To apply for all federal financial aid, and most other types of aid, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For best consideration, the FAFSA should be completed by March 1 each year, however, FAFSA may be done at any time. You may complete the FAFSA at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.

In general, a student is considered eligible for some type of financial aid, including federal loans, if the student:

• Is officially accepted to LMC and has either a high school diploma, or has completed the GED.
• Is a U.S. citizen or eligible non‐citizen. Is not in default on a student loan nor owes a repayment on a student grant previously received. Also may not have exceeded federal loan limits, both aggregate or yearly.
• Is making satisfactory academic progress at Lake Michigan College.
• Is registered with Selective Service, if required to do so by law (male students only).
• Is pursuing a course of study leading to a degree or a certificate in an approved program at LMC.
• Is enrolled for classes before the end of the “drop/add period” for each semester.
• Attends the classes that he/she enrolled in.
• Has not received a drug conviction while receiving federal financial aid (see below).

In addition to federal financial aid, you may apply for scholarships. Scholarship applications may be done online. Scholarships exist for many different areas such as, major, GPA, leadership ability, dedication to diversity, and area of residence. LMC awards over $400,000 in scholarships each academic year. Applications are generally due March 1 of each year, however, applications are accepted and encouraged even after the due date.

Effects of Drug Convictions on Title IV Financial Aid Eligibility

A federal or state drug conviction (but not a local or municipal conviction) can disqualify a student for FSA funds. The student self-certifies when applying for aid that he is eligible on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Convictions only count against student eligibility if they were for an offense that occurred during a period of enrollment for which the student was receiving federal student aid—they do not count if the offense was not during such a period, unless the student was denied federal benefits for drug trafficking by a federal or state judge. Also, a conviction that was reversed, set aside, or removed from the student’s record does not count, nor does one received when a juvenile, unless tried as an adult.

Penalties for Drug Convictions

The following outlines the periods of ineligibility for FSA funds, depending on whether the conviction was for the sale or possession and whether the student had previous offenses.  (A conviction for sale of drugs includes convictions for conspiring to sell drugs.)

Possession of Illegal Drugs:

• First Offense: 1 year from the date of conviction
• Second Offense: 2 years from the date of conviction
• Third and Subsequent Offenses: Indefinite ineligibility from the date of conviction

Sale of Illegal Drugs:

• First Offense: 2 years from the date of conviction
• Second and Subsequent Offenses: Indefinite ineligibility from the date of conviction

*If a student was convicted of both possessing and selling illegal drugs, and the periods of ineligibility are different, the student will be ineligible for the longer period.

How to Regain Eligibility

A student regains eligibility the day after the period of ineligibility ends or when he successfully completes a qualified drug rehabilitation program that includes passing two unannounced drug tests given by such a program. Further drug convictions will make the student ineligible again.

Students denied eligibility for an indefinite period can regain eligibility after completing any of the following 3 options:

• Successfully completing a rehabilitation program (as described below), which includes passing two unannounced drug tests from such a program
• Having the conviction reversed, set aside, or removed from the student’s record so that fewer than two convictions for sale or three convictions for possession remain on the record
• Successfully completing two unannounced drug tests which are part of a rehab program (the student does not have to complete the rest of the program).

In such cases, the nature and dates of the remaining convictions will determine when the student regains eligibility. It is the student’s responsibility to certify to Lake Michigan College that he/she has successfully completed the rehabilitation program.

When a student regains eligibility during the award year, Lake Michigan College may award the Pell Grant and Campus-based aid for the current payment period and Direct Loans for the period of enrollment.

Standards for a qualified drug rehabilitation program

A qualified drug rehabilitation program must include at least two unan­nounced drug tests and must satisfy at least one of the following require­ments:

• Be qualified to receive funds directly or indirectly from a federal, state, or local government program.
• Be qualified to receive payment directly or indirectly from a federally or state-licensed insurance company.
• Be administered or recognized by a federal, state, or local government agency or court.
• Be administered or recognized by a federally or state-licensed hospital, health clinic, or medical doctor.

