Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, all students applying for state funds must complete the FAFSA application every award year. You may be eligible for State grants based on your FAFSA.

The school year you select should correspond to the FAFSA. During the summer semester at OCC it should always be the current school year. Visit the Federal Student Aid website for more information on FAFSA forms.

No, if you recently completed your FAFSA and are waiting for your financial aid award offer, your classes generally will not be dropped immediately while your application is being reviewed.

If you have completed a new FAFSA form or made a recent change (SSN in system or updated school code to 002303) and it is the same day as a payment is due, Contact the Financial Aid office at (248) 341-2240.

If a balance remains after all anticipated aid has been applied, you will not be dropped from your courses. You will not be able to make additional registration changes until the past due amount is paid in full.

Here are some options you can explore:

• About Scholarships
• Apply to Scholarships through Scholarship Universe
• Tuition Payment Plan

If you completed the FAFSA but were found ineligible for financial aid, you are still responsible for paying your tuition and fees. If you do not plan to attend and cannot pay your balance, you will need to manually drop your classes by the appropriate deadline. If you remain enrolled without making payment arrangements, you may be held financially responsible for the charges on your account. Contact the Enrollment Services office at (248) 341-2280.

A federal student loan is money borrowed from the federal government to help pay for your education and must be repaid with interest.

State aid may not apply if your tuition and fees are fully covered by federal grants.

Complete a current FAFSA application and complete a Reconnect Application on the State of Michigan website.

Michigan Reconnect covers the cost of in-district tuition and mandatory fees. It does not cover the cost of out-of-district tuition, books and supplies.

Federal Work Study is an on-campus or off-campus federal employment program that helps students earn money to pay for school through part-time work. The Federal Work Study program encourages work that is related to a student’s course of study or community service.

OCC has teamed up with Scholarship Universe to provide easy access to thousands of internal and external scholarship opportunities.

The SAP forms are located in your Student Forms under the Financial Aid card. Students must create an account in Student Forms to view any required FA documents to complete. Log into your MyOCC account and look for the Financial Aid card, then click on student forms. You will have a task to complete. Complete task, sign and submit. 

To update your address or phone number on file, login to your profile on MyOCC and make the necessary changes.

The Financial Aid Adjustment Form can be used to request additional funding. You can request this form by contacting Financial Aid at (248) 341-2240. This form will be made available to you through your Student Forms portal.

You will receive an email notification when the OCC summer application is available. This form will be made available to you through MyOCC.

If you recently registered for classes, you must wait up to 48 hours to allow the system to verify that the classes are required for your program of study. If the classes are not showing as eligible for financial aid, but are part of the program, you student must contact an Academic Counselor or Advisor who will work with the Register’s office to resolve the issue.

If your financial aid exceeds the cost of your tuition/fees, the excess can be used in the bookstore to purchase books and supplies. 

In order to utilize financial aid, you must be in a financial aid eligible program and your classes must be required for that program of study.

No, financial aid can only be used toward OCC financial aid eligible programs leading to a degree or certificate. Guest status is ineligible for federal financial aid.   

You can be dropped from your classes if your financial aid (grants, scholarships, accepted loans) has not been awarded or, if your tuition and fee charges have not been paid by the scheduled payment due date, or if you have not entered into the OCC tuition payment plan.

Once a FAFSA application is completed and received by OCC, you will receive an email verifying receipt of your FAFSA.  If no additional information is needed, evaluation of your eligibility should be complete within two weeks. If you have not received an email after two weeks, contact the Financial Aid department to check the status of your application at (248) 341-2240.

Financial aid identity verification is a mandatory process for selected FAFSA applicants. Students must submit a government-issued photo ID (e.g., driver’s license, passport) in person. Some exceptions may be made. Please contact Financial Aid to set up an appointment (248) 341-2240.

No, you can decline any aid you don't want within your award letter under the Financial Aid card in MyOCC.

There are various reasons you may owe a balance. Check with the Financial Aid office to have a representative check your status or make an appointment with financial aid.