You've completed your FAFSA—what's next? All students requesting financial aid assistance at GCC must satisfy their outstanding requirements before their financial aid application can be reviewed. View Outstanding Requirements in MyGCC Log into MyGCC, then select My Financial Aid from the menu Select Financial Aid Outstanding Requirements. Select the relevant aid year from the pull-down menu and hit Submit All Unsatisfied Requirements with the status “Required” are listed at the top of the page and are due immediately. Note that once requirements are completed, it may take three to five business days to be reflected in your account. GCC requests that students submit the required verification documents within three weeks of initial notification. Failure to meet this deadline may result in the loss of potential financial aid and the inability to borrow from the Direct Loan Program. Print Your Financial Aid Documents Student Financial Services is prohibited from sharing financial aid and FAFSA information with third party entities, even with the student’s consent. All third party entities, including but not limited to Mass Rehab, DTA/SNAP, housing and fuel assistance, must obtain the information directly from the student. Your Award Offer and Cost of Attendance MyGCC → My Financial Aid → Award Summary By Year Select Aid Year and hit Submit Select Accept Award Offer Select Print (under General Information) Your Tuition & Fee Bill MyGCC → My Account → Billing → View Statement Choose the most recent date; to print a bill for a term that hasn’t started, select Switch Term at the bottom of the screen If you do not have a statement available, go to My Account → Billing → Account Summary by Term Your Unofficial Transcript/Proof of Enrollment MyGCC → My Degree → Academic Transcript Hit Submit Keep Your Financial Aid Next steps for keeping your financial aid: Attend classes regularly. Students who stop attending or participating in classes, without formally withdrawing from GCC, are considered to be withdrawn unofficially. If you stop attending your classes, you are no longer eligible to receive your financial aid for the term. Continue to evaluate your financial aid status throughout the semester and school year. Changes to your financial aid eligibility may happen and you are responsible for staying knowledgeable about your financial aid status. Keep us informed about any enrollment changes. Enrollment changes affect your original financial aid award and, in some cases, will result in loan cancellation. If your financial aid is less than anticipated, or is adjusted because of an enrollment change, you will owe money to the college and must make arrangements to pay the college immediately. Be aware of financial aid dos and don’ts. DO DON’T Have an FSA ID and do a FAFSA every year, even if you are uncertain about enrolling. Be mindful of deadlines. Easy access to important dates can be found on a college’s financial aid website. Expect quick turn-around on applying for financial aid funds. This is a federal government process, and neither easy or timely. Don’t assume that processing and requirements are the same at every school; colleges can and do implement requirements differently. Know how the financial aid office communicates with students. Most schools send only electronic notices through email or a web portal. Take vacations from following up on financial aid. Aid funds are first come/first served. Understand confidentiality. You will likely have to submit a waiver to have someone else communicate for you. Rely solely on others to follow-up on your financial aid. Understand what is acceptable documentation in various situations. Ask directly if you are unsure what is needed. Presume no documentation will be required. Unique circumstances require written proof before aid can be awarded. Know what the various types of financial aid are. Grants, work-study, and loans all play a different role. Expect financial aid funds will cover all expenses. The system is built on students and/or families paying a share of the costs. Be knowledgeable of other applications and processes (besides FAFSA) for college funds. DCF, DYS and the VA all assist their clients. Infer that different entities share information. For example, students with a foster care history must apply with both FAFSA and DCF. Get to know the financial aid administrators at the schools you are considering or attending—they are there to help! Assume you need to speak with the director or a specific member of the financial aid staff. In most instances this is not necessary. Ask what other campus resources are available to assist needy students, such as the Women’s Center, Food Pantry and Wellness Center. Expect financial aid to provide extensive social services. Our ability to connect students to alternate resources will vary with circumstances. Do your own research on processes, but never be afraid to ask as many questions as you need to get the answer you seek. Be passive about financial aid! Federal and state funds are “your tax dollars at work!” Become familiar with Financial Aid Satisfactory Progress or SAP. Students must maintain a GPA of 2.0 at all times. Students who walk away from their class are automatically placed on Unsatisfactory Financial Aid Progress and must complete the appeal process.