Financial Aid Policies at Colorado Mountain College

Colorado Mountain College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

The Commission can be reached at:

Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street
Suite 7-500 Chicago, IL 60604-1411
800-621-7440
info@hlcommission.org

The standard Academic year for CMC is considered 24 credits and 30 weeks in length. Specific programs that are shorter than this (either in credits or weeks) will have their awards prorated.

If a student chooses to audit a course, it will not count toward the student’s enrollment status for financial aid purposes and cannot be paid with financial aid.

Financial Aid Code of Conduct

The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) requires educational institutions to develop and comply with a code of conduct that prohibits conflicts of interest for financial aid personnel [HEOA § 487(a) (25)]. Any Colorado Mountain College officer, employee, or agent who has responsibilities with respect to student educational loans must comply with this code of conduct. The following provisions bring Colorado Mountain College into compliance with the federal law [HEOA § 487(e)].

1. Neither Colorado Mountain College as an institution nor any individual officer, employee or agent shall enter into any revenue-sharing arrangements with any lender.
2. No officer or employee of Colorado Mountain College who is employed in the financial aid office or who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to education loans, or agent who has responsibilities with respect to education loans, or any of their family members, shall solicit or accept any gift from a lender, guarantor, or servicer of education loans. For purposes of this prohibition, the term "gift" means any gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, or other item having a monetary value of more than a de minimus amount.
3. An officer or employee of Colorado Mountain College who is employed in the financial aid office or who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to education loans, or an agent who has responsibilities with respect to education loans, shall not accept from any lender or affiliate of any lender any fee, payment, or other financial benefit (including the opportunity to purchase stock) as compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or other contract to provide services to a lender or on behalf of a lender relating to education loans.
4. Colorado Mountain College shall not: a. for any first-time borrower, assign, through award packaging or other methods, the borrower's loan to a particular lender; or b. refuse to certify, or delay certification of, any loan based on the borrower's selection of a particular lender or guaranty agency.
5. Colorado Mountain College shall not request or accept from any lender any offer of funds to be used for private education loans, including funds for an opportunity pool loan, to students in exchange for the institution providing concessions or promises regarding providing the lender with: a. a specified number of loans made, insured, or guaranteed under Title IV; b. a specified loan volume of such loans; or c. a preferred lender arrangement for such loans.
6. Colorado Mountain College shall not request or accept from any lender any assistance with call center staffing or financial aid office staffing.
7. Any employee who is employed in the financial aid office, or who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to education loans or other student financial aid, and who serves on an advisory board, commission, or group established by a lender, guarantor, or group of lenders or guarantors, shall be prohibited from receiving anything of value from the lender, guarantor, or group of lenders or guarantors, except that the employee may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in serving on such advisory board, commission, or group.

Consortium Agreements

Explanation: A consortium agreement may be established between Colorado Mountain College (known as the Home Institution) and another college (known as the Host Institution) in order to include courses taken at a Host Institution when financial aid enrollment status is calculated.

Interested students should inquire with the Office of Financial Aid; contact us for more information.

Eligibility:

• The student must be admitted to a degree or certificate program at Colorado Mountain College.
• CMC requires that a student be actively attending CMC during the semester that they wish to also take classes at the Host Institution. CMC will not honor a Consortium Agreement if the student is not enrolled at CMC during the semester in question. (i.e. If you are not attending CMC in Fall and only at the Host school, you would need to receive your aid in Fall at the Host school.)
• The courses taken at the Host Institution must be approved by the Registrar at CMC as applying to the student’s degree plan at CMC. CMC will not pay for classes at a Host school that would not go towards the students degree program at CMC. Assuming financial aid criteria are met, the student is then eligible to receive financial aid through CMC; the Financial Aid office will count all courses taken (as long as it/they are part of the current degree program) toward enrollment status – both at the Home and the Host Institutions.

