Terms and Conditions

To receive financial aid, the student must be pursuing an eligible degree or certificate program. Federal financial aid may only be received from one institution for the same period of enrollment. The amount of aid that a student receives cannot exceed the Cost of Attendance for the student's academic program.

Receipt of this aid indicates the student gave permission for the Financial Aid Office to release information, including grades and transcripts, to the donor of any scholarship the student may receive or agencies from which the student may request financial support, such as the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, for example. Funds, where appropriate, will be applied directly to the student’s tuition, fees, and other college charges.

To decline any awarded financial aid, the student must notify the Financial Aid Office in writing or through their Student Center. Cancellation of financial aid awards does not automatically cancel enrollment. It is the student’s responsibility to follow proper withdrawal procedures through the Admissions and Record Office if they do not wish to be enrolled at Maricopa Community Colleges.

Only those with a lawful presence in the U.S. may qualify for Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) scholarships or federal financial aid. Any information the student provides about their legal status when applying for financial aid or scholarships may be subject to mandatory reporting to the federal immigration authorities under Arizona law. This does not apply to private scholarship funds held in and distributed by Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation.

Note: Classes that do not span the entire semester (approximately 16 weeks) could affect financial aid eligibility (i.e., amounts, disbursement dates, eligibility, etc.) If a student receives federal financial aid and does not attend classes, federal law requires the student to repay the monies received.

Students in good academic standing who have pending aid or scholarships sufficient to cover tuition and fees may be eligible for a Book Advance. Students are not considered in good academic standing if they are on suspension for not meeting the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy. Students who qualify to receive a Book Advance have the right to opt-out. In that case, funds designated as Book Advance monies will be included in the student's financial aid refund. Find more information about Book Advances.

All aid disbursements are handled through the Student Business Services office. Funds, where appropriate, will be applied directly to the student’s tuition, fees, book advance, and other approved related college charges. If financial aid is not sufficient to cover the student’s tuition and fees, the student must pay the difference. Payment plans may be available to students who do not have sufficient aid to cover all charges by the due date. Please check with the Student Business Services office for more information. All remaining tuition and fees for the semester must be paid by the appropriate tuition and fee payment deadline. Each student must be registered in ALL credits by the end of the add/drop period each semester.

If financial aid funds remain after tuition and fee charges are paid, the balance will be provided to the student. Excess aid will be disbursed through the Maricopa Student Refund Program (MSRP) process. Each student must be enrolled in the minimum required hours based on their award amount to receive the financial aid offered. Students should not expect their funds any earlier than the third week after their earliest class start, dependent upon the MSRP delivery method selected. Students with late starting classes or overlapping classes from a prior term may have some (or all) of their grant or loan disbursement delayed further. Enrolling in classes with different start dates may delay the disbursement of financial aid monies. Please plan accordingly. If federal financial aid is received and the student does not attend classes, federal law will require them to repay the money received.

For continuing students to be eligible to receive disbursement, all grades from prior terms must be posted. Students must also demonstrate that they are meeting the college's Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy.

Some of the reasons that may prevent a financial aid refund from generating are:

• The student’s level of enrollment does not match the financial aid award amount
• Maricopa Community Colleges has an incorrect address for the student — students should verify and update their address by logging into their Student Center
• The student has an outstanding debt at a Maricopa Community College
• The student is enrolled in courses with different start dates in a semester — this may delay receipt of financial aid funds
• The amount of tuition, fees, and book costs incurred is greater than the grant, scholarship, or loan award
• The Financial Aid office has a hold on the aid award

Pell Grants disbursements are delivered based on a student's level of enrollment.

• Full-time: Student enrolls and participates in 12 credit hours or more per semester.
• Three-quarter (¾)-time: Student enrolls and participates in 9, 10, or 11 credit hours per semester.
• Half (½)-time: Student enrolls and participates in 6, 7, or 8 credit hours per semester.
• Less than half-time: Student enrolls and participates in less than 5 credit hours per semester. Note: Based on federal regulations, living expenses cannot be included in the Cost of Attendance for less than half-time students.
• Post-baccalaureate teacher certification students: If a student has completed a bachelor's degree and is not working toward a master's or Ph.D., they may be eligible for Federal Pell Grant funding under the Higher Education Amendments of 1998. To receive a disbursement, the student MUST be pursuing an INITIAL Teacher Certification and be enrolled and participate in AT LEAST 6 credits or more (at least Half-Time status) of approved coursework per term. (Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification programs are only offered at Rio Salado and Scottsdale Community College).
• Pell Grant lifetime eligibility used: The amount of Federal Pell Grant funds a student may receive over his or her lifetime is limited by a new federal law to be the equivalent of six years of Pell Grant funding. Since the maximum amount of Pell Grant funding a student can receive each year is equal to 100 percent, the six-year equivalent is 600 percent.

Students who are awarded a Pell Grant prior to the scheduled Pell Recalculation Date cannot have their award increased after the Pell Recalculation Date for that term.

This applies to adding classes and turning in consortium agreements for courses taken at other colleges. To be eligible for a Pell Grant for all classes, the student must be registered for ALL classes (including late-start classes) by the Recalculation Date, and if applicable, the Financial Aid Office must have a completed consortium agreement by the Recalculation Date.

Students who apply and are awarded a Pell Grant after the Recalculation date will be awarded their grant based on the number of credit hours they are enrolled in on the day the award is posted to their account.

