MCC is an affordable college plus there are many options for financial assistance. Estimate your cost using our calculator. Then explore the many financial aid choices - grants, loans, scholarships, veterans benefits, and more - to help fund your education.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
To get priority consideration for financial aid, submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by February 1. MCC's school code is 002484.
Apply early so you can get the best financial aid package possible! Some funds are limited so the earlier you apply, the better your chances of receiving aid.
Do you have special circumstances?
Although the 2023-2024 FAFSA requires financial information from the 2021 calendar year, MCC understands that sometimes the information reported on the FAFSA may not accurately reflect your current financial status.
Such changes may be the result of circumstances beyond your control, and include the following for a student, parent, or student's spouse:
- Loss of job due to layoffs, furloughs, or illness;
- Reduction of income due to illness, quarantine period, or shelter-in-place order;
- Death of a spouse or parent; or
- Separation or divorce.
Are you unable to provide parent information on your FAFSA?
The 2023-2024 FAFSA requires parent information for many students born before January 1, 2000. You may be unable to provide parent information because of unusual circumstances outside of your control.
Unusual circumstances may include human trafficking, refugee or asylee status, parental incarceration, parental abandonment, an abusive family environment that threatens the student’s health or safety, or the student being unable to locate their parents.
If you feel that any of the circumstances above apply to you, please contact the financial aid office at your campus to discuss your options. We understand the sensitive nature of these circumstances.
We are here to help.
47% of MCC students received grants and scholarships - more than $30 million last year alone.
Most aid is either:
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Awarded to a student with certain skills, talents or characteristics regardless of family financial situations.
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Awarded to a student to cover the difference between what college costs and what the family can reasonably afford to pay (your financial need). Financial need is calculated by a standard federal formula:
Estimated cost of attendance - expected family contribution (EFC) = financial need
Your cost of attendance includes tuition, fees, books, supplies and other school-related expenses.
Your EFC is the number used to determine your eligibility for federal student financial aid. This number results from the financial information you provided in your FAFSA application.
Your EFC is reported to you on your Student Aid Report (SAR). Your EFC is not the amount you must pay your school.
General eligibility requirements
To receive financial aid from federal and state programs the student must meet the general eligibility requirements established by the U.S. Department of Education (some programs may have additional criteria):
- Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and complete any related requirements such as, but not limited to, completing the verification process.
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
- Demonstrate financial need (if applying for need-based aid).
- Be working toward an eligible degree or certificate.
- Be enrolled in courses required for your declared degree or certificate (audited and other non-credit classes do not apply).
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by MCC's Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.
- Not be in default on any loan or owe a refund on any grant made under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, at any institution.
- Show you are qualified to obtain a college education (have high school or equivalent completion, or if enrolled in college before July 1, 2012 there may be alternatives).
Receiving financial aid
Once you are determined to be eligible for financial aid, your amounts are calculated based on your eligibility and enrollment status. If you are receiving aid from multiple sources, an aid package is created for you, making sure all aid fits within your cost of attendance. If your total aid is less than your charges, payment options are available for the remaining balance. If your aid is more than your charges you may be eligible for a refund of the excess aid.
Financial aid timeline
- Federal aid and scholarships will be officially applied to your MCC balance beginning two weeks before the first day of classes. This process is referred to as disbursement.
- Student loans and the Missouri A+ program begin the disbursement process one week before the start of the term.
- If your aid is not ready on the first day of disbursement due to any missing items on your To Do list or changes to enrollment your aid will disburse on the next business day after all items are completed. Disbursement of aid is also delayed if none of your classes begin during the first week of the term.
- MCC will adjust (increase and decrease) Pell Grant awards during our Pell Recalculation Period. MCC’s Pell Recalculation Period is lined up with MCC’s regular sessions 100% refund period. After this period, awarded Pell Grants will not be increased. Mandatory decreases will be made if determined you never attended, dropped a class before the start date or require a Return to Title IV calculation. These rules may apply to other types of aid that require a specific number of credit hours for eligibility.
- After aid has disbursed you may use excess aid in the bookstore with an electronic bookstore credit. Note that not all aid is eligible to be used in the bookstore, or you may opt out of using bookstore credits. If eligible, your bookstore credit will be available in the bookstore until the end of the first week of classes for the term. Any unused bookstore credit funds are then eligible to be refunded directly to the student.
- Refunds of excess financial aid are sent directly to students 14 days after the start of the term. Refunds may be received electronically through direct deposit or a check will be mailed to the mailing address on file.
- Refunds are processed once per week after the first 14 days of the term. If your refund was not ready to be released at the start of the semester it will be released when all To Do list items have been completed and the final amount of the financial aid has been calculated.
Ready To Start Your Future?
Apply to MCC today!