2020-2021 College Catalog > Financial Aid Policies and Procedures > Financial Aid Reminders

Financial Aid Reminders

• A student must complete their FAFSA by the March 1 priority filing date to be considered for limited grant funds.
• Almost every student will have additional documents to submit in order to complete their financial aid file, so check your HCC email and the myHCC portal frequently and respond to all request quickly.
• It can take up three to four weeks or more to process an application for any type of financial aid. Plan ahead!
• Applicants should use the IRS Data Retrieval tool when completing the FAFSA. Applicants who have not completed their tax returns can estimate based on prior year tax returns to meet the priority filing date. If income has changed significantly from the previous year, speak with a financial aid counselor to determine how to proceed.
• All applicants should also complete the HCC Scholarship application in order to be considered for HCC Foundation Scholarships. The HCC Scholarship Application is located at www.howardcc.edu/scholarship.   
• Students must re-apply for aid each academic year.  The FAFSA is available on October 1st every year to apply for the following award year.  The HCC Scholarship Application is available by March 1 each year.
• For all the options to assist with paying for college, please go to www.howardcc.edu.
• Financial Aid Services provides FAFSA workshops during the year, both on campus and in the community. Students and families can also come into the Financial Aid Services Office during the hours of operation and work on their FAFSA or the HCC Scholarship Application at one of the computers in our lobby.  Our staff will be happy to assist you as needed.