Status and Next Steps

Once you have applied for financial aid, completed verification (if selected), and submitted all necessary paperwork, you can expect to hear from our Financial Aid department about any aid you might be awarded within 4-6 weeks. We’ll notify you through your official ACC student email (@student.cccs.edu) about your award or any additional information we need. It is important that you get us that paperwork quickly to avoid delays in receiving your aid. You will also see your award information on myACC (our student portal) in the Student Finance tab.

ACC awards all aid based on an estimated full-time enrollment status and then adjusts all offers based on actual enrollment status each term. The FAFSA application is the base for all financial aid packages. Pell grant will be awarded to those students determined to be eligible for the grant. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and Colorado Student Grant will be awarded, based on priority, to students who are classified as having high need (typically those with the lowest EFC). These awards will be adjusted based on actual enrollment. Federal Direct Loans are made available to all students taking at least 6-semester credits.

Important Things to Know About Your Financial Aid Award

1. Each award (unless otherwise stated) is based on full-time enrollment (12 or more credits). It will be adjusted based on your actual enrollment after the add / drop period. The U.S. Department of Education requires that you attend at least half-time (6 credit hours) to be eligible for most funds.
2. If you wish to accept or increase your loan, you are required to complete additional steps. Visit StudentAid.gov to view and complete these steps. 
3. All financial aid refunds are made available via BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc., once funds have been distributed to student accounts.
4. You must meet and follow Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines to maintain eligibility for financial aid.
5. You must have a current address on file at all times with both the Financial Aid Office and the Records & Enrollment Services Office.
6. You must not accept any payment of financial aid if you have plans to reduce your course load or know that you will not meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards or Student Responsibilities.
7. Future awards may be partially or fully canceled if you do not comply with the rules, regulations, agreements, or deadlines.
8. You may access your financial aid award online through the Student Finance tab on myACC.

Accepting Financial Aid

ACC awards all students who have completed the FAFSA and met all documentation requirements on a first-come, first-served basis. Loan offers must be accepted by the student in order to be processed, however, grant aid awards are considered to be pre-accepted by the student.

Loans and Work Study offers require additional steps in order to be both accepted and paid. You can accept these awards online via the Student Finance tab on myACC or you can stop by the financial aid office for help accepting these types of financial aid. Learn more about loans or work study.

First-time borrowers: If you have accepted federal direct loans and wish the loan to be applied to your account, two additional requirements must be completed at the StudentAid.gov website: Loan Entrance Counseling and Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN)

Accepted aid shows as a payment against your outstanding student account, even if the aid has not been paid through to your student bill. As long as you have accepted aid in excess of your outstanding student bill for the term, your account is considered paid with financial aid. In this situation, you will not be dropped from courses for non-payment. Students who do have financial aid and are notified that they are at risk of being dropped for non-payment should contact the Financial Aid Office immediately at finaid [at] arapahoe [dot] edu (finaid[at]arapahoe[dot]edu).

Disbursing Financial Aid

General Information

1. Financial aid disbursement begins 10 days prior to the start of each semester.
2. You must have submitted all the requested documents (as listed on myACC's Student Finance tab) to the financial aid office to receive funds.
3. You must be enrolled in the required number of credit hours before funds can be disbursed.
4. Disbursement dates may vary depending on the individual cases. If you have specific questions about the disbursement contact us at finaid [at] arapahoe [dot] edu or 303.797.5661.

Student Loans

1. You must have completed Loan Entrance Counseling and a Master Promissory Note (MPN) to receive any loan funds. Both can be completed at studentloans.gov.
2. You must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours.
3. First-time borrowers have a 30-day delay of disbursement from the first day of the term.
4. Loans accepted for a single semester will be released in 2 disbursements. The first payment will be disbursed after the census dates and the second payment will be at the midway point of the semester.

Disbursement Procedures

1. Disbursed funds will be applied directly to your unpaid balance (including the tuition, fees, and bookstore charges) for the term after the census date.
2. Excess financial aid will be refunded to you within 2 weeks of aid being disbursed to your student account. Any refund due to you will be available according to your chosen method of refund within 14 days of the disbursement.
3. Any adjustments made to enrollment after the disbursement will be applied the following week. If the adjustments caused reductions or cancellations of aid, you are responsible for making a payment arrangement with the cashier’s office.

Refunds

In certain situations, you may receive a refund if you withdraw from your course or if you experience extenuating circumstances. Visit our Cashier’s Office page to learn more about refunds.