Financial Aid will be requiring that students complete all of their documentation before their financial aid award can be calculated. Therefore, if you receive a document tracking notification letter, it is extremely important that you submit the required documents as soon as possible. Without a financial aid award, you will be required to either sign up for the regular Flex Plan, which will charge you a $25 fee right away, and require your payments to begin before your aid is applied to your account; or you will have to pay in full at the time of registration. If you do neither of those things, you will be dropped from your classes.

You may print a copy of the forms listed on your document request notification on the Financial Aid Office page. You may also access WaveLink at any time to see what documentation is still required from you.

Some documents, like your 2010 tax return or other documentation, may also need to be supplied before your aid can be determined. Make sure that all documents are signed and dated before turning them into our office. If any form is not signed or not fully completed, your file will be placed on hold and you will be notified of what is missing.

If you have any questions regarding required documentation, please feel free to email us at finaid@lakemichigancollege.edu or call the financial aid office at (269) 927‐8112 or (800) 252‐1562.

Financial aid is any source of funds to help students meet their educational expenses. Sources of funds are broken down into four categories:

• Grants: Awards based on financial need with no repayment requirements, unless the student does not attend or stops attending before the 60% mark of the semester. 
   
• Scholarships: Awards based on merit or some other special qualifications with no repayment requirements. You can apply online.

• Work Study: Award you earn by working on‐campus. You will not automatically receive a work-study award. If interested, you should contact the Financial Aid Office at (269) 927‐8112. 
   
• Loans: Loans are financial aid funds that you must pay back with interest.

Applicants who submit a complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit the required documentation will be considered for financial aid. Some types of aid, like the Pell Grant, are available during the entire school year. Other types of aid are awarded on a first‐come, first‐serve basis.

Financial aid eligibility for most programs is determined by the student’s financial need. Other variables specific to each fund may also apply. Financial need has two components: Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and Cost of Attendance (COA).

The student’s EFC is determined by a formula developed by Congress called Federal Methodology and is designed to determine how much a student (and parent if dependent) can reasonably pay towards their education.

To determine a student’s financial need, the EFC is subtracted from the Cost of Attendance. The COA is the total of all estimated potential costs of a student attending college. The COA includes tuition, fees, books, supplies, room, board, transportation costs, and personal expenses.

Cost of Attendance (COA) - Expected Family Contribution = (EFC) Financial Need

Your grant aid and subsidized loans, as well as some scholarship and work-study awards, cannot exceed your financial need.

In addition, all financial aid, including third-party payments, outside scholarships, MET, state-sponsored tuition savings plans, etc., cannot exceed the Cost of Attendance. Your financial aid may be reduced if you receive any aid that the Financial Aid Office is not aware of when your financial aid package was prepared.

You may see LMC’s estimated cost of attendance online.

Once all of the documentation requirements have been received and processed by the Financial Aid Office, you will receive an award letter notification. Your award letter is an estimate of the amount of financial aid you are eligible for. If, for any reason, a change is made to your Free Application for Financial Aid (FAFSA), your eligibility could change. If your eligibility changes, you will receive a revised award letter informing you of the changes in your aid package.

If, after reviewing your award letter, you wish to discuss your financial aid award further, please contact the Financial Aid Office. We understand that special circumstances may occur, such as your, or your parents' loss of employment, etc., which may allow us to reconsider your eligibility for financial aid.

All financial aid listed on the award letter is subject to final funding by federal, state, institutional, or private sources and to revised information you may provide. The Financial Aid Office must revise any financial aid offer that was incorrectly computed, even if it was the mistake of the Financial Aid Office.

The aid amounts on your award letter are based on full‐time enrollment. If you are not enrolled full-time, or aren’t sure, check the “Enrollment Status” chart below to determine your enrollment. If your enrollment status is not “full‐time”, check the “Less‐Than‐Full‐Time Aid Chart” below to determine your award amount.

Enrollment Status Chart

Less-Than-Full-Time Aid Chart 

If there is a percentage in the box, multiply your semester award amount by the percentage in the box for the correct enrollment status.

Example: A full‐time Pell grant for fall is $2,000. For ¾ time, the amount would be $1,500, the ½ time amount would be $1,000, and less than half-time amount would be $500.

