Steps to Apply for Financial Aid

See Also: Financial Aid for Transfer Students

1. Complete a FAFSA (new applicants) or Renewal FAFSA (returning applicants)
   Submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) allows you to be considered for federal and state grants, federal and state work-study programs, and federal student loans. To complete the FAFSA, you will first need to create an FSA ID.

   If needed, review what to expect before filling out the form. Once you have your FSA ID, you will use it to complete the FAFSA. For additional help, please view our TMCC FAFSA Assistance Video Tutorials.

2. Confirm your Admission Status
   To be eligible for financial aid, you must be admitted to TMCC and enrolled in an associate degree or certificate program. You can confirm your admission status using MyTMCC. If you do not have access to MyTMCC, contact Admissions and Records.

   If you wish to apply for admission to TMCC, you need to submit an application to Admission and Records. Please note if you are applying for a special program such as Nursing, or Dental Hygiene, there may be additional steps you must complete to enroll in the program.

   Check your declared major via MyTMCC by logging in and choosing the Admission Status in the left-hand column. Majors listed as "Undecided", "Personal Interest" or "Job Upgrade" are not financial aid eligible. If you need to declare a new major, you must submit a degree/emphasis change form to Admissions and Records.

3. Complete your File
   After you submit your FAFSA and receive your student aid report (SAR), check your To-Do List in MyTMCC to view Financial Aid Missing Documents or contact the Financial Aid Office to learn what steps are needed to complete your file. Common steps include:

   Verification: Approximately one in three applications are selected for verification. This is a process where the federal government asks that we verify the accuracy of the financial information reported on the FAFSA. Students who are selected for verification are required to submit the Verification (V1, V4, V5) Form, along with the required documents listed on your MyTMCC To-Do List.

   Appeal: Certain circumstances may require you to file an appeal before you can be eligible for aid. Examples of such circumstances include holding a prior bachelor's degree or lack of satisfactory academic progress.

   Do not turn in any documents that are not requested by our office. Doing so can delay your financial aid award.

4. Know Your Deadlines
   We encourage you to become familiar with financial aid deadlines. Scholarships and select institutional aid may have additional deadlines. You will have more opportunities to receive different types of aid if you apply early.

5. Check your Financial Aid Offer
   Once your FAFSA application has been received in our office, we will process your application and determine your financial aid award package. You can check your Financial Aid Offer Letter in the Communications Center on MyTMCC. Please allow two to three weeks for regular processing and four to six weeks for files selected for verification (may be longer during peak periods). If you are interested in student loans, you will need to complete extra steps once your file is complete. Changes to your enrollment, satisfactory academic progress status, or financial aid file, may cause changes to your award letter. Contact us for further information.

6. Contact TMCC's Financial Aid Office
   Contact us if you have questions about your application status and to complete the application process. If you have special circumstances that you wish to discuss, you can meet with a financial aid officer by scheduling an appointment. We look forward to working with you!