Paying for College With Financial Aid
You can apply for a wide range of student aid by filling out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Many students enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program use a blend of financial aid such as student loans, grants, scholarships, and work-study to fund their education.
It’s essential to understand how the various types of financial assistance differ—for example, some you have to pay back with interest while others are considered a gift.
Use the navigation menu on the left-hand side to access detailed information about each type of student aid. Our financial services staff is also available to help you sort through all the information to make financially responsible decisions.
Getting Started—The Five Steps
Begin your financial aid journey by following the five financial aid steps below. Before you start, we recommend downloading and printing the Financial Aid Steps checklist to help you track your progress (view this checklist in Spanish).
Getting Started—The Five Steps
Federal grants, loans, and federal work-study require you to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Begin by doing the following:
- Create a Federal Student Aid account and FSA ID. If you are still listed as a dependent on your parents' taxes, you will need an FSA ID and password for both you and your parents.
- Complete your FAFSA form online or download the myStudentAid app in the Apple App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).
- Get your social security number. If you are under the age of 24, your parents' social security numbers may also be required along with federal tax information. We strongly recommend you use the IRS data retrieval tool.
- Give the college you will be attending permission to access your information by entering its Federal School Code (found below) on your FAFSA:
- Chandler-Gilbert Community College—030722
- Estrella Mountain Community College—031563
- GateWay Community College—008303
- GateWay Community College clock hour programs—E00701
- Glendale Community College—001076
- Mesa Community College—001077
- Paradise Valley Community College—026236
- Phoenix College—001078
- Rio Salado College—014483
- Scottsdale Community College—008304
- South Mountain Community College—015001
- At the end of the FAFSA form, you will use your FSA ID to officially sign the document.
You must complete your admissions application for the college you list on your FAFSA before the college can receive your FAFSA material. Visit the campus and its website to familiarize yourself with your chosen college's services and resources.
Note: It can take up to five business days for your FAFSA to be received by your school.
Need Help Applying for Financial Aid?
Once you have completed your FAFSA and college admissions application, log in to your Student Center or the My Maricopa Student Portal app. The Student Center gives you access to your Maricopa student email account, Tasks, and class schedule.
You will need to check your Tasks often to make sure you have completed all required items before you can register in courses:
- Click on each list item and follow the instructions.
- When all To-do List items have been submitted, the status will change to Received.
- Receipt of submitted documents usually takes between one to three business days.
- Processing documents can take up to 15 business days and, when finished, the item's status will no longer be listed on your To-do List.
- Check your college’s financial aid web pages for important dates and deadlines.
- Follow up on your pending electronic forms by visiting your eForms portal.
Financial aid awards can consist of a combination of grants, scholarships, work-study, and student loans. When you receive an award package, you must decide which combination of aid is best for you.
- You must be enrolled in at least 6 credits per semester and meet all other eligibility criteria to qualify for loans.
- Grants and scholarships (funding that does not need to be repaid) are accepted on your behalf.
- Remember, you may accept less than the full loan offer if you don’t need to borrow the full amount.
- If your aid eligibility is sufficient, you may opt in to the book advance program and use a portion of your anticipated financial aid to buy textbooks and supplies up to nine days before classes start.
- If you do not have enough aid to cover your full tuition and fees, sign up for a payment plan to pay the difference and secure your classes. The payment plan spreads out what you still owe into monthly installments.
- If you feel you need additional unsubsidized loans, you may request up to your annual loan limit.
During the financial aid disbursement phase, your grants, loans, and scholarships are applied to the balance of your tuition, fees, book advance, and other charges. Any amount remaining will be issued to you in the method you choose from the Financial Account tile in your Student Center.
- To receive your disbursement promptly, you must first enroll in the Maricopa Student Refund Program and follow the instructions.
- Refunds are processed following the third week of each semester.
- Rio Salado students can expect refunds the following Tuesday through Friday after the drop/add period of each semester block start date. This is due to weekly class start dates at this college.
Federal Student Aid requires you to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). This includes maintaining a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) and moving through your chosen program within a set amount of time known as Maximum Time Frame (MTF). Failure to do so may result in the loss of financial aid eligibility.
- Log in to your Student Center or the My Maricopa Student Portal to see your SAP status. SAP is evaluated at the end of each semester. Non-standard sessions will be evaluated once grades are posted.
- You are expected to understand your responsibilities in regards to SAP and your Maximum Time Frame. SAP standards are evaluated based on the number of credits attempted and the minimum cumulative GPA for the courses.
- You must successfully complete two-thirds of all your classes. Grades of I, F, N, W, X, Y, Z, and courses not yet graded are considered attempted but not completed.
- If you lose your financial aid eligibility due to extenuating circumstances, you may appeal.
- If your appeal is not approved, you may only regain eligibility by meeting the minimum SAP standards.
