Financial Aid to Attend College

The financial aid process starts with filling out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The information you provide on the FAFSA is used by your school’s financial aid office to determine the amount of aid you are eligible to receive. This one form is used to determine your eligibility for federal Pell grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG), federal work-study, and student loans.

To receive financial aid, you must:

• have financial need
• be enrolled in a degree program or certificate program longer than six months in duration
• maintain satisfactory academic progress toward a degree
• be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
• be registered with selective service, if required
• not be in default of a loan, or owe a repayment of any aid received

The earlier you fill out the FAFSA the better. It must be filled out or renewed EVERY year. You may begin the filing process as soon as January 1st. If your FAFSA form is filled out before May 1st, you are a full-time student, and you are a resident of Massachusetts, you may also qualify for a Massachusetts Grant.

Materials needed for financial aid are:

• Copy of the federal 1040 tax return and W-2s for the prior complete year
• Records or accurate estimates of your bank accounts, investments, etc.
• Records of any social security, workman’s compensation or other monetary benefits received in the prior fiscal year

Filing online is much quicker than applying via the mail. An EOC education specialist will be happy to help you complete and submit your on-line FAFSA. Please call (978) 840-0176 ext 107 to schedule an appointment.

Some excellent resources to help you get started:

www.pin.ed.gov – to get a Personal Identification Number by mail or email that can be used to do a paperless FAFSA
www.fafsa.ed.gov – to fill out an online FAFSA in English or Spanish
www.mwcc.edu/financial – for additional federal forms, information about the financial aid process, etc.

Defaulted loans

As a condition of receiving student aid for your education, federal guidelines state that a student must not be in default of a prior student loan, or owe a repayment of any Federal aid received.

If you are facing this situation and want to go back to school, EOC counselors may be able to help you. Counselors can work with you, explain your options, and advise you of the steps you need to take with the loan holder/loan servicer to make everything right again.

EOC counselors have received expert training by US Department of Education personnel to work with students on defaulted loan issues. You may have the opportunity to go back to school, we can help get you there.