Financial Aid airplane

Financial Aid Application Process

Contact Info - This is the start of our busy season assisting students in the office.  For faster response, please email us.

Email: mcfa@wvm.edu
Phone: 408-855-5065
Fax:     408-855-5546
Location: Main Building E1-401

WVMCCDCARD link:  www.mywvmccdcard.com

Mission College Scholarships

How to Apply

When you apply for financial aid, you will be asked for information about your financial situation. This information is used to determine whether your "financial needs" meet the government's requirements for eligibility. To help you cut through a lot of the confusion and anxiety when you apply for financial aid, the Financial Aid Office has streamlined the process.

Student's Rights & Responsibilities

Chart of the financial aid process for 2010-2011

 

Follow these easy steps
  1. Stop by the Financial Aid Office to pick up the packet of materials.
  2. Take the packet home and read through it carefully.
  3. Follow the instructions for the FAFSA CAREFULLY and EXACTLY using your 1040 federal income tax return or records for untaxed income. Remember, when you are requesting financial aid, you are dealing with federal regulations that even the Financial Aid Office staff can't change. If something doesn't make sense to you, or if information is unclear, call or go to the Financial Aid Office to ask for help.
  4. Apply using the on-line FAFSA for quick results, OR complete your application, using black ink only, and mail it in the envelope provided in the application booklet. Be certain to keep a photocopy for your own record. Your application will then go through criteria matching and data processing.

2011-2012 FAFSA TIPS

If you apply by mail, four to six weeks later you'll be mailed a Student Aid Report (SAR) or receive an electronic SAR in one to two weeks that tells you if you're eligible for a Federal Pell Grant. Being eligible for a Pell Grant is considered a sign of financial need. If you qualify for a Pell Grant, you may also be eligible for other additional types of financial aid. Stop by the Financial Aid Office for more information.

Even if you don't qualify for a Pell Grant, don't give up! You may still be eligible for a variety of other types of financial assistance, including fee waivers and scholarships. To find out about these other options, ask the staff at the Financial Aid Office.

When you receive your Student Aid Report for 2009-2010, here's what you do:

  1. Gather any other information that's been requested by email or paper letter.
  2. Take your SAR and all the other requested information to the Financial Aid Office.
  3. A Financial Aid staff member will review your materials and will use a checklist to be sure that nothing is overlooked. If anything is missing, you'll be informed. Get the missing information to the Financial Aid staff as soon as possible so processing can continue. Don't forget to get all the signatures you need including your parents' if necessary!

Several weeks after your file is ready for "advisor review", you'll receive a "Notification of Financial Aid Award" letter in the mail. Read the letter carefully. It provides you with information on the types of financial aid you have been awarded. A check will be sent to you by mail 4-5 working days after the date shown on the letter, but no sooner than the first week of classes.