Financial Aid Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to Financial Aid's most commonly asked questions.

FAQ Questions

General

  • Log into MyTMCC.
  • Click on "Student Center".
  • Under the "Personal Information" area, click on the dropdown menu.
  • Select "Privacy Settings".
  • Click on the double arrow.
  • Click on the green "Edit FERPA/Directory Restrictions" button (bottom of the screen).
  • Select the option you would like to change to (we recommend the second option: no release for commercial purposes)
  • Click "Save".

Contact the Financial Aid, Scholarships and Employment Office or view the online student job board for current postings.

Set up your Direct Deposit online:

  1. Log in to your Student Center in MyTMCC.
  2. Scroll down to the "Finances" section.
  3. Click on "Enroll in Direct Deposit" (link is on the left side).
  4. Click on "Add Account".
  5. Enter your bank account information (including routing number).
  6. Once all information is entered and correct, click "Save".

The Department of Education and the federal government require that each student who receives financial aid have a high school diploma or the equivalent.

A Pell Grant is a federal grant for education that does not need to be paid back. You must qualify for a Pell Grant, which is based upon your income.

TMCC's school code is 010363.

You should apply as soon as possible after Oct. 1 each year. Complete and current deadline information is available on our website. This year only the FAFSA will not be available until Jan. 1, 2024 due to changes to the application.

Log in to MyTMCC. Click on "Student Center". Under the Finances section, click "View Financial Aid" and then select the year to view estimated disbursement dates.

Log in to MyTMCC. Click on "Student Center". You can find your financial aid award by reviewing your award letter in the communication center. You can also find what financial aid documents you are missing by reviewing your MyTMCC "To Do List".

  • Loans always need to be paid back.
  • Pell Grant monies need to be paid back if they are awarded and the student does not attend classes.
  • Grants do not need to be paid back.

Contact us to let us know about your enrollment change.

FAFSA 2024-2025 Updates

The U.S. Department of Education announced changes for FSA ID account creation for individuals without a Social Security Number beginning with the 2024-25 FAFSA processing cycle.

Please follow the instructions provided below.

FAFSA changes include the first major redesign of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process with updates to the FAFSA Application. The goal is to make applying for federal student aid easier for students and/or parents. FAFSA implements provisions of the amended Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act and the FAFSA Simplification Act.

The use of Federal Tax Information (FTI) such as 1040s, w2s, and/or tax transcripts to determine eligibility for and amount of federal student aid.

Even if contributors don’t have a Social Security number, didn’t file, or filed taxes outside of the U.S., they still need to provide consent.

Students and/or parents who do not provide consent to have their federal tax information transferred to the FAFSA will not be eligible for federal, state, or institutional aid.

A contributor refers to anyone who is asked to provide information on a student’s FAFSA form.

(Estimated Family Contribution) on the FAFSA application and also determine how much federal aid the student would receive, if eligible.

The purpose is to make applying for federal student aid easier for students and/or their parents.

For students with parents who are divorced, the custodial parent will now be required to fill out the parental section of the FAFSA. The custodial parent is defined as the parent with whom the student lived with the majority of the 12-month period ending on the day the FAFSA is filed.

Anyone who is required to provide information on a student’s FAFSA form, including the student, the student’s spouse, a biological or adopted parent, or the parent’s spouse (stepparent).

Grandparents, foster parents, legal guardians, brothers or sisters, and aunts or uncles, even if they helped provide for or raise the student.

No. This will now have a significant effect on families with multiple students in college and will lower financial eligibility for families with more than one student enrolled in college simultaneously.

Financial Aid Adjustments

Unusual circumstances refers to the conditions of a student's dependent status based on a unique situation such as Human Trafficking, refugee, asylee status, or parental abandonment or parental abuse. Additional documentation will be requested.

If you have no contact with your parent(s) due to abuse or abandonment then please contact us to discuss a possible dependency override.

For dependent students, this will need to have been a decrease in the income for only your parent(s) from now than what was reported on the FAFSA. This could be related to a job loss, change in job hours, death of a spouse, medical, etc. Please contact us to discuss a parent income review.

For independent students, this will need to have been a decrease in the income for you or your spouse (if applicable) from now than what was reported on the FAFSA. This could be related to a job loss, change in job hours, death of a spouse, medical, etc. Please contact us to discuss a student income review.

Special circumstances refer to financial situations (loss of a job, change in job hours, death of a spouse, medical, etc.). Additional documentation will be requested.

Scholarships

That depends. TMCC institutional scholarships and/or grants do not transfer to other schools. External scholarships may transfer, students should review requirements with the organization providing the scholarships or grants.

For more information, please see our Scholarships page.

Millennium Scholarship

This is a slightly complicated question. The Millennium Scholarship has a limitation of being able to fund only 15 credits per semester, as well as a minimum number of credits to be eligible at each individual institution. A co-enrollment form will need to be submitted at your home institution's Financial Aid office.

For example, if you were enrolled in 9 credits at a community college and 6 credits at a university, you would only be funded at the community college because the minimum requirements for a university are that you be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits. In this scenario, it may be appropriate to complete a co-enrollment form to receive funding from a community college and a university simultaneously in one semester.

For details, visit the Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship Program.

No. After acknowledging the scholarship, you may use the funds at the institution of your choice. If you do not wish to use the funds at TMCC, contact the financial aid office of your home institution and request for the scholarship to be applied to that school.

At TMCC you need to complete at least 9 credits, that are required for your declared degree, and maintain a semester GPA of 2.75.

Federal Regulations

For the best results, please meet with an academic advisor to assist with your student account/courses that will allow you to receive financial aid for both degrees and/or certificates.

It depends. State and institutional financial aid have the same requirements as the federal financial aid regulation.

If you are receiving an external scholarship (such as the Nevada Women’s Fund), check the requirements for the specific scholarship.

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund

Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), section 18004(c) of the CARES Act, also known as the Higher Education Emergency Fund (HEERF), requires each institution receiving Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds to use at least 50 percent of the funds received to award emergency financial aid grants. Grants awarded are for students who have expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus including: food, housing, course materials, technology, and child care.

For more information, visit Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Reporting.

Unfortunately, the HEERF Grant was a temporary resource, and is no longer available to students.