Financial Aid at Colorado Mountain College
Colorado Mountain College is dedicated to making higher education accessible by providing financial aid support to students through various aid programs. These include federal, state, and institutional aid, scholarships, work-study opportunities, and loan programs.
Federal School Code: 004506
Our financial aid team is available to assist students with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA) process, help them understand their eligibility, and answer any questions related to financial aid. Students are encouraged to schedule virtual appointments, use our chatbot Swoop, email, or contact us by phone for assistance. For more details, visit the CMC Contact Financial Aid webpage.
Mailing Address for Scholarship Checks:
Colorado Mountain College
Office of Financial Aid
802 Grand Avenue
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
970.947.8322
Email: finaid@coloradomtn.edu
For policies and information, visit the CMC Financial Aid Policies webpage.
Financial Aid Overview
Financial aid helps students cover the cost of their education, including tuition, fees, housing and food, books, and other education expenses. Financial aid is available in two categories:
-
Gift Aid: Includes federal, state, and institutional grants and scholarships, as well as private scholarships. These do not need to be repaid.
-
Self-Help Aid: Includes student loans that must be repaid and work-study opportunities that require students to earn the aid through part-time employment.
CMC offers a wide range of financial aid, including over 500 scholarships, work-study employment, and loans. All communications regarding a student’s financial aid will be sent to the CMC student email, which should be monitored regularly.
Financial Aid Application
Each year, students must submit one of the following applications to apply for financial aid.
Financial Aid Application Steps:
1. Create a FAFSA or CASFA Log in:
- FAFSA: Create a StudentAid.gov account.
- Students and their contributors* are each required to have an account to sign the FAFSA electronically. All participants must provide consent and approval even if they did not file a U.S. federal tax return or any tax return at all.
- CASFA: Create a Colorado Department of Higher Education account to begin the CASFA.
- For dependent students, at least one contributor’s* electronic signature is required.
*Contributors may be one or more of the following: the student, the student’s spouse (if applicable), the student’s parent (if applicable), or the parent’s spouse (if applicable).
2. Complete the FAFSA or CASFA:
- For CMC to receive your results, enter CMC’s Federal School Code: 004506
- If you are unable to list parent information on your FAFSA due to an Unusual Circumstance, please CMC Financial Aid to discuss your situation.
3. Complete a CMC Admissions Application:
4. Submit Financial Aid Documentation:
- Students will be notified via their CMC email, if additional documentation is needed.
5. Review Financial Aid Offer:
- Students will be notified via their CMC email when the aid offer is available.
Students may submit a Special Circumstances Appeal to the Office of Financial Aid for review if they feel their family’s financial situation is not accurately reflected on the FAFSA or CASFA due to special circumstances such as death, divorce or separation, disability, loss of employment, etc.
Federal and State Financial Aid Eligibility
Federal Aid Eligibility
To qualify for federal financial aid, students must meet the following criteria:
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
- Have a high school diploma or equivalent.
- Student and contributor(s), if applicable, must provide consent and approval to have their federal tax information transferred directly into the FAFSA form.
- Submit a completed FAFSA.
- Enroll in courses that will apply to the student’s active financial aid eligible program.
- Undeclared and Non-degree Seeking are not eligible degree programs.
- Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
- Not be in default on previous federal student loans.
- No outstanding overpayments on prior Pell Grants.
- Not receiving aid at two schools at the same time.
State Financial Aid Eligibility (for Colorado Residents):
To qualify for state financial aid, students must:
- Enroll in courses that will apply to the student’s active financial aid eligible program.
- Undeclared and Non-degree Seeking are not eligible degree programs.
- Be considered a Colorado ASSET student and meet the following requirements:
- Graduated from a Colorado high school or was physically present in Colorado for at least one year immediately preceding the date the student successfully completed a high school equivalency examination in Colorado; and
- Has been physically present in Colorado for at least 12 consecutive months prior to enrolling in an institution.
Disbursement of Financial Aid
Financial aid is applied directly to CMC student accounts approximately 14 days after the start of each term. If financial aid does not cover all institutional charges, students are responsible for paying the remaining balance or setting up a payment plan. Failure to make such arrangements before the payment deadline may result in the student being dropped from their courses.
Refunds: Any excess financial aid will be refunded to students through direct deposit or check.
Please Note:
- Financial aid will not be disbursed until a student’s class starts. If enrolled in “late start” classes, disbursement may be delayed or reduced until attendance in all classes has begun.
- First-time borrowers of Federal Direct Loans are subject to a 30-day disbursement delay.
- One-semester loans are disbursed in two payments: one approximately 14 days after the start of the term and the second at the mid-point of the semester.
Types of Financial Aid
Grants
CMC provides federal, state, and private grants based on need. Grants are gift aid and do not need to be repaid. A FAFSA or CASFA submission is required for eligibility.