Procedures:

• The student should contact the Office of Financial Aid for the Consortium Agreement Form. This form allows a Financial Aid Specialist to obtain enrollment and financial information from the Host Institution. The student should inform the Host Institution that he or she is enrolling as a consortium student and follow the enrollment procedures and tuition payment guidelines specified at that institution. CMC will not pay the tuition at the Host Institution. It is the responsibility of the student to make payment arrangements and to pay the tuition at the Host Institution.
• The student should apply for financial aid at CMC and should not apply for financial aid nor accept financial aid at the Host Institution. Financial aid award amounts are based on many factors, including the student’s intended enrollment. CMC will construct average student expense budgets based upon the student’s reported residency and intended enrollment.
• Disbursements will be authorized after individual enrollment verification has been received by CMC's Office of Financial Aid and logged in the system. Each institution will assess regular tuition and fee charges for their own courses.
• Official academic transcripts must be forwarded to the CMC Registrar after every semester. The successfully completed hours from the Host Institution will appear in the CMC system as transfer credit for the appropriate semester. This will enable CMC to monitor satisfactory academic progress.
• Concurrently enrolled students who receive financial aid from CMC will be subject to all CMC Financial Aid policies, which include but are not limited to: Refund/repayment, packaging, disbursement, and satisfactory progress. CMC is the final authority in determining student eligibility for financial aid and compliance with applicable policies, rules, and regulations.

CMC Financial Aid Consortium Checklist

• Submit your FAFSA through the Federal Student Aid site. List Colorado Mountain College, Code 004506, as your school. Please note that the fall semester is the first term in the CMC financial aid year. March 31 is the FAFSA priority date.
• Contact the Office of Financial Aid to complete the required Consortium Agreement Form.
• Declare a degree-seeking program at CMC.
• Create a degree plan with your CMC academic advisor. Ask your academic advisor to approve any and all courses that you want to take that are offered by Host Institutions.
• Register for all courses you plan to take at the beginning of each semester. Identify yourself as a concurrent student to the Host Institution and follow their registration procedures.
• Receive a financial aid offer from CMC.
• Make arrangements to pay your tuition at Host Institution. It is your responsibility to make payment arrangements and to pay tuition at the Host Institution.
• If the financial aid offered to you at CMC is sufficient to pay all of your CMC student account, no further arrangements are needed at CMC. If financial aid at CMC is not sufficient to pay your student account, contact Student Accounts to set up a Payment Plan.
• If student loans are offered as part of your financial aid offers at CMC, you can accept loan awards on Basecamp.
• Pay tuition at each institution.
• Complete courses.
• Contact the Office of Financial Aid each semester if enrolling at a Host Institution.
• Send official transcripts to CMC at the end of the semester.

It is important to note that federal financial aid can only pay for coursework fully acceptable to the eligible degree program in which you are enrolled.

Federal student aid cannot pay for coursework numbered below 060 in the CMC catalog.

Disbursements / Distribution of Financial Aid

Students are required to pay tuition and fees at registration, your awards MUST be in accepted status to be used at registration.

Financial Aid in the form of grants, scholarships and loans will first be applied towards the payment of outstanding tuition and fees owed to the college by the student. Financial aid awarded in excess of outstanding tuition and fees will be disbursed by check to the student approximately two weeks after the start of the semester, however there are some exceptions (listed below).

EXCEPTION #1: Aid funds will not be disbursed until you have started class. If you are enrolled in “late start” classes, your disbursement will be delayed or reduced until you have begun attendance in all classes.

EXCEPTION #2: For first time borrowers of Federal Direct Loans, disbursement of the loan funds will occur 30 days after the beginning of the semester. For students receiving a one-semester loan, two disbursements will be made. The first half will disburse 2 weeks after the semesters begins (30 days, if first time borrower); the second half will disburse 6 weeks into the semester.

EXCEPTION #3: PLUS Loans will be credited to the student account and all obligations will be deducted before a refund check is issued. Any credit balance from the PLUS proceeds will be paid to the Parent unless the parent authorizes CMC to pay the balance to the student.

Loans will not be distributed if the student is enrolled in less than 6 credit hours.

All borrowers must complete Entrance counseling and a Master Promissory Note prior to receiving your first disbursement. We ask you complete these requirements online at studentaid.gov

Ordering Books Using Your Financial Aid

For your convenience, CMC offers the ability to purchase textbooks using your accepted financial aid.

You must have completed all necessary paperwork, have sufficient funds, and financial aid must be in "accepted" status to purchase textbooks. To view and accept your available financial aid, please go to Basecamp (login required).

Students at CMC participate in the Learning Materials Program (LMP). An affordable flat rate "textbooks in tuition" lease system and service which provides 100% of required materials by the first day or start of semester automatically customized to the student’s schedule.

The Learning Materials Program fees are easily budgeted as cost of attendance in financial aid and payment plans. Flat fees are not applicable for non-credit classes. Please see the LMP website for additional information.

Getting Your Textbooks

Students participating in the Learning Materials Program automatically receive their textbooks.

To see your textbook order and information please go to Basecamp (login required), then access Learning Materials Program under MY CMC APPS.

