Learn more about receiving your financial aid.
The Financial Aid Office awards financial aid on a rolling basis. You are notified of your financial aid offer once:
HACC will send an email notification to your HAWKMail account of your financial aid offer. The financial aid offer outlines the type and amount of financial aid you may receive while studying at HACC and can include grants, scholarships, work-study, or loans.
Do not make any changes to your FAFSA/SAR after you receive your financial aid offer from HACC. If you find you made an error, contact the Financial Aid Office.
It typically takes 3-5 days to process a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that was submitted online using FAFSA on the Web. A paper FAFSA is processed within 7-10 days from the date it was mailed.
If you provide a valid e-mail address on your FAFSA, you will receive an e-mail notification from the Federal Government that includes a link to your electronic Student Aid Report (SAR) or Student Aid Summary (SAS) on studentaid.gov. If you did not provide a valid e-mail address, the Social Security Number you included in your FAFSA did not match the one on file for you with the Social Security Administration, or you did not sign your FAFSA, then you will receive a paper SAR or SAS through the mail.
The SAR summarizes the information you provided on your FAFSA. You should always review the SAR to ensure you did not make any mistakes on the application and make corrections if necessary. The SAR also notifies you of your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), if you are selected for verification or if you have other outstanding issues.
Verification is a process required by the Federal Government and used to verify certain information on the FAFSA to ensure its accuracy. The U.S. Department of Education selects students for verification. You will be notified via your HAWKMail with a list of documents required to complete your file. Because verification must be completed in advance of awarding financial aid, it is imperative that you submit requested documentation as soon as possible. Processing usually takes two to three weeks, but it can take longer during the peak season in July and August.
Although you can never eliminate the chance of being selected for verification, you may reduce the possibility. The IRS Data Retrieval Tool allows those who have filed their taxes to transfer data from their processed Federal return directly into the FAFSA. This process saves time on FAFSA completion, reduces the chance for error, and can reduce the chance of being selected for Federal verification.
Textbooks and supplies are available before the beginning of the term in the campus bookstores, as well as online at www.bookstore.hacc.edu. Financial aid, if available can be used two weeks before the beginning of classes. Students who want to purchase books outside of the HACC Bookstore should contact the financial aid office at www.hacc.edu. Students are encouraged to purchase textbooks before the term begins so they can be used on the first day of class.
HACC releases your financial aid funds about 30 days after the semester starts and only after your attendance is confirmed.