101 College Parkway Arnold, Maryland 21012-1895 Internet ...

Itis the philosophy of the college that no student should be
restricted from attending college because of limited financial
resources. Grants, scholarships, loans and employment
programs are available to eligible students who are enrolled in
eligible degree or certificate programs.
For more information, contact the Financial Aid office:
Web site: www.aacc.edu/aid
Phone: 410-777-2203
E-mail: finaid@aacc.edu
Fax: 410-777-4019
Eligibility
To be eligible for federal, state and college student financial aid
(including student loans), students must meet the following
criteria:
• Be admitted to an eligible degree or certificate program.
• Be U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens.
• Have a high school diploma or GED. Students who have neither
may be eligible but must take an “Ability to Benefit” test.
• Students who are concurrently enrolled in high school are
not eligible for federal financial aid but may be eligible to
receive a Maryland Part-Time Grant for Dually Enrolled
students.
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (see policy on page
34).
• Male students age 18-26 must register for Selective Service.
• Not be in default on a federal educational loan or owe a
refund on a federal grant.
• Meet other eligibility requirements for the financial assistance
program(s) for which they are applying.
• Students may not be eligible to receive financial aid if they
were convicted for the possession or sale of illegal drugs while
they were receiving federal student aid. Contact the Financial
Aid office for more information on the period of ineligibility.
• To receive need-based aid, students must also demonstrate
financial need.
Enrollment Levels
Federal financial aid programs (grants, loans, and work-study)
classify students' enrollment levels based on their number of
credit hours for each term. Full time = 12 or more credits. Three
quarter time = nine-11 credits. Half time = six-eight credits. Less
than half time = one-five credits.
Financial Need
Financial need is defined as the difference between each student’s
estimated educational expenses (including tuition, fees,
books, supplies, transportation and living expenses) and the student’s/family's
ability to contribute toward those expenses. The
U.S. Department of Education determines ability to contribute
using information provided on the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA).
Financial Aid
How To Apply
To apply for grants, loans, and work-study programs, complete a
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for each academic
year (Fall-Spring-Summer). Complete the FAFSA on-line
from www.aacc.edu/aid or request a form from our office.
AACC’s FAFSA School Code is 002058.
To apply for AACC Scholarships, complete the FAFSA and the
AACC Institutional Scholarship Application for each academic
year. The scholarship application is available on-line on the
MyAACC Web site at http://myaacc.aacc.edu
When to Apply
Every January or February, students should submit a FAFSA for
the following academic year (Fall-Spring-Summer). To be considered
for Maryland state aid, the FAFSA must be received by
March 1. Students who miss this priority deadline should still
file a FAFSA as soon as possible after March 1, but they will only
be considered for federal and institutional aid. While we strongly
encourage all students to file early, it is still possible to apply for
federal aid after a semester has started.
The scholarship deadline for Fall-Spring students is May 1.
The scholarship deadline for spring-only students is November 1.
Reviewing Application Data
Each student who submits a FAFSA will receive a Student Aid
Report (SAR) summarizing the information. The student should
review the SAR to make sure all the information is correct. AACC
will also receive and review this data and will determine the student’s
eligibility for federal and institutional aid.
Verification
Students whose applications are selected for verification must
document the accuracy of information provided on the FAFSA
and provide copies of federal income tax returns for themselves,
their spouse (if married) and parents (if dependent). Applicants
selected for verification will not be offered any financial aid until
all required information is submitted.
Notification
In June, we begin offering aid to all students with complete
applications, and send notices to each student listing all the
grants, loans, scholarships, and/or work programs that we are
able to offer.
Renewing Financial Aid
Students generally must reapply each academic year to continue
receiving financial aid. Eligibility is based on the student's current
financial circumstances.
Payment Arrangements
All registered students must make payment arrangements by the
term’s due date. Payment arrangements include full payment,
acceptance into a payment plan, awarded financial aid, third
party payments or a pending financial aid application. For the
summer term, a pending aid application is not a sufficient payment
arrangement. For summer terms, the aid must already be
awarded. Students who do not make payment arrangements by
the term’s due date may have their classes dropped due to nonpayment.
33