Grant Aid

Grant Aid

Grant aid does not need to be paid back and is provided to students based on demonstrated financial need. Grant aid may be provided by the federal or state government, MCC, or by another outside source. In general, students must meet the basic eligibility criteria as well as any additional requirements for a specific fund. Grant funds are paid directly to a student’s tuition bill. Disbursements are processed on a weekly basis, typically beginning one week prior to the start of a semester.

MCC Grant & MCC First Generation Grant

The MCC Grant and MCC First Generation Grant are offered to students who demonstrate financial need, as determined using the information provided on the FAFSA. Students who have indicated that they are first generation college students on their admissions application will be awarded the MCC First Generation Grant.

Pell Grants

Pell Grants are funds provided by the federal government to students demonstrating exceptional financial need and who have not earned a bachelor’s or professional degree. Pell Grant award amounts are based primarily on the EFC from the FAFSA and your enrollment status. The U.S. Department of Education publishes information about the Pell Grant on their website. This information includes the tables used to determine the award amount. 

Pell Grant awards are made based on enrollment in 6 credits per semester. The amount will be adjusted if you register for a different number of credits. This adjustment happens after registration and after the census date for each term. If you drop or withdraw from a class, your award may be adjusted.

There are some important lifetime limits to keep in mind about your Pell Grant eligibility. The maximum amount that you may receive in one year is equal to 100%. You may receive a lifetime total of 600%. The dollar amount equal to 100% will change from year to year depending on your individual eligibility and the award amounts designated by the federal government. 600% will generally span 12 full-time semesters or the equivalent. If necessary, your Pell Grant amount will be adjusted to stay within the 600% lifetime eligibility. You can view your lifetime eligibility usage by logging into www.studentaid.gov using your FSA ID. Lifetime Pell usage cannot be appealed. Once you have used 600%, you are no longer eligible to receive Pell Grant funding.

Students who enroll in summer classes may be eligible to receive additional Pell Grant funding in that year. This is referred to as Year-Round Pell or YRP. YRP allows students to access additional Pell Grant funding when they have already received 100% of their yearly eligibility. In order to receive YRP, you must enroll at least half time during the summer. Students who enroll full time during the fall and spring will see the greatest benefit from YRP. If your summer enrollment is less than half time, you may be eligible to receive residual Pell Grant funding. Residual Pell is available to students who did not use 100% of their eligibility in the fall and spring semesters.

Disbursements of Pell Grants begin approximately one week before the start of classes each semester. This allows the Business Office to process any refunds so that you’ll have money to help with the cost of books. Refunds are posted to your selected refund preference with BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc. 

Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

SEOG funds are provided by the federal government and MCC to students demonstrating exceptional financial need. SEOG funds are limited and awarded to students whose EFC is 0. MCC typically awards a maximum of $500 for one year. Not all students who qualify for SEOG funds will receive them.

Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant (IASG)

A student whose parent or guardian died as a result of military service in Iraq or Afghanistan after the events of 9/11, may qualify for the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, or IASG. The IASG is provided to students who are not Pell-eligible only because their EFC is too high to receive the Pell Grant. Qualifying students may receive the award for no more than 12 semesters, or the equivalent, and may receive an amount up to the maximum federal Pell Grant amount for the academic year.

AZ LEAP

AZ LEAP grants are funded by the state of Arizona and MCC. Funding for this program is limited and not all students who qualify will receive funds. To qualify, you must reside in Arizona, enroll at least half time, have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher, have an EFC of 2140 or lower, and demonstrate a large amount of unmet financial need.

Foster Care Tuition Waivers

MCC makes tuition waivers available to qualified students in the form of grant assistance. Students who were in foster care at the age of 16 are eligible to apply. To qualify, you must reside in Arizona, have total personal assets of less than $10,000, and be under the age of 23. The waiver is valued at the cost of tuition and fees minus other grant assistance from all sources. To be eligible for renewal, students must complete 30 hours of community service each year and remain in good standing both academically and behaviorally. Qualified students should apply through Foster Care to Success.