Financial Aid Office

2009-10 Financial Aid Applications Are Now Available

Begin the FREE 2009-10 Financial Aid process online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov as soon as your 2008 tax returns are complete. MATC's School Code is 004007.  To get an early estimate of your Financial Aid eligibility, visit the FAFSA4caster. View the FAFSA tutorial which will help you when filling out the FAFSA application.

Students must be admitted into an approved associate degree, college transfer or technical diploma program to qualify for financial assistance. Enrollment in courses without acceptance into an eligible program does not qualify a student for financial aid. Students should apply for financial aid before being accepted into an academic program - Don't wait for your admissions letter before filling out the FAFSA! To apply for an approved academic program, please refer to MATC's Admissions Procedures.

The Financial Aid Office offers federal and state grants, employment opportunities, scholarships and loan programs to assist students who would otherwise be unable to afford an education. For help with filling out the FAFSA you can call (608) 246-6170 to register for a FAFSA Workshop.

If you would like a one on one session with Financial Aid staff you can come to our Walk-Ins (Tuesday from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. or Wednesday from 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.).

First-time borrowers at MATC should refer to information on Entrance Loan Counseling. Select the link that refers to Great Lakes Higher Education Entrance Loan Counseling information.

These financial aid programs are administered only as supplementary to the efforts of the student. Therefore, to determine need and make awards fairly, parents of aid applicants may be required to complete a financial aid application. For students who are self-supporting in accordance with federal guidelines, eligibility is based on the financial resources of the student and/or spouse. All financial aid awards are based on the applicant’s financial need as determined by the Financial Aid Office. Some financial aid is available for summer courses depending on the amount of financial assistance a student used in the previous academic year.

Students are encouraged to apply for Financial Aid before the April 15 Priority Date, however limited funding is available for those who apply late. After Financial Aid applications are received by MATC, further documentation may be required. These documents will be reviewed for accuracy and completeness. According to federal regulations, MATC must first review these documents and, if necessary, make corrections to the application before awarding any loans, grants, or federal work-study. Students are notified in writing of these various awards, however several factors determine when Award Notices are sent:

• Time of the Year - Financial Aid processing time is dependent on when these documents are submitted. Please refer to the following schedule for estimated processing times throughout the year:
  
  

  If These Documents are Submitted in:	Estimated Processing Time:
  January - February	2 - 4 Weeks
  March - June	2 - 3 Weeks
  July - October	3 - 4 Weeks
  November - December	2 - 3 Weeks

  
  
• Further Documentation is Required or Signatures are Missing - After reviewing these documents, the MATC Financial Aid Office may send additional letters requesting clarification or a signature. Please be sure that all tax forms and verification forms are signed and that all requested documents are submitted. If you are unsure, please ask the Financial Aid Director to review these forms to determine if items are missing. (Please allow 1-2 weeks of additional processing time if further documentation is required or if signatures are missing.)
  
  
• The Application must be returned to the Federal Processor - The FAFSA is a complex application designed to capture all details of income and asset information. If the FAFSA was filled out incorrectly, MATC must indicate the correct information and re-submit the FAFSA data back to the Federal Processor. (Please allow 1-2 weeks of additional processing time if your application must be returned to the Federal Processor.)
  

A few points about financial aid:

• Available funds are limited. State and federal funding is tentative at the time awards are made. MATC cannot guarantee substitute awards if any anticipated outside sources of assistance do not materialize.
• Financial aid awards will be amended if the student’s eligibility is based on incorrect information on the financial aid form.
• Financial aid awards will be amended when scholarship(s) or any other type of educational assistance is received and the additional funding results in an over-award.
• Students may not receive financial aid funds from more than one school at a time.
• Federal regulations prohibit MATC from awarding financial aid to students enrolled in certain courses and programs.  These include Certificates, Apprenticeships, Audited Courses, Personal Enrichment, Basic Skills, GED, ESL, Developmental or Remedial Courses, Youth Options, and most programs less than one year in length.  Please refer to Page 13 of the MATC Financial Aid Handbook (PDF) for more information about Eligibility Requirements.

Divison of Vocational Rehabilitation Tuition Grants up to $2,000 per semester are available for MATC Students

To be eligible for the DVR Tuition Grant, students must first apply for Financial Aid and meet with a DVR counselor. For more information, call MATC's Disability Resource Services at 246-6791 or contact your DVR counselor. For more information, please review DVR Frequently Asked Questions (PDF).

If you have additional questions, visit Ask MATC to view frequently asked Financial Aid questions, or phone the Financial Aid Office at (608) 246-6170.

Last Modified: July 2, 2009