Scholarships
Colorado Mountain College Foundation Scholarships
The Colorado Mountain College Foundation offers over 500 scholarships. To be eligible for these scholarships, students must be enrolled in a CMC degree or certificate program.
Colorado Mountain College Locals’s Scholarship
The Locals’s Scholarship is a $1000 tuition scholarship available to recent graduates of qualifying local high schools or Adult High School Diploma program or high school equivalency (HSE) completers who are enrolled full-time. Completion of a FAFSA or CASFA is required to be considered for this scholarship.
Colorado Mountain Promise Scholarship
This income-based program uses a combination of federal, state and institutional funds to pay your tuition. Once programs like the Pell Grant or Colorado Student Grant are factored in, CMC will make up the difference.
Colorado residency and completion of a FAFSA or CASFA are required to be considered for this program.
Work-Study
Federal and state work-study programs allow students to earn money through part-time employment. Eligibility is based on need and is determined by the FAFSA or CASFA. Students are paid on a bi-weekly basis in the form of direct deposit or a paycheck.
Loans
Colorado Mountain College participates in the Federal Direct Loan Program, offering both subsidized and unsubsidized loans. Eligibility is based on need and is determined by the FAFSA or CASFA. Loans must be repaid, with interest applied.
Adjustments to Financial Aid
There are a variety of circumstances that may require an adjustment to a student’s financial aid award. Students should understand how dropping and adding courses, receiving other aid, or corrections on their FAFSA or CASFA will impact their aid. For more information, please contact CMC Financial Aid.
Maintaining Financial Aid Eligibility
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP):
Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA and complete at least 67% of their attempted credits to remain eligible for financial aid. The maximum time frame for completing a degree is 150% of the required credits. Failure to meet SAP may result in the loss of financial aid.
Reestablishing Financial Aid Eligibility
A student placed on financial aid termination or Exceeds Maximum Timeframe may have the option to submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal. Speak to a CMC financial aid specialist regarding the appeal process. Financial Aid appeals will be reviewed by the Office of Financial Aid, and a determination will be made regarding reinstatement.
Returning Title IV Funds
If a student withdraws fully from CMC after the term begins, federal regulations require a calculation be done to determine how much aid the student earned based on their participation in classes. Any federal aid including Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), and Direct Loans that the student does not earn will be returned to the U.S. Department of Education. The student will then owe that amount back to CMC and would need to make payment arrangements or enroll in a payment plan to pay the balance due before they would be able to register for future terms at CMC.
Veteran Education Benefits
Colorado Mountain College honors those who served our country in the military. Veterans, active-duty military, their spouses, and dependents (under 23 years of age) may be eligible for a CMC tuition discount.
Most certificate and degree programs offered through Colorado Mountain College are approved for Veteran Education Benefits.
All students receiving assistance from the Veterans Administration (VA) and/or state funding agencies must comply with current regulations, including regulations related to satisfactory academic progress, attendance, and reporting of previous educational training to the funding agency.
Per VA regulations, all education and military transcripts must be provided to receive Veteran Education Benefits.
Send all transcripts from previous higher education institutions and military transcripts to CMC’s Registrar’s office registrar@coloradomtn.edu for evaluation.
For information on ordering a Joint Services Transcript (JST), please visit the JST website. CMC uses recommendations provided by the American Council on Education (ACE) for the transcript evaluation. These credit recommendations appear on the service member’s JST.
For information on ordering an Air Force Transcript, see Community College of the Air Force or Air University.
Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, Section 103
In compliance with Section 103 of the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, Colorado Mountain College will not impose any penalties due to the delayed disbursement of funding from the Department of Veteran Affairs under chapter 31 or 33.
Students with payment delays will not be charged late fees, prevented from enrolling, or denied access to courses, libraries, or other institutional facilities available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution. Nor are students required to borrow additional funds due to the delayed disbursement of funding from the VA under chapter 31 or 33.
To qualify for this provision, such students are required to:
- Produce a VA Certificate of Eligibility or an eBenefits GI Bill Statement of Benefits by the first day of class.
- Provide the school with a request to be certified.
- Provide any additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in the school’s institutional policies.
This provision ends on the earlier of the following dates:
- The date on which payment from the VA is made to the institution.
- 90 days after the date the institution certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the Certificate of Eligibility.
Colorado Mountain College does not provide incentive compensation for the recruitment of students who are veterans or dependents of veterans.
GI Bill is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. Veterans Affairs website.
NOTE: Because the application and approval process takes an average of 60 to 90 days, be prepared to personally meet all educational and living expenses for at least three months.
The VA approves work experience courses for Veteran Education Benefits only if the course is required of all students earning the specific degree or certificate. Please read the degree/certificate requirements carefully. Visit the CMC Veterans page for further information on Veterans Services. You may also contact our coordinator of military benefits by email at military@coloradomtn.edu or by calling 970.384.8523.
|
