Financial Aid

The U.S. Department of Education (Federal), New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (State), and Mercer County Community College (Institutional) offer eligible students financial aid to pay for their educational-related expenses. These cost of attendance expenses include tuition, approved fees, books, supplies, room, board, transportation, and personal expenses. For consideration, students should apply by the published deadlines for each agency.

Financial aid is provided to students in the form of grants, work study, scholarships, and loans. Eligibility for the awards depends upon financial need. Specific programs and their eligibility requirements are outlined in the tables below. This is determined by the information provided on the FAFSA. Students may also qualify for a tuition tax credit through the American Opportunity Tax Credit.

Federal Financial Aid
For federal financial aid eligibility, students must:

• Complete FAFSA & requirements for appropriate academic year
• United States Citizens or Eligible Noncitizens
• Enrolled in an approved Associate’s degree or Certificate program
• Earned a High School diploma or GED
• Not be in default of a Federal student loan or received an overpayment of a Federal grant
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP)

NJ State Financial Aid

• Complete FAFSA & requirements for appropriate academic year
• Complete NJFAMS requirements for appropriate academic year
• United States Citizens or Eligible Noncitizens
• Enrolled in an approved Associate’s degree or Certificate program
• Earned a High School diploma or GED
• Not be in default of a Federal student loan or received an overpayment of a Federal grant
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP)
• New Jersey residents for at least 1 year

DACA Students

• Complete NJFAMS Alternative Financial Aid Application
• Complete Non-Resident Affidavit at Mercer C.C.C.
• Attend NJ high school for at least 3 years
• Graduate from NJ high school or received GED in NJ

POLICY
The purpose of this policy is to clarify that in order to be eligible for Title IV funds, a student must make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and the school must have a reasonable policy for monitoring that progress. The Department of Education considers the satisfactory academic progress policy to be reasonable if it meets both the qualitative and quantitative criteria described below.

SAP reports will be run once each semester after grades have been posted and verified by the Registrar. The only modifications during a semester to a student’s SAP status will be the results of a SAP appeal.

Financial aid is awarded only to students who are enrolled in an approved degree or certificate program and who are making satisfactory academic progress. SAP is defined as progressing in a positive manner toward fulfilling requirements for the degree or certificate in a given program of study.

Federal regulations require every college to establish, publish and apply reasonable standards for measuring academic progress. The standards must include both a qualitative measure (the cumulative grade point average) and a quantitative measure (the completion rate). In addition, the maximum time to complete a program cannot exceed 150% of its published length. The information below outlines the minimum standards of satisfactory academic progress to receive financial aid at Mercer County Community College.

Minimum Standards of Progress to Qualify for Financial Aid
GPA: Minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA
Completion Rate: Minimum completion of 67% of cumulative credits attempted

Cumulative credits attempted counts all coursework, including withdrawals, incompletes, repeats, noncredit courses, and transfer credits. The Completion Rate is equal to credits earned or completed (which counts only coursework for which the student earned a grade of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, or D, including transfer credits accepted by MCCC toward the student’s program of study) divided by the credits attempted. Students whose coursework consists entirely of noncredit remedial courses and/or transfer credit are exempt from the cumulative GPA standard because they do not have a calculated grade point average.

Review Period
MCCC reviews SAP at the end of each academic term.
A student will be placed on Warning who meets the following conditions:

• Fails to maintain these standards at the end of the review period.

A student will be placed on Suspension who meets the following conditions:

• Fails to remove himself/herself from Financial Aid Warning even though he/she has completed a term of acceptable academic work.
• Does not satisfactorily remove himself/herself from Financial Aid Warning and does not complete a term of acceptable academic work.

Suspension means that a student is no longer allowed to receive federal financial aid.
A student is eligible for Reinstatement of Aid after suspension who has satisfactorily completed acceptable academic work to meet the minimum standards of SAP. The option to transfer in a successful semester from different school may only be used once while a student is attending MCCC. All coursework must apply toward the student’s program(s).

