Frequently Asked Questions – Financial Aid
Financial Aid
- What is the maximum amount of time I have to complete an academic program and remain eligible for Federal Financial Aid?
- What is EFC?
- What happens if I withdraw from EMCC?
- Are developmental courses eligible for financial aid?
- What is Satisfactory Academic Progress?
- When and how will I receive financial aid funds?
- What is an award letter?
- How much financial aid will I receive?
- What should I do if I feel that I have special circumstances?
- My parents are divorced. Whose income do I report?
- My parents do not support me financially. Can I file as an independent student?
- Do I have to reapply for financial aid every year?
- How do I check the status of my FAFSA or request a duplicate Student Aid Report?
- What can I do to prevent FAFSA processing delays?
- What is EMCC’s 6-digit federal school code to be entered on the FAFSA?
- When should I apply for financial aid?
- What information do I need to have before I file a FAFSA?
- How do I apply for financial aid?
- Am I eligible for financial aid?
- What is financial aid?
What is the maximum amount of time I have to complete an academic program and remain eligible for Federal Financial Aid?
Time frames for completion of academic requirements have been established for both full-time and part-time students.
Part-Time Students
Degree Type Maximum Time to Complete
2 Year Diploma
(AA/AS/AAS Degree)
6 Years
One Year Certificate/Diploma 3 Years
Full-Time Students
2 Year Diploma
(AA/AS/AAS Degree)
3 Years
One Year Certificate/Diploma 1.5 Years
Important! A part-time student is one who consistently carries less than 24 credit hours in a 12 month period. Financial aid awards are pro-rated for part-time students. All other students are considered full-time and are expected to meet the criteria for full-time study.
Important! The maximum time allowed to receive financial aid is not extended for a student who changes academic programs or levels prior to graduation from their original program of study.
What is EFC?
EFC stands for Estimated Family Contribution. The EFC is how much money your family is expected to contribute to your college education for one year.
Your family contribution is calculated based on the FAFSA information using a federal formula called “Federal Methodology.” This formula, developed by the US Dept. of Education takes into account the following information as reported on your FAFSA:
- Family Income (taxable and nontaxable)
- Family Size
- Number of family members in college
- Family assets (savings and investments other than your home)
When calculating financial aid eligibility for the 2004-2005 academic year, the family’s 2003 income is used. If you have special circumstances that are not reflected on your FAFSA, contact the Student Aid Office to request an appeal form.
What happens if I withdraw from EMCC?
Federal law mandates that a student must earn his/her federal student aid or the funds must be returned to the federal financial aid programs.
Students who receive Title IV federal financial aid and completely withdraw from EMCC on or before the 60% term (in calendar days) are entitled to keep only the portion of Title IV federal student aid earned to the point of withdrawal from the College. If any federal aid was disbursed directly to the student, he/she is responsible for returning unearned funds to the federal financial aid programs within a timely manner. Failure to do so may result in the student’s ineligibility for future federal student aid. If a student receiving federal financial aid withdraws after the 60% point of term, he/she is considered to have earned all of their federal student aid for that semester.
What is Satisfactory Academic Progress?
Federal regulations mandate that financial aid recipients meet satisfactory academic progress to maintain financial aid eligibility. Evaluation of your academic standing is based on your enrollment status. Minimum satisfactory academic standards are as follows:
| Two Year Programs | |
| Minimum GPA | Credits Earned |
| 1.51 | 0-23 credit hours |
| 1.75 | 24-35 credit hours |
| 1.91 | 36-47 credit hours |
| 2.00 | 48 credit hours |
| One Year Programs | |
| Minimum GPA | Credits Earned |
| 1.51 | 0-12 credit hours |
| 2.00 | 13 and above |
Repetitions—Students repeating a course because of failure, withdrawal, or having obtained a grade lower than required for a particular subject will continue on financial aid only if their total progress is within the guidelines of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Table.
Appeals Process—Students unable to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress will be given written notice of their status and may file an appeal within 10 working days to the Student Aid Office. The Student Aid Committee will evaluate appeals.
Mitigating Circumstances—It is understood that a student might not meet academic standards due to unusual personal circumstances. These may be evaluated and documented by the Student Aid Committee when they review an appeal for reinstatement of financial aid.
When and how will I receive financial aid funds?
Financial aid funds are disbursed at different times throughout the year.
