Mohave Community College

Financial Aid Questions and Answers

How do I start the financial aid process?  You must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This application is on the web at: https://fafsa.gov/. A tutorial for the FAFSA on the web can be found at: http://www.finaid.ucsb.edu/FAFSASimplification/index.html. All students are advised to watch the tutorial before completing the FAFSA online. A PIN number is also required in order to electronically sign the FAFSA. The student and dependent student's parents can obtain the PIN number at http://www.pin.ed.gov .

Once the Department of Education has processed your application you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) either by e-mail or U.S. Mail. The MCC financial aid office will be sent a report of your FAFSA information as well, which is called an ISIR. Based on this report, additional information may be required. The financial aid office will send a missing information letter advising you what additional documentation is required.

 What determines financial aid eligibility? You are eligible to receive federal financial aid if you:

  • Are enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an eligible program of study
  • Are a U.S. citizen or  U.S. national
  • Are a permanent resident of the U.S.
  • Provide evidence from the Immigration and Naturalization Service that you are in the U.S. for other than a temporary purpose with the intention of becoming a permanent resident or citizen. A copy of your green card may be required.
  • Are a permanent resident of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands or Northern Mariana Islands
  • Have demonstrated financial need (for need-based aid only)
  • Are maintaining satisfactory academic progress according to the standards and practices of the college
  • Do not owe a refund on a Pell Grant, Perkins Loan or SEOG
  • Are not in default on any student loan
  • Meet any additional requirements for financial aid as determined by the college financial aid office.  

Is there an application deadline? Apply early and receive priority treatment by completing your financial aid file before February 1st for the following year’s application cycle. However, the federal deadline for applying for financial aid is June 30th for the current academic year. For example, for the 2009 – 2010 academic year, the last day to complete a FAFSA would be June 30, 2010. MCC must have your correct and complete information by your last day of enrollment in the current school year. Check with your financial aid advisor for additional information. MCC has established deadline dates for processing applications each semester. Make sure you know and meet these deadlines.

Should I wait until after I have been admitted to file financial aid forms? No! You should file the FAFSA as soon after January 1st as possible in order to meet institutional priority service dates. Estimated income data can be used when filing out the FAFSA if tax returns have not been completed. However, once tax returns have been filed, incorrect estimated data must be corrected. Students do not have to be admitted to MCC in order to apply for financial aid. Generally, there is a turn-around time of 1-6 weeks after you complete the FAFSA before the college receives your financial aid documents from the federal processor. However, you must be admitted and registered before actually being paid any financial aid funds.

Do I have to apply for financial aid every year? Yes. In order to reflect the most current financial strength of the household and other changes that may have occurred since the previous filing of a FAFSA, applications are required every year. Financial aid is only awarded for a single academic year at a time. However, if a FAFSA was completed for the current academic year a Renewal FAFSA is available on the Internet at https://fafsa.gov  .

What kinds of financial aid are available? Grants, the most common being the Pell Grant; scholarships, both institutional and private; student employment, both on campus and some off campus locations; Federal Direct Student Loans, both subsidized and unsubsidized.

My parents did not claim me on their tax returns this year. Can I file as an independent student? In section 2 of the FAFSA, “Student Dependency Status," there is a list of the criteria the federal government has established for being considered independent from parental support. If you do not meet one of these criteria, you can discuss your special circumstances with your financial aid advisor. A special appeal form for independent status is available and must be completed in order for a financial aid advisor to consider overriding dependency status. Please request a copy of this form from your campus financial aid office.

Why is parental information required on the FAFSA? The U.S. Congress establishes the criteria for determining whose income and assets should be used in determining financial aid eligibility. It is based on the assumption that financing a higher education is a partnership between the family, the student and the college. The purpose of financial aid is to bridge the gap between what the family can pay and the cost of a higher education. If your parents are unable or unwilling to help with your educational expenses, please request an appointment with a financial aid advisor to discuss your situation.

I am entering financial information for my mother and stepfather on the form. Should I list my father's Social Security Number (SSN) and last name, or my stepfather's information? You should provide the SSN and last name of the same person or people for whom you are reporting financial information. In this case, provide the SSNs and names of your mother and stepfather.