If your full year Pell grant award is $1,400 or less, you should check with the Financial Aid Office if you will be less than full‐time. Depending on your enrollment status, you may not be able to receive your Pell award.

*For scholarships that are not state-funded, read the scholarship requirements on the Scholarship Confirmation form for enrollment requirements.

If you officially drop all of your classes before the end of the Drop/Add period (usually about a week after classes begin), a 100% refund of your tuition will be made to your account. We suggest you return any books bought with Bookstore Credit to the LMC Bookstore for a refund or you will be billed for this amount. Your Flex Pay plan WILL activate for any bookstore charges that remain.

If you add or drop some classes during the Drop/Add period, the appropriate adjustments will be made to your financial aid award amounts based on the total number of credits enrolled at the end of the Drop/Add period. If you intend to add or drop classes, you may want to check with the Financial Aid Office to find out how it will affect your financial aid.

If you officially withdraw or stop attending your classes before the 60% point of the semester, a refund calculation will be performed based upon your last date of attendance. Adjustments will be made to your Federal financial aid based on the number of days you actually attended.

If the final grade you receive in all of your classes is an “E”, or a “W”, we must determine if you established eligibility for financial aid by actually attending your classes. Should our records show you did not establish eligibility for the financial aid given, you will have to repay all the aid which was credited to your account. If you have established eligibility, but you did not continue in attendance, adjustments will be made to your Federal financial aid based on your official withdrawal date or your last date of class attendance. If you attend your classes after the 60% point of the semester is passed, your Federal financial aid award will remain the same and no adjustments are made.

If you do not attend your classes and/or are reported as a no-show by your instructors, your Federal financial aid will be adjusted by the number of credit hours that you did not attend. Some types of State financial aid may also be affected.

Examples of the refund calculation are available in the Financial Aid Office.

If your grades have been submitted, or you withdraw from courses before your financial aid has been disbursed, the financial aid office will need to determine how much, if any, of your aid you are able to receive. The disbursed amount will be based on the number of completed credits for that semester.

An overaward occurs when the combination of all your financial aid exceeds your financial aid need, or an error is made in determining your eligibility for a particular aid program. When this occurs, a reduction in your financial aid will be necessary. If you have already received the award(s), you must repay the amount of the overaward. Should you fail to repay any Federal overaward amount, you will lose eligibility to receive all Federal financial aid at all schools, not just Lake Michigan College.

Once your financial aid is finalized, your financial aid will be credited to your LMC student account and first be applied toward tuition and fees. If your Pell grant award exceeds your tuition and fees, you will be issued a Bookstore Credit for your remaining financial aid, up to a maximum of $800. Only the amount you actually buy in books and supplies will be charged and paid by your financial aid funds. Please note, not all funds can be used to purchase books. Pell Grants and Direct Loans, which are the most commonly received types of aid can be used for book purchases. However, other types of aid like TIP cannot be used for this purpose.

If you have funds left after paying for tuition, fees, and books, a refund will be issued for the remaining balance. 

Questions about refunds should be directed to the Business Office at (269) 927-8610.

Please note: Your Pell Grants and Direct Loans will not be disbursed until the classes you have enrolled for have begun and we have verified your attendance in your classes.

Enrollment Cut‐Off 

Students may only receive federal and state funds for classes that they sign up for before the end of the drop/add period each semester. This policy is true for all classes, even classes that start late and Open Entry courses. While you may sign up for these courses, that does not mean you can receive aid for them.

Repeat Courses 

When you repeat a course, only the GPA and credits earned count for the class with the highest grade. However, every credit hour you repeat will go towards the maximum hour limit, whether you received aid for it or not.

The following are rules for when financial aid will pay for a class:

• You may only repeat a class that was already passed ONE TIME.
• You may only repeat a class that you did not pass TWO TIMES.

A passed class is defined as one where the student received “credit” for the course. So, a “D” is considered a passing grade, even if it does meet graduation requirements or does not allow you to move on to the next class.

This rule is regulated by federal law and CANNOT be appealed.

