Terms and Conditions
Please read these Terms and Conditions carefully before accepting your financial aid award. By accepting your award, you certify that you have read and agree to comply with all the terms and conditions listed below
Financial Aid Award: The amount and type of assistance you have been offered is based on your financial need, the availability of funds at the time that your file was completed, your cost of attendance and actual enrollment as determined by the college. Awards are contingent upon continued funding from federal, state, and institutional sources.
Enrollment Status: You must be enrolled at least half-time to receive most financial aid. EXCEPTION:If the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as determined on your Student Aid Report is less than 5001 for the 11-12 year and 4801 for the 12-13 year, then you may receive the Pell Grant at less than halftime enrollment. Full-time enrollment is defined as twelve (12) credits or more per semester, three-quarter enrollment is defined as nine to eleven (9-11) credits per semester and half-time enrollment is defined as six to eight (6-8) credits per semester. Your enrollment status for financial aid purposes will be calculated at the end of the drop/add period each term and awards will be adjusted accordingly to reflect your actual enrollment status. Failure to attend your classes will result in an adjustment to your enrollment level for financial purposes.
Note: Failure to attend courses may impact your current Financial Aid Awards as well as future eligibility as related to Academic Progress (See Standards of Academic Progress Policy). Withdrawing or not attending courses does not remove your financial liability for payment of the course(s). It is ultimately your responsibility to withdraw from courses you do not wish to attend prior to the 100% refund date reported on your course schedule.
In addition to Federal and State funds, your award may include other financial assistance offered by the College such as scholarships, as well as any private scholarships you may expect to receive from external sources. You may not receive Federal/State Aid at multiple institutions during the same enrollment period.
Summer Awards: All Summer Awards are Tentative and may be adjusted or cancelled after the spring term grades are posted and your Standards of Academic Progress (SAP) status is determined.
Note: Some Title IV Financial Aid including but not limited to Pell Grant, Perkins Loan, Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan are required to be reported to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). Federal Direct Stafford Loans reported to NSLDS will be accessible by institutions determined to be authorized users of the data system.
Beginning July 1st, 2012 with the signing of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (Public Law 112-74), students are limited to 600% (or 12 semesters) Lifetime Eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant program.
Your Awards are subject to change and may be cancelled or adjusted if any of the conditions listed below exist:
- You have knowingly misrepresented, provided incorrect or false information.
- Your enrollment status has changed. (You must be enrolled in an "eligible" program at least half time to qualify for financial aid. Exception: If your EFC is less than 5001 for 11-12, 4801 for 12-13, you may be eligible to receive a Pell Grant for less than half-time enrollment.)
- The financial aid awarded to you exceeds your Cost of Attendance. (When receiving need-based aid, you cannot receive funds in excess of what it costs to attend school.) You are required to notify the Financial Aid Office immediately if you receive assistance from outside sources.
- You updated your Financial Aid Application resulting in a change to your financial aid eligibility. (The change could increase or reduce your award).
- You are convicted for possession or sale of illegal drugs during a period of enrollment for which you are receiving Title IV aid.
- You submitted a College/University transcript after your award was processed.
- You changed your program of study to an ineligible program.
- If you transfer to another institution, it is recommended that you remove the Miami Dade College School code(s) from your application when you add the new school code.
IMPORTANT ELIGIBILITY REMINDERS
Program of Study: You must be fully admitted into a degree-seeking program or qualified certificate program of 600 clock hours or more. Changing your Program of Study can negatively impact your financial aid eligibility.
Transcripts: Official transcripts from each Institution attended are required for all degree-seeking students. Failure to submit all official transcripts may result in loss of eligibility and removal of the awards. Non-degree-seeking students are not required to submit transcripts and are not eligible for Federal Financial Aid.
