Financial Aid

The primary purpose of student financial assistance is to provide financial resources to students who would otherwise be unable to pursue post-secondary education. The Financial Aid staff at MCC will attempt in an ethical manner to meet the needs of all students, to the extent funding will permit.

Most assistance is awarded on the basis of demonstrated financial need. Though it is felt that the primary responsibility for financing post-secondary education rests with the student and their family, every effort is made to provide necessary supplemental funding to ensure that no student is denied the opportunity to attend MCC due to financial limitations. Additionally, strict confidentiality is maintained in regard to all aspects of financial assistance.

To apply for financial aid, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Help with these forms are available in the Financial Aid Office or by visiting https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. Essentially, aid is packaged from the following sources: Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Next NC Scholarship, Targeted Assistance, Federal Work-Study and MCC institutional scholarships. In addition, information on Veterans Benefits, Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) and several specific scholarship awards are available through the Financial Aid Office. The Financial Aid Office staff is available to assist any individual with information or completion of application forms in connection with financial assistance.

• Set up Self Service account at Montgomery.edu/self-service
• Register for classes
• Pay for your classes: Verify your financial aid file is complete with MCC and able to cover the costs of your tuition/fees/books/supplies. View this information on Self Service.
• Log In at https://ss-prod.cloud.montgomery.edu/Student/. Under Financial Aid Tab at the Right: To view official financial offer award letter: At the top, under Financial Aid (underlined) choose Award Letter. (Select a year) You can also view My Awards. This amount could vary during the semester depending on enrollment, major, if class has begun, etc. The Financial Aid office will post your financial offer directly to your account. This allows you to charge your tuition, fees and books (up to the amount of your semester grant) to that account upon registering for each semester. Don’t forget: Your financial offer is pro-rated on the amount of hours you are registered for, date class begins, and if you are in a clock hour program (BLET, LPN, Dental Asst, Taxidermy, Health Sciences). Monitor aid on the STUDENT FINANCE portion of self service.
• Buy Books using our Online Virtual Bookstore: under MCC TECH Trail choose bookstore. Use your Student ID and Voucher ID (located in your MCC email from BNC Services) to access your financial aid offer for payment. Book vouchers are available 10 days prior to the start of the term.
• Check disbursements: Any remaining credit balance after subtraction for tuition, fees, and books will be paid directly to the student-CHECKS WILL BE MAILED
• ENSURE YOUR ADDRESS IS CORRECT ON YOUR SELF-SERVICE PORTAL PROFILE.
• Monitor the FINANCE portion (Choose semester/bubbles) of self service for updates to your aid.
• Avoid overpayments! **You are responsible for any charges that exceed the amount of aid awarded by financial aid. ** For never-attend and/or canceled class(es) follow the college’s official withdrawal policy. Failure to do so may result in overpaid financial awards & tuition/fee charges. Failure to actively attend/participate in a course will result in aid being adjusted to possible non-payment for those courses. Details below. Failure to complete the term may result in a financial aid overpayment. Contact the financial aid office to discuss any withdrawal or failure to attend class issues.

Specific dates may be found in the Academic Student Calendar. It is the student’s responsibility to register only for classes needed in their primary program of study. FINANCIAL AID DOES NOT PAY FOR COURSES OUTSIDE THE PRIMARY MAJOR. Visit https://www.montgomery.edu/financial-aid for complete financial aid details. After the drop/add period all course schedules will be verified. The tuition for non-eligible repeated classes, or classes not needed for graduation, will become the responsibility of the student. For a course to be eligible for financial aid, students must register for the course prior to the start of the regular semester, regardless of the start date of the course. No additional awards will be made for the term if a class is added after the first applicable census date. Student accounts will be frozen 15 days (Fall/Spring); 10 days (Summer) after the first applicable census date for the amount of hours they are enrolled in, are attending, and are actively participating in. The student’s aid will be adjusted to the amount of current enrollment at this point. Failure to complete the term may result in an overpayment. If a student has registered for a mini-mester late start course they will be paid for it after attendance has been verified the following month, if applicable.

To receive aid from any of the federal and state student aid programs, students must meet all of the following criteria:

• Demonstrate financial need. A student’s financial need is determined through the submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Go to www.studentaid.gov to begin the process. A FAFSA or FAFSA Renewal is required to be completed every academic year the student seeks financial aid.
• Have a high school diploma or high school equivalency.
• Be accepted for enrollment in an eligible financial aid program of study at MCC.
• Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen.
• Have a valid Social Security Number.
• Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards set by MCC.
• Certify that he/she will use financial aid for educational purposes only.
• Certify that he/she is not in default on federal student loans and does not owe money on a federal student grant.
• Register with Selective Service, if required.
• Meet federal eligibility requirements regarding drug-related convictions.

