Financial Aid

Financial Aid

860-512-3380

The Financial Aid program at Manchester Community College is designed to provide access for as many eligible students as current funding will allow. The prime objective of the Financial Aid program is to meet the basic expenses of tuition, fees and books. In addition, many recipients qualify for refund checks that repay their initial expenses for supplies and transportation costs. Also, many other students are eligible for work-study and student loans to more fully meet their expenses for room, board, transportation, and personal and child care costs.

Estimated Budgets for 2012-2013 Award Year

Budget 1: In State - Living with Parents (Full-Time Student)

Budget 2: In State - Not Living with Parents (Full-Time Student)

Basic Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible for financial aid, a student must:

• Be a citizen or eligible non-citizen of the United States;
• Declare an eligible degree or certificate program (audited courses do not count towards enrollment status);
• Have a high school diploma or its equivalent on file at the Admissions office;
• Be registered with Selective Service, if male; and
• Be in academic good standing and maintaining satisfactory progress according to federal regulations.

How to Apply:

1. Apply on the web at www.fafsa.gov or call to request the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Form at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). In order for us to receive your application information from the processor, you must include MCC as one of the colleges you plan to attend. The Title IV code for MCC is 001392.
2. Declare an eligible degree program through the Admissions office.
3. Submit tax transcripts and any other required documentation to the Financial Aid office in a timely manner, if required.
4. Log on to myCommNet at http://my.commnet.edu to check your status and to accept your financial aid award package. This link also lets you know if you have any items pending.
5. At the myCommNet site, complete the Title IV authorization to be able to buy your books with your financial aid, if you have extra funding after covering tuition and fees.

Deadlines

• Priority is given to early, accurate financial aid applications.
• To ensure timely consideration, you should have your paperwork on file in the Financial Aid office by May 15 for the fall semester and October 1 for the spring semester.
• After these dates, applications will be processed on a rolling basis throughout the year.

Deferment of Tuition

Students who are financial aid-eligible and have met all the necessary requirements (see How to Apply above) by May 15 for the fall semester and October 1 for the spring semester will be entitled to a deferment of their tuition and fees.

A student who is entitled to a deferment of their tuition and fees will not be required to pay by the tuition due date. Instead, the Bursar’s office will be notified electronically of the student’s financial aid award, before the tuition due date. Tuition and fees due to the college will be deducted from their financial aid award.

Also, under certain conditions, you may have to pay the amount due at a later date. These conditions include, but are not limited to:

• failure to respond in a timely manner to requests for missing information;
• withdrawal from any or all courses;
• unsatisfactory academic progress;
• a final review of the application that results in your not being eligible for aid;
• non-attendance of courses; and
• attending classes outside curriculum.

Student Loans

• Students who are applying for a loan must also complete the FAFSA form at www.fafsa.gov.
• Students are advised to wait for a complete review of their eligibility for other forms of financial iad before submitting loan applications.
• Student Loan Applications are available in the Financial Aid office. This application must be completed and submitted to the Financial Aid office.
• The deadline for submission of student loan applications is October 1 for the fall and April 1 for the spring.
• Students who are on warning or enrolled in developmental courses are not eligible for a student loan. Verification of enrollment is required to disburse loan funds.

Winter and Summer Sessions

Financial aid does not cover winter intersession courses.

Summer aid other than Pell grants may be available depending on funding. However, students who are eligible for the Pell grant may receive summer aid if they are making satisfactory progress. Please see the Financial Aid staff for more details.

Book Purchases

Students who are financial aid recipients may be eligible to receive a book credit. Eligibility is based on the amount of financial aid awarded. Check with the Financial Aid office at 860-512-3380 if you have any questions or concerns. In order to be included on the list of students eligible to receive the book credit, you must complete the Title IV authorization by accessing your financial aid award through myCommNet.

Disbursement

Financial aid refunds are processed after students have accepted their award and money has been disbursed. This process cannot begin until the registration and course adjustment periods are over. The amount of the refund would equal a student’s financial aid award (excluding college work study and student loans), minus anything owed to the college such as tuition, fees, book credits or Child Development Center expenses.

