Financial Aid Terms To Know

It's important to understand these terminologies to effectively manage your financial aid and cover your educational expenses.

You may see these terminologies being used in your MyTCCTrack student account summary.

  • Financial Aid: The initial offer of financial assistance that helps students pay for college. This can include grants, scholarships, work-student, and student loans.
  • Anticipated Financial Aid: The amount of eligibility, based on the initial financial aid offer, enrollment intensity (actual number of hours), and the start date of each class. For classes that start after the first day of the term, this will appear 10 days before the class start date.
  • Financial Aid Credit Balance: This occurs when the transmitted financial aid applied to your student account exceeds the term balance.
  • Bookstore Credit Balance: The credit balance available to use at the bookstore for bookstore charges, which is based on anticipated financial aid minus your term balance.
    • A maximum of $500 is allotted for books and supplies.
    • A maximum of $750 is allotted for the Trailblazer Laptop Program. You must have a minimum of $560 available beyond the $500 allotment for books and supplies.
  • Bookstore Credit Timeframe: The time during which your bookstore credit balance can be used at the bookstore.
  • Book Advance: Maximum $500 of Financial Aid credit balance that may be disbursed if you do not use any of your bookstore credit at the campus bookstore during the bookstore credit timeframe.
  • Bookstore Charges: The cost for required books, supplies, and other educationally related goods you purchased using your bookstore credit balance during the bookstore credit timeframe.
  • Financial Aid Refund: The credit balance issued to a student of any remaining amount after your term balance is fully funded, and attendance is verified.

If you have any questions, contact the Financial Aid Office for clarification. 

 

Updated January 09, 2026