How To Use Financial Aid at Multiple Colleges

It's not unusual for students to take online classes at Rio Salado College (RSC) while attending another Maricopa County Community College District college, state university or other educational institution.

Students who would like to use financial aid to pay for classes at two colleges during the same semester must complete a consortium agreement. The consortium agreement allows students to receive financial aid based on the combined enrollment at multiple colleges.

Here are some things students should know about consortium agreements

• Students will only receive financial aid from one institution. 
• The college where you receive your financial aid is referred to as the parent school or home institution. 
• If RSC is the home institution, a 6 credit minimum RSC enrollment is required for student loans. 
• The school where you attend classes but do not receive aid is called the participating school or host institution. 
• Students are responsible for making payment arrangements at the participating school. 
• If RSC is the participating school the account balance must be paid by the first day of class. 
• The consortium agreement form can be found in the Financial Aid Forms Center. 
• A consortium agreement typically takes 5-7 business days to process. 
• Not all schools will qualify for a consortium agreement with Rio Salado College. 

Note: Coursework from the participating school that overlaps from one semester to the next at the parent school could cause adjustments or delays to current and future disbursements of student aid funds.