Financial Aid at MCC

Regulations & Eligibility requirements

All students are encouraged to apply for financial aid. Eligibility is determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  

• Financial aid is awarded based on financial need, maintaining enrollment in a degree or diploma program, satisfactory academic progress, and the number of credit hours a student is enrolled in.  Awards are made according to federal, state and local regulations.

• A student’s need is determined by subtracting the expected family contribution (EFC) from the total educational cost (COA).  Information submitted on the FAFSA may be subject to verification.

• Mayland Community College reserves the right to review and make adjustments to awards if a student becomes over awarded, if a student’s resources change, or if there are any other changes to a student’s financial aid.

• If a student’s financial aid is still pending (has not yet been approved by the MCC Financial Aid Office), 100% payment will be expected no later than the designated payment date for each registration period.

• Federal regulations mandate that clock to credit hour conversions are required for students in certain certificate and diploma programs which could reduce a student’s Pell award amount.

• Students in default of a student loan or repayment of a grant cannot be awarded financial aid under Title IV Federal Regulations.

• Students that have already earned a Bachelor's degree or a Graduate degree are not eligible for Pell grants or State grants but can receive federal student loans based on the FAFSA.

• Financial aid awards are not made on the basis of any disability, race, color, sex, or national / ethnic origin.

Who can apply?

To be eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant and most other types of federal student aid, a student must:

• Have financial need.
• Have a high school diploma, a GED, or pass an approved Ability to Benefit Test, or have been home-schooled.
• Be enrolled in a Pell eligible certificate / degree program.
• Be a US citizen, permanent resident or other eligible classification of non-citizen.
• Have a valid Social Security number.
• Have and maintain satisfactory academic progress.
• Register with Selective Service, if you are a male between the ages of 18 and 25.
• Certify by signing a FAFSA that you will use any federal student aid funds awarded to you solely for educational purposes.
• Certify by signing a FAFSA that you are not in default of any federal student loan and that you do not owe a repayment of any federal student aid grant.

Do I have to be fulltime?

No.  Students must earn a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester to receive financial aid as a full-time student, 9 – 11 credit hours per semester to receive aid as a three-quarter time student, and 6 – 8 credit hours to receive aid as a half-time student.  Less than half-time is defined as 1 – 5 credit hours per semester.

For financial aid purposes, full-time in the summer is still defined as 12 or more credit hours for the semester.

Do my grades affect my eligibility?

Yes.  Federal and state regulations require that students receiving financial aid maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Mayland Community College applies these standards to all federal and state financial aid funds in order to maintain a consistent procedure for all students receiving assistance.

What Programs are covered by Financial Aid?

Degree Programs

The following degree programs are approved for Pell Grants at Mayland Community College:

Certificate and Diploma Programs

The following certificate and diploma programs are Pell Grant approved and are exempt from clock hour calculation.

The following certificate and diploma programs are clock hour programs, from which Pell will be awarded using the clock hour calculations as set forth by the Department of Education.

The following diploma programs are Pell Grant approve, but are subject to the Department of Education's clock hour to credit hour conversion.  Clock to credit conversion programs are only eligible for partial aid.  Therefore, Pell will be awarded using the clock to credit conversion rate.