What is a Student Aid Report (SAR)? A SAR is the synopsis of the data you reported on your FAFSA. The SAR has your calculated Expected Family Contribution (EFC) on it, which is used to determine your eligibility for a Pell Grant and other financial aid programs. The federal processor will e-mail your SAR or send it via U.S. Mail if no e-mail address was provided. Please be sure to read the comments on your SAR and respond as necessary. If you do not understand the comment(s), ask the financial aid office to interpret.

My SAR is not accurate. What do I need to do to correct it? It is important that you correct data but that you do not update data. The difference between correcting and updating is a correction results from inaccurate information being reported at the time the FAFSA was completed. Updating means the information has changed since the filing of the original FAFSA. An example of updating might be that the amount in your cash, savings or checking account is less or greater than it was when you first filed the FAFSA. Changing this figure would be considered updating. A correction might be that estimated tax information was used when filing the initial FAFSA, but now the tax return has been filed and accurate figures are available; this would be an acceptable correction. Corrections can be made on the web at: https://fafsa.gov/, or you may ask the financial aid office to make corrections for you with appropriate signed documentation. Submitting corrections online will require your PIN number. If parental information needs to be corrected, your parent must sign with his/her PIN number.

What is verification? The FAFSA Central Processor (Central Processor receives and processes the FAFSA for the Department of Education) randomly selects 30% of financial aid applicants to be verified. If your application is selected for verification, you will be required to submit federal tax documents and complete a verification worksheet. Verification worksheets can be obtained on this website on the page entitled Financial Aid Forms. Other documents can be requested at the discretion of the financial aid office. All documents will be requested through a missing information letter that is e-mailed to the applicant, or mailed if an e-mail address is unavailable.

Will I ever have to pay back the financial aid I receive? Student loans always must be repaid unless the borrower qualifies for cancellation based on special regulatory cancellation provisions. Loans can also be deferred or placed in forbearance under special regulatory provisions. Please contact the lender or the financial aid office for information on loan repayment options, cancellation provisions, deferments or forbearance.

What happens if I withdraw from one or more of my classes? Withdrawal, failure to attend, or dropping courses may result in cancellation of financial aid awards and require repayment from the student. Before you withdraw, stop attending or drop courses, contact your academic advisor and the financial aid office to discuss the ramifications of this action before doing so. 

If I am in the National Guard or an Active Duty military member, am I considered a veteran for purposes of filling out the FAFSA? If you were a member of the National Guard or were a Reservist who was called to Active Duty for something other than training purposes and can verify that your release from Active Duty was other than dishonorable, you are considered a veteran for FAFSA purposes. If you are on Active Duty in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard, but will be a veteran by June 30 of the year you are applying for aid, and you can verify that your release from Active Duty is other than dishonorable, you are considered a Veteran for FAFSA purposes. If your Active Duty will continue past June 30, however, you are not considered a veteran for FAFSA purposes.

Why do male students less than 26 years of age have to register with Selective Service to receive financial aid? Federal law requires that all male students between the ages of 18 and 25, who receive federal student aid, register with Selective Service. When completing the FAFSA, male students can register for Selective Service under certain conditions. The Central Processor will check the information you submitted on your FAFSA with the Selective Service office to determine if you have registered for the draft. If you have not registered as required by law, you must either register and provide the financial aid office with evidence that you registered or provide a letter from Selective Service as to why you were not required to register. If the applicant has already registered, but does not have a selective service card, it can obtained by calling 1.847.688.6888. Applicants can also go online at www.sss.gov  to register or to check registration status.

If an applicant was required to register for selective service but failed to do so, the applicant must get a determination from selective service that the failure to register was not a willful act. This letter can be obtained by submitting an online request at: http://www.sss.gov. The letter from selective service must be provided to the financial aid office. The financial aid office may request additional information to verify that failure to register was not willful.

What is acceptable tax return information?  If you are asked to submit tax return information, signed copies of the following IRS tax forms are acceptable: 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, 1040NR, TeleFile Tax Record, Form 1722, a tax return from Puerto Rico or a foreign income tax return.

  • All student tax returns require the signature of the student. If the parent(s) are required to submit a copy of their tax return, a parent must sign their return. If someone other than the student or parent prepared the tax return, a paper return on which the tax preparer has stamped, typed, signed or printed her name and her SSN, Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Preparer Tax Identification Number is acceptable (PTIN).
  • Electronic Filers need to submit a signed paper copy of their 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ. Do not submit Form 8453 or Form 8879.
  • A TeleFile Tax Record is acceptable documentation provided it contains the filer's 10-digit IRS Confirmation Number in Line N and is signed by the filer. There is no signature line on the form so sign at the bottom of the printed document.