The estimated cost of completing a year (two semesters) of full-time attendance at the college is the Cost of Attendance. This generally includes tuition and fees, living expenses (housing and food), books and supplies, transportation expenses, personal and miscellaneous expenses. The Financial Aid Office uses these costs to develop standard student budgets for awarding financial aid funds. Estimated student budgets reflect typical “modest but adequate” expense patterns of Montgomery Community College students based on research conducted by the Financial Aid Office. Enrollment level, number of completed credits, major field of study, and room and board (dependency/independency) options all contribute to the determination of the costs. While actual expenses will depend on your lifestyle and level of enrollment, the estimated costs listed on this page should assist you in planning your own budget. Aid can not be awarded over this estimated cost each year. We encourage all students to apply for financial aid as early as possible to benefit from available funding.

Students only receive financial aid for those courses that are listed in the MCC catalog as required for their program of study. Financial aid may be paid for curriculum based developmental courses, if required. The amount of financial aid a student receives will depend upon their enrollment hours and program of study. For programs based on semester credit hours, enrollment is defined for fall, spring, and summer semesters below:

Full-Time…………………………………………………………….12 or more credit hours
Three-Quarter Time………………………………………………9-11 credit hours
Half Time…………………………………………………………….6-8 credit hours
Less than Half Time……………………………………………….1-5 credit hours
*Aid is awarded per credit hour.

In accord with Federal guidelines, some MCC Programs of Study are calculated as “Clock Hour” programs for financial aid disbursement purposes. Students who are enrolled in a diploma, certificate, or clock hour program that require a conversion of enrollment hours will receive financial aid based on the number of enrollment hours after the calculated conversion.

The Financial Aid Census Date is the point at which a student’s enrollment status is “locked” for financial aid purposes. For a course to be eligible for financial aid, students must register for the course prior to the start of the regular semester, regardless of the start date of the course. No additional awards will be made for the term if a class is added after the first applicable census date. This date is posted on the academic calendar as the last day to drop classes with a 75% tuition refund. Students accounts will be frozen 15 days after the first applicable census date during the fall and spring semesters, and be frozen 10 days after the first applicable census date during the summer semester for the number of hours a student is enrolled in, is attending, and is actively participating in. The student’s aid will be adjusted to the amount of current enrollment at this point.

To ensure receipt of the maximum Pell Grant for which a student is eligible as well as avoid having to pay back Pell Grant funds already posted to the student’s account, students are strongly encouraged to finalize their course schedule no later than the first applicable census date.
If the student increases or decreases their credit load before the first applicable census date, their financial aid may be adjusted, as appropriate, for their enrollment level. If the student’s financial aid is reduced and it creates a balance due on their student account, the student will be responsible for payment.

If the student adds credits after the census date, the student’s financial aid will not be increased. Classes added after the first applicable Census Date will not be eligible to be counted for financial aid eligibility purposes. The student will be responsible for any additional charges not covered by his/her financial aid award as of the financial aid census date.

The student’s financial aid may be affected if the student is taking courses that begin after the financial aid census date. For example, if the student is enrolled in a class that starts after the census date, the Federal Pell Grant and other financial aid funds will not be disbursed until after the course has started. If the student fails to begin attendance in all classes, the student’s financial aid will be reduced accordingly.

Using a book voucher through Financial Aid: If you qualify for a textbook voucher through financial aid and the funds are available, an email will be sent to your MCC student email with your Voucher ID, 10 days prior to the start of the term. Please note, this email will also include a voucher expiration date. Funds will not be available beyond this date.

To order your textbooks using a book voucher, please follow the steps below: Do not purchase textbooks until you have received your book voucher email.

• Once you have your Voucher ID, go to the MCC website and select TechTrail in the top right corner.
• Click on the Bookstore link to access the virtual bookstore website.
• Select the blue “Use it Here” button to apply your book voucher. In the Student ID field, enter your full 7-digit MCC student ID number including any zeros (i.e.0259897). Next, enter the Voucher ID from your email.
• Click the blue “Access your Funds” button. The next screen will display the funds that are available to you through your book voucher. Please note that any purchases (including shipping) that exceed this amount are your responsibility.
• Click “Get your Course Materials”. Choose the upcoming semester and confirm that the school is set as Montgomery Community College. Choose Traditional Classes. Then enter the course ID (found on your schedule) or scroll to locate your course. Make sure that you are also selecting the correct section (i.e. 01, W1, etc.).
• To enter additional courses, click the “Add Another Course” button. Each additional course should be listed under the correct semester and school before proceeding to the next page.
• Once you have entered all of your courses, select “View Your Materials” to see a list of textbooks and other required materials. Each item will include the option to purchase or, in some cases, rent. If your book is eligible for rental and you select that option, please keep in mind that you will be responsible for shipping it back to the virtual bookstore (not MCC) within 7 days of the last day of class or you will be charged. (To learn more about the BNC Rental Agreement, please refer to their FAQ at bnctextbookrental.com/faq.aspx)
• Click “Add Selected to Cart” for each item you would like to purchase. Once all textbooks and materials have been added to your cart, select the blue “Proceed to Checkout” button.
• Review your cart and make any changes before selecting the “Check Out Now” button. Then enter all required information.
• Please note: Although you are using a book voucher, you will still be asked to enter your personal credit/debit card information if you choose to rent a textbook and/or your order exceeds the amount of your financial aid allotment.
• Proceed to “Select Your Shipping Method” and choose from the list of available options. Then click “Select Payment Options”. Review your order carefully and create a password to access your digital content, rental returns and order information for your account. (Note: This password is separate from your other MCC accounts.)
• Select the green “Submit Your Order” button to complete your purchase. You will receive an order confirmation via email once the order has been received. For additional questions about virtual bookstore orders, shipping or returns, please contact BNC’s 24-Hour Customer Service line at (800) 325-3252.

