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Financial Aid

Financial Aid Requirements

The information below outlines requirements you must meet to receive financial aid and circumstances that will affect your aid eligibility. Financial aid includes state or federal grants, state or federal work-study and federal loans.

The intent of the federal and state financial aid programs is to assist you financially in order to obtain an education, making you more marketable and helping you earn a higher wage.

Please read carefully and be aware that you are subject to these conditions when receiving any financial aid award.

Requirements for Eligibility of Financial Aid Awards

  1. By accepting the funds on your award letter, you agree that any funds received under any federal, state or institutional student aid programs will be used solely for expenses related to your attendance at Aims Community College for the academic program you are currently pursuing. Please note: Aims Foundation Scholarships have a separate acceptance process.
  2. Additional assistance such as scholarships, tuition assistance or veterans benefits can result in an adjustment of aid offered by Aims. Funds received in excess of your need or estimated cost of attendance as determined by the Aims Office of Financial Aid will require an adjustment to your awards. Adjustments can include reductions or cancellations and your need to pay any balance owed.
  3. A financial aid award does not guarantee you are eligible for the funds indicated. In addition to receiving an award, eligibility for payment of those funds is based upon your enrollment status for the term, your financial aid satisfactory academic progress and the availability of funding.
  4. You may be eligible to receive financial aid for required coursework up to 150% of your current academic program length, even if financial aid was not received for any of these credits.
  5. Example 1: A 60 credit-hour degree program must be completed within 90 attempted credits.
  6. Example 2: A 24 credit-hour certificate program must be completed within 36 attempted credits.
  7. You may have your financial need recalculated if there has been a significant change in your family's financial situation. However, this may not necessarily result in an increase in aid.
  8. The Office of Financial Aid reserves the right to review, adjust or cancel awards at any time due to changes in student finances, residency or academic status or because of adjustments in federal or state regulations, funding, computation error or receipt of additional aid or scholarships.
  9. You may not receive assistance from any other institution of higher education while you are receiving assistance at Aims Community College.
  10. Financial aid is not automatically renewable; you must apply every year to be considered. To be considered for certain types of grants and/or work-study funds that are very limited, you are encouraged to have your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) submitted to the federal processor by March 15 for the upcoming school year (fall/spring/summer).
  11. You are limited to 12 full-time semesters (or 600%) of Pell Grant eligibility during your lifetime. If you have attended college for 4 years or longer, receiving the Pell Grant each year, you are likely to exhaust or have already exhausted your lifetime limit of 12 semesters of Pell Grant eligibility. If you have attended college and received the Pell Grant for 4 years or less, you will likely not surpass the lifetime limit during the current academic year. However, you may contact the financial aid office if you are unsure about your Pell Grant eligibility.

Awards may be cancelled if:

  • Awards are not accepted or declined within the specified time frame.
  • Your academic status makes you ineligible for financial aid.
  • You no longer qualify for the funds awarded.