Types of Financial Aid

The Pell Grant is a need-based federal grant program for students who are seeking their first undergraduate degree. The annual award amount is determined by your FAFSA results, cost of attendance and enrollment status. Students who establish eligibility may be funded. Additional information regarding Pell Grants is available at Federal Student Aid.

Initial awards are determined as a result of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and are based on full-time enrollment. Awards can change if any criteria used to determine your eligibility, such as a change in enrollment, program of study, degree status, financial aid, Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), lifetime Pell limits, income or family information changes.

This is a need–based federal grant awarded to students seeking a first undergraduate degree in an aid-eligible program who have exceptional financial need. Priority is given to Pell-eligible students who file their FAFSA early. A separate application is not required for these funds. Limited funding is available and funds are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

These funds, funded by the Colorado General Assembly, are available to Colorado resident undergraduate students.  Eligibility is determined by results of the FAFSA for students enrolled in at least 6 credits. A separate application is not required for these funds. Limited funding is available and funds are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

EmpowerEd (HB 24-1403) is a state-funded program administered by the Colorado Department of Higher Education to provide higher education funding and support to eligible individuals who experienced homelessness while enrolled in a Colorado high school. This assistance covers the remaining balance of the total cost of attendance after any private, state or federal financial aid. These costs are split 50/50 by the institution and state.  Fill out the application below or contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information.

Colorado Department of Higher Education Fact Sheet

The FosterEd program pays for the total cost of attendance for qualifying students who attend public institutions of higher education within Colorado. This state-funding program pays for the remaining balance of the total cost of attendance after scholarships, grants, and other financial aid awards have been applied. To qualify for this program, students must have been in foster care or in non-certified kinship care in Colorado on or after their 13th birthday. If you believe you are eligible for this program, notify the Office of Financial Aid for more information.

FosterED Fact Sheet

The 2026-2027 Aims Foundation Scholarship Application is now closed. The 2027-2028 scholarship application will open November 1, 2026.

The Aims Foundation offers more than 80 scholarships, thanks to the generosity of our donors. You must currently attend Aims (or are planning to attend and have completed the Aims application for admission). The total value of Aims Foundation scholarships exceeds $100,000 each year.

This scholarship is automatically awarded to returning Aims students who have completed at least 15 undergraduate (college-level courses with a course number of 100 and above) credits with a 3.2 cumulative undergraduate GPA or better.

Awards are based on expected full-time enrollment in courses required for your financial aid eligible degree or certificate. Recipients enrolling less than full-time will receive awards as indicated below: 

Enrollment Status

Award Amount Per Semester

Full-Time - 12 or more credit hours

 $900

Three-Quarter Time - 9 to 11.9 credit hours

 $675

Half-Time - 6 to 8.9 credit hours

 $450

Less than Half-Time - 1 to 5.9 credit hours

 -0-

Please Note:  Scholarship awarding will begin once all the prior semester grades have been turned in by faculty, therefore, awards may not be available the first day of the awarding semester. 

This scholarship is available for new transfer students and for freshmen attending Aims within one academic year of high school graduation, who have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. New transfer students must demonstrate completion of at least 12 undergraduate college credits. Credits must be transferred to Aims prior to application submission. This scholarship is available for fall and spring of the first academic year at Aims. Awards are subject to availability of funds.

The Colorado Career and Technical Education (CTE) Short Program Scholarship is intended to provide funding assistance to students whose primary goal is to complete a short program certificate at Aims and then step out into the workforce. This scholarship funds in-district or in-state tuition including - student/administrative/course fees for the classes required to complete the short program certificate at Aims. Submit completed applications to the Office of Financial Aid located in the Welcome Center building on the Greeley campus.

Awards are based upon individual student eligibility and overall program funding.  Funds cannot be used to pay outstanding balances owed to the institution.

Scholarship application processing will begin once all the prior semester grades have been posted by faculty; therefore, awards may not be available on the first day of the awarding semester. 

Bright Futures is a workforce initiative designed to strengthen the vitality of the Weld county community through its workforce. "By nurturing and supporting the next generation, we are building a strong foundation for a stable economy."  Students may apply for this grant for up to four years of funding. 

