Student Handbook - Financial Aid

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Financial Aid Programs

Mohave Community College offers a comprehensive financial aid program to help students and their families meet their educational costs. Financial aid is designed to help to bridge the gap between the total cost of their education and the amount they are expected to contribute, as determined by the information provided on the FAFSA. Financial aid is awarded on a yearly basis. Students must reapply each year.

Financial aid may be provided in the form of grants or scholarships, loans, or work awards. Funds may be provided by the federal or state government, MCC, or outside donors. Eligibility for a particular type of aid or fund will vary based upon the source of that funding. Additional information about how to apply, eligibility, and funds offered can be found in the Student Handbook, on the Financial Aid webpage, and in Self Service.

It is important to note that the aid programs listed below will only pay for classes that are required for a declared program of study. These are often referred to as “financial aid eligible credits.” Courses outside of the declared program of study will not count for Financial Aid purposes.

Applying for Financial Aid

To be considered for financial aid at MCC, students must apply by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). All federal and most state and college sources of financial aid require completion of the FAFSA. Most scholarships will also require a separate application provided by MCC. The FAFSA must be completed each year and becomes available on October 1st, approximately 11 months before the fall semester begins. (i.e. The FAFSA for the 2022-23 school year becomes available on October 1, 2021.)

The FAFSA is completed online and is free to submit. To submit the FAFSA, students (and their parent[s], if dependent) will need to obtain FSA ID’s. The FSA ID serves as an electronic signature and is obtained at fsaid.ed.gov. The FSA ID is unique to the student or parent and cannot be shared. 

MCC’s Federal School Code is 011864. This code must be entered on the FAFSA for the application to be sent to MCC. MCC receives the FAFSA electronically. At that time, MCC begins communication with the student at the email address listed on the FAFSA. Additional documentation may be requested before a financial aid offer can be determined.

The information provided on the FAFSA is used to determine the student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The EFC is then used to determine the student’s financial need by subtracting it from the total cost of attendance.

Financial Aid Eligibility

In order to be considered for financial aid, students must meet the following general eligibility requirements:

• Enrolled and declared in an eligible program - enrollment must be in financial aid eligible credits
• Completed high school level education, or its equivalent
• U.S. citizen, or eligible non-citizen
• Meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), as defined by MCC
• Enrolled in the appropriate number of credits for the financial aid offered
• Have not been convicted of, or pled no contest or guilty to, a crime involving fraud in obtaining federal aid funds
• Are not incarcerated, except in limited circumstances

This list is not exhaustive. Individual types of financial aid may have additional eligibility requirements.

Financial aid eligibility can change throughout the year based on the receipt of new information, a change in enrollment, registration for non-financial aid eligible classes, the transferring of credits from another institution, or another change to a student’s records. Students are encouraged to talk with an advisor and review their Self Service accounts regularly to understand changes and potential changes to their offers. Self Service is MCC’s online Financial Aid portal.

Types of Financial Aid

MCC Grants: MCC offers institutional funding. Eligibility for these funds is based on financial need as determined using information provided on the FAFSA. These funds require at least half time enrollment each semester.

MCC Scholarships: MCC offers a wide variety of scholarships for new, returning, and transfer students. Scholarship funds do not need to be repaid. Scholarship funds may come from MCC or private donors. Eligibility for scholarship funds will vary, but may be based on academic performance, financial need, major, or demonstrated leadership. Enrollment requirements for scholarship funds will vary based on the award. Information about specific scholarships can be found on the Scholarship webpage.

To apply for scholarships at MCC, students will need to submit the FAFSA for the appropriate year and complete the online Scholarship Profile. The Scholarship Profile is available through Self Service. The application becomes available after the FAFSA is received.

Federal Pell Grant: The Federal Pell Grant is a program to help undergraduate students pay for educational costs. These funds do not need to be repaid and the amount awarded each year is based primarily on the student’s EFC and enrollment status. The U.S. Department of Education issues a yearly payment schedule that is used to determine award amounts.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG): FSEOG is a program that provides additional grant funding to exceptionally needy students, as determined using the information provided on the FAFSA. FSEOG funds are limited. Students are strongly encouraged to submit their FAFSA as early as possible after the application becomes available on October 1. Award amounts vary and are determined annually.

Federal Work Study (FWS): FWS is a federally subsidized employment program. Funding for this program is limited and students are strongly encouraged to submit their FAFSA as early as possible after the application becomes available on October 1. Recipients are required to be enrolled at least half time to qualify for FWS. Award amounts vary and are determined annually. Work study funds are not subtracted from a student’s tuition bill, but are received in the form of a paycheck based on a set wage amount. Receiving this award does not guarantee employment, but allows students to apply for on campus positions. Job listings can be viewed through the Work Study webpage. Work study earnings are taxable.

Federal Direct Loans: Federal Direct Loans are low-interest educational loans made to students by the federal government. Loan eligibility requires at least half time enrollment. Half time is defined as a minimum of six (6) credits per semester. These loans must be repaid after the student separates from MCC, or drops below half time enrollment. Repayment of federal Direct Loans begins six months after the borrower is no longer enrolled at least half time in a degree- or certificate-seeking program. There is no credit requirement and no co-signor is required. Federal Direct Loans are either subsidized or unsubsidized.

