Financial Aid

In this section

At Morgan Community College, financial aid programs are available to assist students in their college career: scholarships, grants, work-study, loan programs, and tax credits (grants and scholarships do not have to be repaid.)

More information and forms may be obtained from the Financial Aid Office on the Fort Morgan campus, (970) 542-3150 or 1-800-622-0216, ext. 3150, from any MCC Center, or from high school counselors.

How Financial Aid Need Is Calculated

COA - EFC - EFA = Need

Colleges and universities provide supplemental assistance to students who show documented financial need that is determined when the application is processed. Need is calculated by taking the college’s Cost of Attendance (COA) minus the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) from the FAFSA minus any Estimated Financial Assistance (EFA) which includes grants, scholarships, student loans, veterans education benefits, and outside resources. The Federal Pell Grant and all other federal and state grants are awarded on need. Scholarships can also be awarded based on need, but require a separate application and are more often based on merit and academic performance. Financial aid will be awarded on a rolling basis until funds are used up. For additional information, contact the Financial Aid Office.

General Eligibility Requirements

Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, or eligible non-citizen as defined by the U.S. Department of Education
Have a high school diploma or GED
Be enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program
Be registered with Selective Service (only male students age 18 or older)
Be in good standing in accordance with Morgan Community College’s Satisfactory Academic (SAP policy)
Meet the enrollment requirements for the aid programs awarded
Not be in default on a student loan or owe a repayment on a Federal Pell Grant for Federal Supplement Educational Opportunity Grant at any educational institution
Not be co-enrolled in a secondary school (high school or GED preparation)
Not be receiving financial aid at another institution during the same semester that you are receiving aid at Morgan Community College
Not be convicted for possession or sale of a controlled substance while receiving financial aid

Financial Aid Checklist

	Apply for admission to Morgan Community College
	Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) MCC Federal School Code is 009981 Application to be completed prior to enrollment. Application is for federal and state grants as well as federal student loans and work-study
	Complete the MCC general scholarship application for most MCC scholarships

See "How to Apply for Financial Aid" for priority dates

How to Apply for Financial Aid

Apply for admission to MCC.
Students applying for financial aid must have declared an eligible program of study with the Registrar’s Office and meet other general eligibility requirements.
For need-based grants and scholarships, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

FAFSA PRIORITY DATES

April 1 for Summer Semester

April 1 for Fall Semester

Nov. 1 for Spring Semester

Complete the MCC General Scholarship Application by the priority date of April 1.

Include:

Letter of recommendation
The scholarship application
Most recent academic transcript (If you do not have 12+ earned credits at MCC)

Summer has a separate Financial Aid Application in addition to the FAFSA. Students taking or planning to take summer courses will need to do BOTH. The Summer Application (Summer Intent to Enroll) is available online January ^1st.
The Financial Aid Office will inform students if further information is needed.
Application for assistance will be considered only after admissions and financial aid files have been completed.
Students wishing top consideration for financial aid should have their files completed by the priority dates listed above.
The Financial Aid Office will continue to accept applications after these dates, but awards will be dependent upon the availability of funds.
Additional documents that maybe requested by the Financial Aid Office include: Federal Tax Transcripts, Verification Worksheets, etc.

Developmental Courses and Financial Aid

The Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) has instituted a policy on developmental course work for students. Degree and certificate seeking students who are assessed and need remediation in developmental college reading, writing, and/or mathematics will be provided notification. It is recommended that a student enroll in appropriate developmental course work prior to completing 30 credit hours at Morgan Community College. Students with 30 or more attempted credit hours of developmental coursework will not be eligible for Colorado or Federal Title IV aid for additional Remedial Course credits.

High School Diploma/GED and Financial Aid

NEW STUDENTS

To be eligible for Title IV Financial Aid Programs (TIV), all new, first-time enrolling students must have either a high school diploma or GED certificate. TIV Funding includes Pell, SEOG and student loans.

CURRENT/CONTINUING STUDENTS

Students may qualify for TIV student aid under one of the qualified alternatives if the student is or was enrolled in a TIV eligible program prior to July 1, 2012. Qualified alternatives include successful completion of the ATB test or successfully completing at least 6 credits of post-secondary education.

Students who do not hold a high school diploma, GED or Home-schooled certificate recognized by the State are ineligible to receive need-based aid from state funding sources.

Financial Aid on the Internet

Students may complete financial aid applications on the internet by accessing Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on the web at http://www.morgancc.edu/get-started/financial-aid/ or https://FAFSA.ed.gov

Note: Be certain to go to these websites as opposed to similar websites that charge a fee. There is NO fee to file your FAFSA on the official site.

Return of Title IV Funds

When a student fails, stops attending one or more courses or fails to begin attendance in a course they were scheduled to attend, the Federal Title IV Funds they received are subject to repayment. Repayment is required of all Title IV recipients who withdraw prior to completing at least 60.01% of the days they were scheduled to attend.