Title IV regulations require that each student receiving federal aid maintain satisfactory academic progress. Satisfactory progress is measured by both a qualitative and a quantitative standard. The MCC SAP is outlined below and measures all credits included in a student’s academic history (all MCC college credits even those taken during high school, transfer credits, & remedial credits), regardless of whether financial aid has been previously received. *Remedial credit will not be counted in a student’s completion rate or 150% calculation, only in G.P.A.

For the purpose of SAP Policies, financial aid includes the Federal Pell Grant, FSEOG, Federal Work Study, and all grants offered by the State of North Carolina: Next NC Scholarship and NC Childcare Grant. Our MCC Foundation and Veteran students also follow federal SAP guidelines. Federal regulations require students to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in three areas. A student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA) which must remain at a minimum of a 2.0, the student’s PACE or completion rate which must be at least 67%, and the student’s academic program must be completed in a maximum timeframe of 150% of the timeframe allowed for the declared program. SAP will be evaluated each semester after official grades have been verified by the registrar. Student SAP status updates will be emailed to the student as well as available to view on the student’s Self Service financial aid portal.

(Successfully completed grades: A, B, C, D, P, S, CE –Unsuccessful grades: F, FA, R, RA, I, W, AU, NA)

(IE – Incomplete Emergency, WE – Withdraw Emergency; Grades used during Covid Pandemic not counted against a student’s SAP). Both a Quantitative (cumulative completion rate) and Qualitative (cumulative GPA) standard must be maintained to receive aid. All students receiving aid must successfully meet the required standards for each increment listed below. Failure to meet these standards may impact the student’s eligibility for financial aid and the ability to register.

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher in order to be eligible to receive assistance. Financial Aid will follow the College’s policy for calculating GPA for all courses except remedial courses. The financial aid GPA/Completion rate may differ from the GPA on the student’s academic record due to the addition of remedial coursework. The SAP calculation is based on the financial aid GPA/Completion rate.

There are no exceptions. All grades dating back to the student’s initial enrollment at the college, including those received while not on financial assistance, are included in the student’s cumulative GPA.

Students must receive a passing grade in 67% of all coursework attempted. The pace of completion is cumulative and includes all coursework attempted. The cumulative completion rate is calculated by dividing the completed credit hours by the attempted credit hours. Grades of “F”, “FA”, “W”, “R”, “RA”, “I”, “AU”, “NA” are not passing grades and count as hours attempted, but do not count towards successfully completed hours. Incompletes, grades of “I”, are included as attempted but not completed until they are replaced with an accurate grade. For purposes of rounding, students who receive a completion rate of 66.5% or higher are considered to have met the 67% completion rate requirement. Transfer credits accepted are included as both attempted and completed but not included in the GPA.

A grade of Incomplete (I) will be given when circumstances justify additional time to complete the course. Any incomplete grade not updated by the end of the succeeding term will be changed to a grade of F unless additional time is granted by the instructor. For SAP purposes, a grade of Incomplete will be considered for credit hours attempted only until the grade is changed by the instructor or is reverted to a grade of F due to lack of proper action by the student. At this point the updated grade will also be included in the cumulative GPA.

Students are only allowed to attempt a limited number of credit hours under federal financial aid guidelines. All aid is terminated once a student has attempted 150% of the required number of hours in their program of study or it becomes apparent that they cannot complete the program within the 150% limit. This regulation applies to all students, including those that have not previously received aid. For example, if the degree requires 70 hours to complete, the 150% maximum timeframe would be 105 attempted hours. For diploma students, if the diploma requires 40 hours to complete, the maximum timeframe would be 60 attempted semester hours. Up to thirty (30) hours of remedial coursework will not be included in this calculation. Students must make other arrangements to pay their educational costs if their financial aid is terminated. Students pursuing an additional major after graduation may be considered for appeal. REMINDER: All attempted credits count toward the 150% point even if they are not included in your current active curriculum.

Students who are enrolled in two concurrent curriculum programs (major/minor) will receive funding for eligible classes in their primary program (major). An exception occurs if the student is completing their primary program and is beginning another curriculum program during the same semester. In that case, the student will receive funding for both curriculum programs for that semester only. Contact the FA Director to request verification for this option.