Weld County Bright Futures

American Indian College Fund/Native American Scholarships 

American Industries Scholarship

American Welding Society

Aviation Scholarships

Collegiate Aviation Scholarship Catalog

Colorado Daughters of American Revolution

Colorado Pilots Association

Colorado Women’s Education Foundation

Community Foundation of Northern Colorado

Gilman-McCain Scholarship

Greeley Stampede Foundation

Hispanic Women of Weld County

Horatio Alger Association

Loveland Housing Authority 

Mike Rowe Foundation - Career & Technical Education (CTE) Scholarships

Nordson BUILDS Scholarship Program

PFLAG Greeley

Philo

Poudre Valley REA

Special Equipment Market Association

Stalwart Agfinity Scholarship

Weld Community Foundation

Weld County Livestock Association

West Greeley Conservation District

Zonta
 

Fastweb: A great way to get started and maintain a search profile
Scholarship Search by Sallie Mae: Create a profile and be automatically matched to more than 3 million opportunities
Hispanic Scholarship Fund: Opportunities for all students including DACA students

Private scholarships are awards given by an outside organization to a student to pay for various educational expenses.

• Checks should be made payable to Aims Community College and can be mailed to:
  
  Aims Community College
  Office of Financial Aid
  P.O. Box 69
  Greeley, CO 80632
   
• Students must be enrolled as required by the donor.
• All scholarship checks received for more than the amount of $999.00 will be scheduled to pay in two equal disbursements (one for the Fall semester and one for Spring semester), unless otherwise noted in writing by the donor.
• Unused scholarship funds will be returned to the donor when students are not enrolled or transfer to another school.
• All funds awarded to students as scholarships are paid through the Aims Office of Financial Aid.

Questions? Please contact the Office of Financial Aid at scholarships@aims.edu or (970) 339-6548.

Students employed through work-study programs earn an hourly wage which may change each year.  Please reach out to the Office of Student Employment for current pay rates. The amount that can be earned depends on the type of work the student does and the skills required for the position, the amount of the school’s funding level and the amount of the student’s work-study award. Work-study employees are paid by the hour on a monthly basis on the last business day of the month. 

The Work-Study program is run through the Office of Student Employment located in the Office of Financial Aid on the Greeley Campus. Although students can be awarded work-study, they are not guaranteed a job.  Contact the Office of Student Employment if you have been awarded financial aid and would like to be considered for work-study.  You may email or call the Office of Student Employment at student.employment@aims.edu or (970) 339-6548.

Once you have been hired, your Work-Study eligibility form must be completed, signed by your supervisor and returned to the Office of Student Employment. The Work-Study eligibility form will be sent to your Aims e-mail account, or it can be picked up at the Office of Student Employment.

In addition, you must meet with the Office of Student Employment to complete the required onboarding. This must be done PRIOR to beginning your Work-Study employment. The Office of Student Employment will notify you of all required onboarding items once you have been hired.

Required payroll paperwork includes, but is not limited to:

• Job Application
• Federal W-4 Form
• Statement of Criminal Background
• Personal Data Form
• INS I-9 Form

To complete these forms, you will need to bring the following items to Human Resources:

• Acceptable Identifying Information
• Canceled check to set up Direct Deposit*
  • *Note: If you do not have a canceled check, we will need a letter from the bank (on its letterhead) with your name, account and routing number. The card given to you by the bank when you set up your account is not acceptable.
  • All required payroll forms must be complete and on record with Human Resources and your supervisor must receive notification from Human Resources PRIOR to starting work.

See answers to frequently asked questions about work study at Aims. 

Aims Community College participates in the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program, also known as “Direct Loans.” Eligible students and parents borrow directly from the U.S. Department of Education. Direct Loans include:

• Subsidized Loans
• Unsubsidized Loans
• PLUS Loans

Please visit the Federal Student Aid website for current loan rates.

In addition to interest, fees are associated with these loans. 

