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Financial Aid Questions & Answers

All You Need to Know About the FAFSA!

Have questions about applying for financial aid?

MCC's Financial Aid team makes the FAFSA process easier. 

FAFSA Frequently Asked Questions

Financial aid can help you pay for the costs of attending MCC, such as tuition and fees, as well as books, living expenses, transportation and personal expenses. Many MCC students receive some sort of financial aid.

The types of financial aid includes grants and scholarships, loans and work study. Grant and scholarship aid is free money and does not need to be paid back, loans must be repaid, and work study takes the form of part time employment.

It generally takes one to two weeks after receiving the FAFSA to process a student's financial aid. Be on the lookout for an email to your MCC email once it is processed.

Last name starts with: Advisor:
A - D Jackie Crotty
E - J Jarka Salvo
K - O Justine Marsella
P - R Dany Mot
S - Z T. J. Karis

 

You must apply for financial aid each year. The application process begins January 1st for the upcoming fall and spring semesters. The priority filing date for financial aid is May 1. Student's may, however, apply for aid throughout the year, although funds from some programs may be spent and gone if you apply late.

The MCC federal school code for the FAFSA is:
009936.

To be considered for all financial aid funds, your FAFSA must be received by the federal processor on or before May 1. This coincides with the Massachusetts deadline of May 1 for all their state grant programs. However, you may apply for financial aid throughout the year on a funds available basis.

In order to be considered for most federal, state and institutional financial aid, a student must:
  •  Demonstrate financial need.
  •  Be accepted to and enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program at MCC.
  • Have a valid Social Security number.
  • Be a citizen, national or permanent resident of the United States or its trust territories.
  • Maintain at least half-time enrollment each semester. Financial aid might be available to students enrolled less than half time in some programs.
  • Maintain federal standards of satisfactory academic progress.
  • Comply with Selective Service registration requirements.
  • Not owe a refund on Title IV money, or be in default on any previous student loan.
  • Have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) or HiSET

Information, such as parent and student taxable and non-taxable income, family size, number of family members in college, age of older parent, and asset information are included in the calculation of a student's financial need.

Since financial need is determined based on the family's gross annual income for the previous year, your circumstances might have changed. If you, your spouse, or your parent(s) income has recently decreased or you have special financial circumstances that were not reflected on your FAFSA, we may be able to recalculate your financial need based on your family's projected gross income for the current tax year. Students who find themselves in this situation should complete the Reduction in Family Income form and submit all the required documentation, or contact your financial aid counselor if you have questions.

Yes. Limited funding is available. Students must enroll first for summer courses before a determination of aid eligibility is determined. A processed FAFSA for the previous academic year must be on file with the college and all requested documents must be received. Please note: Book advances are available in summer on a limited basis to Pell Grant eligible students only.

Yes, financial aid can help you pay for the cost of books and supplies if you have more financial aid than your billed charges of tuition and fees. The amount of financial aid in excess of your billed charges is called a credit balance. Book advances in the amount of your credit balance are available at the start of the fall, spring and nonstandard term semesters.

Yes, however, a student must be enrolled on at least a half-time basis to be eligible to receive student loans. Some Massachusetts grants and the federal Pell Grant program can be awarded to students who are less than half time.

Answering YES to ANY of the questions below from the 2025-2026 FAFSA means you are Independent and you are not required to report your parent's financial information on the FAFSA. If you answer NO to ALL of the questions below, you are considered dependent for financial aid and you must provide parental information even if you do not reside with them at this time.

  • Were you born before Jan. 1, 2002?
  • As of today, are you married? (Answer “No” if you are separated but not divorced.)
  • At the beginning of the 2025–26 school year, will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program (such as an M.A., MBA, M.D., J.D., Ph.D., Ed.D., graduate certificate, etc.)?
  • Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. armed forces for purposes other than training? (If you are a National Guard or Reserves enlistee, are you on active duty for other than state or training purposes?)
  • Are you a veteran of the U.S. armed forces?
  • Do you have children or other people (excluding your spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you now and between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026?
  • At any time since you turned age 13, were you an orphan (no living biological or adoptive parent)?
  • At any time since you turned age 13, were you a ward of the court?
  • At any time since you turned age 13, were you in foster care?
  • Are you or were you a legally emancipated minor, as determined by a court in your state of residence?
  • Are you or were you in a legal guardianship with someone other than your parent or stepparent, as determined by a court in your state of residence?
  • At any time on or after July 1, 2024, were you unaccompanied and either (1) homeless or (2) self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?**
**You’ll be allowed to fill out the FAFSA form as an independent student if you indicate that you are unaccompanied and homeless or at risk of being homeless on the FAFSA form for the first time and you don’t have a determination from an individual at an eligible agency. An individual at an eligible agency includes one of the following:

  • Your high school or district homeless liaison or designee.
  • The director or designee of an emergency or transitional shelter, street outreach program, homeless youth drop-in center, or another program serving those experiencing homelessness.
  • The director or designee of a project supported by a federal TRIO program or a Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant.
  • A financial aid administrator.

If you withdraw from a course, which results in your enrollment status changing from full time to part time, or half time to less than half time, it may be necessary to reduce your financial aid. Some financial aid programs are full time only, while other programs are for those students whose enrollment is half time or greater. If you totally withdraw from Middlesex during the first 60 percent of the term, your financial aid eligibility must be recalculated and reduced.

Withdrawing from courses and withdrawing completely from all your semester courses are academic actions that might affect your future financial aid eligibility due to falling below federal standards of satisfactory academic progress. Please contact your financial aid advisor before taking these actions.

Yes you can, but only once. If you take a class for which you already received a passing grade and you are taking it for the third time or more, you cannot receive financial aid to pay for it. If your financial aid package is based on taking such a class, your financial aid will be reduced. If you transfer a course to Middlesex from another school, you can take the class once at Middlesex and be considered for financial aid.

  1. Go to MyMCC and sign on with your MCC User ID and password
  2. Under Student Records, select: My Financial Aid
  3. Select TAB: My Award Information
  4. Select TAB:aid year specified and select submit
  5. Select Award Overview