Tuition and fees will be funded on a per day basis during the first sixty percent (60%) of the term. If a student had Title IV Federal Financial Aid, a portion of these grants or loan funds must be returned to the programs based on the date the student withdrew from college. If the withdrawal occurs after sixty percent (60%) of the term is completed, no return of these federal funds will be required. For a complete copy of the Title IV Funds policy, contact the MCC Financial Aid Office.

Note: The term Title IV Funds refers to the Federal Financial Aid programs authorized by the Higher Education Act of 1965 (as amended) and includes the following programs: Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Subsidized Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans, Federal Pell Grants and Federal SEOG.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) - Maintaining Eligibility for Financial Aid

MCC will review the cumulative academic progress of financial aid applicants enrolled in an eligible degree and/or certificate program. The purpose of this review process is to determine whether a student is making satisfactory progress towards their educational goal in both qualitative and quantitative measurements. The qualitative measurement consists of the cumulative grade point average as determined by the Colorado Community College System Standards of Academic Progress. The quantitative measurement contains two components: (1) the cumulative completion rate of credit hours completed versus credit hours attempted expressed as a percentage rate of completion and (2) the maximum time frame allowed for a student to complete their certificate or degree program expressed as a percentage of total credits required. Review of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) will take place at the end of each semester.

Federal regulations require that a student's entire academic record be reviewed for satisfactory academic progress, whether or not financial aid was received. This includes those institutions that offer academic amnesty programs that exclude previous grades from being calculated into their current GPA. All applicants will be evaluated in the same manner, whether or not they have previously received financial aid at that institution.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

BACKGROUND

Each institution of higher education that receives Federal Title IV Funds is required by the U.S. Department of Education to define and enforce standards of satisfactory academic progress. Satisfactory Academic Progress measures a student's performance in the following three areas: cumulative completion rate, cumulative grade point average (GPA), and maximum time frame. The Financial Aid Office at each Colorado Community College System college is responsible for ensuring that all students applying for or receiving federal, state of Colorado, or designated institutional financial aid funds, are meeting these standards. The Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress apply for all applicable financial assistance programs including Federal Pell Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work-Study (FWS), Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Family Education Loans (Stafford and PLUS), as well as assistance from the state of Colorado and the college.

INTRODUCTION

Each Institution will review the cumulative academic progress of financial aid applicants enrolled in an eligible degree and/or certificate program. The purpose of this review process is to determine whether a student is making satisfactory progress towards their educational goal in both qualitative and quantitative measurements. The qualitative measurement consists of the cumulative grade point average as determined by the Colorado Community College System Standards of Academic Progress. The quantitative measurement contains two components: (1) the cumulative completion rate of credit hours completed versus credit hours attempted expressed as a percentage rate of completion and (2) the maximum time frame allowed for a student to complete their certificate or degree program expressed as a percentage of total credits required. Review of Satisfactory Academic Progress will take place at the end of each semester.

This procedure applies to all Colorado Community College System (CCCS) colleges.

BASIS

The U.S. Department of Education establishes requirements for enforcing standards of Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Each college may have slightly varying internal processes based upon the organizational structure at its institution.

PROCEDURE

I. Overview & Applicability

SAP measures a student's performance in the following three areas: cumulative completion rate, cumulative grade point average (GPA), and maximum time frame. The Financial Aid Office at each college is responsible for reviewing the cumulative academic progress of all enrolled students at the end of each term. The purpose of this review process is to determine whether a student is making satisfactory progress towards their educational goal in both qualitative and quantitative measurements. The qualitative measurement consists of the cumulative grade point average as determined by the Colorado Community College System Standards of Academic Progress (CCCS ES 4-81).

CCCS Academic Progress Standing ES 4-81

CCCS Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid SP 4-20d

The quantitative measurement contains two components: (1) the cumulative completion rate of credit hours completed versus credit hours attempted expressed as a percentage rate of completion and (2) the maximum time frame allowed for a student to complete their certificate or degree program expressed as a percentage of total credit hours required. Review of SAP will take place at a minimum of once per term for all enrolled students. A student's entire academic record will be reviewed and evaluated for SAP whether or not financial aid was received. The process to review Financial Aid SAP eligibility will be the same for all enrolled students. All coursework, including coursework for which a college has offered academic amnesty (including credit hours excluded from the GPA cumulative calculation as in the Academic Second Chance or Academic Renewal Policies), must be included in the review process. Colleges will notify financial aid applicants of their SAP status. A student is considered to be a financial aid applicant if they complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or if they are offered funding to assist in educational costs through the Financial Aid Office. The SAP standards apply to all applicable forms of financial assistance programs including Federal Pell Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work-Study (FWS), Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Direct Stafford Loans, Direct PLUS loans as well as assistance from the State of Colorado. Colleges will determine what institutional funds will be affected by the student's SAP status.