The refunds are disbursed by the Bursar’s office. Sometime between the middle and the end of the semester, reimbursement checks will be electronically deposited or mailed to students who are entitled to financial aid.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Student Financial Aid Recipients

In order to be eligible for financial aid, students must maintain satisfactory progress as defined by the policy approved by the Connecticut Community Colleges, adhering to federal regulations. Students who are not maintaining satisfactory progress will be placed on Warning status for one semester, at which time they will continue to be eligible for financial aid. Students must pass all classes during the warning semester in order to remain eligible for financial aid. If students do not maintain satisfactory progress during the warning semester, they will be denied aid the following semester. However, students may appeal for consideration for reinstatement of their financial aid if there were extenuating circumstances that affected successful progression. All appeals must be supported by documentation. If the appeal is approved, students will be given a Probation status for financial aid when they would become eligible. Students’ progress will be evaluated every semester and their status communicated to them.

Maximum Credit Hours

A student may receive financial aid for any attempted credits in his/her program of study that does not exceed 150% of the published length of the student’s educational program at the college. For example, a student enrolled in a 60-credit degree program may receive financial aid for a maximum of 90 attempted credit hours. Similarly, a student enrolled in a 30-credit certificate program may receive financial aid for a maximum of 45 attempted credit hours. Any attempted credits at the college, as well as transfer credits, must be included in the calculation. The 150% maximum credit hours rule is applicable to students who change majors or who pursue a double major.

Title IV Federal Financial Aid: Policy for Return of Title IV Funds

1. Any student who is attending MCC and is receiving student financial assistance under the federal Title IV Programs may be entitled to a refund if they completely withdraw from their program. The percentage of the period that the student remains enrolled is derived by dividing the number of days the student attended by the number of days in the period. Calendar days are used, but breaks of five consecutive days are excluded from both the numerator and denominator. The refund shall be less an administrative fee which is not to exceed the lesser of 5% of the tuition, fees and other charges assessed the student, or $100.
2. During the first 60% of the period, a student ‘earns’ Title IV funds in direct proportion to the length of time he or she remains enrolled. That is, the percentage of time during the period that the student remains enrolled is the percentage of disbursable aid for that period that the student earned. A student who remains enrolled beyond the 60% point earns all aid for the period.
3. Students who withdraw from a program are subject to a calculation that determines the amount of money that students may be required to pay back to the college or the federal government. This calculation will be in accordance with formula and guidelines established by prevailing federal regulations, and funds will be allocated in the following order (not to exceed the original allotment from each source): Federal Direct Loan Program (unsubsidized and subsidized), Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant and other funds.

Verification Procedures

You may be selected by the Department of Education for a process called verification, in which case you will be required to submit certain documentation in order for processing to continue on your financial aid application. Students will be notified of the documentation required when the information is received electronically by the Financial Aid office. This information is also available at http://my.commnet.edu. Failure to submit completed verification documents to the Financial Aid office can result in:

• Loss of financial aid for the semester or the entire academic year;
• Loans not being approved;
• Future applications for financial aid not being processed; and
• Outstanding debt with MCC and/or the federal government.

Helpful Hints for Applicants

1. Apply early.
2. Read instructions on the FAFSA website very carefully before completing the application. Have a copy of your previous year’s tax return at-hand before starting the process.
3. Be prepared to set up a payment plan with the Bursar’s office, if financial aid has not been determined at the time of registration.
4. Keep the Financial Aid office informed of any changes in enrollment status. Remember that audited courses cannot be covered by financial aid programs and could put you in a repayment situation.
5. Keep your mailing and email address current with the Financial Aid and Registrar’s offices. Financial aid will contact you through your email address.
6. Accept your award electronically by accessing your financial aid information on myCommNet at http://my.commnet.edu.
7. Complete the Title IV authorization process to be able to buy books at the Bookstore with the awarded financial aid.

Financial Aid Programs

Financial Aid programs include grants, loans and part-time jobs. Some of the major programs are: State of Connecticut Grants, Federal Direct Loans (subsidized, unsubsidized, and PLUS), Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants and Federal Work-Study and MCC Grants.

Additional Information

Additional information about all federal programs and federal regulations is provided on the Financial Aid office web page as well as in the annually updated Federal Student Aid Guide. This guide is available in the Financial Aid office as well. The Financial Aid office is located in room L177 in the Lowe Student Services Center.

MCC Foundation Scholarships

The MCC Foundation provides scholarships for both full- and part-time students. This past year, the Foundation distributed 100 scholarships and over $100,000 to MCC students. Basic criteria include financial need, community service and a grade point average of 3.0 or better/or an indication of steady academic progress. Application deadlines are April for the fall semester and November for the spring semester. For information on the MCC Foundation Scholarships, contact Endia DeCordova in the Office of Institutional Development at 860-512-2902.