Authorization procedures
The Financial Aid office adjusts students’ quarterly award amounts based on the enrollment level as of the financial aid census date. Students should contact the Financial Aid office for more information about the census dates for the current award year.
The following types of courses do not count toward enrollment level for financial aid: courses not needed to meet the student's MCC degree or certificate requirements, audit courses, courses transferred in from another institution, dual enrollment courses, or courses that have been repeated more than once after the student received a grade of R, P, D, or better.
Credits for late-starting classes do not count toward a student's enrollment level for financial aid until: (1) the class has begun and (2) the instructor has reported that the student is participating in the class.
Award amounts are not adjusted after the appropriate census date for any increase or decrease in a student’s enrollment level. There are two exceptions to this policy:
- If a student completely withdraws from all classes, Return of Title IV regulations may require that a portion of a student’s aid be returned to the Department of Education by the institution and by the student. (See Return of Federal Funds for more information.)
- If a student drops a class that has not started and received a 100 percent refund, aid is reduced to reflect the new enrollment status.
Students should contact the Financial Aid office for more information, especially when adding or dropping classes.
Disbursement procedures
After all charges (e.g., tuition, books, and supplies) have been deducted from the total amount of the quarterly award, the Student Accounts office issues any remaining credit balance to the student and disburses it according to the student's indicated preference. Initial refunds are issued within two weeks from the census date. After the initial refund date, refunds occur weekly each Friday.
Metropolitan Community College Return of Title IV Funds
Students who receive Title IV financial aid are subject to federal refund calculations if the student completely withdraws from MCC or ceases attendance in all classes during the enrollment period.
The withdrawal date is considered to be the date the student initiates a withdrawal from the class. If the student does not officially withdraw, the withdrawal date is considered to be the last date of attendance provided by the faculty.
The refund amount is determined using the Return of Title IV Funds process provided by the Department of Education. If you received less assistance than the amount that you earned, you may be able to receive those additional funds. If you received more assistance than you earned, the excess funds must be returned by the school and/or you. MCC will return any unearned Title IV funds it is responsible for returning as soon as possible but no later than 45 days of the date the school determined the student withdrew, and offer any post-withdrawal disbursement of loan funds within 30 days of that date.
The following is the calculation process performed in accordance with the Return of Title IV funds per the Department of Education:
- Determine institutional charges (institutional charges include tuition and fees)
- Determine the amount of Title IV financial aid received and subject to return.
- Calculate the percent of payment period completed by dividing the number of days attended by the total number of days in the payment period.
- The amount of assistance that you have earned is determined on a pro rata basis. For example, if you completed 30% of your payment period (as determine in step three), you earn 30% of the assistance you were originally scheduled to receive. Once you have completed more than 60% of your payment period, you earn all the assistance that you were schedule to receive for that period.
- If you did not receive all of the funds that you earned, you may be due a Post-withdrawal disbursement. This occurs in very rare cases. If your Post-withdrawal disbursement includes loan funds, you must give your permission before loan funds can be disbursed. Your Post-withdrawal disbursement of grants funds may automatically be used for tuition and fee charges.
- The percent of unearned Title IV aid is calculated by subtracting the percentage of earned Title IV aid (step four) from 100%. The amount of unearned Title IV aid is calculated by multiplying the amount of Title IV aid received and subject to return (step two) by the percentage of unearned Title IV aid. The amount of unearned Title IV aid must be returned.
- If you receive excess Title IV aid that must be returned, MCC must return a portion of the excess equal to the lesser of either your institutional charges (step one) multiplied by the percentage of unearned Title IV aid (step six), or the entire amount of excess funds. Any refund amount is applied in the following order: Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan, Direct Plus Loan (Parent), Federal Pell Grant, and Federal SEOG.
- Title IV aid returned by MCC will likely result in a balance due on your MCC student account for which you must make satisfactory repayment arrangements.
- If MCC is not required to return all of the excess funds, you must return the remaining amount. Any loan funds that you must return, you repay in accordance with the terms of the promissory note. Any amount of unearned grant funds that you must return is called an overpayment. The maximum amount of grant overpayment that you must repay is half of the grant funds you received or were scheduled to receive. You do not have to repay a grant overpayment if the original amount of the overpayment is $50 or less. You must make arrangements with your school or the Department of Education to return the unearned grant funds.
Metropolitan Community College refund policy is a separate policy which pertains to refunds of tuition after withdrawal and applies to MCC students not receiving Title IV aid as well.