U.S. Department of Education regulations require that a student must be enrolled in an eligible Program of Study to receive financial aid.

In addition, only classes required for your Program of Study are eligible for financial aid funding. Beginning in the fall of 2018, financial aid disbursements (what is paid to your account) will be calculated based on your MCC active Program of Study. Only classes required for your eligible active Program of Study will be eligible for financial aid funding. Classes not required for your Program of Study will not be eligible for any financial aid funding.

If you are unsure of your active Program of Study, login to MCC MyBackpack and navigate to the Student Planning section. If your Program of Study is incorrect, please see your advisor or go to Account Manager to update your program.

What programs are eligible for financial aid funding?

Any program that grants an associate degree, as well as most certificate programs of at least 16 credit hours in length. Exception: Recently approved programs may be ineligible until the College receives federal approval.

Why do I have to be enrolled in an eligible program?

According to U.S. Department of Education regulations, financial aid funds are only available to students pursuing a degree program and/or eligible certificate program.

How do I view my Program of Study and/or check if my classes are required?

Sign in to MCC MyBackpack to view your current Program of Study and its required classes. Select Student Planning and then View My Progress. Courses listed under the Other Courses section are not required for your Program of Study.

What if I want to take classes that are not required for my Program of Study?

If you are a financial aid student, you are welcome to take classes that are not required for your Program of Study. However, you will need to pay for those classes out-of-pocket or, if you are eligible for a financial aid refund, you may choose to use your refund to pay the tuition/fees for those classes. You must see the Cashiers Office to sign a waiver to use your financial aid refund.

What if a class is not part of my Program of Study but is a required pre-requisite?

Financial Aid does not cover required pre-requisite courses which are not part of your program of study. There are some instances when a class is required but is not listed on your program of study. Examples include required pre-requisites (i.e. MATH-120 is required before a student can take MATH-150 but only MATH-150 is listed on the Program of Study), course substitutions approved by academic departments, as well as certain classes for the Honors Program. Please see your advisor if you think this situation pertains to you.

NOTE: Developmental and ELAP courses are eligible for financial aid funding even though they are not listed on the Program of Study. The Financial Aid Course Eligibility Exception Request does not need to be submitted for developmental or ELAP courses.

I need to take a developmental MATH or ENG class and it is not listed as required on my Program of Study.

Developmental courses (classes below the 100 level: ENG-098, MATH-072, etc...) are eligible for financial aid funding, up to a maximum of 30 attempted credits of developmental courses. As long as the student is otherwise eligible for financial aid, the credits for the developmental course will be considered as eligible for financial aid.

English for Academic Purposes (ELAP) is a course designed to help non-native speakers to improve their English language skills enough to pursue an American college degree or learn English for personal and professional reasons. ELAP courses are also eligible for financial aid. As long as the student is otherwise eligible for financial aid, the credits for ELAP courses will be considered as eligible for financial aid.