Cost of Attendance
Each year the Maricopa Community College Financial Aid Offices establishes standard student budgets based on institutional costs and estimated costs of living. The Cost of Attendance or a student’s budget is determined by many factors including enrollment status, residency status, and living situation. A students’ Cost of Attendance helps determine how much aid a student can receive. These budgets represent an estimate of the Cost of Attendance for Maricopa Community Colleges. By comparing the Cost of Attendance to the student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC), the Financial Aid Office is able to assess student need, and process financial aid awards within the appropriate regulatory guidelines for each specific aid program. The amount of aid that a student receives cannot exceed the institution’s Cost of Attendance.
Two-semester budgets are based on 9 months of instruction represented by a 16-week Fall semester and a 16-week Spring semester. Single semester budgets are based on 4 1/2 months of instruction represented by either a 16-week Fall, or 16-week Spring semester. Students who are enrolled in modular courses in the Fall and/or Spring semester will receive a prorated budget (modular courses are courses in which the begin and end dates do not span the entire 16 week semester). Summer budgets will be prorated based on the actual weeks of instruction that a student is in class.
These budgets reflect typical expense patterns for Maricopa Community Colleges students. Some students will spend more than the standard amounts, while others will spend less, depending on individual lifestyles and circumstances. Eligibility for financial aid, however, is based on the standard budget allowances listed below—not on individual preferences and spending habits. Very few students receive aid to cover the full amount of their cost of attendance. These figures are based on Fall and Spring semesters for a student with half-time to full time enrollment. For questions on one semester, Summer or modular budgets, please contact the Financial Aid Office.
Remember, to receive aid, students must be eligible to qualify for financial aid and be enrolled in and participating in an eligible degree of certificate program.
*Note that values will change with less than half time enrollment, clock programs, or students at Rio Salado College.
| 2023-2024 Out-of-state Budgets | Half Time Plus—student living with parent(s) | Half Time Plus—student living away from parent(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Books and Supplies | $1,104 | $1,104 |
| Loan Fees | $80 | $80 |
| Personal | $3,960 | $3,960 |
| Room/Board | $5,904 | $10,872 |
| Transportation | $7,344 | $7,344 |
| Tuition and Fees | $3,494 | $3,494 |
| Total | $21,886 | $26,854 |
| 2023-2024 In-state Budgets | Half Time Plus—student living with parent(s) | Half Time Plus—student living away from parent(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Books and Supplies | $1,104 | $1,104 |
| Loan Fees | $80 | $80 |
| Personal | $3,960 | $3,960 |
| Room/Board | $5,904 | $10,872 |
| Transportation | $7,344 | $7,344 |
| Tuition and Fees | $1,876 | $1,876 |
| Total | $20,268 | $25,236 |
Financial Aid Frequently Asked Questions
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the yearly application students and prospective students complete to determine their potential Financial Aid eligibility. Your school may have additional requirements you must complete to be eligible for financial aid.
Yes. First get admitted to Maricopa Community Colleges and enrolled in your chosen college. We cannot receive your FAFSA information if you are not in our system. Second, create your FSA ID, which is used to confirm your identity when you complete your FAFSA. Lastly, gather the documents you will need when you complete your FAFSA to make the process easier. If you’re a dependent student, your parents will also need to create an account. So have your them gather the documents they will need to complete the application.
No, completing the FAFSA is free of charge. However, be aware of certain websites that charge a fee to complete the application for you. Make sure you are on the authentic FAFSA website.
Your dependency status is based on 10 questions found in the FAFSA. If it’s been determined that you are a dependent student, you will be required to provide your parents’ information.
Yes, to be eligible for financial aid you must be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen who meets one of the following criteria:
- Be a U.S. permanent resident with an Alien Registration Card (I-551)
- Be a conditional permanent resident with an I-551C card
- Have an Arrival Departure Record (I-94) from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) with any of the following labels: Refugee, Asylum, Parole, or Cuban-Haitian entrant.
At this time, DACA recipients are not eligible for federal student aid. However, there are private scholarships you may be eligible for.
If you are a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, your parents’ citizenship status will not affect your eligibility for federal student aid. The FAFSA does not ask about your parents’ status. If your parent does not have a Social Security number, you may enter all zeros on the FAFSA where it asks for that information.
You will need to complete a FAFSA annually for the academic year (which starts with the fall term, includes the spring term, and ends after the summer term). The FAFSA may be completed on or after October 1 for the upcoming school year.
You will be considered for grants, student loans, and work-study. Grants are gift aid that does not need to be paid back as long as you remain eligible and includes the Federal Pell Grant, Leap Grant, and Federal Supplemental Opportunity. Federal Stafford loans do need to be paid back with interest. Work-study allows you to work part-time to help you pay for college.