REMINDER: After receiving financial aid for 12 full time semesters students will no longer be eligible for aid from the federal government.

All courses attempted are used in calculating the SAP. Withdrawals (“W”) and grades of “F”, “AU”, “FA”, “R’, “RA”, “I” count as hours attempted, but do not count towards successfully completed hours. If a student changes curriculums, all of the courses previously attempted will apply to the current SAP calculation. Grades of “F”, “FA”, “R’, “RA” affect the student’s G.P.A. Students who withdraw may have difficulty meeting the satisfactory academic progress requirements.

Academic progress regulations do not provide for the concept of academic amnesty whereby students apply to have credits attempted or grades earned excluded from the institution’s GPA calculation. All credits attempted and grades earned will be included in the student’s GPA and pace of progression standards. If a student requests Academic Amnesty with the college’s registrar, the student must inform the financial aid office.

In addition to being factored into the completion rate requirement as attempted and completed credits, a student’s maximum time to receive financial aid will also be reduced by the equivalent transfer of credit hours towards his/her degree. Transfer credit is determined by the Registrar. Credits needed for the current curriculum will be added to the transcript at the time of admission to MCC. Each time the curriculum changes the registrar will reevaluate all transcripts on file to determine what new courses could be counted towards graduation. Once transfer credits have been added they will not be removed.

A student is placed on warning when Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is not maintained. A student on warning may receive financial aid for their next enrollment term but must return to satisfactory academic progress within the allowed term or the student will be terminated from financial aid eligibility until minimum requirements are met. Students who are ineligible for aid under the 150% rule do not qualify for a warning period.

Students who have attempted approximately 80% of the maximum allowable credit hours for their program of study will be considered Warning Near Maximum Timeframe. At this point, all credits are reviewed to determine if enough hours have accumulated to complete the degree. All aid is terminated once a student has attempted 150% of the required number of hours in their program of study or it becomes apparent that they cannot complete the program within the 150% limit.

Students who have attempted the maximum allowable credit hours, 150%, of their program of study will have their financial aid suspended. Students have the right to appeal.

Students on a warning status who fail to meet the standards outlined above are ineligible for aid. Excepting an approved appeal request, the only manner by which a student may regain eligibility is by completing classes at their own expense and achieving the minimum SAP requirements.

All students are eligible to appeal their financial aid suspension status in writing to the financial aid office. Appeals are granted in cases of serious illness, death of an immediate family member, natural disaster, extenuating circumstance, or other traumatic episode. Appeals are also reviewed for need of additional hours/degrees. To appeal, the student must complete and return the appeal form found on MCC’s website or in the financial aid office with the following information. The appeal must include a signed letter describing why you are requesting an appeal. Explain in detail the circumstances of your appeal. Please include what steps you have taken to resolve the problem that prevented you from successfully maintaining MCC academic standards. If you are requesting to be considered for additional time past the 150% max time frame, explain in detail the reasons for changing majors or attempting an additional degree and why you are requesting additional time past the 150% maximum time frame. Add Specific Documentation supporting your request. (Example: Death certificate, hospital records). Include a program evaluation (degree audit) from the Registrar on the major you plan on pursuing. Meet with your advisor. With their advisement construct a Plan of Action. List in detail the courses you plan to take each semester until graduation and when, including how many hours you still need to complete and anticipated date of graduation signed by your program advisor for your newest program of study. All supporting documentation must be attached or the appeal will not be accepted. Appeals are presented to the financial aid committee for adjudication. The student will be notified by email of the results of adjudication. All aid remains terminated until the student receives notification that the appeal was approved for the next period of enrollment and the student agrees in writing to the conditions of appeal, also posted on our website. Appeals are granted on case-by-case situations.

If a status of Suspension is appealed and approved, a status of Probation-COA is assigned. This status requires students to maintain both a term GPA greater than or equal to 2.5, a term completion rate equal to 100% and to comply with all conditions of appeal. In order to achieve a completion rate equal to 100%, a student must successfully complete each course enrolled for the term. If a student withdraws or fails a course during a term dropping the term completion rate below 100%, does not maintain a term GPA greater than or equal to 2.5, or meet all conditions of appeal agreed upon in writing the appeal is terminated and the student will receive a terminated status. Once a student receives a termination status, they are no longer eligible to appeal without regaining eligibility first. For a max timeframe approved appeal, a term GPA of 2.0 and a term completion rate of 67% is required.

Remedial classes count toward the financial aid GPA calculation. Students may receive aid for 30 remedial credit hours only. If one or more modules of a remedial math shell is passed, but the complete shell is failed the student will be charged again for a total shell when they register. The financial aid GPA/Completion rate may differ from the GPA on the student’s academic record due to the addition of remedial coursework. The SAP calculation is based on the financial aid GPA/Completion rate. There are no exceptions. *Up to 30 hours of remedial coursework will be excluded from the 150% maximum timeframe calculation.

