Availability of Financial Aid
Financial aid is available for full and part-time students. To be eligible for financial aid, students must be accepted into a program that is financial aid eligible, is at least 16 credits in length, and is leading to an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree, diploma or certificate. There are both state and federal regulations related to financial aid, and these regulations are subject to change.
Students who have been arrested, charged, or convicted of any criminal offense, should investigate the impact that the arrest, charge, or conviction may have on chances of employment in their field of intended study. They should also investigate their ability to obtain federal, state and other higher education financial aid.
Financial Aid Programs
Anoka Technical College participates in federal and state grant, loan, and work-study programs. Unless otherwise indicated, eligibility for aid programs is based on the following:
- An undergraduate student who does NOT have a bachelor’s degree
- A U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
- Earned a high school diploma or GED
- Admitted to the college as degree-seeking student enrolled in an eligible program that is at least 16 credits in length
- If male, be registered with the Selective Service Administration
- Maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as defined in the college’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy which can be found in another section of the Student Handbook.
- Not in default on a federal student loan or owe an overpayment on a federal grant
- Must not have been convicted of a drug offense while receiving federal aid
- Students will be considered for all financial aid programs in which they are eligible to receive which may include:
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
- Minnesota State Grant
- Minnesota Child Care Grant
- Minnesota GI Bill
- Minnesota SELF (Student Educational Load Fund) Loan
- American Indian Scholarships
- Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs
- Minnesota Indian Scholarship Program
- College Foundation Scholarships
- Federal and State Work-Study programs
- Federal Direct Loans
- Subsidized Loan
- Unsubsidized
- Federal Direct PLUS (Parent loan for under graduate students)
Loan Entrance Counseling must be completed for all first-time federal direct loan borrowers before loan funds can be disbursed. Additional information is provided on your award letter.
Exit Counseling must be completed after graduating or dropping below half-time. Students will be notified of this requirement, and be provided information and directions for completing this requirement, by the financial aid office at the appropriate time.
Loan Repayment begins six months after a student graduates or is no longer enrolled at least half-time.
Applying for Financial Aid
All students are encouraged to apply for financial aid regardless of perceived eligibility. To apply for financial aid, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.gov. It is recommended that students apply for financial aid each year by mid-March or as soon as they complete their federal income taxes.
Returning students should complete a renewal application also available at www.fafsa.gov.
The federal processors may require that the college verify the accuracy of the data on your FAFSA through a process called “verification.” Approximately 30% of all students are selected for federal verification. If a student is selected for verification, the student will receive an email from the Financial Aid Office to their student email address requesting additional information which may include: a copy of student, parent (if dependent student) or spouse (independent student) IRS Tax Transcript, W-2’s, untaxed income information and other household information.
When the financial aid application has been completed, the student will receive an Award Letter from the Financial Aid Office via their eServices account, which details financial aid eligibility for grants, work-study and loans including required enrollment levels.
Verification of Application for Financial Aid
Anoka Technical College will verify all student applications selected by the FAFSA processor. Verification documents will be requested of the student upon receipt of the FAFSA. Documents must be received and verification performed before any disbursement of financial aid will be made. If there are errors, the Financial Aid Office will update your application, recalculate your aid eligibility and provide an updated award letter to you. The deadline for the submission of verification documents is 120 days after the last date of enrollment (or date published by the Department of Education, whichever is earlier). Documents submitted later than either of those two deadlines will not be processed.
Changes to Schedule After Pell Census
Student class schedules should be finalized by the end of the 5th day of the semester. Pell Grant eligibility is calculated based on registration on this dates, so any changes to registration after this point may lead to reductions in aid. Students who make changes after the 5th day, may appeal to have their eligibility reviewed by submitting a Pell Grant Appeal available on the College website.
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