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 financial 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. To access our services, visit the Financial Aid - Contact Us page.
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 provides funding to help students meet the cost of their education, including tuition, fees, housing and food, books, and other education expenses. Financial aid is available in two categories:
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Gift Aid: Includes federal, state, and institutional grants and scholarships, as well as private scholarships. These do not need to be repaid.
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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 Colorado Mountain College Foundation scholarships, work-study employment, and loans. All communication regarding a student’s financial aid will be sent to the student’s CMC 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 student account to begin the CASFA.
- For dependent students, at least one contributor’s* electronic signature is required.
*Contributors may include 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 application results, enter CMC’s Federal School Code: 004506
- If students are unable to list parent information on their FAFSA due to an Unusual Circumstance, please contact the CMC Office of Financial Aid to discuss the situation.
3. Complete a CMC Admissions Application:
4. Submit Financial Aid Documentation:
- Students will be notified through their CMC email if additional documentation is needed.
5. Review Financial Aid Offer:
- Students will be notified through their CMC email when their financial 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. contact the Office of Financial Aid for details.
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 financial aid eligible degree programs.
- Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
- Not be in default on previous federal student loans.
- No outstanding overpayments on prior Federal Pell Grants.
- Not receiving financial 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 their active financial aid eligible academic program.
- Note: Undeclared and non-degree seeking students are not in financial aid eligible programs.
- FAFSA filers may be considered for state financial aid.
- CASFA filers may only be considered for state aid if they meet Colorado ASSET requirements, which include:
- Graduating from a Colorado high school or being physically present in Colorado for at least one year immediately before successfully completing a Colorado high school equivalency exam.
- Being physically present in Colorado for at least 12 consecutive months before 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 semester 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 Student 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 midpoint of the semester.
Types of Financial Aid
Grants
CMC provides federal, state, and institutional grants based on need. Grants are gift aid and do not need to be repaid. A FAFSA or CASFA submission is required for eligibility to be determined.
Scholarships
Colorado Mountain College Foundation Scholarships
The Colorado Mountain College Foundation offers over 500 scholarships. To be considered for these scholarships, students must be enrolled in a CMC degree or certificate program.
Colorado Mountain College Locals Scholarship
Locals Scholarship is a $1000 tuition scholarship available to recent graduates of qualifying local high schools or Adult High School Diploma (AHSD) or High School Equivalent (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 tuition. Once programs like the Federal 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.
To learn more about these types of financial aid, please see the CMC Types of Financial Aid page.
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 biweekly basis in the form of direct deposit. To learn more about our work-study program, please see the CMC Work-Study page.
Loans
Colorado Mountain College participates in the Federal Direct Loan Program, offering Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and Parent PLUS Loans. Student loan eligibility is determined by the FAFSA; students submitting a CASFA are not eligible. A parent of a dependent student may apply for a Parent PLUS Loan, and a credit check is required. Loans can help cover educational costs not met by other financial aid. Federal Direct Student Loan amounts will be prorated based on enrollment. All loans must be repaid with interest.
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 the CMC Office of 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 eligibility.
Reestablishing Financial Aid Eligibility
A student placed on Failed SAP status may have the option to submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal. Students should speak with a CMC Financial Aid Specialist regarding the appeal process. Financial aid appeals will be reviewed by the Office of Financial Aid, which will make a determination regarding reinstatement.
Returning Title IV Funds
If a student withdraws fully from CMC after the term begins, federal regulations require a calculation to be done to determine how much aid the student earned based on their participation in classes. Any federal aid including Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), and Federal 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. To learn more about returning Title IV funds, please see the CMC Financial Aid Returns page.
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 Veterans Tuition Discount.
Most certificates 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 will remain in effect until 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. Students may also contact our coordinator of military services by email at military@coloradomtn.edu or by calling 970.384.8523.
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