Repeating a course is allowed when the student fails to earn a passing grade. However, repeating a course counts as another attempt, which could negatively affect a student’s SAP. Please note: A student may repeat a course one time in which they received a passing grade. If a student passed a class once and then is repaid for retaking it and fails the second time, that failure counts as their paid retake and the student may not be paid for retaking the class a third time. Course schedules are verified each term. The tuition for non-eligible repeated classes, or classes not needed for graduation, will become the responsibility of the student.

It is the student’s responsibility to register for courses in their primary program of study. Award amounts are based only on courses in a student’s primary program of study.

Awards will be modified for all diploma programs that do not lead to an associate degree (LPN, Dental Assisting, Taxidermy, BLET, Therapeutic and Diagnostic service). If a student is in a clock hour converted program and attends courses in both mini-mesters, payment is made for the cumulative total of hours for the semester. Clock hour conversions always round down to the closest whole number and payment is made on that number (ex: 5.1 + 6.4 = 11.5 is paid 11).

Because of this conversion, students should be aware they may not have enough aid to cover their charges and therefore should be prepared to pay any residual charges out-of-pocket.

A student who enrolls at the beginning of the term must register for every class for which they wish to receive financial aid, regardless of the starting date of the class. If a student has registered at the beginning of the term for a mini-mester course, they will be paid for it after attendance has been verified the following month. No additional awards will be made for the term if a class is added after the first applicable census date for students who enroll at the start of the term. Student accounts are frozen on the published FA census date each term for the number of hours the student is enrolled in, attending, and actively participating. Likewise, students who fail to complete the entire term may be subject to overpayment.

NOTICE Responsibility for registering for courses in one’s program of study, monitoring the progression toward graduation, and avoiding SAP ineligibility lies with the student. When students enroll at MCC, they choose their course of study and have ready access to the course requirements. While MCC provides advisement and counseling to students in an effort to facilitate a student’s educational interests and goals, this SAP policy is mandated by the federal government and may not be altered, ignored, or regulated on the grounds of improper or misinterpreted advisement. All notices regarding academic progress for financial aid purposes will be sent to the student’s MCC email and Self-Service portal. The student is responsible for monitoring this mailbox/portal on a weekly basis. The Financial Aid Office may adjust the student’s award amount, pending changes in eligibility status or the availability of federal/state/institutional funds. If the student registers for classes, they must officially drop the class(es) before the first day of class or they may be responsible for all charges incurred. Please note: Not all certificate/diploma programs are eligible for financial aid. Students are required to notify the financial aid office if they receive financial assistance such as a scholarship, grant, or loan from an outside source since this may affect their eligibility for financial aid. The student must also notify the financial aid office if they change their name, address, phone number, or email. The College will use the student’s financial aid funds to pay for outstanding tuition, fees, books and other charges incurred. The remaining funds, if applicable, will be disbursed during the semester. If the student receives aid they are not entitled to, it will be their responsibility to repay those funds. If a student is taking classes at two different colleges, they can only receive aid at one college.

Credit hours attempted and completed during a summer session are included in the calculation of SAP. Award amounts are based on full-time attendance for the fall and spring terms and will be pro-rated according to the number of registered hours. Summer aid is not available for students that attend full-time fall and spring terms unless advertised and/or included in the yearly award letter. Usually, students that receive financial aid during the summer must be registered for at least 6 credit hours.

Financial aid recipients who completely withdraw (officially/unofficial instructor drop/administrative drop) or fail to actively participate in all of their classes on or prior to the sixty percent point of the academic term will be subject to repayment terms (Return of Title IV funds policy) as outlined by the Department of Education. Simply logging in to an online class does not qualify as participation. Assignments must be completed. If disbursement has already been made to the student, it is the student’s responsibility to repay all funds due to MCC and/or the Department of Education. Federal regulations require a formula be used based on a number of calendar days in the term and the number of days of active participation by the student before withdrawal to determine how much financial aid was ‘earned’ by the student. The difference between aid disbursed and aid earned will be used to calculate how much the student must repay. If a student withdrew prior to disbursement of aid, the calculation determines how much the student earned before a total withdraw from the college. The college will receive this amount of aid from the DOE for the term. If your charges are more than the amount we receive, the student will be responsible for the difference. Federal law specifies how the Financial Aid Office must determine the amount of Title IV program assistance that you earn if you withdraw or cease enrollment at Montgomery Community College. The Title IV programs that are covered by this law, listed in order in which Title IV program funds must be returned, are:

• Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants
• Federal Pell Grants
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOGs)

Montgomery Community College is an institution that takes attendance. For students who completely withdraw or cease enrollment (unofficially withdraw), the withdrawal date is the student’s last day of attendance of a documented academically related activity. Students can officially or unofficially withdraw from the College, which both lead to a recalculation of the student’s aid.

