Financial Aid

Financial aid applications are processed as they are received, but applications submitted two weeks prior or less to the start of the semester should plan to purchase books and supplies out of pocket.  We strongly encourage students to fill out their FAFSA’s by May 1 for the next school year so they can qualify for a Maine State Grant if otherwise eligible.

KVCC’s financial aid year starts with the fall semester, followed by the spring and summer semesters.  Therefore, a student who wishes to start with a summer term would have to fill out a FAFSA for one school year to qualify for summer aid and for the next school year to qualify for fall aid.

Students may check the status of their financial aid 24/7 via the MY KV Student Information Portal. Use the portal to:

• Check what documents are required to complete your financial aid application
• View your financial aid award information, by award year, on a semester-by-semester basis
• Review policies that apply to Federal Student Aid recipients

In order to allow for processing of financial aid, all documents must be submitted one week prior to the end of the enrollment period.  For example, if you are enrolled for Fall only, all required documents must be submitted one week prior to the end of the Fall semester.

Kennebec Valley Community College offers financial help to eligible students who enroll part-time or full-time in credit programs that lead to degrees, certificates or diplomas, as described in the College catalog. While the primary responsibility for financing an education rests with the student and a family, KVCC supplements this obligation with awards from grant, scholarship, work, and loan programs. Qualifying students may use the financial aid awarded from the various financial aid programs to meet both direct school costs (tuition, fees, books, supplies) and off-campus living costs (room, board, transportation, childcare, personal expenses).

Financial assistance to students is made available through several federal, state, private and college financial aid programs. To remain eligible, recipients must apply each year and maintain satisfactory academic progress toward their degrees as outlined in the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy. This policy and the Financial Aid Refund Policy (for students who change enrollment status by adding/dropping courses or withdrawing from the College) are posted on the KVCC website and copies are available in the Financial Aid Office.

Financial Aid is not awarded for credit hour registrations associated with Audits, Challenge Exams, Work Experience Credit, Transfer Credit, or repeats of courses with grades of “Incomplete.” In addition, financial aid is not awarded for courses that are not needed (as either a required course or an elective) for the students’ current degree or certificate program.  Federal regulations allow for financial aid to pay for a student to repeat a course once after receiving a passing grade, if a higher grade is needed. KVCC’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policy does not allow financial aid to pay for more than one repeat of a course. If it is determined that a student needs remedial courses before taking required courses, those for-credit remedial courses are covered by financial aid.

As defined by the Dept. of Education on the federal student aid website, the Cost of Attendance (COA) or cost of education is “the total amount it will cost you to go to school—usually expressed as a yearly figure. It’s determined using rules established by law.

The COA includes tuition and fees, an allowance for off campus housing and food (living expenses); and allowances for books, supplies, transportation, loan fees, and if applicable, dependent care can be included.  It also includes miscellaneous and personal expenses, and the cost of purchasing a computer can be added.  Costs related to a disability may be covered as well.

For students attending less than half-time, the COA includes tuition and fees and an allowance for books, supplies, transportation and dependent care expenses; but can also include living expenses (rent and food) for up to three semesters or the equivalent at the institution, but no more than two of those semesters or the equivalent may be consecutive. Talk to the financial aid administrator [at KVCC] if you have any unusual expenses that might affect your cost of attendance.”

Every school must determine a Cost of Attendance budget, which is part of the federal methodology formula in calculating eligibility for financial aid.  If you have an unusually high cost of attendance; for example, unreimbursed medical bills greater than 30% of your income, additional costs associated with a disability, a commute to KVCC of over 50 miles one way, etc., please send the Financial Aid Office a letter explaining the expenses and include receipts, bills, or other documentation.  In addition, please let the Financial Aid Office know the amount of weekly day care expenses YOU will pay while attending required classes, labs, or clinicals.

To see the 2024-2025 Cost of Attendance, click here.

To receive an estimate of how much students similar to you paid to attend Kennebec Valley Community College, use the Net Price Calculator below:

https://www.kvcc.me.edu/npc/index.html

Students who show a financial aid credit may purchase textbooks and supplies from the College Store. The amount of the credit balance is determined after the cost of tuition and fees has been determined.

• In order to use this credit system to purchase textbooks from our College Store, you must have completed the financial aid process and been awarded aid for the given semester.
• Each day, the College Store receives an update of student’s credit balances.
• Students are then able to purchase their books using the remainder of their financial aid.

Students who have not completed the financial aid process (received an award letter) will need to do so. A period of 24 hours after an award letter has been created for the student is required before credit may be used in the College Store.

For more information, contact the Financial Aid Office at (207) 453-5130, or 1-800-528-5882 ext. 5130, or by e-mail at kvccfinancialaid@mainecc.edu

We look forward to serving you!

Kathy Blair, Director of Financial Aid
(207) 453-5126

Jill Maclean, Assistant Director of Financial Aid
(207) 453-5121

Sharon Coolen, Financial Aid Navigator
(207) 453-5130