Financial Aid FAQs
| What is the Department of Education PIN and how do I get it? | The Department of Education PIN serves as your electronic signature for your FAFSA and your MPN. It also provides access to your application material. You can apply for a PIN by going to www.pin.ed.gov. |
| How do I get my loan? | In order to get your loan you must have an award letter from the Financial Aid Office at HTC and have completed the loan entrance counseling and Master Promissory Note (MPN). |
| How do I check my financial aid online? | Login to My HTC using your Student ID and school PIN. Once you're logged in, select the "Student Tab" and then "My Financial Aid". The "Financial Aid Status" will show what is still needed if you have not received your award letter yet. The "Awards" will show the awards you are eligible for and it will also indicate if your loans have been certified. |
| Why should I set up a MetNet email account? | HTC's primary means of communicating with students is through the MetNet email system. In order to stay informed of your financial aid status you must have this email account. You will have the option of forward your MetNet emails to another email account. |
| How do I set up a MetNet email account? | Go to the MetNet Email Services Website. If you have trouble creating your account stop in at the student computer lab on either campus. |
| How can I buy my books if I don't get my financial aid until after school starts? | If you have been awarded financial aid and have your award letter you may be eligible for charging books at the bookstore prior to receiving your aid. If your aid at your credit level is more than your tuition then you may charge books at the bookstore. If you have loans on your award letter you must apply for them and they must be certified by the school before they will be included in this calculation. The amount you may charge depends on the difference between your aid and your tuition. The minimum amount that will be put on an ID card is $30.00 and the maximum amount is $600.00. You must be registered and have your ID card at least one day before you intend on charging your books. You can check the amount on your ID card at the bookstore. |
| What happens to the credit on my Student ID card if I don't use all of it for books? | The credit on your ID card is part of your financial aid award. It is not in addition to the award amounts on your award letter. What you charge at the bookstore is subtracted from your total financial aid award just like tuition. The credit on your card is temporary and is removed before aid is disbursed. Click here (link to important dates) to see dates for this semester. |
| When is tuition due? | See Important Financial Aid Dates for the current due dates. |
| When will I get my financial aid? | If the semester has not started yet and you have your award letter, your aid will be disbursed about three weeks after the semester starts. See Important Financial Aid Dates for the first disbursement date for the semester. If the first disbursement date has passed and you have just received your award letter, your aid should be disbursed within two weeks of when your award letter was printed. You must apply for loans (link to Step 4) by completing the entrance counseling and MPN before they will be disbursed to you. |
| How do I set up direct deposit? |
Complete the
Direct Deposit Authorization Form (Word)
and return the original to the Financial Aid Office. Faxed copies
will not be accepted. |
| How do I change/cancel my direct deposit? |
Complete the
Direct Deposit Authorization Form (Word)
indicating the change or cancellation of the account and return
the original to the Financial Aid Office. Faxed copies will not be
accepted. |
| My financial aid isn't enough to pay for tuition, can I set up a payment plan? | HTC offers a payment plan through the FACTS program. The FACTS program charges $25 for the use of their service. To enroll in this payment plan click here. |
| I found a mistake on my FAFSA, what should I do? | If you have not received your award letter yet and a correction needs to be made, you can make the correction yourself by accessing your FAFSA. If you received your award letter and you noticed there's a mistake on your FAFSA, contact the Financial Aid Office. |
| What is a SAR? | The Student Aid Report (SAR) is a summary of all the information you provided when you completed the FAFSA. You should review this information to make sure it is correct. If a correction is made by you or by our office, both you and our office will receive the corrected information. |
| What is a FAFSA? | The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It is the first step in applying for federal and state aid. |
| How do I transfer my financial aid from one school to another? | Before you can transfer your aid application you need to know the school code of the new school. Once you have this information you can add the school code to your FAFSA or you can call 1-800-433-3243. If you call you may be required to provide your DRN (Data Release Number) which is located on your SAR. HTC's school code is 010491. |
| Can I get aid at two different schools? | No. You cannot receive aid from two different schools for the same enrollment period. If you are taking a class at another college that is required for your program, you may be eligible for consortium credits through a consortium agreement. |
| I asked for the wrong loan amount. How do I fix it? | Submit a signed written request of the new total you would like to borrow. Be sure to include your Student ID. Or, go to the Financial Aid Office window and ask to adjust your loan. You will be asked to put your request in writing. |
| What's an MPN? | The Master Promissory Note (MPN) is the loan agreement between you and the lender for Stafford and PLUS loans. It serves as the application and is where you request how much of the loan you wish to take out and for which semesters. You can use your PIN from the Department of Education to electronically sign the MPN. |
| What is entrance counseling? | Entrance counseling is a requirement for first time borrowers of a Federal Stafford loan at HTC. The counseling session provides information about a Stafford loan and your responsibilities as a borrower. |
| Why do I have to fill out more paperwork? | If the Department of Education selects your file for verification we are required to collect additional information from you. You may also be required to submit additional paperwork if the answers on your FAFSA are inconsistent or if we need more information to determine your eligibility for state aid. |
| Why do I have to give my parents' information? I don't live with them. | Parental information is required if you are considered a Dependent student for financial aid purposes. The Department of Education does not consider you Independent simply because you are choosing not to live with your parents or because your parents did not claim you on their taxes. |
| Who is a Dependent Student? | A Dependent student is under the age of 24, single, does not have any legal dependents, is not a veteran who has engaged in active duty, and is not an orphan or ward of the court. |
| I have an extenuating circumstance and would like to be considered an Independent student, how can I do this? | There are some instances when it's not in the best
interest of the student to have contact with their parents. In
these instances a student can request to be considered for
Independent Status.
When completing this form you should submit it with a completed paper FAFSA. The Director of Financial Aid will review the request to determine if the student would be eligible for Independent Student Status. It is best if documentation is included to verify the reason for the request. |
Any Questions? Email Us at FA@hennepintech.edu
Contact HTC at 952-995-1300 or info@hennepintech.edu
Copyright © 2008 by Hennepin Technical College