What kind of financial aid is available?

After applying for financial aid, how long before I am notified?

In general, how do people qualify for financial aid?

If I qualify, do I have to carry a full load of classes (12 credits)?

What happens if I drop one class, or, all of my classes? Will I have to pay the money back? How will that affect my chance of receiving financial aid in the future?

What if I have defaulted on a student loan I had in the past?

Can I get financial aid if I already have a degree?

Does financial aid at the community colleges transfer to the universities?

How can I be paid for classes I take at two institutions during the same academic term?

What do I need to know about book vouchers?

After I have been awarded financial aid, how long before I receive my money?

Do I need to apply for financial aid before I register for classes?

Yes. Students should complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form 4-6 weeks before they register for classes. The application must be processed first in order to determine eligibility. Eligibility will determine the amount of money a student may receive on based class enrollment.

Make sure that students are filling out the FAFSA for the correct year they plan to attend. For example, students applying for Summer 06 must fill out the FAFSA for 2005/2006. The last day to apply for the 05-06 FAFSA is June 30, 2006. Students applying for Fall 07 must fill out the 2006/2007 form.

What kind of financial aid is available?

Pell Grants, scholarships and student loans. Pell Grants are considered 'gift money' and do not have to be repaid, providing the student completes the class/es he/she is funded for. Students can apply on-line for federal financial assistance by going to www.fafsa.ed.gov and click on the appropriate year. Students can apply for scholarships on-line and can do a general scholarship search on the web.

Rio Salado College also offers federal guaranteed student loans (Stafford Loans). Students would apply the same way they apply for Grant money. They would go to the website www.fafsa.ed.gov and complete the application. Students are required to be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits (in one term) at Rio to receive a student loan. Students interested in Alternative Loans (additional to Stafford Loans) will find links to banks and lenders which lend money to students based on their credit rating. The responsibility of obtaining an alternative loan through an alternative lender is solely the students.

After applying for financial aid, how long before I am notified?

Students will be notified only after their financial aid file is complete. Once all the necessary documentation is received and reviewed by the FAO, students can expect to be notified of their eligibility status, generally within two-three weeks.

In general, how do people qualify for financial aid?

Eligibility to receive financial aid is based on a Department of Education formula that addresses three primary factors: income, size of household, and the number of people in a family attending college. Unmarried students who are less than 24 years of age, have no dependent children that he/she supports, is not a Veteran of the Armed Forces, not working on a Masters or PhD degree, are considered dependent on their parents, even if living independently of his/her parents. They must complete the FAFSA as a dependent student and include parent income(s) on the FAFSA. Only when he/she is 24 years of age or older is he/she considered independent and not required to include parent information. The income limitation for receiving Pell Grant is lower than you would expect. Independent students claiming one (1) in the household (self) will probably not qualify for grant money if his/her income exceeds approximately $14,000.

You may encounter a student who is a ward of the state (incarcerated/hospitalized at AZ State Hospital). He/she is NOT considered independent solely based on that criteria. However, a ward of the court IS. A ward of the court is an emancipated minor (under 24 years old) who has been legally removed from the home. Only a ward of the court is allowed to declare themselves independent on the FAFSA

If I qualify, do I have to carry a full load of classes (12 credits)?

That depends on a student's financial aid eligibility, but usually a student does not have to be registered as a full time student (12 credits or more in one term) to qualify. The original award letter will state the amount a student is eligible for at full time enrollment for the student's information. However, awards will be adjusted to actual enrollment after the original award has been determined. Since Rio has 26 start dates a year, students often stagger their start dates. A student's financial aid award, based on class enrollment, will be determined by the number of credits the student is enrolled in per academic semester parameters. The class start dates must fall within the beginning and ending of the standard academic semester to be counted in that term.

What happens if I drop one class, or, all of my classes? Will I have to pay the money back? How will that affect my chance of receiving financial aid in the future?