A student initiates the withdrawal process by notifying the Registration Office of their intent to cease enrollment by completing an official withdrawal form. When a student receives all FA’s, W’s, or a combination of these grades for a semester, they may be defined as ‘withdrawn’ for Title IV purposes. Completing the official withdraw form will result in a grade of W for the course(s). If the student is a complete withdraw (official/unofficial) the R2t4 calculation is completed. The last date of active participation submitted by faculty is used for the R2t4 calculation.

A student who stops attending classes or ceases enrollment at the College without following MCC’s official withdrawal procedure. When a student receives all FA’s, W’s, or a combination of these grades for a semester, they may be defined as ‘withdrawn’ for Title IV purposes. The last date of active participation submitted by faculty is used for the R2t4 calculation. A student who attends and completes at least one course that spans the entire term will have earned the aid for that term (as adjusted for dropped classes or classes not attended), if not the R2t4 calculation is completed.

Though your aid is posted to your account at the start of each term, you earn the funds as you complete the payment period. Financial Aid students who completely withdraw from all courses, officially, by unofficial instructor drop, or by administrative drop, on or prior to the sixty percent (60%) point of the term will be subject to the Return of Title IV Funds Policy. If a student completely withdraws from Montgomery Community College, unearned student aid must be returned. The amount of assistance that you have earned is determined on a pro-rata basis. For credit hour programs/standard and non-standard terms, Title IV aid is earned in a direct proportion to the length of the time a student is enrolled. The period of time during which a student is enrolled is the percentage of aid earned by the student. The withdrawal date determines the calculation of the percentage of aid earned. Students wishing to officially withdraw should complete the official withdrawal form in Student Services.

The percentage of Title IV aid earned will be calculated as follows:

Number of active days completed by student = Percent of term completed

Total number of days in term (minus any breaks of 5 days or more, including weekends)

Students who remain enrolled past the 60.1% point earn all aid for the term. The unearned percentage of Title IV aid (100% -percent of term completed) must be returned to the U.S. Department of Education by the college and/or the student. See example:

John withdraws on September 18 (33 days completed)/ (115 days in term – 5 day Fall Break) = 30% of term completed

For clock-hour programs, scheduled hours to complete in the period are used in determination of percentages. They are divided by the total number of clock hours in the period.

Return of Title IV – Post Withdrawal Disbursement Example:

If a student has ‘earned’ funds, according to the Return of Title IV Funds calculation, that have not yet been disbursed, the student may be due a Post-Withdrawal Disbursement.

Ex: Student was enrolled full-time for courses that spanned the full 16 weeks. The original charges for tuition, fees, and books for the term were $2,200. The student began attendance in each course, but officially withdrew on the 3rd day and received a 75% refund of tuition charges. The funds disbursed (credited) to the student account were: $0 Pell. However, the student could have received $2960 from the Pell grant should he have continued to be enrolled.

If not, the student earned more federal financial aid than was disbursed. The post-withdrawal disbursement for Title IV funds will be processed for the student and a refund will be issued within 14 days of being posted to the student’s account.

There are 113 days in the payment period.

3 divided by 113 = .0265 or 2.65%.

Apply the percentage completed (earned), 2.65% to:

Title IV (federal) that could have been disbursed: $2960 times 2.65% = $78.44 earned aid

Total charges for the term: The business office determines if the student has a current balance remaining. If so, the earned aid is subtracted from the amount owed and the student is notified by mail of any balance owed.

A post-withdrawal disbursement of grant funds will be applied towards outstanding semester charges on the student’s account and may pay up to the amount of the allowable charges (i.e., tuition and fees). Any remainder of grant aid will be paid to the student. The student will be notified within 30 days of the date of determination of withdrawal of the post-withdrawal disbursement. A refund will be sent within 45 days of the date that the college determined that the student withdrew, if applicable.
MCC’s responsibilities in regard to the return of Title IV funds include:

• Repay MCC any unearned aid portion of Title IV funds returned by the College to the U.S. Department of Education
• Provide students with the Return of Title IV Funds Policy
• Notify students of unearned aid to be returned to Title IV programs (including student and college portions to be returned). Notifications will be sent to the student’s home address on file in Student Services
• College portion of unearned aid will be returned by the college within 30 days of notification of student withdrawal to Title IV programs and the student will be billed for repayment
• College will notify the U.S. Department of Education of the student’s portion of unearned aid to be returned within 30 days of becoming aware of the student’s complete withdrawal

The Student’s responsibilities in regard to the return of Title IV funds include:

• Becoming familiar with the Return of Title IV Funds policy
• Returning to the U.S. Department of Education all unearned aid as determined by the Return of Title IV Funds calculation
• Contacting the college if unable to return unearned portion within 45 days of notification. The college will then contact NSLDS and Ed Collections to notify of student’s situation. 10 days after the college has contacted NSLDS and Ed Collections, the student may contact Ed Collections to arrange a repayment plan of the student portion of unearned aid satisfactory to the U.S. Department of Education by calling 1-800-621-3115
• Repay MCC any unearned aid portion of Title IV funds returned by the College to the U.S. Department of Education

Under the September 2, 2020 final regulations, the Department established withdrawal exemption criteria which, if met, allows a student who has withdrawn or otherwise ceased attendance to NOT be considered a withdrawn student for Title IV purposes, which means that no R2T4 calculation is required for that student. Prior to conducting an R2t4 calculation for a student who has ceased attendance during a payment period or period of enrollment, a school should review the student’s circumstances to see if the student qualifies for any of the R2t4 withdrawal exemptions.

