• Learn the Basics
• Eligibility
• Financial Aid & Loans
  • Federal Grants
  • State Grants and Scholarships
  • Work-Study
  • Student Loans
• Armed Services and Veterans
• Transfer Students
• Tuition and Fees
  • Estimated Cost of Attendance
• Consumer Information
• Terms and Conditions
• Standards of Academic Progress Policy
• Standards of Academic Progress Appeal Guide

Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions

Please read these Terms and Conditions carefully before accepting your financial aid award(s). By reviewing and accepting your award, you signify that you have read and agree to comply with all the terms and conditions listed below.

Financial Aid Awards: 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. You may not receive Federal/State Aid at multiple institutions during the same enrollment period. If you have obtained a prior Bachelor's degree or higher from any domestic or foreign institution, you would not be eligible to receive any Federal, State or Institutional grants. Check with your Financial Aid office for other funding options.

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.

Enrollment Status: You must be enrolled at least half-time to receive most financial aid (except the Pell Grant if your EFC is below 4801 for 12-13). 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.

Attendance: 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.

Award Proration: means the adjustment of your financial aid award based upon the number of financial aid eligible credits you are enrolled.  In general, most awards (except Pell grants) require a minimum of 6 credits to be eligible to receive your funds.

Pell Grant: Beginning July 1, 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. 

Bright Futures:  Bright Futures students are now required to complete an error free FAFSA prior to receiving a Bright Futures disbursement. They are also required to repay for any courses dropped or withdrawn from and repayment on those courses is required to renew eligibility for the following academic year. Additionally, students who receive Bright Futures funding during the current academic year (Fall through Spring) are automatically evaluated for renewal at the end of the Spring term.

For complete program details, please visit:  http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/SSFAD/factsheets/BF.htm

MDC Institutional and External Scholarships: All Scholarships (Institutional and External) are awarded based on the donor's request and all criteria must be met before a student can be awarded.  These scholarships are part of your award letter and cannot exceed your Cost of Attendance (COA.)   You are required to be registered and maintain at least six credits per term (Fall and Spring) in order to receive an MDC Institutional Scholarship.    If you do not maintain these requirements, the award may be removed and you may be required to repay.  If you receive any financial assistance from an outside source (e.g., a private scholarship) that is not included on your Award Letter, you must inform the Office of Financial Assistance.

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 4801, 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.

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. Please be aware that transcripts submitted after your financial aid has been processed could result in loss of eligibility or removal of your awards including prior year(s) aid.

Making Corrections on your Student Aid Report:PLEASE DO NOT MAKE CORRECTIONS TO YOUR SAR (Student Aid Report-response from the FAFSA application). If you need to make corrections please consult with 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. 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.

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:

1. Requires you to maintain a minimum grade point average.
2. Complete a minimum number of credits for your total credits attempted.
3. 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: 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 monitor your online account status and financial aid awards to determine how much you owe. You will be "fee liable" for all courses added to your class schedule after the last day of the Drop/Add period for those courses. If you enroll in non-credit courses you should also monitor your online account status and pay any outstanding balances. Non-credit/Continuing Education courses and audited courses not taken for credit are not covered by financial aid.

ONLY courses required to complete the eligible program for the term will be used to calculate financial aid eligibility.

Financial Obligations:  You are be responsible for any financial obligation owed to the College, including but not limited to fees, tuition, books and balances owed due to adjustments to your financial aid awards.  All delinquent accounts will be sent to a collection agency where additional collections fees may be applicable.

Book Advance: Funds are advanced to you to purchase your books. The Book Advance is not an additional Financial Aid award and is available prior to the beginning of each term. If your tuition and fees and the amount you used to purchase your books exceed your award at your current enrollment level, you will be responsible for paying the difference.

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.

Student Financial Assistance Programs requires the College to Return Federal Funds for students who fail to earn the full amount disbursed, due to early and complete withdrawal, or when students fail to attend classes for which they register. When either of these situations occurs, the College is required to perform calculations to determine the amount of funds earned by the student, and the amount to be returned to the Department of Education. Once the calculations are made, the College returns a portion of the unearned funds it received on behalf of the student, and also returns the student's portion as well.

The College will notify the student when a return is performed, and depending on the amount being returned, the student may be billed for any outstanding obligations created by the student for failing to earn Title IV Funds, for which Federal Funds were disbursed. Additional information regarding the Return of Title IV Funds process should be addressed with the Campus Financial Aid Office. The specific amounts calculated for return, under this procedure, should be addressed with the Student Financial Services office.

Anticipated Graduates: You will automatically be classified as a Non-Degree-seeking student for subsequent terms after graduation and you will not be entitled for federal assistance. As a result, the aid for subsequent terms will be removed and a financial obligation may be created. 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 your right to confidentiality and limits our ability to release information about your financial aid application and the documentation submitted by you and or your spouse and your parents. 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 be general, please visit the financial aid office or the student portal to review your awards.

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.