Fees will be deducted proportionally from each payment of the loan to the school. This means the amount you receive will be slightly less than the amount you have borrowed and must repay.

Information regarding the federal student loans you borrow is reported to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) and is viewable by authorized users of that system (i.e. lenders, guarantee agencies and schools). As a federal student loan borrower, you can view the same information by using your FSA ID (FAFSA username and password), your name, your social security number and your date of birth at the Federal Student Aid website.  First time borrowers are required to complete Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note on the Federal Student Aid website.  If you are leaving school, graduating or dropping below half-time enrollment you will need to complete Exit Counseling.

There are strict limits on the amount of loan funds you can take out each year (annual loan limit) and over your entire college career (aggregate loan limit). The actual amount you are eligible to borrow each academic year may be less than the maximum annual loan limit. Your personal limits depend on

•  Your year in school (e.g., freshman, sophomore, etc.)
•  Whether you are a dependent or independent student
•  Your enrollment status (full-time vs. less than full-time)
•  Your specific program of study
•  Whether you qualify for the special pre-OBBBA limit exceptions

 
The government has set a new overall lifetime maximum loan limit of $257,500 for all federal student loans combined.

Aims Community College has partnered with Student Connections to give students extra support and make sure you have everything needed to handle repaying federal student loans. It’s totally free! Just go to My.StudentConnections.com or give them a call for free at (866) 311-9450.

For more information on loan repayment plans, visit the Federal Student Aid website. 

Among all student loan options, subsidized loans are generally considered the most borrower-friendly because of how interest is handled.

The U.S. Department of Education pays (subsidizes) the interest on your loan during specific periods:

• While you are enrolled in school at least half-time  
• During your six-month grace period after you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment

• During any authorized periods of deferment (postponement of loan payments)

  You must demonstrate financial need through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to qualify. 

  New federal loan regulations require loans to be prorated when enrollment is less than full-time (12 credit hours). Changes in enrollment after a loan is disbursed may result in reduced loan eligibility for future disbursements.

Unlike subsidized loans, these are not based on financial need, making them much more widely available, but they also come with less favorable interest terms. The federal government does not pay any of the interest on your behalf. Interest begins accruing (growing) the moment the loan funds are sent to the school.  

You are responsible for paying the interest during school, your grace period, and any periods of deferment or forbearance.

• Tip: While you aren't required to make payments while in school, it is highly recommended to pay the accruing interest monthly or quarterly. If you don't, that unpaid interest will be capitalized (added to your principal balance), meaning you will eventually pay interest on your interest.
  
  
  New federal loan regulations require loans to be prorated when enrollment is less than full-time (12 credit hours). Changes in enrollment
  after a loan is disbursed may result in reduced loan eligibility for future disbursements.

This federal student loan is available to the parents of dependent undergraduate students. It is designed to help families cover any remaining education-related expenses not met by other financial aid. A FAFSA must be filed for students whose parents would like to borrow through the PLUS Loan program. In addition, the parent must complete a Direct PLUS Loan Application for Parents on the Federal Student Aid website.

The legal borrower is the biological or adoptive parent (and in some cases, a stepparent) of a dependent undergraduate. The loan is entirely in the parent’s name, meaning the parent—not the student—is legally responsible for paying it back.

Parent PLUS loans require a credit check to verify that the borrower does not have an "adverse credit history." If they do, they may still borrow with an
endorser (co-signer) or by documenting extenuating circumstances.

Previously, parents could borrow up to the full cost of attendance, but new borrowers will now be limited to $20,000 per year and a total "lifetime" cap of $65,000 per student.

 

A number of private loans are available to credit-worthy students, their co-borrowers or both. Students should first determine their eligibility under the federal student loan programs before seeking additional funding under this option. To apply for a private loan, you must contact the lender of your choice. Information on the eligibility criteria and loan terms are available on each lender's website.  Private loan self certification form.

Aims does not have a preferred lender list (PLL) for alternative loans and, therefore, will not require a prospective borrower to use a lender on a PLL, deny or otherwise impede a borrower’s choice of lender or cause delays for borrowers who use a lender that is not listed on a PLL.