EMCC policy states that the first money received in the Business Office will be used to pay college expenses on the student bill. Stafford Loans, Pell Grants, FSEOG, EMCC grants, etc. will be credited to your account after the fourth week of the semester. This financial aid will be applied to outstanding charges. Once your balance is paid in full, a credit balance is created, and a refund check will be processed within 10 business days. All refund checks will be mailed to the students home address.
Students may check the status of their financial aid and billing accounts at MyEMCC.
What is an award letter?
An award letter contains information mailed to the student about the current proposed financial aid for the academic year.
The award letter lists amounts and type of aid for each semester. The award letter is based upon current available information and may change as new information is made available. The award letter will include a student’s current amount of eligibility for grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans. Students will receive an award letter after all necessary financial aid information is received at EMCC.
How much financial aid will I receive?
To determine financial aid eligibility COST − FAMILY CONTRIBUTION = NEED.
Student Costs (Budgets)
To determine your educational cost, include anticipated tuition, fees, books, supplies, room and board, transportation, and personal/miscellaneous/medical expenses. The chart below anticipates standard costs of attendance for academic year 2008-2009, but are subject to change by the MCCS Board of Trustees.
| Residence Hall | Parent’s Home | Off-Campus | |
| Tuition/Fees* | $3,866 | $3,866 | $3,866 |
| Room/Board** | $7,364 | $1,800 | $7,364 |
| Books/Supplies | $900 | $900 | $900 |
| Travel | $1,500 | $2,180 | $2,180 |
| Personal/Misc/Medical | $2,704 | $2,704 | $2,704 |
| TOTAL IN-STATE | $16,334 | $11,450 | $17,014 |
Important! These amounts are used for financial aid award calculations only and NOT for billing purposes. You will receive a bill from the Business Office which will represent actual costs for your particular program and housing, if applicable.
* Tuition and fees have been averaged in this example. Your particular program may cost more or less based on the number of credits you take and the amount of your technology fees. The Semester Tuition and Fees Worksheet provides a current listing of tuition and fees.
** Includes 19-meal plan, housing, and recreation fee.
My parents are divorced. Whose income do I report?
Students should report information about the parent lived with for the greater amount of time during the 12 months preceding the date of filing the FAFSA.
If a student did not reside with one parent more than the other, the student should report information based on the parent who provided more financial support (including money, gifts, loans, housing, food, clothes, car, etc.).
If the parent whose information is reported has remarried, the student must also include the step-parents income information.
My parents do not support me financially. Can I file as an independent student?
A student’s dependency status is determined by their answers to the following questions:
- Were you born before January 1, 1987?
- At the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year, will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, or graduate certificate, etc.)?
- As of today, are you married?
- Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you?
- Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2011?
- Are both of your parents deceased, or are you or were you (until age 18) a ward/dependent of the court?
- Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?
- If you answered “YES” to any of these questions at the time you filed your FAFSA, you are considered INDEPENDENT.
If you answered “NO” to all of these questions, you are considered DEPENDENT.
If a student is determined to be independent, the student must supply student and spouse information throughout the financial aid process. Dependent students must supply parental information in addition to their own information. A student’s dependency status remains in effect for the entire academic year.
Do I have to reapply for financial aid every year?
You must reapply for financial aid every year. If your financial circumstances change, you may get more or less financial aid. After your first year, you will receive a “Renewal Application” which contains preprinted information from the previous year’s FAFSA.
What is financial aid?
Financial aid is the term used to describe monetary funds that supplement and support an individual or family’s contribution towards the cost of a secondary education. Financial aid funds come from a variety of sources including federal, state, and private funds.
There are three main categories of Financial Aid: Grants, Scholarships, and Loans.
Grants—Grants are a type of financial aid that students do not have to pay back under normal circumstances. Grant funds can come from federal, state, or private sources. Grants require the filing of a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For more information on the types of grants that may be available, visit the Grant Information link.
Scholarships—Scholarships are a type of financial aid that students do not have to pay back under normal circumstances. Scholarship funds can come from a variety of sources. Many scholarships require the completion of separate scholarship applications. To view scholarships available to EMCC students visit the Scholarships link. Students are also encouraged to seek additional outside scholarship funds through their high school guidance office, place of employment, parent’s place of employment, online scholarship searches, and through other sources.
Loans—Loans are a type of financial aid that must be paid back. For more information on student loan types, lenders, payment calculators, and application instructions please visit the Loan Information link.