Student services offers helping hand with financial aid questions
Claudia Herrera
“Last year MCC was third in the nation for the number of students who filed for financial aid at a community college,” said student services specialist Linda Haines.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean they were awarded money, but we do try to help as many students with the process as we can.”
When students visit Haines and the rest of the staff at the MCC financial aid office they are told the first step is to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as a FAFSA.
Students may also pick up many helpful forms such as FAFSA practice worksheets and to-do lists.
FAFSA takes about seven to 10 business days to process and students can review it online at anytime. Students can file for financial aid every school year as soon as they receive their tax return.
Although there are many types of financial aid, most students hope for the Pell Grant. Unlike student loans or work study programs, it is a form of financial aid that does not have to be paid back.
“This year Obama gave everyone about $500 more so the maximum family contribution has increased,” Haines said.
The maximum family contribution students may have in order to still receive the Pell Grant is now at $4,618.
Yet many students are unaware that if they are under the age of 24 and are not married or have children, they are still considered dependants and must provide their parents tax information as well as their own.
Therefore many young students living on their own, with an income higher than $4,618 per year, do not qualify for this grant.
“They must be able to provide proof that they provide for themselves and that they do not receive funds from their guardians,” Haines said.
Students are warned, however, that they must provide correct information when filling out any financial aid forms or Financial Aid may reject their forms and the school will then be unable to process it.
“The most important thing is to just ask us questions. I think asking questions never makes people sound stupid; it make them more intelligent,” Haines said. “As long as you don’t try to rush and go through it, it is overall pretty easy.
