Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon Portland Community College

Step 1: Apply for financial aid

fafsa icon

What is financial aid?

Financial aid is money offered to help a student meet their college expenses. Financial aid includes:

  • Grants: gift aid that doesn’t have to be repaid
  • Loans: borrowed money that you must repay with interest
  • Work study: money earned at a part-time job

How to apply

Applying for financial aid is easy and confidential. To apply, you provide information about your income and benefits.

  1. Complete the application

    To apply, complete either the FAFSA or the ORSAA, depending on your immigration status.

  2. Get admitted to PCC

    If you haven’t taken a class at PCC in the last two years, you need to apply for admission. When you complete the admissions form, check to see if your program is eligible for financial aid.

  3. Start checking your dashboard

    When PCC gets your application, we’ll send an email to your PCC email address and update your Financial Aid Dashboard on the MyPCC Paying for College tab. Log in and check for customized messages about your financial aid.

When to apply

The best time to apply is as soon after December 31 as possible for the following academic year. Applications are accepted after that time, but funds are limited. You must reapply each year for financial aid.

clock Financial aid timeline, 2023-24 academic year
Term you plan to start Submit application by
Summer 2023
(ORSAA students not eligible for summer funding)
Feb 15, 2023
Fall 2023 Apr 15, 2023
Winter 2024 Oct 15, 2023
Spring 2024 Jan 1, 2024
clock Financial aid timeline, 2024-25 academic year
Term you plan to start Submit application by
Summer 2024
(ORSAA students not eligible for summer funding)
Feb 15, 2024
Fall 2024 Apr 15, 2024
Winter 2025 Oct 15, 2024
Spring 2025 Jan 1, 2025

Who is eligible?

To be eligible for financial aid, you must meet these criteria. See more about eligibility.

tasks Financial aid eligibility criteria
Criteria FAFSAA ORSAA
Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen x
Be working toward an eligible degree or certificate x x
Have a high school diploma, GED® certificate, or homeschool completion x x
Be making satisfactory academic progress
(see more about maintaining eligibility)
x x
Not owe a refund on a federal grant or be in default on a federal student loan x

How much aid will you get?

The amount of financial aid a student receives is directly related to how much it costs to attend college. If you want to know more, see how financial aid awards are determined. On that page, you’ll see standard budgets for full-time enrollment at PCC. We can predict the cost of attending PCC, but we can’t estimate how much aid you will receive until you apply. After we get your application, we’ll let you know how much aid you are eligible for.

Wondering about scholarships? There are additional application processes when seeking scholarships. There are thousands of scholarships available for all kinds of students, from all kinds of organizations. Read more about finding and applying for scholarships.

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