Important Dates (Credit Hour Only)
| Semester | Fall 2024 | Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 |
| Semester Start Date | 8/17/2024 | 1/11/2025 | 5/27/2024 |
| Semester End Date | 12/13/2024 | 5/9/2024 | 7/31/2025 |
| Pell Recalculation Date | 8/26/2024 | 1/21/2025 | 5/29/2025 |
| Consortium Agreement | 10/11/2024 | 1/21/2025 | 5/29/2025 |
| Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals | Appeals must be submitted 4 weeks before students' last class ends. Appeals submitted after the deadline will be considered for the next semester. | Appeals must be submitted 4 weeks before students' last class ends. Appeals submitted after the deadline will be considered for the next semester. |
Book Advance: The Maricopa Student Refund Program (MSRP) issues these funds, and you will receive them no earlier than 5 days prior to the start of your earliest class at the college where you are receiving your federal financial aid. The Book Advance is a pre-disbursement program that enables students to access a portion of their anticipated financial aid to purchase textbooks and supplies for the upcoming semester’s classes.
Please note that this is the earliest timeframe when book advances will begin to be processed. Processing times may be affected by holidays and weekends. The exact release date depends on the individual start dates of each student's classes. For more details, please refer to the Book Advances.
Important Information
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - The 2024-2025 FAFSA covers these semesters: Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025.
Disbursements:
Financial aid awards are scheduled to be disbursed bout two weeks after your class starts.
- This applies to students who are eligible for aid and have completed all necessary steps.
- If your class starts before the official semester start date, you will get your aid about two weeks after that date.
Excess aid (the amount remaining after all tuition, fees, book advance, and any other related charges are covered) will be disbursed through the MSRP process.
Students should not expect their funds any earlier than the third week after their earliest class start, dependent upon the MSRP delivery method selected. Students with late starting classes or overlapping classes from a prior term may have some (or all) of their grant and/or loan disbursements delayed further. Please plan accordingly.
Pell Recalculation Date - Students who are awarded a Pell Grant by the Pell recalculation date cannot have their Pell Grant increased for classes added after the Pell recalculation date for that term. This applies to adding classes at GWCC or turning in for classes taken at other colleges. In order to be eligible for Pell grant for the classes, the student must be registered by the Pell Recalculation Date (this applies to late start classes as well) and, if applicable, the Financial Aid Office must have a completed consortium agreement by the Pell Recalculation Date. Students who apply for aid after the Pell Recalculation Date will have their Pell Grant awarded based on the number of credit hours enrolled on the day their award is calculated or the number or credits enrolled on the first day they enroll in any classes if they are already awarded.
Loans - Students who are expecting a student loan must complete the Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) before the loan can be disbursed.
The first disbursement may be delayed if the student is enrolled in late starting classes or is a first time borrower. Please note that the date indicated on the MPN is not the actual disbursement date. All loans are required to have two disbursements. This also includes one semester loans.
Course Applicability - Federal Regulations stipulate that we can only provide funding for those courses required for your current program of study. If you choose to enroll in a course that is not applicable to your program of study, you will be responsible for all charges related to that course. Please click here for more information.