What are acceptable documents to prove citizenship? If a student’s citizenship status is not confirmed by the FAFSA Central Processor, a missing information letter will be sent to the student advising her/him of the requirement to verify citizenship status. Federal law requires that applicants submit verification documents within established timeframes. Failure to do so will result in the denial of financial aid for that academic year. The missing information letter will advise applicants of these timeframes. The following are some of the acceptable verification documents:

  • A copy of the student’s birth certificate showing that she/he was born in the United States, which includes Puerto Rico (on or after January 13, 1941), Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands (on or after January 17, 1917), American Samoa, Swain’s Island, or the Northern Mariana Islands, unless the person was born to foreign diplomats residing in the U.S.
  • A U.S. passport, current or expired, except limited passports (which are typically issued for short periods of time, such as a year, and which don’t receive as much scrutiny as a regular passport when applying). In the case of nationals who are not citizens, the passport will be stamped “Noncitizen National.”
  • The State Department began issuing in 2008 a wallet-sized passport card that can only be used for land and sea travel between the United States and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. It is adjudicated to the same standards as the passport book and is therefore fully valid evidence of U.S. citizenship and the identity of the bearer.
  • A copy of Form FS-240 (Consular Report of Birth Abroad), FS-545 (Certificate of birth issued by a Foreign Service post), or DS-1350 (Certification of Report of Birth). These are State Department documents.
  • A Certificate of Citizenship (N-560 or N-561), issued by USCIS to individuals who derive U.S. citizenship through a parent.
  • A Certificate of Naturalization (N-550 or N-570), issued by US¬CIS through a federal or state court, or through administrative naturalization after December, 1990 to those who are individually naturalized.

I did not file taxes, but I am asked to submit tax information. What should I do? If you were employed for the tax year in question, you will be required to submit copies of your W2 forms. If you earned income at work that is not reflected on your W2 forms, complete the Income Verification Form, Section C and/or D, listing the name of the employer and the amount earned. The financial aid office may also request that you provide a wage and earnings statement from the IRS to verify wages. If you did not earn any wages, the financial aid office will request that you provide a statement explaining how you lived on no income. 

I have been attending another college. I want to transfer to Mohave Community College. What do I have to do to transfer my financial aid to Mohave Community College? You must go to the Financial Aid Office of the school you are transferring from and notify them that you will be attending MCC and that you want to use your remaining financial aid eligibility at MCC. Your total eligibility for aid at MCC will be reduced by the amount of aid used at the other school. You also need to add Mohave Community College's Federal School Code of 011864 to your FAFSA. The MCC financial aid office must put transferring students on NSLDS transfer monitoring for a minimum of 14 days before disbursing any financial aid funds.

I tried to enter my FAFSA online but the website asked for my credit card number. Does it cost money to submit a FAFSA? No. The FAFSA application stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. There is no charge to apply online at https://fafsa.gov/ . Be careful. Double check the web address that you entered. There are many websites with similar web addresses that confuse students and ask for a payment to file their FAFSA information. A payment is not required to apply for federal financial aid.

I have forgotten my FAFSA PIN number. Does Mohave Community College have a copy of it? No. Mohave Community College does not have access to your U.S. Department of Education PIN number. If you have lost or forgotten your PIN number, you must go to http://www.pin.ed.gov  and follow the instructions.

How is my financial aid award determined? The federal government has established a formula which determines your expected family contribution (EFC). Your EFC can be found on your SAR. This formula, which is used by colleges and universities throughout the country, estimates your family’s financial strength in order to determine the amount your family should be able to contribute to the cost of education for the academic year. Family income, assets, size of family, number in college, as well as an allowance for retirement are among the items evaluated by this formula. This data is all collected from the FAFSA. The EFC is subtracted from the cost of attendance to determine your financial need.

What do you mean by "financial aid need"? A student’s financial need is simply the cost of education, as determined by the college, minus the student’s expected family contribution which results in a financial need. This financial aid is met through a package of financial aid that could include grants, loans, work-study and/or scholarships.

What is federal work-study? Federal work-study is a type of campus based aid that is awarded based on financial need. Many jobs that are located on campus are classified as work-study jobs. Jobs that are work-study are subsidized by the federal government so it does not cost employers as much to employ work-study recipients. Work-study employees must be paid at least the federal minimum wage. Work-study employees are encouraged to work in community service related jobs and the America Reads program. For more information, check the work-study web page http://www.mohave.edu/pages/203.asp  or talk to a financial aid advisor.

