Understanding Clock Hour Programs/Certificates

Technical clock hour programs are not funded in the same way as credit hour programs. Students declared into technical clock hour programs, or certificates, receive funding when they begin their program/certificate and at the beginning of each subsequent payment period. There are no terms or semesters in clock hour programs.

Clock Hour Programs Eligible for Federal Aid

Dental Assisting (Postsecondary Adult Vocational (PSVC)-DA)
1230 hours and 45 weeks

Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technician Combined (PSVC-FEM)
792 hours and 30 weeks

Law Enforcement Officer Basic Training (PSVC-LEB)
770 hours and 22 weeks

Medical Assistant (PSVC-MA)
1300 hours and 38 weeks

Practical Nursing (PSVC-PN)
1350 hours and 40 weeks

Welding Technology (PSVC-WDT)
1050 hours and 44 weeks

Advanced Welding Technology (PSVC-WTA)
750 hours and 32 weeks

Clock Hour Academic Year and Payment Period

A clock hour academic year is defined as a predetermined number of clock hours and a subsequent predetermined number of weeks to complete the technical program or certificate. Please refer to the above list of technical clock hour programs to view your specific clock hour program/certificate requirements.

Clock hour programs/certificates have two payment periods per academic year, each payment period is equal to specific number of monitored clock hour instruction and recorded attendance as well as a specific number of instructional weeks. Students are eligible for additional payment periods when they have attended  and successfully completed the mandatory number of clock hours and weeks required for their program/certificate (typically 12-15 credit hours).

Clock Hour Helpful Hints

  • Students who do not complete the required number of clock hours within their payment period during the semester, will need to budget the financial aid funds they have received in order to ensure they will have remaining funds to pay for their course fees the next semester.
  • Attendance is monitored and recorded by course instructors in clock hour programs. Attendance is recorded each session and hours earned are provided to the Financial Aid Office prior to the beginning of the next payment period.
  • Students who successfully complete their course work during the payment period but do not attend their scheduled, and required, clock hours may not be eligible for the next payment period funding.
  • Actual classroom attendance is as important as grades when determining the timing of the next financial aid disbursement in clock hour programs/certificates.
  • Only the courses shown in the college catalog as program requirements will be counted when calculating clock hours and attendance.
  • Online courses will not be counted when calculating clock hours attended as these course hours cannot be physically supervised and monitored in a classroom setting.
  • Semester credit hour courses taken in lieu of the technical course program requirements cannot be counted when calculating clock hours attended as those courses do not report hours of attendance.
  • Hybrid courses (combination of online and classroom instruction) and independent study courses will only count classroom attendance for payment period progression.
  • Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is reviewed at the end of each payment period. Students who fail to meet Federal SAP requirements will be placed on financial aid warning. Students who do not meet SAP after they have been placed on financial aid warning will be placed on financial aid suspension and will be ineligible for federal aid.
  • Transfer hours that are accepted into a clock hour program/certificate will reduce the number of clock hours needed to complete the program and can result in a pro-rated financial aid award.
  • Students requesting Federal Direct Loans must be scheduled for at least 12 clock hours per week (half-time enrollment or more) in order to meet eligibility requirements.
  • Students who have failed to meet Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards and are placed on an approved financial aid appeal, must complete 100% of the course work they attempt with a “C” or better grade.