Academic Circumstances that Affect a Student’s Status:

Incomplete // “F” Grades // Withdrawals:
Incomplete grades, “F” grades, and withdrawals will reduce the completion ratio, because they are counted as attempted but not earned credits. They also count against the maximum attempted hours for a student’s degree (150 percent rule). If an Incomplete grade is not completed within the required time frame and becomes an “F,” or if a student withdraws from a class or receives a failing grade in any required class, the student will usually need to repeat the class. The repeated credits will be included in attempted and completed credits for each repeated attempt of the class. If an Incomplete grade changes to a grade after the SAP review has been completed, the grade change will be reflected as necessary. An Incomplete grade that is later completed for a grade can potentially increase a student’s GPA and/or increase the successful completion percentage.

Change of Program (without graduating from a program) or Adding an Addition Program(s):
If a student changes or adds additional programs, the prior credits and grades that do count toward the new program are included in the SAP evaluation.

Remedial Coursework:
Non-credit remedial coursework does not count toward quantitative or qualitative standards. For-credit remedial coursework does count toward quantitative and qualitative standards.

Repeated Coursework:
A student may repeat a completed course one time and receive federal aid for the retake. Individual programs may have course requirements that are stricter than the Department of Education requirements for satisfactory progress. Repeated coursework is included toward the maximum time frame (150% rule) and toward the GPA requirement of satisfactory progress.

Withdrawals:
Withdrawals will count toward attempted credits and toward maximum time frame (150% rule) with a 0.00 GPA for the withdrawn course.

Dismissal and Return:
A student who is suspended or chooses not to attend because of SAP failure will not be automatically eligible for financial aid upon his or her return. A student must meet both qualitative and quantitative standards of SAP. Absence does not restore eligibility for financial aid or academic acceptance. It remains the responsibility of the student to be knowledgeable of his or her SAP status when returning to school after dismissal or choosing not to return because of SAP failure.

Summer Term Courses:
All hours attempted and completed in the summer term are treated as any other semester hours in determining SAP status. SAP will be checked following the summer term.

Maximum Financial Aid for Program(s):
The maximum time frame a student can receive federal aid for each undergraduate program in credit hours is a period no longer than 150% of the published length of the program in credit hours. For example, a degree program requiring 64-degree credits to complete the degree has a maximum of 96 credit hours the student may attempt and receive federal aid, as long as the minimum SAP requirements are met.

Coursework that a student transfers to MCCC will be evaluated and included on the transcript only for credits that apply toward the student’s MCCC degree. Transfer credits must meet the minimum academic standard of the degree. Transfer credits will count toward earned and attempted cumulative credits in relation to the 150 percent maximum time frame rule.

Credits while not receiving Title IV:
All credits appearing on a student’s transcripts will be counted in calculations for determining SAP status, including those that may have been during terms in which the student was not receiving Title IV aid.

Appeal of Financial Aid / Academic Suspension
Appeal of Financial Aid / Academic Suspension can be granted only in instances in which extenuating circumstances occur. Some examples of circumstances can include, but are not limited to, the following:

1.  An error was made during the academic progress evaluation.
2. The maximum time frame to complete a program was exceeded due to a curriculum change or the pursuit of more than one associate degree or certificate.
3. Death of a Family Member (The name and city of residence of the deceased AND a statement of the student’s relationship with the deceased are required.)
4. Illness or Injury to the Student / Medical (An explanation of the nature of the illness or injury and the dates the student was affected by the illness or injury AND documentation from a medical professional / establishment or insurance provider are required.)
5. Other Mitigating Circumstances (A detailed explanation of the specific traumatic event or unexpected circumstance that the student did not have control over and what the student has done to overcome the event or circumstance such that he/she can go on to meet the standard of Satisfactory Academic Progress AND supporting documentation from a third party [i.e. physician, social worker, counselor, police] are required.)
6. Proof of Academic Success: (A student has completed at least 6 credits successfully with a GPA of 2.0 or higher in the most recent semester of attendance – failed or dropped courses during that time will count negatively in the appeal.)
   Lack of awareness of withdrawal policies, requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress, or unpreparedness for college coursework will not be accepted as reasons for the purpose of an appeal.

Lack of awareness of withdrawal policies, requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress, or unpreparedness for college coursework will not be accepted as reasons for the purpose of an appeal.