The withdrawal exemption categories are as follows:

1. Withdrawal exemption for graduates/completers
   A student who completes all the requirements for graduation from his or her program before completing the days or hours in the period that he or she was scheduled to complete is not considered to have withdrawn. This exemption applies to all types of programs (including those with or without modules)
2. Withdrawal exemptions for programs offered in modules
   A student is not considered to have withdrawn if the student successfully completes one module that includes 49 percent or more of the number of days in the payment period, excluding scheduled breaks of five or more consecutive days and all days between modules. A student is not considered to have withdrawn if the student successfully completes a combination of modules that when combined contain 49 percent or more of the number of days in the payment period, excluding scheduled breaks of five or more consecutive days and all days between modules. A student is not considered to have withdrawn if the student successfully completes coursework equal to or greater than the coursework required for the institution’s definition of a half-time student under 34 CFR 668.2(b) for the payment period. Please note that all of the withdrawal exemptions apply to both undergraduate and graduate students as long as the student and program meet the underlying exemption criteria (i.e., the program is offered in modules, the students are graduates, etc.). Finally, a student only needs to meet one of the withdrawal exemptions to be exempt from R2T4.
3. Module/ Mini Semester Courses
   To determine whether a student enrolled in a module/mini-mester course has withdrawn and a calculation is needed the following questions are used. Did the student cease to attend, or fail to begin attendance in a scheduled course that was included in the institution’s calculation of the student’s Title IV awards for the payment period or period of enrollment? • If yes, go to question 2 • If no, student is not a withdrawal When the student ceased to attend or failed to begin attendance in a scheduled course, was the student attending other courses in the period? • If yes, student is not a withdrawal, but Pell recalculations may apply • If no, go to question 3. When the student ceased to attend or failed to begin attendance in a scheduled course, did the student complete all the requirements for graduation? • If yes, student is not a withdrawal, but Pell recalculations may apply • If no, go to question 4. When the student ceased to attend or failed to begin attendance in a scheduled course, did the student successfully complete: • a module or combination of modules that contain 49% or more of the number of days of the payment period (excluding scheduled breaks of 5 consecutive days or more and all days between modules); OR • coursework equal to or greater than the coursework required for the institution’s definition of a half-time student for the payment period? • If yes to either question, student not a withdrawal, but Pell recalculations may apply • If no, go to question 5. Did the student confirm attendance in a later module in the payment/enrollment period (45-day rule for standard or nonstandard programs) • If yes, not a withdrawal, but Pell recalculations may apply • If no, student is a withdrawal. Please be advised, the Satisfactory Academic Policy calculation of financial aid students who completely withdraw could be negatively affected. Any student debt owed to MCC will preclude the student from future registration until debt is satisfied. These policies and procedures supersede those previously published and are subject to change according to U.S. Department of Education regulations and MCC policy revision.
4. State Aid
   When a student withdraws before the end of the term, an institution must determine how much, if any, State grant funds must be returned. Student attended more than 35% of term = full grant amount earned. Student attended 5% -35% of the term= percentage of grant earned is equal to percentage attended. Student attended less than 5% of term = no eligibility.

Conditions of Financial Aid

Students can apply for financial aid at https://studentaid.gov/w.

• This is a free application.
• Students must reapply annually.
• Students/parents should utilize the IRS Data Retrieval for the quickest response.
• Montgomery Community College’s school code is 008087
• Be aware of and adhere to all financial aid deadlines.
• Students should enroll in a program of study that meets eligibility for financial aid assistance.
• Students should promptly submit all requested documentation to the Financial Aid Office.
• Students must register for classes only required under their program(s) of study.
• To maximize aid eligibility, students must register and/or make necessary adjustments to all classes they are planning to enroll by the First applicable census date (10% of the term)
• Students must attend scheduled classes from the Onset to prevent delays in financial aid refunds.
• Financial aid cannot be received for classes outside a student’s program of study, classes not attended, audited classes or exempted.
• Financial aid will only pay for 30 hours of remedial courses.
• In order to avoid losing financial aid or owing money to the school, students must drop classes before the first day of class if not planning to attend MCC.
• Students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) each semester to continue receiving financial aid assistance.
• Consult with the Financial Aid Office staff if withdrawing or dropping classes because this could jeopardize future financial aid or result in a student having to repay funds.
• Consult with the Financial Aid Office staff if changing primary program of study or adding a secondary major. Reminder: MCC only awards aid for the primary program.
• Financial aid cannot be received at two institutions for the same semester.

