Step 1: Apply for Financial Aid

What is financial aid?

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Financial aid includes grants, loans and work study offered to help a student meet their college expenses. Federal student 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. You'll need to provide information about your income and benefits. You might find it helpful to use the Pre-Application Worksheet.

  1. Complete the FAFSA

    The application for financial aid is called the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as the FAFSA. Complete the FAFSA online.

    • Use your legal name exactly as it appears on your social security card
    • In the school section, you must enter PCC's school code: 003213

  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 to apply

The best time to apply is as soon after January 1 as possible for the following academic year. Applications are accepted after that time, but funds are limited. For the 2012-13 academic year, you can apply between January 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013. You must reapply each year for financial aid.

Financial aid timeline
Term you plan to start Submit 2012-13 FAFSA by
Winter 2013 July 15, 2012
Spring 2013 October 15, 2012
Term you plan to start Submit 2013-14 FAFSA by
Summer 2013 February 15, 2013
Fall 2013 April 15, 2013
Winter 2014 July 15, 2013
Spring 2014 October 15, 2013

Who is eligible?

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

  • Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen
  • Be registered with Selective Service, if required
  • Be working toward an eligible degree or certificate at PCC
  • Be making satisfactory academic progress (see more about this in maintaining eligibility)
  • Not owe a refund on a federal grant or be in default on a federal education loan

How much aid will you get?

The amount of financial aid that a student receives is directly related to how much it costs to attend college. If you are curious, you can read how a financial aid award is determined. At that link, you will see standard budgets for full time attendance at PCC. We can predict the cost of attendance at PCC, but we can't estimate how much financial aid you will receive, until you apply and submit your FAFSA. After we get the results of your FAFSA, we will let you know how much aid you are eligible to receive toward your educational costs.

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.

What happens after you submit your FAFSA?

  1. A confirmation page will be sent to the email address you provided when you filled out the FAFSA.
  2. In three to five days, you'll receive your Student Aid Report (SAR). The SAR summarizes all the information you provided on your FAFSA. It will take longer if you filled out the FAFSA on paper. 
  3. Look over your SAR to make sure you didn't make any mistakes on the FAFSA. To make changes, log back in to fafsa.gov.
  4. Go on to Step 2 - Satisfy Requirements.