The circumstances should be clearly documented. When a student desires to appeal the Financial Aid Suspension, he/she must submit a formal appeal to the Financial Aid Office prior to the first day of the semester the student is returning to attend MCCC. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the form is properly submitted; failure to do so will result in the appeal not being heard. The appeal may be submitted at any time during the semester. The meeting of the Appeals Committee will be held on an as-needed basis for the purpose of hearing appeals. The student will be notified immediately of the decision of the Committee, including any stipulations or recommendations accompanying the reinstatement of financial aid. A letter reiterating the Committee’s decision will be sent to the student after the decision has been made.

A student may only appeal suspension once during his/her entire time of attendance at MCCC. If the appeal is approved, the student will be placed on probation.

During probation, which lasts one term, a student is expected to successfully meet the terms outlined in the SAP plan. A student may continue in subsequent semesters as long as he/she continues to meet the terms of the SAP plan. A student will need to meet the 2.0 cumulative GPA requirement and successfully complete at least 67% of his/her credits attempted for continuing aid eligibility. A student is eligible to receive aid while on Financial Aid Probation if otherwise eligible.

Reinstatement of financial aid does not imply waiver of any other school policy, rule, regulation, procedure, etc.

 
You can attend Mercer County Community College tuition-free* through

New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship

Current New Jersey high school seniors who rank in the top 15% of their graduating class (end of either the junior or senior year) may be eligible for the NJ STARS I program. To be eligible, students must:

For more information, contact the Office of Financial Aid at (609) 570-3210 or by email at finaid@mccc.edu.

**Pays in-county tuition up to 18 credits for 5 semesters, not including summer
**College, technology, and other fees are not covered by NJ STARS

Explore other financial aid opportunities.

 see also Mercer Honors Program
 see also Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

• NJ STARS Withdrawal and Drop Form

Listings of federal and state financial aid programs along with eligibility requirements and application instructions appear below.

 Federal Stafford Loan Overview (PDF)

NEW JERSEY STATE AID PROGRAMS

MERCER COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE PROGRAMS

OTHER SOURCES

Veterans and eligible dependents who want to receive Veterans Administration Educational Assistance (GI Bill®) to pay for their classes should complete a VA Education Benefits Application. For assistance, please contact the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs. Once the application is complete, bring a copy to the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs. New students should also bring their original Discharge Document (DD form 214 / copy 4) or a Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE).

The application for benefits should be completed before registering for classes. Students must submit a copy of their class schedules to the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs for certification of benefits with Veterans Administration. Any changes in enrollment status or change of major must be reported to the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs as soon as they occur.

The Office of Military and Veterans Affairs is located at the West Windsor Campus in Enrollment Services area of the Student Services Building and the James Kerney Campus in the Student Services area.

All applicants must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year. In addition, new National Guard students must submit an Admission’s application, take the college skills placement test, and complete their National Guard Free Tuition Program paperwork 6-8 weeks before registration.

National Guard students must submit an original Commander's Letter of Certification (NJDMAVA form 621-2-R15Nov00) each semester they register for courses. This letter must be dated no more than 60 days prior to registering for courses.

Students should submit appropriate documents to be evaluated to the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs.

Active volunteer fire, first aid, or rescue squad members in good standing, and their dependent children and spouses, may enroll in courses. The allowance will be up to $300 per semester and $600 annually, up to a maximum of $2,400 over a 4-year period, if the student:

• Resides in a municipality that has agreed by the enactment of a resolution to participate in the program;
• Maintains a 2.00 GPA throughout the degree or certificate program;
• Executes an agreement to continue service as a volunteer for a period of at least 4 years.

Please contact your local fire companies and rescue squads for additional information.

• Who can get financial aid?
• How do I apply for financial aid?
• What is an FSA ID and how do I get one
• When should I file my FAFSA?
• What if I need help with my FAFSA?
• What happens after I file the FAFSA?
• Now that I have my SAR, how long will it take to get my financial aid award?
• How can I check on the status of my financial aid application?
• How will I know when I get financial aid?
• How can I find out if my tuition has been covered by financial aid?
• My portal for the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) says I am eligible for TAG and/or CCOG. Is my tuition covered now?
• I was told my application is a reject. What does this mean?
• I got my SAR, but I was told you have no record of my application. How is that possible?
• I applied for financial aid. Why was my schedule dropped for nonpayment?