II. Definitions of Financial Aid Satisfactory Progress

Academic Progress Status

Students who fail to meet either the quantitative or the qualitative criteria will be notified of their status in accordance with the definitions below:

Good Standing: Student is eligible to receive all types of aid.
Alert: Student has attempted 110% but less than 150% of required number of credit hours needed for their degree or certificate program. Student is eligible to receive all types of financial aid.
Warning: Student was previously in Good Standing but failed to meet one of the SAP criteria state below. Student will continue to receive aid while on Warning status.
Ineligible for Aid: Student has 0% completion for evaluation period and/or failed to comply with stated SAP criteria while on Warning or Probation. Student is not eligible to receive financial aid (federal, state or designated institutional financial aid).
Probation: Student will be placed on Probation if the student was previously Ineligible for Aid, made an appeal and the appeal was granted (see VIII). Student will be eligible to receive financial aid for one term while on Probation.
Academic Plan: Student who has eligibility reinstated under an approved Academic Plan and is successfully following that plan is eligible to receive financial aid and continues to be eligible for aid while following the approved Academic Plan.

III. Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress

Progress Criteria

In order to meet SAP requirements, financial aid applicants and recipients must meet the qualitative and quantitative measurements outlined below:

Qualitative Measure: cumulative GPA Requirement
Quantitative Measure: Cumulative Completion Rate
Quantitative Measure: Maximum Time Frame

Students who have attempted 110% of the number of credit hours required for their degree or eligible certificate program will be sent an Alert notification. This notification will explain to students that they will be Ineligible for Aid when their total attempted credit hours are 150% of their total program credit hours.
Federal regulations allow financial aid recipients to receive financial aid for a maximum number of attempted credit hours. Students attempting credit hours in excess of 150% of the required number of credit hours to complete their program of study will be Ineligible for Aid. If at any point in time it is determined that a student cannot complete their program of study within 150% of the program length, the student will be Ineligible for Aid.
Transfer credit hours are included in the calculation of maximum time frame.
Attempted credit hours under all courses of study are included in the calculation of attempted and earned credit hours.
Up to 30 remedial credit hours may be excluded from the maximum time frame calculation.
ESL courses may be excluded in the maximum time frame calculation.

IV. Intersection of SAP Status and SAP Criteria

The following table demonstrates the intersection between SAP status and SAP criteria as defined in Sections II and III of this document. All measures are cumulative.

	GPA 2.0 or above	GPA below 2.0	Completion rate at 67% or above	Completion rate below 67%	Attempted less than 110%	Attempted between 110%- 150%	Attempted more than 150%	Failed to complete any course during a single term	Plan approved for 1 term	Plan approved for more than 1 term
Good Standing	x		x		x
Alert						x
Warning		x		x
Ineligible for Aid		x		x			x	x
Academic Plan										x

V. Evaluation of Financial Aid Satisfactory Progress

Review of SAP will take place at a minimum of once per term. The student's academic history if reviewed for: 1) cumulative GPA requirement; 2) cumulative completion rate; and 3) maximum time frame.
A student's entire academic record will be reviewed and evaluated for SAP, whether or not financial aid was received. Based on all academic history a student may be considered Ineligible for Aid.
The SAP evaluation process will occur at the end of each term of enrollment. When the student applies for financial aid (receipt of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid), the evaluation process will be completed based on the student's last term of enrollment and then updated at the end of each term for which the student is enrolled.
All students who fail to meet SAP criteria will be placed on Warning or Ineligible for Aid. Financial aid applicants will be notified of their status.

ESL courses may be excluded in the maximum time frame calculation.

Students who have attempted 110% to 149% of the required number of credit hours for their program will receive an Alert notification.
The Financial Aid Office will review GPA and credit hours attempted/completed through consortium agreements.

VI. Treatment of Completion and Repeats

Grades of A, B, C, D, S, S/A, S/B, and S/C earned during all periods of enrollment will be considered acceptable for courses completed.
Grades of F, U, I, W, AW, Z, U/D, U/F, SP, and AU earned during all periods of enrollment will not be considered acceptable for SAP.
Repeated courses are counted for all qualitative and quantitative measurements, as is coursework removed from the permanent transcript.

VII. Treatment of Grade Changes

Students are responsible for notifying the College Financial Aid Office of all grade changes that might affect current or future financial aid eligibility. A reevaluation of the student' status will be performed by the Financial Aid Office once the grade change has been communicated to the Financial aid Office.
Colleges reserve the right to notify students of this requirement based on the College's official means of communication.

VIII. Student Financial Aid Academic Progress

Appeals

Each college is required to have a primary and a secondary process for students to appeal their eligibility. The secondary process is meant to address appeals of denied appeals from the primary process. All decisions made at the secondary level are final.