Eligibility for Title IV Aid

Federal Title IV aid consists of the following:

• Pell Grant
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
• Direct Loans (Subsidized, Unsubsidized, Parent PLUS)
• Federal Work Study
• Other non Federal Aid (see the other sections for award specific eligibility)

For a student to be eligible for Title IV Aid, they must meet some general requirements:

• Be a regular student enrolled in an eligible degree seeking program
• Not be enrolled concurrently as an Elementary or Secondary student
• Have a High School diploma or equivalent
• Be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
• Meet enrollment requirements (for certain types of aid)
• Taking classes that count towards an eligible degree seeking program (we can not pay for classes that are not a part of your currently enrolled program)
• Have a valid FAFSA on file with CMC before you cease attending
• Have completed all requests for information (through Verification or other requests)
• Not be in default on your student loans
• Be a US Citizen or Eligible Non citizen
• Any other requirements as defined by the Department of Education

Program Eligibility

You must be enrolled in an eligible degree seeking program at CMC. If you are unsure, please reach out to Financial Aid. Also know that each program lists in the description of the program if it is not eligible for Title IV aid. Additionally, each class that you register for and take MUST go towards your eligible program. If the class does not go towards  your program, you can not pay for it using Title IV aid. Please reach out to your Academic Advisor with questions on if your class fits in your program.

Estimating Student Aid Index (SAI) for Student Aid

The Department of Education uses information from your FAFSA to perform a need analysis and determine your Student Aid Index (SAI). CMC then subtracts the SAI from your Cost of Attendance (COA) to calculate the amount of need-based financial aid you are eligible to receive.

CMC will assemble a financial aid package and send you a shopping sheet outlining the types and amounts of aid available to you along with the estimated educational costs at CMC. You may accept all, part, or none of this financial aid package.

To get an early estimate of your SAI and aid eligibility prior to the official need analysis process, take advantage of the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid Estimator. Using information you provide about your income and your parents income (if applicable), this tool will give you an estimate of your SAI along with estimates for your Grant, Loan and Work Study eligibility.

Other kinds of aid, such as scholarships and grants, may be given by schools, organizations, companies, etc. Some grants are based on need, while others are based on academic or athletic ability, career interests, religious affiliation, membership, location, employment, etc. Investigate these opportunities at your school, library, or on the internet at FinAid.

The Department of Education sets the standard enrollment levels for Undergraduate programs based on the type of Academic Year that the school uses. Since CMC uses a Standard Academic Year with semesters we have our enrollment levels set as follows:

• Full time - 12 credits or more
• 3/4 time - 9-11 credits
• 1/2 time - 6-8 credits
• Less than 1/2 time - 5 credits or less

Beginning with the 2024-25 Academic Year, Pell grant eligibility will be paid based on the exact credits a student is enrolled in. We will take the standard 12 credits and divide it by the number of credits the student is enrolled in. This will give CMC a % of the total Pell grant eligibility that we will pay. This is called Enrollment Intensity.

• 12 credits = 100%
• 11 credits = 92%
• 10 credits = 83%
• 9 credits = 75%
• 8 credits = 67%
• 7 credits = 58%
• 6 credits = 50%
• 5 credits = 42%
• 4 credits = 33%
• 3 credits = 25%
• 2 credits = 17%
• 1 credit = 8%

Please know that the amount of Pell you see on your Award Offer will be based on Full time enrollment of 12 credits or more. Your actual Pell that you receive will be determined by the credits you are actually enrolled in and attending as of the Pell Recalculation Date.

You must be enrolled and attending at least 6 credits to be eligible for a Direct Loan.

Please contact Financial Aid for additional information.

FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal Law which gives students certain rights with respect to their educational records.

Once a student reaches 18 years of age or attends a postsecondary institution, he or she becomes an "eligible student," and all rights formerly given to parents under FERPA transfer to the student.

Under FERPA students have the right to:

• Control the disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII) (except in certain circumstances specified in the FERPA regulations)
• Access their education records
• Seek to have the records amended
• File a complaint with the Department of Education.

DIRECTORY INFORMATION

Colorado Mountain College hereby gives notice that it has designated certain items as "Directory Information" under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.

The following Directory Information concerning students at Colorado Mountain College can be disclosed without prior written consent:

• Student name
• Dates of attendance
• Enrollment status
• Degrees and awards received
• Activity and sports participation
• Major

Currently enrolled students may choose to withhold disclosure of directory information by submitting the Request to Withhold Directory Information to the Registrar’s Office. Information will be held confidential and the request is effective until rescinded, in writing, by the student.

