Financing your education

Forms

2007-08 Financial Aid forms

To complete your file for either the 2008 Spring or Summer Term click here for 2007-08 financial aid forms.

What is financial aid?

Financial aid is money that is available to help you cover school expenses, including tuition, fees, books and supplies. Most financial aid is based on need and is intended to supplement the difference between the cost of education and what your family can pay. The amount of financial aid you receive depends on each family's circumstances.

There are several types of financial aid:

Grants - money that you do not have to pay back.
Scholarships – money that you do not have to pay back.
Loans - money that you must pay back.
Work study – money you earn through employment.

Apply for financial aid

To receive financial aid at MCTC, you must be a student pursuing a certificate, diploma or degree in an approved program with at least 16 credits. In addition, you must:

Have a GED, a high school diploma or passed an approved Ability to Benefit (ATB) test.
Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, and have a valid Social Security number.
Not be in default on a student loan.
Register (or have registered) for Selective Service, if you are a male between the ages of 18 and 25.
You need to complete the FAFSA application to get a grant, loan or scholarship, or to determine your eligibility for a work study award.

Step-by-step process for applying

Applying for financial aid is not as hard as you may think. To make this process as easy and understandable as possible, we have developed the following step-by-step process for successfully applying for financial aid:

The first step is to complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application each year that you plan to attend college. You can complete the FAFSA application online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. If you're not comfortable applying online, we can help you! For assistance, contact the EOC Office at 612-659-6543. Keep these tips in mind when registering for FAFSA:
- MCTC's Title IV code is 002362
- Your name and Social Security number must be listed exactly as it appears on your Social Security card, otherwise it will cause delays.
- You will be prompted to apply for a pin number (personal identification number) to better track your application on the web.
- You must provide your parent's information if you answer "no" to all seven questions in Step Three.
- Be sure you and your parents (if applicable) sign the signature page.
- Complete all of the questions. If the answer is zero or the question doesn't apply, enter zero.
- If you are interested in student loans or employment, be sure to indicate your preference number in question 26 per instructions.
- Make sure to complete the entire application.
Register for Selective Service if you are a male between 18 and 25 years old. You can register online by going to the Selective Service System web site.
You will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the U.S. Department of Education confirming receipt of your FAFSA application. Check to ensure that all information is correct. If something needs to be changed, follow the directions on the letter or call the Financial Aid Office.

Dates to apply for financial aid

You can apply for financial aid by submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You can fill out a FAFSA application online by visiting http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.

You can file your FAFSA application anytime after January 1 to be considered for financial aid for the upcoming fall and spring semesters.
Summer financial aid is based on remaining eligibility from the award year.