SUBSIDIZED LOANS - The federal government pays the interest while the student is enrolled at least half time in a degree- or certificate-seeking program. The borrower is responsible for interest that accrues after they are no longer enrolled at least half time in a degree- or certificate-seeking program.
UNSUBSIDIZED LOANS - The borrower is responsible for all interest that accrues. Interest begins accruing when the loan is disbursed to MCC. Interest is capitalized when the borrower enters repayment.

All students who borrow through the Federal Direct Loan program will be required to complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN). First time borrowers at MCC are required to complete online Entrance Counseling and document class participation before disbursement can be made. All borrowers are required to complete the Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement. Additionally, all borrowers are required to complete a Loan Request Form before a loan will be processed. Information about and links to the MPN, online counseling, and Loan Request Form are located in NetPartner.

Annual and aggregate loan limits apply. Students may not borrow in excess of their annual or aggregate limit. Annual limits are determined by the number of credits a student has earned, including credits transferred in from other institutions. Additional loan amounts may be available to independent students. Independent status is defined by information reported on the FAFSA.

Federal Direct Loan funds are disbursed directly to MCC and paid to the student’s tuition bill. Disbursements begin after the end of the add/drop registration period each semester and are made on a weekly basis. First time borrowers will experience a 30 day delay on their first loan disbursement. All borrowers are encouraged to plan ahead for expenses incurred at the start of each term.

Repayment of federal Direct Loans begins six months after the borrower is no longer enrolled at least half time in a degree- or certificate-seeking program. When a borrower’s enrollment drops below half time, they are required to complete online Exit Counseling within 30 days of their last day of attendance or last day of the half time enrollment. Remember, federal Direct Loans are a debt that must be repaid.

Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP): LEAP is a state subsidized grant partnership that provides need-based grants to enable students to attend college in the state of Arizona. LEAP provides funding to low-income undergraduate students who are Arizona residents with demonstrated financial need. To be eligible, recipients must be U.S. citizens, or eligible non-citizens, residents of Arizona, enrolled at least half time in an undergraduate program, and meet SAP as defined by MCC. Award amounts are determined annually and are contingent upon funding by the state.

 Managing Financial Aid

Self Service is MCC’s online financial aid portal. Students can use this tool to monitor and update their financial aid records. Self Service allows students to:

• Check the status of their financial aid application
• View a list of requested documentation needed to complete their application
• Submit requested forms and documentation
• View a list of submitted documents
• View and accept their financial aid awards
• Check the status of their aid for the current year

Students will receive an email with their username and password information for Self Service after their initial FAFSA is received. This is sent to the email address listed on the FAFSA. Login information should never be shared.

Disbursement of Funds: Financial aid funds are paid directly to the student’s tuition bill, with the exception of work study that is paid to the student in the form of a paycheck. Disbursements are made on a pre-set weekly schedule.

Disbursements are made only when a student’s application is both complete and reviewed. Additionally, students must have an active degree declaration on record and be enrolled in the number of financial aid eligible credits appropriate for the award.

Financial aid funds may not be used to pay for a prior balance due to MCC. Students must make arrangements with the Bursar’s Office to pay any past due amount before aid can be disbursed.

Financial Aid Refunds: Financial aid amounts that exceed a student’s billed charges will be refunded to the student. The refund will be applied to the student’s Bighorn Card. Students are responsible for setting up their Bighorn Card and accessing their refund.

Withdrawals: Students who withdraw, either formally or informally, from MCC before completing 60% of the enrollment period for the semester will have their federal aid eligibility recalculated based on the Return of Title IV funds formula. This may result in the student owing funds back to MCC or to a federal grant or loan program. Complete information about how withdrawals impact financial aid eligibility is available on the Withdrawals webpage.

Financial Aid in Future Years

Students must reapply for financial aid each year by completing a new FAFSA and submitting any requested documentation. Renewal of funds and amounts from one year to the next is not guaranteed, but is reevaluated each year based, in part, on the FAFSA information and availability of funds.

To maintain eligibility for all aid programs, students must continue to:

1. Submit a new FAFSA, and all requested documentation, for the appropriate academic year
2. Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
3. Enroll in the appropriate amount of financial aid eligible credits each semester

It should be noted that additional renewal criteria, specific to certain funds, also exist. For example, a student whose enrollment history exceeds 150% of the published program length has reached their maximum timeframe, and is no longer eligible for most types of aid. Transfer credits from other schools are also included in this calculation. Many scholarships have GPA requirements that are higher than the 2.0 required to maintain SAP.

GPA and credit hour completion rates are reviewed at the end of each semester. After the review, students who do not meet the GPA and/or credit hour completion requirements will receive a one-semester Warning. Students are eligible for one semester of aid during that Warning. At the end of the Warning semester, students who still do not meet the GPA and credit hour completion requirements will lose financial aid eligibility. Students who lose aid eligibility based on SAP have the opportunity to appeal that decision. Appeals are reviewed by the Satisfactory Academic Progress Committee. Decisions made by the committee are final. More information about SAP can be found on the Satisfactory Academic Progress webpage.