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What is the FAFSA®?

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) is your application to the U.S. Department of Education for federal financial aid programs, including the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Work-Study, or Federal Direct Subsidized and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans. The FAFSA must be applied to annually at StudentAid.gov.

  • The 2024-25 FAFSA applies toward the academic year between September 2024 to August 2025. It is available from December 31, 2023 to June 30, 2025.
  • The 2025-26 FAFSA applies toward the academic year between September 2025 to August 2026.
It will be available from October 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026.
  • The MCC FAFSA School Code is: 004432

Assistance with the FAFSA®

Having difficulties completing your FAFSA? Assistance is available to current and prospective MCC students.

Please be prepared for your FAFSA assistance appointment:

  • Create an FSA ID and bring your sign-in information to the appointment.
    • For dependent student’s, the parent who provides the most support will need to create an FSA ID.
    • For married students, the spouse may need an FSA ID if a joint tax return was not filed.
  • Bring your citizenship status information (ex. A#, I-94, or permanent resident card)
  • Bring your valid government issued photo identification 
  • Bring income from 2 years prior 
    • Tax filers: Previous tax year IRS tax return transcript or 1040 form, and W-2 forms
    • Non-tax filers: Previous IRS W-2 transcript or forms
  • Bring a cell phone to receive text and/or email notification from the FAFSA website

Basic Student Eligibility Criteria

In accordance with federal regulations applicants must:

  • Be enrolled in an eligible program,
  • Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen,
  • Have a high school diploma or equivalent,
  • Attend a participating school,
  • Be working toward a degree or certificate from the institution that you wish to receive federal aid from,
  • Be making satisfactory academic progress as outlined by the institution's SAP standards,
  • Not be simultaneously enrolled in elementary or secondary school,
  • Not have borrowed in excess of annual or aggregate loan limits,
  • Not owe a refund on a federal grant or be in default on a Federal educational loan,
  • Have unmet need (except for Unsubsidized Stafford Loans)"

Filling out the FAFSA®

To complete the FAFSA:

  1. Go to FAFSA® Application | Federal Student Aid.
  2. Create an account to establish your FSA ID username and password.
  3. Complete and submit the FAFSA application by the deadline.
  4. Review your FSA to FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) at StudentAid.gov to see your results.
  5. Follow up with the Financial Aid Office if you need to complete FAFSA verification.

NOTE: Once the financial aid file is complete, an offer letter will be sent. It’s important to check your MCC Self-Service portal for details about your FAFSA application status.

Special and/or Unusual Circumstances

A special and/or unusual circumstance refers to any changes in your finances, enrollment plans, or living situation that may affect your cost of attendance or expected contribution. Students may submit information about these circumstances and/or submit an appeal to have their financial aid eligibility reviewed and potentially adjusted by the Financial Aid office. Please contact the Financial Aid office for more information.