollment to include classes taken at the Host school (classes must be required for completion of a degree or certificate at the Home school).

Home School definition

GateWay Community College (GW) is your Home school if you meet one of the following criteria:

• You are a current GW student who took classes at GW the semester prior to the semester of the requested Consortium Agreement.
• Your program of study is for a program that is unique to GW and you are taking required General Education classes for that program.
• You are a returning student who has taken classes at GW in a past semester and you are in good academic standing at all of the other Maricopa colleges.

If your Home school is not a Maricopa Community College and GateWay Community College is the Host school, please obtain a Consortium Agreement form from your home school, complete the student section, and submit the form to the GateWay Community College Financial Aid Office via email – finaid@gatewaycc.edu. 

Be aware, GateWay Community College will not award loan assistance to any student who is not taking at least 6 credit hours at the same college during the semester.  This has to do with how loans are reported to the servicer.  The servicer will not accept the loan for deferment of other loans, to maintain or provide grace periods, and/or to maintain the student in good standing throughout the semester.  Because the lender will never see 6 credit hours, the loan, and all other loans the student has, may come out of deferment and go into repayment.

In order to complete the online Consortium Agreement (for classes being taken at another Maricopa Community College) the student must be:

• In good Academic Standing at the host college.
• Taking coursework required for a degree or a certificate at GateWay Community College. 
• Complete the online Consortium Agreement by the submission deadline.
• If you drop or make changes to any course listed on the Consortium Agreement, please notify the Financial Aid Office.

*or two weeks before the end of the latest GWCC class (whichever is sooner)

Please note that students enrolled in 12 or more credit hours would not need to complete a Consortium Agreement form as he/she would already be receiving the maximum financial aid available. 

Financial Aid Considerations:

• Grants require a minimum enrollment of 3 credit hours at GateWay Community College.
• Loans require a minimum enrollment of 6 credit hours at GateWay Community College.
• Courses taken must be required for your program plan.

Terms:

• This agreement is valid only for the courses listed which pertain to your program of study. Any changes will require a new agreement to be submitted.
• The student must meet with an Academic Advisor at GateWay to ensure course(s) at the host school are required for your degree at GateWay and will transfer.
• The student must have a completed financial aid file at GateWay and meeting MCCCD Financial Aid Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress.
• The course work at the other Maricopa Community College may not overlap with the end date of the prior term or start date of the subsequent term at the home school.
• The student must maintain enrollment at the host school in order to maintain eligibility. Notify GateWay Community College’s Financial Aid office immediately if there are changes to your enrollment.
• Changes to your enrollment status may result in voiding this agreement and a change to your financial aid. This may cause a debt with the college
• The student will be funded by the home school, and all financial aid records for the period will be maintained in the financial aid office at that school.
• Financial Aid eligibility determines the amount transferred. If the aid awarded does not cover the balances at both schools, it is the student's responsibility to contact each college and discuss payment options, as needed.
• The student authorizes the transfer of excess funds between GateWay and the other college (host school) to cover any outstanding charges at the HOST School related to the courses listed. Debt balances incurred by failing to abide by these terms and conditions will be owed to the Home school. Check the school’s debt and refund policy for more information.