How many credits do I need for a Pell Grant? The amount of the award is based upon the Effective Family Contribution (EFC), the cost of attendance, enrollment status, and a payment schedule issued by the U.S. Department of Education. The award may range from $0 to $5,550 per academic year. The award schedule may be adjusted pending Congressional budget authorizations. Some students may qualify for more than one Federal Pell Grant in a single year. Pell Grants are pro-rated based on credit hours of enrollment: 10 – 12 is full time, 9 – 11 is ¾ time, 6 - 8 is half-time and fewer than 5 is less than half-time.

How can I find out more information on scholarships? If you would like to research scholarships on your own, try looking in bookstores and libraries for books on scholarships. Information is also available on the Web and in the school catalogs. Some popular scholarship search engines are http://www.fastweb.com/ and http://www.scholarships.com/. Do not spend money on scholarship search services as most are not reputable and will provide you with information you could have found at no charge. The MCC scholarship web page is: http://www.mohave.edu/pages/363.asp.

If I receive a scholarship or grant, will my financial aid be affected? The federal government requires that scholarships be applied to your total financial aid package. A scholarship could result in a decreased award for a Direct Student Loan, work-study or other grant aid. Any additional funding you receive from any source may require an adjustment to your eligibility for federal or state aid.

What is a Federal Direct Student Loan? Federal Direct Student Loans (FDSL subsidized) - FDSL subsidized is a low interest loan made to the borrower directly by the Federal Government. Depending on need and eligibility, a borrower may borrow up to $2,625 for one year of remedial course work in a consecutive 12 month period, $3,500 per year as a freshman and $4,500 as a sophomore (28+ degree credits) at a two-year institution. The minimum monthly payment, which begins six months after the borrower ceases to be enrolled at least half-time is $50. An entrance loan counseling session is required prior to receiving the loan as well as an exit counseling session within 30 days of leaving the college. Additional counseling and/or documents may be required at the discretion of the financial aid office. Borrowers must also sign a Master Promissory Note prior to receiving loan proceeds. A subsidized loan is one where the U.S. Government pays the interest while the borrower is in school or in deferment status. Deferment, forbearance or cancellation of payments is available for special circumstances. 

Federal Unsubsidized Direct Student Loans (FUDL) - FUDL is a low interest loan made to the borrower directly by the Federal Government. Any student who has applied for a Federal Pell Grant is eligible for a FUDL loan up to a maximum of $6,000 for independent undergraduate students. Dependent undergraduate students whose parents are unable to obtain a Federal Parent loan are eligible for increased FUDL limits. These maximums include portions of FDSL that may qualify for federal interest subsidies as described above. Repayment of interest on the loan begins from the date of the last disbursement; however, interest may be capitalized at the borrower’s request. An entrance loan counseling session is required prior to receiving the loan as well as an exit counseling session within 30 days of leaving the college. Additional counseling and/or documents may be required at the discretion of the student loan officer. Borrowers must also sign a Master Promissory Note prior to receiving loan proceeds.

For additional information on Title IV financial aid program specifics, please reference, “Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid” published by the U.S. Department of Education which is accessible on the internet at: http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/index.jsp

How do I choose a lender? The federal government is the lender for Federal Direct Student Loans. The borrower is not required to choose a lender.

Will I continue to receive financial aid if I fail classes? To maintain eligibility for financial aid, you must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress. Students must complete at least 67% of all coursework, maintain a 2.0 GPA, and complete their program of study within a maximum number of credit hours (program credit hours vary). For additional guidelines regarding these requirements, refer to Mohave Community College's Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards on this web site at: http://www.mohave.edu/pages/361.asp  or check with your financial aid advisor.

Do I really have to repay student loans? Yes. A loan is an obligation and always contains a promise to repay. Never let your loan go into default! If you cannot pay, contact your lender to discuss your options. Never ignore calls or letters from your lender; the loan will not magically disappear. Defaulting on a student loan will ruin your credit, send you to collections court, result in your wages being garnished, make you ineligible for future financial aid and much more. Never default!

Confidentiality. All materials pertaining to financial aid are confidential and governed under a federal law called FERPA. Student permission (in writing) is required to release any information. Releases of information forms are available on this website at: http://www.mohave.edu/pages/2077.asp.