DISCLOSURE OF EDUCATION RECORDS

Educational records are protected and can only be released to a third party with written consent from the student.

If a student wants to allow their parent(s) or guardian (or another individual) access to their educational records they must submit a FERPA Release Of Information Waiver . The release of information waiver authorizes Colorado Mountain College to release any and all information from a student’s education record to the student’s parent(s) guardian (or other individual) designated on the form. This authorization remains in effect until rescinded by the student.

If a student requires the release of specific information for a specific purpose; for example a copy of their immunization records or a grade verification for a scholarship they must submit a FERPA Consent To Release Specific Confidential Information. This authorization is only in force for the specified request. Additional information for additional individuals/agencies must be requested separately.

Please note: There are some circumstances where Colorado Mountain College can release information from your educational records without written consent according to specific exceptions in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). Please see the catalog for more information.

If you have questions concerning FERPA, contact the Colorado Mountain College Registrar’s Office at registrar@coloradomtn.edu.

FAFSA Data

FAFSA data is considered the following:

-Applicant and Contributor information provided on the FAFSA

-Manually entered income and asset information

-Student Aid Index (SAI)

-Pell grant eligibility

FAFSA data can only be shared in the following situations:

-Only for the application, award, and administration of financial aid (federal, state, institutional)

-If the request for Pell grant eligibility is to refer students to success resources and support their persistence and completion, this is only allowed with written consent from the student. That is because these are not considered application, award or administration of FA

-Can use for research that does not release PII

How to share FAFSA data

Contact the Office of Financial Aid. We will send you a DocuSign form to complete where you will list who you want to share your FAFSA data with and why. We can not share this information if you only complete a FERPA release. This signed consent for is required for us to release any information even if it is to your parent.

FTI data is considered the following:

-Any Federal return information received from the IRS through the Future Act Direct Data Exchange (FA-DDX)

FTI data can be shared in the following situations:

-Only for the application, award, and administration of financial aid (federal, state, institutional)

-FTI cannot be used for research

-To the student through printing off a copy of their Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR)

-With written consent from the student we can share to

                                -Scholarship granting organizations

                                -An organization assisting the student in applying for and receiving

                                -Federal, State, local, or tribal assistance that would cover some cost on their cost of attendance (COA)

-With written consent from the student an individual selected by the applicant can be included in a discussion (Advisor, Counselor, Parent, ect) while the student is present

How to share FTI data

Contact the Office of Financial Aid. We will send you a DocuSign form to complete where you will list who you want to share your FTI data with and why. We can not share this information if you only complete a FERPA release. This signed consent for is required for us to release any information even if it is to your parent.

It is very important that you provide accurate and complete information to the Office of Financial Aid.

According to the Department of Education, "If you receive federal student aid based on incorrect or fraudulent information, you will have to pay it back. You may also have to pay fines and fees. If you purposely provide false or misleading information on the FAFSA, you may be fined up to $20,000, sent to prison, or both."

Providing false information on your FAFSA or in your interactions with the Office of Financial Aid, could jeopardize your ability to be a student here at CMC. If CMC suspects that a student is committing fraud with their Financial aid or in relations to information given to the Department of Education that student may be referred to the Office of Inspector General for investigation.

Once you are no longer enrolled at least half time in an eligible program, you’ll receive a 6-month grace period on your Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans during which you are not required to make loan payments. You must begin repayment at the end of your grace period. You will need to complete Exit Counseling each time you graduate, withdraw or drop below half time. We encourage all borrowers to complete this through the FSA online counseling. If you are unable to complete it online you can view the Exit Counseling PDF. 

No Show Attendance Reporting

CMC Faculty and staff want you to be successful with reaching your educational goals. It starts with attending all of your classes. For all courses, Faculty will report "No Show" students who do not begin attendance for that class. Students are not allowed to receive Financial Aid for classes that they do not attend.

NOTE: A no-show for a face-to-face class is defined as lack of “attendance” where attendance is defined as one of the following:

• Physical class attendance where there is direct interaction between instructor and student
• Submission of an academic assignment
• Examination, interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction
• Study group assigned by school
• Participation in on-line discussion about academic matters
• Documented initiation of contact with instructor to ask a question about academic subject

NOTE: A no-show for an online class is a student who has not: Completed the introductory assignment(s) by the deadline.

“No-Show” Reporting: If the student has not “attended” (per language above), the instructor will report the student as a no-show. Class reinstatement cannot occur after this point without significant documented extenuating circumstances.