1.  Who can get financial aid?
Most students can receive financial aid if they need it, but there are some general requirements everyone must meet.

2.  How do I apply for financial aid?
First, make sure you (and your parent, if needed) have an FSA ID (see question #3). Next, file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Our federal school code for the FAFSA is 002641.

3.  What is an FSA ID and how do I get one?
The FSA ID is a username and password you use to log in to studentaid.gov and to sign your FAFSA. The FSA ID is your legal signature and shouldn't be created or used by anyone other than you-not even your parent, your child, a school official, or a loan company representative. You'll use your FSA ID every year you fill out a FAFSA and for the lifetime of your federal student loans.

Click here to create an FSA ID. You'll need your Social Security number, full name, and date of birth. You'll also need to create a username and password and provide answers to challenge questions so you can retrieve your account information if you forget it.

It is recommended that you provide a mobile phone number and email address when you make your FSA ID. This will make it easier to unlock your account, retrieve your forgotten username, or reset your forgotten password

4.  When should I file my FAFSA?
The FAFSA for the upcoming school year becomes available on October 1 each year. Submit the FAFSA by April 15 for the full academic year or September 15 if you plan to attend only the spring term that begins in January. Apply as early as possible to allow enough time for your aid to process before tuition is due. Students who apply on time receive priority consideration for all funds. Students who apply late may miss out on certain funds. Students who apply late may not have their financial aid processed by the tuition due date and may need to wait to register for classes or pay out of pocket to reserve desired classes.

5.  What if I need help with my FAFSA?
Help is available at the Financial Aid office on the main campus or the Student Services office at the James Kerney Campus. Always bring your and your parents' tax returns (if needed) when you come for help. You may also call the toll free Federal Student Aid help line at 1-800-433-3243.

6.  What happens after I file the FAFSA?
If you provided a valid e-mail address on your FAFSA, you will receive an e-mail response within 3-5 days with a link to your online Student Aid Report (SAR). If no e-mail address is provided, you will receive a paper SAR by regular mail within three weeks.

Read your SAR carefully and check the information you reported. If anything seems wrong or you do not understand something on your SAR, contact us right away for help.

After submitting the FAFSA, New Jersey residents may receive emails from the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) about eligibility for or additional requirements to apply for New Jersey state financial aid programs.

7.  Now that I have my SAR, how long will it take to get my financial aid award?
That depends. We may have to ask you for certain documents to complete and verify your application. After submitting the FAFSA, you should begin checking the Financial Aid Self-Service section of your MyMercer student portal and your MCCC student email address every day. If you have any added requirements, they’ll be listed on the checklist found on your portal, and you will be notified via email. Submit any required documents right away, because we cannot continue processing your application until all requirements have been completed. Once your file is complete, you should have an answer within two to four weeks.

8.  How can I check on the status of my financial aid application?
You may check the status of your application online at any time by logging into your MyMercer student portal and clicking on Financial Aid Self-Service (be sure to select the appropriate academic year on the drop-down menu on the Financial Aid Self-Service home screen). You may also contact the Financial Aid office with any questions about your status.

9.  How will I know when I get financial aid?
An award letter will be available on your MyMercer student portal, Go to Student Self-Service, and click on the Financial Aid section.

10.  How can I find out if my tuition has been covered by financial aid?
If you registered for classes, you may check the status of your account online. Log into the MyMercer student portal, click on Student Self-Service, and then click on Student Finance. A negative balance indicates that your total payments (including all types of financial aid) exceeds your charges. You do not need to pay a negative balance; this is the amount owed back to you as a refund. Any questions about billing, charges, or payments must be directed to bursar@mccc.edu.

11.  My portal for the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) says I am eligible for TAG and/or CCOG. Is my tuition covered now?
Even if your NJFAMS portal indicates you have been awarded state grants like TAG and CCOG, these grants may not be immediately applied to your account. Once HESAA has determined your eligibility, we must certify your enrollment and then manually add on the appropriate aid. Our staff works to add these awards as quickly as possible, and we award students in the order that their enrollment is certified. We cannot guarantee that state awards are posted to students’ accounts before tuition is due, so you may need to make a payment out of pocket to reserve your classes as you wait for your state grant. The best way to ensure your state aid is posted early is to register for classes as early as you can.