Making Corrections on your Student Aid Report:PLEASE DO NOT MAKE CORRECTIONS TO YOUR SAR (Student Aid Report-response from the FAFSA application) after receiving your award without consulting a Financial Aid Administrator. If your personal or financial circumstances change and you feel that your eligibility for aid may be affected, consult with a Financial Aid Administrator to determine if you meet the conditions for submitting a correction to the federal processor. Any corrections you make may jeopardize your eligibility, awards and/or delay financial aid disbursements.
Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress: In order to maintain eligibility you must remain in good Academic Standing for financial aid purposes. Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress are reviewed annually at the end of the spring semester and eligibility is determined from that point for the summer, fall and spring of the next academic year. The federal criteria for Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress:
- Requires you to maintain a minimum grade point average.
- Complete a minimum number of credits for your total credits attempted.
- Limits the time-frame for receipt of aid in relation to your degree requirement.
Failure to meet the requirements of the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress and academic good standing will result in the suspension of financial aid eligibility. For complete details, view the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress policy in PDF format.
College Prep Courses: You can only receive aid for up to 30 attempted semester credits for remedial courses from any Federal or State Funds, including Work Study. (Ex. ENC00XX, ENC000X, REA00XX, REA000X, MAT00XX, MAT000X)
Payment of Fees and Financial Obligations: Term fees and current financial obligations due to the College will be deducted from the financial aid award(s) with the exception of earnings from student employment. Financial aid funds that exceed charges will be refunded to you. If your award is less than your fees, it is your responsibility to pay any remaining balance due, before the fee payment deadline to avoid cancellation of your courses. Each time you add a course; you must go to the Bursar's Office and obtain a receipt for payment. You will be "fee liable" for all courses added to your class schedule after the last day of the Drop/Add period of the semester. Students that enroll in non-credit courses should visit the Bursar's Office to ensure complete validation of their course schedules because non-credit/continuing education courses are not covered by financial aid.
Note: Miami Dade College also reserves the right to submit uncollected debts to an external collection service. At this time, the cost to a student after this action is taken varies with the agency but may be as high as 24% of the outstanding balance at the time of submission in addition to the balance itself.
Financial Aid Disbursements: The College processes refunds to students within two weeks of the 100% refund date of the term and weekly thereafter (disbursement dates will vary based on the 100% refund date for each of your classes). All refunds will be processed through your MDC One account. However, if you paid your fees with a credit card the refund (if any) will be credited back to the same credit card account. For more information, see MDC OneCard Whats Changing?
Dropping/Withdrawing: The funds you are awarded are intended to help meet your cost of attendance while enrolled at the College. If you withdraw, drop out of school (officially or unofficially) or drop below half-time, federal regulations mandate that you repay a portion or all the aid paid to you even if you have an approved petition for a 100% refund. The "Return to Title IV Funds Policy" includes the following financial aid programs: Pell Grant, Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Teach Grant, Perkins Loan, Federal Direct Stafford Loan and Federal Direct PLUS Loan. The amount of aid to be returned is based on a formula established by the U.S. Department of Education. Failure to repay funds due to a federal program may affect future eligibility for aid at MDC or any other institution you may attend after leaving MDC.
NOTE: An approved "Request for Petitions Committee Action-100% refund" may not result in a refund to your account.
Anticipated Graduates: You will automatically be classified as a Non-Degree-seeking student upon graduation and will not be entitled for federal assistance. As a result, the aid for the term(s) of ineligibility will be removed and create a financial obligation. If you plan to graduate in the current term, you must notify the Financial Aid office of your anticipated graduation date. In addition, you should contact the Financial Aid Office if you plan to re-enroll after degree completion, so we can re-evaluate eligibility.
Study Abroad Programs, Transient Students and Concurrent Enrollment: Students enrolled in Study Abroad Programs, transient students or concurrently enrolled students, may be eligible to receive Federal Financial Aid. Please visit your campus Financial Aid Office for more information and how to apply.
Information Disclosure: The Privacy Act exists to protect documentation submitted by you, your spouse and/or parents your right to confidentiality and limits our ability to release information about your financial aid application. Details of your award package are considered confidential and will not be released to anyone without your written consent. Information released over the telephone will