Programs of Study
Students classified as special credit, undecided, or non- degree seeking are ineligible for federal financial aid. Some certificate and diploma programs do not qualify to receive federal student aid. The diploma and certificate programs that are Pell-eligible may be subject to a reduced award using the clock-hour or clock-to-credit conversion rate as regulated by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are unsure if your program is eligible for financial aid or is subject to reduced awarding, please contact your financial aid representative.
Required Courses
Any course applied to a student’s Pell grant award must be a required course for that student’s specific Pell eligible program of study (major). The required courses for each program are also listed in the MCC Catalog. The student is responsible for making sure his or her major is declared and listed correctly at time of awarding. Failure to do so could negatively affect a student’s financial aid award.
Remedial/Developmental Courses
The Federal Pell Grant will only pay for up to thirty (30) credit hours of remedial coursework (courses below 100 level).
Financial Aid Notification of Regulations and Requirements
Students applying for a Pell Grant may be chosen for verification. Verification is a random process, used by the Department of Education and MCC to verify that the information recorded on the FAFSA application is accurate. Students selected for verification will be asked to submit documentation, which the Financial Aid Office will use to verify FAFSA information. Financial aid will only be awarded when all verification has been completed. All documents required for verification must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office two (2) weeks prior to the designated payment date for the registration period during which the student registered. Students who fail to submit all required documentation by the deadline will be expected to pay out of pocket for that semester and will be reimbursed at the first scheduled disbursement date after documentation is received and verification is completed. The financial aid year-end cutoff date for each academic year is June 1. For example, June 1, 2020 would be the cutoff date for the 2020-21 academic year. Failure to submit all required documentation by this date could result in forfeiture of a student’s financial aid award for the 2020-21 academic year.
It is the student’s responsibility to attend the first day of class. Failure to attend or failure to be in contact with his or her instructor may negatively impact financial aid awards.
Any schedule adjustments made after the allowed schedule adjustment period could negatively impact a student’s financial aid award.
Disbursement Procedure
Students will receive their BankMobile account information in the mail after registering for classes for the first time. Upon receipt of the information, students are instructed to activate their BankMobile account and choose their preferred method of refund. After all tuition, fees, and bookstore charges have been deducted from their financial aid, disbursements will be made available according to the college’s financial aid disbursement schedule, which can be found at https://www.mayland.edu/financial-aid/important-announcements/.
Financial Aid awards for classes beginning mid-semester will not be disbursed until after the start date of the class.
Clock to Credit Hour Conversion Programs
Certain programs of study at MCC are considered to be “clock-to-credit hour conversion” programs. Credit hours for students enrolled in these vocational programs that do not offer a degree will be adjusted based on a federally mandated clock-to-credit hour conversion formula. This means that the number of credit hours for which Financial Aid can pay will differ from the number of credit hours listed on your class schedule. Contact the Financial Aid Office for more information on how the clock to credit conversion formula affects Title IV funding.
Clock-Hour Programs
Certain vocational programs of study at MCC are considered to be clock-hour programs for Title IV (Federal Pell Grant, and FSEOG) purposes. Please contact the Financial Aid Office for more information.
Payment Periods and Disbursement Procedure for Clock Hour Programs
Aid for students enrolled in clock-hour programs will be disbursed based on clock hours (actual time in class/lab) rather than on semester credit hours and will be divided into two or more payments, depending upon the length of the program.
For clock-hour programs, a payment period is defined not only in clock hours but also in weeks of instructional time. Students must successfully complete the clock hours and the weeks of instructional time in a payment period to progress to the next payment period.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy for Federal Aid Recipients
Federal regulations require that students receiving financial aid maintain strict academic (Qualitative) standards and progress (Quantitative) standards while pursuing their educational goals. Students receiving financial aid should note that the college-wide Probation Policy for academic progress contains the same grade point average (GPA) requirements as the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy; however, the SAP policy for students receiving financial aid is stricter than the college wide Academic Progress Policy for students enrolled in the same educational program who are not receiving financial aid. The SAP policy is applied to all student categories (i.e. full-time or part-time) who receive financial aid within eligible curriculum degree, diploma and certificate programs established by the school.
Students enrolled in credit programs who receive financial aid at Mayland Community College are evaluated at the end of each semester to determine progression. Students enrolled in clock hour programs who receive financial aid are evaluated at the end of each payment period at the point when the student successfully completes the scheduled clock hours for that payment period. Students must meet the Academic Standard (Qualitative) and the Program Completion Standard (Quantitative) and stay within the Maximum Timeframe Standard (Quantitative) to remain in a satisfactory academic status.
Academic Standard (Qualitative)
Students receiving financial aid must maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA. A student’s GPA includes “all” curriculum classes taken at Mayland Community College, regardless of timeframe. All classes that are repeated count toward the GPA and the attempted/completed credit hours. If a student’s cumulative GPA falls below 2.0, the student is placed on Financial Aid Warning and will be notified by the Financial Aid Office via email. The student then has a warning period of enrollment, which is the next semester the student is enrolled at MCC to achieve the cumulative 2.0 GPA. The student is eligible for financial aid during the warning period. If, at the end of the warning period, a cumulative 2.0 GPA is not achieved, the student is no longer eligible to receive financial aid and will be placed in a Financial Aid Unsatisfactory Status. The student may regain financial aid eligibility by reaching a cumulative 2.0 GPA through self-pay or outside resources, or by completing a successful appeal (see Appeal Process).