“No-Show” Reporting and Financial Aid: If a student is dropped from a course (or courses) for non-attendance, the resultant loss in credit hours may cause a reduction and/or cancellation of his/her financial aid award. Like class reinstatement, financial aid awards can only be reinstated with documented extreme extenuating circumstances.

Reinstatement in class DOES NOT guarantee financial aid reinstatement.

Students can indicate on the FAFSA form that they believe they have unusual circumstances that prevent them from providing parental data. Those who indicate this are thoroughly informed about what warrants a dependency override and what the results will be for their application. If they complete the screening steps and do not include parental data, they will receive a provisional status as an independent student and a provisional SAI calculation. The record will be rejected, pending further action from CMC.

CMC will review the student’s situation and determine if the student:

• Is unaccompanied and homeless
• Merits a dependency override
• Must instead provide parental data
• or Should be permitted to borrow only unsubsidized loans because they can document that their parents have refused to support them or to provide parental information on the student’s FAFSA.

Please reach out to us after so that we can help. We will talk with you about your situation and help determine how to proceed.

These courses may be required because a student has basic skill deficiencies and are allowable for financial aid provided that the student is degree/certificate-seeking and enrolled in an eligible program. The maximum number of remedial credits that may be funded by financial aid is 30.

Eligible courses include ENG-0092 AND MAT-0010, MAT-0020, MAT-0030, MAT-0200, MAT-0250, MAT-0300

NOTE: Academic Achievement courses (AAA) do not count towards the student’s enrollment status for financial aid, with the exception of AAA-1001 (only when paired with MAT-0250 OR AAA-0095).

Title IV funding are awards that come from the Department of Education that you receive after completing your Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA. When you receive this funding, you are paid on the understanding that you will complete your classes. If you drop/withdraw from all of your classes or receive all F's in a semester, then your school has to calculate a Return of Title IV.

Please visit Financial Aid Returns for additional information.

Students may repeat a previously passed course one time using financial aid funds. A failed course may be repeated until it is passed using financial aid as long as the student remains in an eligible SAP status.

Total attempted credits will be included toward the Maximum Time Frame.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, mandates institutions of higher education establish a standard of satisfactory academic progress for students who receive Title IV funds. This standard applies to the student’s entire academic history, whether Title IV aid was received or not.

In order to remain eligible to receive aid at Colorado Mountain College, students must meet the standards specified for acceptable academic performance and for Satisfactory Academic Progress toward the completion of their program of study.

Please see our Satisfactory Academic Progress Webpage for additional information.

When you complete your FAFSA, income information from 2 years ago is used. There are times where that income information does not match what your financial situation is this year or even 1 year prior. CMC has the ability to perform a Professional Judgement and change the income information from 2 years ago to a more relevant year's income.

There are other Special Circumstances where the information you list on your FAFSA may not reflect your current situation. If this is the case, please reach out to the Office of Financial Aid and speak with a Financial Aid Specialist to see how we can help.

Please see the process below:

• Identify that your information on your FAFSA does not match your current situation
• Contact the Office of Financial Aid
• Complete the Special Circumstance Appeal form and provide all requested information
• The Office of Financial Aid will review your form and documents and make a determination within 10 business days of receiving the completed application
  • If approved, we will submit any changes needed to your FAFSA. We will then adjust your awards based on the new information
  • If denied, no changes will be made
• You will receive an email to your CMC issued student email letting you know of the determination

Financial Aid – Student Rights and Responsibilities

Understand your right to financial aid information and your responsibilities as a financial aid recipient.

You Have the Right to:

• Know what financial aid programs are available;
• Know the deadline for submitting applications for each of the programs available;
• Be informed of financial aid policies and procedures;
• Know how your financial eligibility was determined and what resources (such as your income, assets, parental contribution and other resources) were considered in the calculation of need;
• Know what portion of your financial aid must be repaid, and what portion is gift or aid received from work;
• Know how The Office of Financial Aid determines whether you are making satisfactory academic progress and what the consequences are if you are not;
• Request an explanation of the various programs in your financial aid package;
• Know the terms of any loans you receive, and your deferment, cancellation and forbearance rights.