• Students must be enrolled in and participating in at least 6 credit hours per semester to be eligible for a student loan.
• Loans have multiple disbursements; academic year loans for Fall and Spring semester are disbursed in two equal payments at the beginning of each semester.
• Fall semester only or Spring semester only loans are disbursed in two equal payments; one at the beginning of the semester and a second at the mid-point.
• There is a 30-day delayed disbursement for first-time loan borrowers from the date their classes begin. Note that te first disbursement of loan funds may be delayed if the student is enrolled in late starting/modular classes.

Loan borrowers are required by the government to complete an entrance counseling session and Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) before loan funds can be disbursed. Note that the date indicated on the MPN is not the actual disbursement date to the student.

Loans must be repaid with interest. Learn more about federal student loan repayment and how to avoid loan default.

Students must complete Exit Counseling before leaving school or if their level of enrollment falls below 6 credit hours in a semester. Learn more about Exit Counseling.

Maricopa Community Colleges awards the base amount in student loans. As a result, you may be eligible for additional loan funds; however, it is important to plan and borrow responsibly. To request an additional loan, you must complete the Request for Additional Loan Funds form.

Students must be enrolled and participating in at least 6 credit hours per semester to be eligible for FWS funds. Students must be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). At any time that the student is not meeting SAP or is enrolled in less than 6 credit hours, employment will cease.

An FWS award is not disbursed in a lump sum but through a bi-weekly paycheck for hours actually worked.

Students will have the opportunity to work up to 20 hours per week while school is in session.

As Work-Study employees, students are limited to earning the amount of the FWS award. There is no guarantee that students will earn the full amount of their FWS award.

Additional assistance received by a student from ANY source since filing their financial aid application must be reported to the Financial Aid Office. Additional assistance could include, but is not limited to, outside donor scholarships, tribal monies paid directly to students or on their behalf, and awards. Any changes in course load, name, state residency for tuition and fee purposes should also be reported to the Financial Aid office.

All students are expected to understand their responsibilities regarding the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy. Failure to maintain academic standards may result in withholding or canceling the financial aid award (in part or its entirety).

• Financial aid suspension is the status assigned upon failing to meet the minimum SAP standards. Students in financial aid suspension are not eligible to receive Title IV, HEA assistance (Federal Financial Assistance). This includes grants, federal student loans, and federal work-study.
  • A suspension can occur for any of the following reasons: failure to satisfactorily complete two-thirds (66.67 percent) of cumulative credits attempted, failure to meet the cumulative GPA minimum, or for exceeding the Maximum Time Frame (MTF).
  • Upon suspension due to not meeting SAP standards, eligible students may appeal the suspension due to extenuating circumstances. Financial aid will only be reinstated on a probationary status in the event of an appeal being approved. Filing an appeal does not guarantee that a student will be able to receive financial aid in the future.
• The reason for suspension determines what appeal form is needed. Keep in mind that a committee will review all information contained in a financial aid appeal and base its determination of eligibility on the facts and supporting documentation. All information provided in the appeal process is confidential. Appeals can be approved or denied, and all decisions are final.
  • If a Maximum Time Frame appeal is approved in a prior semester and the program of study has not changed, a new Maximum Time Frame appeal does not need to be submitted. If additional, substituted, or repeated classes are being added, an Addendum to Maximum Time Frame Appeal must be submitted. Addendums are reviewed by the appeal committee and can be approved or denied.
• For all appeals, students must explain in detail the extenuating circumstances surrounding their need to appeal and attach documentation to support the reason to appeal (i.e., medical claims/statement, police report, etc.).

In accordance with federal regulation (34CFR 668.22), a student may become subject to repay federal financial aid funds received if the following (but not limited to) become applicable:

• If a recipient of federal funds ceases to be enrolled (100 percent) prior to the end of the payment period
• If a recipient of federal funds is enrolled in multiple courses with different end dates and is withdrawn or stops attending the course with the latest end date

The Return of Title IV funds is based on the student’s last date of attendance and total days of attendance versus the days the student is required to attend in each course. A student must attend 60 percent or more of the enrollment period to earn 100 percent of the financial aid funds they have received. Any refunds and deposits are applied to institutional debts and federal programs as regulated by law.

Visit the Return of Title IV Funds Procedure for a breakdown of the process.

Note: Code of Federal Regulations: 34 CFR 685.309 (b) and 34 CFR 682.610 © states, “If a school determines that a student has withdrawn, the student is no longer considered to be enrolled and in attendance. Therefore, the student is no longer eligible for an in-school status or in-school deferment, and the school must report the student as withdrawn in NSLDS Enrollment Reporting.”

Revisions may be made to a student’s award as a result of changes in their eligibility, academic status, or failure to comply with federal and state laws and college policies. The college reserves the right to verify attendance and review, revise, or terminate financial aid awards at any time.

Federal regulations regarding repeated coursework may impact financial aid eligibility and awards. Federal regulations specify that students may receive federal financial aid funding for one repetition of a previously passed course. A passed course is defined as one in which a grade of A, B, C, D, or P is received. If a student enrolls in a course in which they have previously received passing grades twice, the course will not be counted towards their enrollment level for financial aid purposes. Students may repeat a failed course until it is passed. Enrollment for financial aid purposes will be calculated accordingly.

If a student wishes to be considered for Pell Grant for courses being taken at another Maricopa Community College, a completed Consortium Agreement form must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office by no later than the Pell Recalculation date.

Please note for all Consortium Agreements, the course work at the host institution may not overlap the end date of the prior term or the start date of the subsequent term at the home institution.

Students may not receive federal aid from more than one school for the same period of enrollment. Doing so may require repayment of all federal aid awarded during that period.