Federal Pell Grants are usually only awarded to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need and who have not earned a bachelor, graduate, or professional degree. (In some cases, however, a student enrolled in a post-baccalaureate teacher certification program might receive a Federal Pell Grant). A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid, except under certain circumstances. Find out why you might have to repay all or part of a federal grant.
To be considered for federal financial aid, you must:
- Be past the age of compulsory school attendance in Arizona (over 16 years of age) and not concurrently enrolled in high school, an elementary or secondary school program, or taking college credit to earn a high school diploma or GED.
- Have a high school diploma or GED (effective July 1, 2013).
- Be a U.S. citizen, national, or eligible permanent resident.
- Be enrolled at a Maricopa Community College and in a degree or certificate program that is eligible for federal aid.
- Not owe a repayment of a federal grant or be in default on a Federal Stafford Loan.
- Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
- Be registered with Selective Services (males only)
Students with criminal convictions have limited eligibility for federal student aid. However, make sure you understand your status, and don’t assume you can’t get aid.
Financial aid eligibility is based on the income information provided on your FAFSA as well as other factors (such as household size, number of people in college). The FAFSA Processor will determine your family’s expected family contribution (EFC) using that information. The school then takes the difference between the cost of attendance budget and your EFC to come up with your financial need. Most financial aid will be based on your financial need and EFC; however, some forms of aid, such as merit-based scholarships, and unsubsidized federal loans are not dependent on financial need.
Yes, students who complete the Maximum Time Frame process may be eligible for financial aid; however, it will be limited to student loans due to the fact that students who have obtained a bachelor's degree are automatically ineligible to receive a Pell Grant or State Grants. (There may be special consideration for students in the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Program offered at Rio Salado and Scottsdale Community College.
Approximately three months. General eligibility is determined through your complete FAFSA application, which is processed within 3-5 business days. However, once the FAFSA is received by the school, a determination can take a variable amount of time depending on additional documentation required and the time of year.
In your Student Center—under the Task tile—is where you will see any items required to complete your Financial Aid file; if left uncompleted, these items will keep your file from being awarded. Please ensure all items are completed in a timely manner so as to not hinder completion of your file.
If you list multiple Maricopa Community Colleges on your FAFSA, each school will list To-do List items they will need to complete your file. Many times, they will be duplicates because the same documentation is required at each school.
Verification can be completed online through your To-do List in your Student Center. For detailed assistance, including step-by-step guides, visit the Financial Aid Verification support page.
Tax transcripts can be ordered through the IRS website, by mail, or by phone. You will need the tax filer's Social Security Number, date of birth, and address.
The Department of Education and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have an agreement that allows the IRS to transfer your (and your parents', if you are their dependent) tax information into your FAFSA form. Visit the Department of Education's website for more information. You can also view the IRS Data Retrieval Tool Tutorial (YouTube video) online.
You will be considered for a Pell Grant when you take 1 or more hours. For other campus-based grants or for federal student loans, you will need to take 6 or more credit hours.
Financial aid disbursement dates are determined by class start dates; whether you’re a first-time, freshman loan borrower (if receiving student loans); and the type of aid you are receiving. Check your college’s financial aid website for a list of important dates.
Being in default on a federal student loan can have the following serious consequences:
- Your credit score will reflect the default.
- You will not be able to receive additional federal student aid.
- You will not be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs, forbearances, or deferments.
- Collections fees may be added to the amount of your loan.
- Your federal tax refund may be taken and applied to your student loan debt. You may have your wages garnished.
Financial aid may cover tuition, books, and other expenses related to the cost of your education.
If you have funds left over after all tuition, fees, and any other debts have been paid, monies are sent through Maricopa Student Refund Program (MSRP). MSRP gives students options regarding receipt of funds.
Aid is not disbursed until after your classes begin. Your tuition, fees, and book advance (if eligible) will remain as a debt until after the Pell Recalculation date. (Please note for first-time loan borrowers, funds are held for 30 days after the start of the first day of school. Therefore your debt may remain in your Student Center until then).
Students cannot receive federal student aid at two schools for the same semester. However, for students attending a Maricopa Community College and attending another accredited college, we can accept a consortium agreement that will allow us to base your financial aid award on the classes you are taking at both schools.
Yes. If you did not list the specific Maricopa Community College you wish to attend on your FAFSA, you must add its school code (see main Financial Aid page) and submit it. We are unable to view or process eligibility without a valid FAFSA transaction on file. We will receive the information within three to five business days as long as you are officially admitted to the school.
No, awarded financial aid funds cannot be transferred from one school to another. If you plan to change schools mid‐academic year, you must cancel your future disbursements with your current school and then add your new school code to your online FAFSA. Once this is done, you must contact the home school’s Financial Aid Office to create a new award.
You will receive a notice in your student email when your Tuition Payment Statement (1098-T) is available.