1. Review the General Eligibility Requirements.

2. Review the available Financial Aid Programs.

3. If you are a new student, apply for admission to AACC.

4. Submit a FAFSA. Our School Code is 002058.

• For Fall 2011 – Summer 2012, submit a 2011-2012 FAFSA. 
• Apply after January 1, 2011 and before March 1, 2011.
• You must file your FAFSA before March 1 to be considered for most state aid programs.
• If you are transferring to another school, get their FAFSA deadline from their financial aid web site. Some schools have/had February deadlines.  
• If the FAFSA requests your parent's financial data and you have trouble obtaining this data, please review the dependency status regulations.
• The FAFSA bases your financial need on last year's income data. If your annual income has significantly decreased or you have other special financial issues or changes, please read about Special Circumstances.

5. Register for your courses.

AACC must have your FAFSA and all required documents by August 15 for the Fall semester and January 15 for the Spring semester.  For the Summer semester, you must submit the required payment on the day you register for your Summer classes, unless you have already been awarded aid for the Summer. You can check your award status online through your MyAACC account.  To secure your registration please make the required down payment.

6. Apply for other sources of aid:

• Scholarships
• Federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant 

7. Review your Student Aid Report (SAR).

Three to four weeks after you submit your FAFSA, the federal processor will send you a SAR. Carefully review it and make sure that all information is correct. If there are errors, use the SAR corrections forms or make corrections online. They will also send your SAR data to all the schools listed on your FAFSA. Do not mail your SAR to AACC. 
If your SAR does not list AACC, go online or call 1-800-4FED-AID and add our school code (002058). If you call, they will ask for a DRN number from your SAR form. If you need another copy or your SAR, call 1-800-4FED-AID.

8. Respond to any requests for additional documents.

Once we receive your data from the Department of Education, our office will review your file. If there are eligibility issues, we will request additional documentation. Please read our notices carefully and respond promptly to all requests. Delays can lead to lost aid! You will need to log in to your MyAACC Account at http://myaacc.aacc.edu for specific information about these issues, and to download the required forms.  Under the “Self Services” tab, select the “Requested Application Documents” option. There will be links to the required documents. Complete and sign all requested items and submit them to our office for processing. If you are a new MYAACC user, you will need to set-up a user name or password. To have your account re-set, please contact the AACC Helpdesk at 410-777-HELP. If you are selected for verification, you must return a worksheet and the required IRS tax return transcripts. Your application will not be complete until we have received and reviewed all your documents.

9. Wait for an Award Packet.

Once your application is complete, we will send you an Award Packet in the mail. We usually start sending notices for the next academic year (Fall-Spring-Summer) in June. 

10. Borrowing a Student Loan

If you requested loans, your award packet will list your maximum loan amount, and will include loan information and application forms. You must choose the amount you want to borrow. If this is the first time you have borrowed a Federal Stafford Loan you must also complete an entrance interview. 

11. Reapply for next year's financial aid.

To continue receiving financial aid, you must file a FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA for each academic year. The 2011-2012 FAFSA can’t be filed until January 1, 2011. For Maryland state aid, you must submit this FAFSA by March 1, 2011.