How to Apply for Financial Aid

If the grant aid posted to your student account exceeds your charges, you will receive a refund after the 60 percent point of the term. Checks will be mailed to the student’s address on file at ECC or will be deposited in your account if you have direct deposit. Check the list of important dates for more information.

Pell and Map grant requirements vary. You must enroll in a minimum of 6 credit hours to receive a loan. Please check with the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office for specific information.

To be eligible for aid, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
• Have a high school diploma, a High School Equivalency certificate, meet the ability to benefit (ATB) requirements, or completed homeschooling at the secondary level.
• Be enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program.
• Have a valid Social Security number.
• Maintain Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress.
• Not be in default on a federal loan or owe an overpayment of a federal grant.

Dependent students must provide parental information on the FAFSA. According to the federal government, you are considered a dependent student unless you:

• Are over 24 years of age.
• Are married.
• Have any children and/or dependents of your own and proof that you provide at least 51 percent of their total support.
• Are an orphan and/or a ward of the court/state.
• Are a veteran of the armed forces.

Note: Please see the FAFSA for a complete list of questions that will determine your status as an independent or dependent student.

If none of these conditions apply, you must include parental information and a parent’s signature on your FAFSA. Students can appeal for a Dependency Override if their personal situations involve unusual circumstances. However, per federal guidelines, a parent’s unwillingness to provide financial support (or information required to complete the FAFSA or verification paperwork) does not, in and of itself, qualify you for a Dependency Override.

Your Student Aid Report (S.A.R) is issued by the government based on the information you submitted on the FAFSA.

When you receive your S.A.R.:

• Review it for errors.
• Complete our Institutional Aid Application form (ECC’s in-house paperwork).
• Submit other supporting documents as requested.

Make corrections electronically to your FAFSA online.

• Log-In to your account and make changes.
• Sign your corrections with your FSA ID.
• Changes to parent information require the parent to sign with your FSA ID.

Need additional assistance?

Please bring in the Student Aid Report (S.A.R.) to Financial Aid (or provide the 4-digit DRN# from the S.A.R.) to make corrections electronically. Tell us what changes are needed, and bring any documentation necessary.

Add our school code (001675) to your FAFSA online.

Add or Delete a School Code' under section 3 or Bring in your Student Aid Report (S.A.R.) to the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office so we can add the school code electronically. You will then need to complete ECC’s in-house paperwork.

Verification is a federal process in which Financial Aid is required to confirm the information reported on your FAFSA. You must comply with all requests for documentation because your aid cannot be finalized until verification is complete.

Required documents may include:

• Signed and completed verification worksheet (if dependent, your parent MUST also sign).
• Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool link that is on the FAFSA® website. 
• If you are unable to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, you must request a copy of your IRS Tax Transcripts by calling 800-908-9946 or go online to Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
  • If you are unable to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool or request a Tax Transcript, bring in the required tax return to the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office.
• You may be required to bring in additional documents as requested by the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office.

For further instructions or assistance, stop by the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office.

• All two-year Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees are eligible for aid.
• All two-year transfer Associate degrees (AA, AES, AFA, ALS, AS) are eligible for aid.
• Some certificate programs are also eligible. See Financial Aid Forms; Financial Aid Eligible Programs - PDF.

If any of the following financial situations have changed significantly, scheduling a meeting with a financial aid advisor might benefit you.

Financial situations include:

• Dependent care expenses including child day-care or elder care.
• Employment loss or change in employment status (reduced hours/salary).
• Divorce/separation from, or death of, a parent or spouse.
• Unusual medical or dental expenses are not covered by insurance.
• Other unusual family circumstances not otherwise specified (documentation will be needed).

Yes, it certainly can. Depending on when you drop or add the class, you could end up owing money not only to ECC, but to the federal or state government. Pell and MAP grants are related to the number of credit hours you are taking. Reducing your hours may reduce the amount of grant funding you can retain. Student loans require you maintain enrollment in at least six (6) credit hours. Dropping below six hours could result in the loss of loan eligibility. If an instructor informs the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office that you never attended a class, your aid may be adjusted.

We recommend you check with the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office to discuss the potential effect on your financial aid before you make any class changes.

Financial aid is available for students who qualify and maintain the eligibility criteria specified.

• If you have failed to maintain Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress, changed to an ineligible degree or certificate program, are in default on a federal loan, or owe repayment of a federal grant over-award, you cannot receive aid.
• Additionally, aid may be removed from your award if you do not complete documents required for processing.
• Some programs require certain GPA or enrollment levels. If you fall below the required GPA or hours, funds may have to be canceled or reduced.

You may appeal your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) suspension or maximum time frame status and; if approved, continue to receive financial aid for that semester. Complete the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Reinstatement Form - PDF to appeal.

Follow the Financial Aid Process on the 'how to apply for financial aid page.