12.  I was told my application is a reject. What does this mean?
A FAFSA may be rejected for a number of reasons. If your FAFSA is rejected, you will see a rejection notice on the Financial Aid Self-Service section of your MyMercer student portal. When you log back into studentaid.gov and re-enter your FAFSA, you should see a notification informing you what needs to be corrected for the FAFSA to be accepted.

13.  I got my SAR, but I was told you have no record of my application. How is that possible?
There are several reasons this might happen. You can log back onto studentaid.gov and check that you have submitted the FAFSA for the current academic year, that MCCC is included on your list of schools, and that you actually submitted the FAFSA and did not just sign it or save it. If any of these items was not completed correctly, the FAFSA must be resubmitted. It takes 1-2 weeks for us to receive a FAFSA once it is submitted, so if you applied within that time frame, you likely just need to wait a bit longer. If none of these solves the issue, please contact the Financial Aid office.

14.  I applied for financial aid. Why was my schedule dropped for nonpayment?
Applying for financial aid is only the first step to receive an award. You must complete any additional requirements and your application must be processed before you can be awarded financial aid. Once you get your financial aid award letter, you may need to take action to accept your aid before it can be applied to your tuition bill. While you wait for your financial aid award, you are responsible for any tuition due dates. Failure to make a payment by the posted deadline may result in your classes being dropped for nonpayment.

When a student withdraws from their classes, the Office of Financial Aid is required to review the student’s progress before they can determine how much financial aid the student is now entitled to.

If the student has withdrawn prior to completing 60% of their enrollment for the semester, the college and/or student must return unearned Federal financial aid to the following sources 1. Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan 2. Federal Direct Subsidized Loan 3. Federal Pell Grant 4. Federal SEOG. NJ State awards will be reduced to a prorated amount if it is not disbursed prior to the student’s withdrawal.

Students who are awarded but wish to opt out of the bookstore credit must submit a request to the financial aid office. Bookstore Credits are extended one week prior to the start of the term to eligible students. This allows students to use a portion of their financial aid to purchase required books, supplies, technology, miscellaneous for registered courses before classes begin. The bookstore credit is not an additional financial aid award. The cost of your purchase will be deducted from your financial aid awards. The maximum authorized limit will be determined by the student's eligibility not to exceed $2,000 per term. If your financial aid awards do not cover the cost of Tuition, Fees, and Books, or if you become ineligible for financial aid, you will be responsible for payment of any remaining semester charges.

*If you request additional money in your Bookstore Credit for purchases, email finaid@mccc.edu.

Financial Aid is assistance from grants, loans, scholarships, and work provided by Federal, NJ State, local ,or private sources to help meet college expenses.

Most of financial aid is based on financial need, enrollment status, satisfactory academic progress, attendance, and availability of funds. It is intended to supplement, not to replace family and student contributions.

The information you supply on the FAFSA is used to determine your contribution to your college education. Financial need is defined as the difference between the cost of attending Mercer County Community College (tuition, fees, transportation, books, personal expenses, etc.) and the student’s contribution to their education.

A Consortium Agreement allows a student from another (“home”) institution to receive Title IV financial aid for classes taken as a visiting student at Mercer County Community College (“host” institution).

Guidelines for students interested in participating in a Consortium Agreement with Mercer County Community College as their “Host” institution:

If you are enrolled at another college/university and visiting Mercer County Community College, you must contact the Financial Aid Office at your “home” institution to request any necessary forms and are responsible for obtaining any required academic approvals.

Please submit any documents from your “home” institution requiring input from the Financial Aid Office at Mercer County Community College to finaid@mccc.edu for completion.

Visiting students must be enrolled in all desired classes before the Financial Aid Office can provide information requested by the “home” institution. In many cases, financial aid from the “home” institution is not disbursed until after classes have begun. Visiting students are expected to meet any payment deadlines required to begin their classes, and exceptions cannot be made for students expecting funds from a Consortium Agreement after these deadlines.

Click here for more information about registering as a visiting student.

If you are enrolled as a student at another college/university and visiting Mercer County Community College, please contact the Financial Aid Office finaid@mccc.edu to have your form from your “home” institution completed.

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