Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City

Financial Aid FAQ's

How do I apply for financial aid?

See steps to apply.

How do I make sure MCC gets my financial aid information?

On your FAFSA, include the MCC school code, #002484, which is the same for all five MCC campuses (Blue River, Business and Technology, Longview, Maple Woods and Penn Valley).

How do I know if I make too much money to get financial aid?

The FAFSA process will tell you. Even if you do make too much, you could still be eligible for a loan. It's a good idea to fill out the FAFSA as early as possible each year to keep your financial options open.

I completed my FAFSA online. Why haven't heard from an MCC campus?

The FAFSA is only step one of the financial aid process. When you receive notification it has been completed, visit myMCCKC to view and complete your Student Center “TO DO” list. Financial Aid status and updates are posted online in your Student Center.

What is the Financial Aid Payment Agreement?

The Financial Aid Payment Agreement is where you authorize MCC to pay any unpaid balance that includes tuition, fees, MCC bookstore charges, and miscellaneous charges with your federal award funds (such as grants and loans). If you DON’T AGREE, you must pay them out of your pocket; you will not be allowed to charge your books in the bookstore against your financial aid. BE CAREFUL, this choice is for the entire financial aid year (fall, spring and summer), and it can not be changed.

If I don’t agree to the Financial Aid Payment Agreement will I get my refund faster?

NO. If you don’t agree, you pay for books yourself and financial aid refunds will still begin processing two weeks after class starts.

Can I get Federal Pell awarded before I pay for classes?

If MCC has the results of your FAFSA, we will try to award you a Pell grant during the enrollment process or tell you why you are not eligible.

How do I know if my financial aid will cover all of my tuition and fees?

Pell grant may be awarded during the enrollment process. If you are eligible at the time of enrollment, you will be able to see if your anticipated Pell grant will cover all of your tuition and fees. If it does not cover all of the balance or if you have no aniticipated Pell grant you must choose a payment option for the balance. You can get an estimate of MCC tuition and aid by using the Cost Calculator.

Is financial aid available for purchasing textbooks in the campus bookstore?

You may be able to charge bookstore purchases before classes begin if you answered YES on the annual Financial Aid Payment Agreement and you have financial aid disbursed to your student account that exceeds the cost of your tuition and fees. Bookstore purchases may include used and rental books. Vouchers for financial aid begin 10 days before classes start through the 50% refund period of the start of the semester.

To see if you have funds to charge books click on the FA Bookstore Credit link in your Student Center through MyMCCKC beginning 10 days before classes start.

I do not live with my parents and they do not claim me on their income tax. Do I have to put their information on the FAFSA form?

Yes. You will have to include parent information, unless you can provide proof of unusual circumstances as defined by the Department of Education. None of these are considered unusual circumstances:

• Parents refuse to contribute to your education.
• Parents are unwilling to provide information required to complete the FAFSA, or for verification.
• Parents do not claim you as a dependent for income tax purposes.
• You demonstrate total self-sufficiency.

Unusual circumstances do, however, include an abusive family environment or abandonment by parents. In such cases, an override in dependency status may be warranted. Contact your financial aid office to see if you are eligible.

The school I attended last year granted me a dependency override, am I okay since they have already approved this?

No, an override or override paperwork will not carry over or one year to the next. The financial aid office must reaffirm the status each year.

What are financial aid "priority dates"?

These dates are when the high volume period starts in our Financial Aid offices. We encourage you to complete your Student Center “TO DO” list by the priority dates.

• Fall - May 30th
• Spring - November 30th
• Summer - May 1st

I missed the priority date; can I still apply for financial aid?

If you are eligible for aid, it will be processed during the next scheduled awarding period. If there is a balance due when you enroll you must choose a payment option for that balance.

What if my Student Center “TO DO” list is not complete and I do not have the money to pay my tuition in full?

You may sign up for the MCC payment plan for a non-refundable fee of $35 to secure your classes. For more information regarding the MCC payment plan review payment options page.

What is "Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)"?