Financial aid status is based on enrollment hours:

Full-time = 12 or more credit hours • Three quarter time = 9-11 credit hours • Half-time = 6-8 credit hours • Less Than Half-time = 1-5 credit hours *Aid is awarded by credit hour.

Students enrolled in a diploma, certificate, or clock hour program that require a conversion of enrollment hours will receive financial aid based on the number of enrollment hours after the calculated conversion.

Students who receive any type of financial aid assistance as a refund will receive a 1098T yearly from MCC for tax filing purposes. Please remember the refund is considered income to the household and could be reported on the annual tax return. Please contact your tax advisor for specific details.

A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid unless the student totally withdraws from all classes in a semester or enrollment period. Pell Grants are classified as Title IV federal aid and awarded only to undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need by completing a FAFSA. Students are limited to receiving a Pell Grant for the equivalent of twelve full-time enrolled semesters. This applies to all Federal Pell Grant eligible students and includes all years of receiving Pell Grant funds. Students who have earned a bachelor’s degree do not qualify for a Pell Grant. Pell Grants may be used to pay a student’s direct educational costs, such as tuition, fees, and books, as well as indirect educational costs, such as transportation expenses. Students should apply well in advance of the semester they plan to attend. The federal processor must receive a student’s FAFSA by June 30 to be considered for the current academic year. There are no exceptions to this deadline.

Pell recipients who attend full-time (12+ credit hours) in the fall and subsequent spring semester may be eligible to receive Additional Pell Grant funds for the summer semester. To qualify for Additional Pell, students must have remaining Lifetime Pell Eligibility and unmet need, maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, and enroll at least half-time (6+ credit hours) in courses that are required for student’s program of study. Students must maintain an enrollment status of at least 6 credit hours through the Financial Aid Census date in order to qualify for Additional Pell. If students drop, withdraw, or never attend one or more classes, resulting in enrollment status of less than 6 credit hours, students will not receive the additional award for the remaining class(es). This will result in students owing any outstanding tuition, fees and bookstore charges and/or being purged from remaining classes for non-payment

The FSEOG is designed to supplement existing financial aid for undergraduates who have demonstrated exceptional financial need by completing a FAFSA on an annual basis. It is classified as Title IV federal aid. This grant is awarded to eligible applicants for the fall and spring semesters that do not have a bachelor’s degree. While no deadline exists, FSEOG funds are limited and awarded on a first come, first served basis.

This program is designed to provide part time jobs to students with financial need and to assist students who need extra income to continue their education at MCC and provide valuable work experience. To be eligible for this program, a student must first complete a FAFSA. Work-Study position announcements will be posted in the financial aid office, on the bathroom banner, and all electronic boards on campus. Federal Work-Study (FWS) jobs are available at the beginning of each academic year, or whenever there are position openings throughout the year. Jobs are filled on a first come, first serve basis. Students are required to reapply annually. Students may be eligible for the Work-Study program even if they are not eligible for the Federal Pell Grant. Students can only earn FWS funds in combination with other resources up to the amount of the student’s financial need.

The Next NC Scholarship is a need-based grant established by the North Carolina Legislature to provide funds to help meet the educational costs of NC residents attending community colleges. The availability of this funding depends on allocation from the North Carolina State Legislature and eligibility is determined by a student’s FAFSA. Students must be enrolled for at least six credit hours as an undergraduate at an eligible North Carolina institution to be eligible.

This grant was established by the North Carolina General Assembly to assist student-parents with their financial responsibilities for childcare expenses so they may complete their educational goals. Students must apply separately for this grant at the MCC Financial Aid office, and they must also demonstrate financial need through their current processed FAFSA.

This program is designed to assist students in specific programs of study in which enrollment is substantially less than class capacity but for which there is a high demand for employees in the service area labor force and students that are enrolled in less than half time hours for the semester.

To apply for Montgomery Scholars scholarships, you must complete the MCC admissions application, RDS application, and FAFSA prior to April 30.
To apply for MCC Foundation scholarships, students must complete the FAFSA application, complete their MCC FA file by July 1st. Scholarships are first come, first serve. If you are considered for this scholarship, you must complete a scholarship application with the Foundation and attend the Foundation Award Ceremony. Other Financial Aid Programs and other sources of financial assistance are available through the following organizations for qualifying students. Interested students should contact these organizations directly to apply.

Provides financial assistance to income-eligible individuals meeting certain federal eligibility requirements and who are enrolled in approved curriculum. Contact WIOA at 910-944-7697 ext 207 for more information.

Provides services to persons with disabilities in order to help them obtain employment. Contact (704) 982-8124 or 1-877-699-7579 for more information.

The Department of Veterans Affairs provides assistance to eligible members of the National Guard, Selected Reservists, eligible veterans, and certain veteran dependents. The Department of Veterans Affairs is the final authority for determining eligibility. Apply for education benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs at https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/ The MCC Veteran Student Enrollment Guide can be found on the College website at https://www.montgomery.edu/paying-for-college/financial-aid/veteran-benefits/