The process for appeals at the primary and secondary level will be defined by the College. A student may appeal when they have been placed on Ineligible for Aid status. These appeals must be submitted to the College Financial Aid Office or designated location with supporting documentation.

The student is responsible for presenting sufficient information and documentation to substantiate the existence of extenuating circumstances. Each college may request additional documentation as student's extenuating circumstances warrant it.

Appeals must include the following information:
Appeals may be submitted for extenuating circumstances, such as:
Students may also appeal on the basis of:
Colleges may approve an appeal if:
Students will be notified by the College of the outcome of their appeal. Under no circumstances can Probation be assigned to a prior term.
Colleges may notify students prior to the end of the term or prior to official posting of the financial aid SAP status if the student's academic progress indicates they will be ineligible for aid at the end of the term. This includes students who withdraw from the term or fail to meet the terms of their conditional probation.
Colleges may set deadlines for SAP Appeal submissions to allow for processing of the appeal and, if successful, the processing of financial aid prior to the end of a term.

IX. Reinstatement of Aid

Students who lose financial aid eligibility because they are not meeting the college's SAP standards will regain eligibility when they are again meeting the qualitative and quantitative standards as set previously in this policy.
Students may also regain eligibility through the appeal process.
Upon success reestablishment of eligibility, the student will be awarded financial aid based on the availability of funds at the time of reestablishment. Students may, or may not, receive all funds awarded prior to the loss of eligibility.

Revising This Procedure

CCCS reserves the right to change any provision or requirement of this procedure at any time and the change shall become effective immediately.
NOTE: View the full text of the System President's Procedure on Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid at: https://www.cccs.edu/sp-4-20d-satisfactory-academic-progress-for-financial-aid/

Additional Financial Aid Information

Further information about financial aid, scholarships, grants, and loan applications, rules and regulations governing programs, application procedures, payment procedures and costs of attending the college is presented in the Financial Aid Handbook. This document is available from the MCC Financial Aid Office, MCC Centers, and at the MCC website.

Scholarships

MCC Foundation Scholarships

The Foundation funds many competitive scholarships whereby recipients are selected based upon their qualifications. Students may apply by completing the General Scholarship Application, available online each January 1^st. Priority application date is April 1, for the upcoming academic year. Most scholarships require students to be enrolled in a degree or certificate program. The MCC Financial Aid Office awards additional Foundation funding at their discretion.

Institutional Scholarships

Morgan Community College offers a number of institutional grants and scholarships. The types and amounts of these awards vary from term to term and require application each semester. Institutional application forms can be found on the web at: http://www.morgancc.edu/get-started/financial-aid/scholarships-2/

Outside Scholarships

In addition to the Foundation scholarships and institutional funding, other organizations send scholarship applications to the school. Information and applications to these scholarships is available from the MCC Financial Aid Office and at: http://www.morgancc.edu/get-started/financial-aid/scholarships-2/

Grants, Loans, and Work-Study Jobs

Eligibility for grants, loans and work-study is determined by completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at our website at http://www.morgancc.edu/get-started/financial-aid/ or at https://fafsa.ed.gov.

Repeated Courses and Financial Aid

Federal regulations limit the number of times a student may repeat a course and receive financial aid for that course.

A student may receive aid to repeat a previously passed course one additional time. Once a student has completed any course twice with a passing grade, he/she is no longer eligible to receive aid for that course.
A student may receive aid when repeating a course that was previously failed (F, W, AW, U/F, or U/D) regardless of the number of times the course was attempted and failed as long as he/she is meeting the overall Standards of Academic Progress.
If a student retakes a course that is not aid eligible, a recalculation of aid is done to exclude the credits for the repeated course.
This rule applies whether or not the student received aid for earlier enrollments in the course.

PELL Lifetime Eligibility Limits (LEU)

Public Law 112-74 amended HEA section 41(c)(5) limits the duration of a student’s eligibility to receive Federal Pell Grant to 12 semesters (or its equivalent). The calculation is performed by the United States Department of Education and includes all years of the student’s receipt of Federal Pell Grant funding. Students must remain eligible to receive aid by meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards in order to receive Pell Grant funding.

Subsidized Loan Limitations (SULA)

As of July 1, 2013, federal limitations were implemented first-time borrowers taking out Direct Subsidized Stafford Loans defining a limit on the maximum period of time (measured in academic years) that a borrower can receive Direct Subsidized Loans. In general, a borrower may not receive Direct Subsidized Loans for more than 150% of the published length of their program. This is called the "maximum eligibility period".

The maximum eligibility period is based on the published length of a student’s current program. This means that the maximum eligibility period can change if a student changes programs. Also, if a borrower receives Direct Subsidized Loans for one program and then change to another program, the Direct Subsidized Loans they received for the earlier program will generally count against the new maximum eligibility period.

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