There may be consequences for dropping or withdrawing from a class or classes. It depends on the number of classes a student attempts at the beginning of the semester. Students must complete 2/3 of the credits attempted in a semester in order to maintain satisfactory academic progress. A student starting with 12 credits and dropping a 3 credit class will not have a problem (they can still meet the 2/3 requirement). However, a student starting with 6 credits and dropping 3 will have academic progress problems, because he/she cannot meet the 2/3 requirement.

If a student is a complete withdrawal, two things will happen. 1) The student will be placed on financial aid suspension; 2) the student's financial aid will be recalculated by District office under federal refund/repay guidelines and the student will probably owe back a portion of the grant money received.

A student who has been suspended from receiving financial aid may submit an appeal. The appeal will be reviewed and a decision will be made, based on the circumstances of the student. If the appeal is/is not approved, the student will be notified of the conditions of the appeal in writing.

What if I have defaulted on a student loan I had in the past?

A student with a defaulted student loan is not eligible for any Title IV aid (grants, loans) until the defaulted loan status is resolved. The student must call the Department of Education to resolve the matter.

Students that owe federal return of funds (grant repayment) may appear on the District-wide debtmaster. Students that owe a debt to any of the MCCCD colleges will not be allowed to register for classes within the MCCCD until the debt is resolved. Students that owe money to a federal aid program will not be eligible for Title IV funding until that debt has been resolved in writing from the Department of Education.

Can I get financial aid if I already have a degree?

Students with an associates degree will need to submit an appeal explaining why he/she needs to continue attending a community college, since an associates degree is all that a community college offers. Students with a bachelors degree will qualify for grant money only if his/her declared program of study is the Teacher Certification program. These students will be monitored for compliance of enrollment.

Does financial aid at the community colleges transfer to the universities?

Because Pell Grants are federal money, they are usable at community colleges and/or universities. However, students must note that their financial aid must be used at only one institution per semester.

How can I be paid for classes I take at two institutions during the same academic term?

Students enrolling in classes at two institutions for the same academic term may submit a consortium agreement to the "parent" (funding) institution. For example: A student may take classes at Rio Salado Community College, and also need to take a class at Mesa Community College in the same semester. The student could be funded financial aid at Rio Salado Community College, but would not be eligible to receive financial aid at MCC. The student would have to submit a consortium agreement to Rio Salado Community College to have the credits at MCC included in the calculation of his/her financial aid at Rio. No money changes hands between schools. The student is responsible to pay tuition and fees at MCC (the participating school). Rio Salado cannot recognize consortium credits with a school that measures classes in clock hours (such as the Skill Centers) only classes measured in CREDIT hours can be considered for consortium credits.

What do I need to know about book vouchers?

Eligible students must pick up book vouchers in person at the Financial Aid Office in Tempe. The student then takes the book voucher to the Rio Bookstore (located on the 2nd Floor of the new Auxiliary Building in front of the Administrative Offices at 2323 W 14th Street). The FAO recommends the student call the bookstore to make sure the bookstore has all the books needed, before picking up the book voucher at the FAO. Book vouchers are to be used at the Rio Bookstore within 24 hours. Please be prepared to show photo ID. Once used to purchase books, book vouchers are then posted to the student's financial aid records and paid from the proceeds of the student's available financial aid.

After I have been awarded financial aid, how long before I receive my money?

Taking attendance in internet, or, distance classes is not the same as in-class attendance for financial aid purposes. Therefore, students with staggered start dates (classes that do not begin in the same week) will not have his/her financial aid credit until all classes included in the financial aid award have begun.

In addition, NEW STUDENTS TO RIO: Students with no prior academic history with Rio will have financial aid funds disbursed after the date for a full refund has passed.

NOTICE TO CONTINUING STUDENTS: Effective 5/8/06 (Summer I 2006) No federal financial aid funds will be disbursed until grades are posted for the prior term, and, academic progress can be verified. Financial Aid students will be held in classes with tuition and fees deferred until that time. Students may request a book deferment.