Program Completion Standard (Quantitative)
All students receiving financial aid must complete at least two-thirds, or 67%, of all curriculum hours attempted at Mayland Community College including accepted transfer credits, regardless of timeframe. Developmental credits are not counted in the program completion standard. The percentage is determined by taking the cumulative total of credit hours completed divided by the cumulative total of hours attempted. For example, a student who has completed twenty-eight (28) hours and attempted fifty-six (56) hours has a completion rate of 50% twenty-eight (28) divided by fifty-six (56). If a student’s percentage rate falls below 67%, the student is placed on Financial Aid Warning and will be notified by the Financial Aid Office via email. The student then has a warning period of enrollment, which is the next semester the student is enrolled at Mayland, to earn a 67% or more completion rate. The student is eligible for financial aid during this warning period of enrollment. If, at the end of the warning period, a cumulative 67% completion rate is not achieved, the student is placed in an unsatisfactory status and is no longer eligible for financial aid. The student may regain financial aid eligibility by reaching a cumulative 67% or more completion rate through self-pay or outside resources, or by completing a successful appeal (see Appeal Process).
Maximum Timeframe Standard (Quantitative)
All students receiving financial aid must complete their educational program within 150% of the published length. The Maximum Timeframe Standard includes all curriculum hours attempted at Mayland Community College and any accepted transfer credits credit hours that apply towards students’ programs of study, regardless of timeframe. The maximum timeframe standard does not include developmental course credits. The MCC College Catalog provides a course listing for each educational program and the number of credit hours needed to complete the program. For example, the Medical Assisting Associate in Applied Science Degree is seventy-four (74) credit hours in length; therefore, a student receiving financial aid enrolled in that program may attempt, including accepted transfer credit hours, up to 114 credit hours (seventy-six (76) credit hours times 150%) and remain eligible for financial aid.
Students who exceed the 150% maximum timeframe are not eligible to receive financial aid at Mayland Community College. Students who reach at least 125% of their program of study will be placed on Maximum Timeframe Warning status and will remain eligible for financial aid during the warning period so long as he or she can mathematically finish his or her program by the 150% maximum timeframe. Students who cannot mathematically complete their program of study by the 150% maximum timeframe will no longer be eligible for financial aid without an appeal. Example: A student is in a program, which would allow for a maximum of sixty- five (65) hours and the student has attempted sixty (60) hours and needs three (3) additional courses which total nine (9) credit hours to complete the program. At sixty- nine (69) credit hours sixty (60) attempted hours plus nine (9) needed hours), the student would exceed the 150% maximum timeframe. Because mathematically, the student could not complete the program prior to the 150% maximum timeframe, he or she would no longer be eligible for financial aid at Mayland Community College.
Students who exceed the maximum timeframe for their program of study may continue to receive financial aid by completing a successful appeal (see Appeal Process).
Beginning with the 2012-13 Academic Year, all students will be limited to the equivalent of twelve (12) full-time semester awards (600%) from the Pell Grant. These changes apply to every student. All previous semester Pell awards, from any school, will be included in determining remaining awards.
SAP Grade Definitions
Appeal Process
Students in Financial Aid Unsatisfactory Status due to failure to maintain academic (Qualitative) standards, progress (Quantitative) standards, or maximum timeframe standards may appeal their loss of financial aid eligibility. Financial Aid Appeal forms are available on the college website or in the Financial Aid Office. Student statements on the form and attached documentation must include: (1) the circumstances that rendered them unable to meet the standard(s), (2) what has changed to allow the student to meet the standard(s) and (3) the student’s educational goal and plans to meet that goal. The appeal form and supporting documentation can be submitted in person, by mail, email, fax to the Financial Aid Office. The Financial Aid Appeals Committee will then consider the appeal and the decision will be final.
Students will be notified of appeal decision by both email and letter within five (5) working days after submitting the Financial Aid Appeal Form along with all required documentation.
Students whose appeals are granted for failure to maintain qualitative, quantitative, or maximum timeframe standards will be placed on Probation and will be required to meet with a financial aid representative to discuss credits needed for program completion and to establish an academic plan. The SAP Academic Plan requires that students receiving financial aid complete each semester in which they have the probation status with at least a 2.0 GPA and 100% completion rate. Students who maintain these academic standards will remain on probation until the minimum cumulative SAP requirements are met. Once students reach a cumulative 2.0 G.P.A and 67% completion rate, their SAP status will become satisfactory; and they will no longer be held to the terms of the academic plan.
The number of times a student can appeal due to failure to maintain the qualitative, quantitative, or maximum timeframe standards is limited to two (2) appeals during the student’s academic career at Mayland Community College.
Financial Aid