Ineligible Majors 

All associate degrees at LMC are eligible for financial aid. However, programs where you do not earn an LMC degree may not be eligible. Any programs where another school awards you the degree is not eligible. In addition, some of LMC’s certificate programs are not eligible as well. If you are working on classes for personal interest, you will not be eligible for financial aid.

Early College and Audited Courses 

These courses are NOT eligible for financial aid.

Attending Two Colleges 

Students may not receive financial aid at two schools during the same semester. Students must inform the financial aid office at the school they do not want to receive aid at. If a student does receive aid at two schools, the student will be responsible for paying back any aid that they were not eligible for. The only exceptions to this are explained under “Consortium Agreements.”

Consortium Agreements 

A Consortium Agreement (or Concurrent Enrollment Agreement) allows a student to attend two schools at the same time, with credits from both institutions being included in determining your financial aid eligibility. Only one school processes the aid, and you cannot be paid aid by both schools. You are responsible for making sure that the school knows that they aren’t suppose to process your financial aid, as you will be liable to pay back whatever funds you receive and are not entitled to.

In addition, you will be responsible for paying the school that you are not receiving financial aid at and must adhere to whatever payment deadlines/requirements they have.

LMC has agreements with the following schools:

Western Michigan University 
Students who are working on a degree at Western Michigan University, and are also taking LMC classes that will work toward that degree, may be eligible for aid through the LMC/WMU Consortium Agreement. WMU processes and pays the student’s financial aid. Forms are available in the LMC Financial Aid Office and through WMU.

Grand Valley State University 
Students who are working on a degree at Grand Valley State University, and are also taking LMC classes that will work toward that degree, may be eligible to do a Concurrent Enrollment agreement. In this case GVSU will process and pay the student’s aid. Forms are available on GVSU’s website at www.gvsu.edu/financialaid .

Michigan State University 
Students who are enrolled in one of LMC’s Agriculture degrees, and taking classes at MSU to meet the degree requirements, may be eligible to do a consortium agreement. LMC would process and pay the student’s financial aid. Forms are available in the Financial Aid Office and through the program’s academic advisor.

Due to budget issues at both the federal and the state government levels, most of the types of funding described here are subject to changes by the state or federal agency that administers them. If you have been awarded any of these funds, and the federal or state government decides not to fund the program, they will be removed from your aid package.

Federal Pell Grant 
Eligibility is based on the student’s Expected Family Contribution and their enrollment status. To be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant a student must have an EFC of 5,273 or less and meet all the criteria for financial aid eligibility.

Students with an EFC of more than 4,400 may not be eligible to receive their Pell grant, even if it is listed on their award letter if they do not enroll full time. If your EFC is higher than 4,400 and you do not plan to attend full time, you should check with the Financial Aid Office to see if you will receive a grant.

Pell grant awards range from $890 to $5,550 and may be used for any educational expenses.

In April 2011, the budget resolution that was passed by Congress and signed by President Obama ended full‐year Pell grants. You will now be limited to the equivalent of two semesters of full‐time Pell grant funds. If you do not go full time for fall and/or spring semesters, you may be able to receive some Pell for the summer term.

In addition, due to changes in federal regulations, students who received their first Pell grant after July 1, 2008, are limited to 18 semesters of full‐time Pell grant eligibility (or the equivalent).

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) 
Priority for an SEOG grant will go to students who have a zero (0) EFC on a first-come, first-serve basis until all funds are expended.

SEOG grants are $250 each for Fall and Spring semesters and may be used for any educational expenses.

Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) 
Students are eligible for TIP if they received Medicaid benefits for 24 consecutive months during a 36 month period between the sixth and twelfth grade. Eligible students would have received a letter from the State of Michigan confirming the student’s eligibility. Students must have completed high school (or its equivalency) before the age of 20, and initiate the use of TIP within four years of graduation or receiving their GED.

TIP will pay for tuition for up to 24 credit hours, and up to $250 per semester for some fees. Any fees that TIP does not cover will be the student’s responsibility.

Student’s MUST be at least half‐time and provide the College with a copy of the TIP letter from the State of Michigan that confirms eligibility. To request a copy of this letter from the State, contact the Office of Scholarships and Grants at 1‐888‐4‐GRANTS.

