Your Financial Aid Award

Students can monitor their financial aid status through the CMCC Student Portal by selecting the Financial Aid Overview tab.

In the portal, you can:

• Check whether your FAFSA has been received
• Review requests for additional documentation
• View your financial aid awards and eligibility information

You have the right to decline or reduce any part of your financial aid award. To request a change, email cmccsfs@mainecc.edu and include your CMCC Student ID number, which can be found on your award letter.

If you wish to reduce an award, be sure to include the amount you would like reduced. If you have been offered student loans and would like to borrow all or a portion of those funds, review the instructions included in your award notification for the additional steps required to finalize your loans.

Changes or corrections made to your FAFSA may require your financial aid eligibility to be recalculated.

All external financial assistance, including private scholarships, sponsorships, and vocational rehabilitation benefits, must be reported to Student Financial Services and may affect your financial aid award.

If your award letter does not list all external funding sources, please contact Student Financial Services. All external aid must be reported. Students who do not report all external aid are responsible for returning excess financial aid awarded caused by the nondisclosure of external funding.

Financial aid is initially awarded based on full-time enrollment (12 or more credits per semester). Awards may be adjusted if your enrollment status changes after the add/drop period.

Changes are made to the student’s financial aid if enrollment is less than full time. Most forms of financial aid, including the State of Maine Grant, Federal Work Study, Federal SEOG, Federal Stafford Loans and Federal PLUS Loans, require the student to be enrolled at least a half time (6 credits or more) each semester. The Federal Pell Grant is available in limited circumstances to students who are enrolled less than half time.

Students who withdraw from the College before the end of the semester may have their financial aid recalculated in accordance with federal regulations.

Students must maintain the College’s Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements to remain eligible for financial aid:

• Grade Point Average – students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA based on the number of total credits that they have attempted.

• Pursuit of Program / Completion Rate – students must successfully complete and pass a minimum of 67% of the total credits that they have attempted.
• Maximum Time Frame – students must complete their academic program in a period not exceeding 150% of the normal length of the program, as measured in credit hours attempted.

Students experiencing significant changes in their financial situation may request a review of special circumstances through Student Financial Services.

Changes sometimes occur during the academic year affecting the family’s ability to contribute financially toward the student’s education. A review of the family’s special circumstances can be requested by contacting Student Financial Services. You must document the circumstances you feel deserve consideration. Examples of these conditions include: medical bills, unemployment, divorce/separation, death of a spouse or parent, disability of family members, an unplanned change in employment earnings, loss of income or benefits.