You Have the Responsibility to:

• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress;
• Complete all application forms accurately and submit them on time;
• Provide accurate information. Misrepresentation of information on financial aid applications is a violation of federal law and may be a criminal offense;
• Report to The Office of Financial Aid any change in the information used to determine your eligibility, including name, family size, or other financial resources (e.g. scholarships);
• Return all required documentation in a timely manner;
• Read and understand all required forms and maintain a copy for your records;
• Adhere to all agreements that you sign;
• Perform the duties of your work study position in a satisfactory manner;
• Notify The Office of Financial Aid immediately if you withdraw from school or reduce enrollment status;
• Be informed of loan repayment options and procedures;
• Complete online entrance counseling and the Master Promissory Note (MPN) when applying for your first student loan;
• Complete online exit counseling upon graduation, dropping below six credits or leaving Colorado Mountain College;
• Student loan recipients must notify their lender and The Office of Financial Aid if enrollment status drops below half-time (6 credits).
• Repay all loans including interest;
• Work with your lender for any deferment, forbearance, or forgiveness requests;
• Read and understand the CMC Financial Aid Policies.

Questions? Contact the Office of Financial Aid.

When you complete the FAFSA, you are entering information as of the day that you complete the FAFSA. This includes your marital status as of the date you are completing it. Normally you are not allowed to make updates to your marital status on the FAFSA after you complete it.

However, if you complete your FAFSA and then have a change of marital status (going from Single to Married) and this change makes you go from Dependent to Independent, then you can request for our office to update your FAFSA.

You will need to contact our office and request an appeal.

During the appeal process you will need to provide the following:

-Student 2022 Tax transcript or 2022 Signed 1040 with all applicable schedules

-Spouse 2022 Tax transcript or 2022 Signed 1040 with all applicable schedules

-Parent 2022 Tax transcript or 2022 Signed 1040 with all applicable schedules

Your appeal will only be approved if it is determined that the change would address an inequity or reflect more accurately the student’s ability to pay for the upcoming year. If this is the case we will work with you on the next steps. 

The deadline to submit this appeal is 8 weeks into the first semester that you attend in that given year. So if you attend in Fall, your deadline is 8 weeks into the Fall semester. If you do not attend in Fall but attend in Spring, your deadline would be 8 weeks into the Spring semester.

Your Dependency Status on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) determines whose information you must complete. If you are a Dependent student then you are required to fill out your parent information.

If you are unable to list your parent information due to an unusual circumstance, you may be eligible for a "Professional Judgement" where we can adjust the information on your FAFSA and make you Independent.

An Unusual Circumstance can be but is not limited to the following:

• Human Trafficking
• Legally granted refugee or asylum status
• Parental abandonment or estrangement
• Student or Parental incarceration
• Death of a parent

If you feel that you might qualify, please reach out to us. Here is the process:

• You will be asked about your situation, the conversation is confidential with the Financial Aid Specialist and will not be shared with others
• You will be sent and asked to complete a "Petition for Dependency Status Review" form
• Once the form and any supporting documents are received we will review the information and make a decision
• You will know the decision within 10 business days of receiving the completed information

Please note: Incomplete appeals or those submitted without sufficient documentation will not be reviewed.

The Department of Education selects a small number of students per year to have their FAFSA data verified by their school. During this process you will receive a notice on your FAFSA Submission Summary that you were selected for Verification. You will then receive a list of documents in Basecamp from CMC that will need to be completed. You will also receive emails from CMC directing you to view your required documents in Basecamp.

Your role as a student:

• Read your FAFSA Submission Summary received from the Department of Education
• Review your Basecamp required documents
• Read all instructions on all of the forms and submit all requested documents before the deadline
• Read your CMC Emails to know if we require clarification or additional information from you
• Reach out to Financial Aid if you have questions in the process

Our role as an Institution:

• We will communicate to you through Basecamp and your CMC issued email
• We will communicate any issues with your submitted documents/forms in a timely manner
• We will submit any corrections/changes to your FAFSA information on your behalf in a timely manner
• We will communicate through Basecamp if your SAI changes or any changes to your Title IV offered amounts are made

Important information:

• You will need to submit all requested forms and documents before you can be offered Financial Aid.
• All requested documents must be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid before the earlier of 2 dates:
  • 120 days from your last date of attendance OR September 21st, 2025 (for the 2024-25 FAFSA)
• If you fail to submit all of your documents before you stop attending, the awards that we can offer you are limited.
• The process of verification can change the information you provided on your FAFSA if it is found to be inaccurate. This change can impact what Financial Aid is offered to you.
• If CMC feels that false information is being provided and a student is intentionally trying to deceive the Office of Financial Aid for the sole purpose of receiving Title IV Financial aid they are not eligible for we will do the following:
  • Consult CMC legal counsel
  • Refer the student to the Office of Inspector General