Indian Tuition Waiver 
Students are eligible for a tuition waiver if the student is a resident of Michigan and can provide certification from the State of Michigan and their tribe that they meet the minimum qualifications. Students will be responsible for fees, books, and any other expenses.

Michigan Competitive Scholarship 
Students' eligibility for this scholarship is based on their ACT scores and their financial need. The State of Michigan informs the student and the College of the student’s eligibility and the amount they will receive.

LMC Scholarships 
LMC has many institutional, endowed, and restricted scholarships. Students should complete an LMC Scholarship Application, be accepted to the College, and meet the eligibility requirements for each specific scholarship. The priority deadline for applications is March 1, but will be accepted after that date. Complete the application online. 

Privately Funded Scholarships 
Many students receive privately funded scholarships. Privately funded scholarship checks should be directed to the Financial Aid Office so it can be added to your financial aid package. Your financial aid package could be adjusted based on your financial need and your cost of attendance.

Work-Study 
Work study is the opportunity for a student to have an on‐campus job at LMC. To be eligible for work-study, students must be at least half‐time and complete the FAFSA. International students do not have to complete the FAFSA.

To apply for a work-study position, you must complete the Work Study application and be approved by the Financial Aid Office. Once the Financial Aid Office has confirmed your eligibility for work-study, you will contact the Career Services Office to apply for specific jobs that are available. You will need a resume and, if selected, will interview for the positions you are interested in. You will have the opportunity to accept or reject any job, just as the supervisor will have the opportunity to hire or not hire you. Many positions become available July 1. Students may work up to 20 hours per week, depending on the student’s need and the hiring department’s budget.

Read additional information about Work Study opportunities.

Loans 
Loans are a type of financial aid that must be paid back to the source with interest. Borrowing money through a loan program is a very serious decision and you will be required to go through loan entrance counseling and sign a master promissory note. Defaulting on loans will have serious effects on your credit rating, stop you from receiving financial aid at any school, and the government could garnish your future wages or tax refunds.

Read additional information on loans.

You may review the status of your financial aid at anytime on WaveLink. To access your financial aid information, you may follow the directions below. To access your WaveLink information, you will login using your WaveLink username and password. If you are having problems with WaveLink, go to the end of this section.

Click on the LMC Student tab where you will see a box with the heading “Financial Aid” and three choices underneath:

Student Eligibility
Will give you information on any document requirements, your Satisfactory Academic Progress status, and allows you to see your academic history. Make sure you choose the correct academic year (usually the one on top).

Document Requirements
If there are any documents listed under “Unsatisfied Requirements,” you should get those documents to the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible. If it is a document that LMC can provide you with, there will be a link to the document, so you can print the form, complete it, and return it to the LMC Financial Aid Office.

Satisfactory Academic Progress
This will show your most recent Satisfactory Academic Progress status. If you have any questions about your status, you should contact the financial aid office.

Financial Aid Status
This area will give you information on your financial aid cost of attendance, financial aid awards, financial account information.

Financial Aid Awards
If you have a financial aid award, it will say, “You have been awarded financial aid which totals (your aid award).” This is the total of all aid (including work study, scholarships, and loans). To find detailed information, click on the word “awarded.” This will break your financial aid out by fund for the entire academic year. To get your information by semester, click on “Account Summary By Semester” at the bottom of the screen.

Financial Account Information
To see information on your charges, you can click on “account summary”. This will show you tuition, fees, and any other charges that are on your student account. Your financial aid will not show up in this area until it has been paid to your account, which generally occurs several weeks into the semester.

New to WaveLink? 
If you have not used WaveLink before, your username is automatically created when you first set up your WaveLink account. Your username will be the first character of your first name, first four (4) characters of your last name, and three (3) random numeric values. If you have not already activated your new account, please go to WaveLink and click the setup link in the NOTICE box.

Problems with WaveLink? 
If you have forgot your username, password, or security question, you can click on the “Forgot User Name or Password?” link in the WaveLink login box and answer a security question. The original security question is a randomized question from your own personal information. Follow the directions to change the security question. All WaveLink login issues should be directed to the Information Technologies HelpDesk.