How to Understand and Use Your Financial Aid at ACC

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Student getting assistance from ACC's Financial Aid officeWe all know Financial Aid can be a little tricky to navigate sometimes, but we’re here to help take some of the mystery out of it for you and guide you through the basic steps to applying for aid, finding out what aid you’ve been awarded and accepting and using your awarded aid. You can also download our Financial Aid Application Checklist.

Applying

If you haven’t already, complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You’ll need your tax documentation from the past two years and ACC’s school code: 001346. You (and/or your parent(s)) will also need to create a FSA ID if you haven’t already. Once you’ve turned in all necessary documentation, it can take up to 2 weeks to verify everything and send you your award offer. Want some extra tips? View ACC’s Applying for Financial Aid page or come to one of our FAFSA Labs and get help from our experts.

Scholarships

Looking for more opportunities to find help with college tuition? Head over to arapahoe.edu/scholarships to view our ACC scholarships and some private scholarships that might fit your needs. You can also search online, but remember, you should never have to pay to apply for a scholarship and check that it is a reputable site.

Financial Aid Awards – viewing and accepting

We’ll send an award offer to your student email (your @student.cccs.edu). You can (and absolutely should) check your myACC account (sometimes referred to as the portal or student portal) to view your awards as well. Login to myACC. If you haven’t before and need help, view our how-to guide. Next, go to the Student Finance page. On the right side of the page, you’ll be able to view what you have been awarded, including scholarships, work study aid, grants, veteran’s benefits, and loans. You can view your award status, current and past aid awards, aid requirements, holds, and payment schedules. You’ll also find additional information, like forms you may need, scholarship websites, types of financial aid, and the federal shopping sheet. *Remember, to use your financial aid, your classes must be required or an approved elective for your declared major. Once you have reviewed your rewards, we recommend (strongly) that you take a look at your tuition bill (on the left side of the page) and do some quick math to see what portion of your bill your awards will cover. (Don’t forget to include book cost estimates in this calculation.) This is a good way to know if you should look into accepting loans or can cover the remainder without them. Now that you have an idea what the cost will be to you and what aid you need, you can accept the awards you want within the same Student Finance page on myACC under “My Financial Aid Information”.

Still need help?

We’ve got you covered. We have financial aid advisors that can help you with any additional questions you might have. Call us, email us or come in and see us at: Financial Aid Office Room M2330 (Littleton campus) 303.797.5661 finaid [at] arapahoe [dot] edu (finaid[at]arapahoe[dot]edu) Our regular hours (excluding holidays and breaks) are: Monday - Tuesday: 8am - 6pm (located at the Welcome Center from 5-6pm) Wednesday - Thursday: 8am - 5pm Friday: 10am - 5pm

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