Applying for Financial Aid

All students are encouraged to apply for financial aid. CMCC requires only one application, the FAFSA.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available each year in October, for the following academic year. This form uses your income, and potentially parental, information from two years prior to help CMCC determine your eligibility for all types of financial aid.

Aid is available for coursework counted toward the student’s current degree or certificate program. Courses not meeting degree or certificate graduation requirements and non-credit courses do not qualify for financial aid.

Eligibility for Financial Aid

To be eligible for financial aid the student must:

• Be accepted into an eligible degree or certificate program at the College
• Be a United States Citizen or an Eligible Non-Citizen
• Have a valid Social Security Number
• Have a high school diploma, or a General Education Development (GED) Certificate
• Not owe a refund on a federal grant or be in default on a federal student loan

Financial Aid Application Process

The application process for financial aid is easy! Students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA as early as possible to help ensure consideration for all available financial aid types. While there is no official deadline, students should keep in mind alternative payment arrangements will need to be made if financial aid is not in place at the time bills are due before the semester starts. CMCC’s Title IV School Code for the FAFSA is 005276.

1. Apply for your FSA ID. This can be done at any time. The FSA ID allows you, and any parents required, to electronically sign the FAFSA and apply for federal student loans.
2. Complete your FAFSA. The FAFSA will populate a button to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) if you are eligible. This tool automatically populates the FAFSA with your IRS information, reducing wait times for manual data verification by the Office of Financial Aid. If the FAFSA notifies you of eligibility, we recommend using it.
3. Disclose any external assistance. Federal student aid regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to consider all financial assistance, including private scholarships, sponsorships, and vocational rehabilitation, as part of a student’s total financial aid award package.  You are required to notify the Office of Financial Aid if you expect to receive any external financial assistance.  If you receive any external assistance after you have already applied for financial aid, simply let the Office of Financial Aid know as soon as possible. Notification should be sent in writing to cmccsfs@mainecc.edu or may be mailed to Office of Financial Aid, 1250 Turner Street, Auburn, ME 04210.

CMCC usually receives the FAFSA within 3-5 business days of submission.  Please be aware FAFSA applicants may need to provide additional supporting documentation, such as income tax information, before their financial aid eligibility can be determined. FAFSA applicants will be notified by email with the financial aid determination, or a request for specific documentation.

Special Circumstances

If you believe you have special circumstances impacting your financial aid eligibility determination, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at (207) 755-5328 or contact the Office of Financial Aid.

Fraud Notice

Students and parents may be required to submit documents to the Office of Financial Aid in support of the student’s FAFSA. Most documents require the student’s signature, and may require the signature of a parent or spouse. Signing someone else’s name is fraud. Documents suspected of containing fraudulent signatures will be required to be resubmitted with a notarized signature. The Office of Financial Aid reserves the right to discontinue processing any application where fraud is suspected. In cases where fraud is suspected, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of the Inspector General will be notified.