SAP measures completion of coursework toward a certificate or degree. Federal regulations require us to monitor your progress. If you fall behind in coursework, or fail to achieve standards for GPA and completion of classes, you may lose eligibility for federal and state aid.

What is required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress?

• Maintain the required grade point average (GPA) for the number of hours you attempted.
• Pass a certain percentage of those hours.
• Complete a degree or certificate program in no more than 90 credit hours, unless your degree requires more than 62 hours.
• Do not completely withdraw from classes, unless there are mitigating (unusual) circumstances. These must be documented and approved by the financial aid office.

The SAP regulations list the GPA and required pass percentage. See the Satisfactory Academic Progress (pdf).

What is required for verification?

The U.S. Department of Education requires us to verify the accuracy of FAFSA data. If you are selected for verification, you’ll be notified through your MCC student email and your Student Center “TO DO” list about the documents we need from you. Typically, we need an Institutional Verification Form (see Forms tab above) and tax documents (if you did not use the data retrieval option on your FAFSA). If you're married or dependent upon your parents, we'll need your spouse/parent tax return transcript as well. You need to submit these documents to your MCC campus Financial Aid Office within 45 days of notification. If you don't submit the required documents within 45 days, your financial aid will be inactivated until the documents are received.

I said I was interested in student loans on my FAFSA application. Why wasn't a student loan processed for me?

Applying for loans at MCC requires additional processes. You must

• Request forms for loan application at campus financial aid office
• Complete online entrance and exit counseling
• Submit that documentation to the financial aid office.

How will dropping a class affect my financial aid?

Some examples of what dropping a class may do:

• Dropping a class between the start of enrollment and the end of the 100% refund period may result in your Pell being reduced but this will not happen instantly. If you drop during this time period please visit the financial aid office that day.
• If you withdraw from all your classes before 60% of your scheduled classes in the term have passed, you could owe money back to the school and the Department of Education depending on when the drop took place.
• Dropping a class can also affect your Satisfactory Academic Progress, which requires you complete a certain percent of your classes to stay in good standing.
• If you are an A+ student, dropping a class might make you ineligible for benefits for the next semester.
• If you are a loan student and dropping a class puts you below half-time enrollment, it might affect your loan disbursement.
• If you withdraw from your current classes, but are enrolled in a future-dated class in the same term, you must complete a “Confirmation of Attendance” form to advise the school of your intent to return for the future-dated class. Return the form to the Financial Aid Office. Without confirmation of intent to attend, we must assume you will not return for future classes. You will owe money back to the school and the Department of Education, based on when you stopped attending.
• If you accidentally drop a class and want to be reinstated, you need to provide a signed document to the office of registration requesting to be reinstated and your Financial Aid award to be adjusted back. If you subsequently drop the reinstated class, you will owe money back to the school and the Department of Education, based on your initial request to withdraw from the class.

Contact the financial aid office prior to withdrawing to see what effect it will have on you.

After I file my taxes, how soon can I use the IRS Data Retrieval tool?

• Electronic Tax Filers: Data will usually be available within 2-3 weeks of filing
• Paper Tax Filers: Data will usually be available within 8-11 weeks of filing

If you plan to submit your FAFSA before you and/or your parents complete and submit your 2012 Federal Tax Return, then be sure to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to update your FAFSA record once the returns have been submitted and the income data is available to be retrieved.

Who is NOT eligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval tool?

• Married couples who file separate tax returns.
• Applicants whose marital status has changed as of January 1st, 2013.
  • Applicants who filed a joint return for 2012 but filed the FAFSA with a marital status of separated, divorced or widowed.
  • If the parent or student was not married in 2012 but is married at the time the FAFSA is filed. The current spouse’s income must be reported on the FAFSA.
  • If the tax filer is married to someone other than the individual included on the 2012 joint tax return.
• If an amended return was filed.
• Applicants who are neither eligible nor required to file a 2012 Federal Tax Return.

What happens if I choose not to use the tool OR change the IRS income information?

• Applicants who choose not to use the FAFSA-IRS Data Retrieval Tool (OR) applicants who use the tool but subsequently change the income information will be informed they must submit a copy of their tax return transcript or W-2’s.