Financial Aid & Scholarships

Feeling stressed about the new 2024-2025 FAFSA?

The U.S. Department of Education has created a new FAFSA application for the 2024-2025 aid year. To help support our student body we are holding FAFSA Completion Workshops. We want to offer our assistance to anyone that needs help or clarification surrounding the new FAFSA. We suggest bringing your 2022 tax documents so that we can help ensure that we can complete the FAFSA. We look forward to helping you maximize the financial assistance you might be eligible for by ensuring your FAFSA is completed correctly.

2024-2025 FAFSA Completion Workshop Sessions

When completing the FAFSA, the student must identify which schools that they are interested in attending.  You can list the school by name search, or you can input the federally provided code.  

• GRCC's FAFSA school code: 002267

Main Campus - Enrollment Center

• Daily from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Qualifying for financial aid

GRCC students receive an education that rivals top Michigan universities for a fraction of the cost. We are committed to ensuring your education is financially possible by working with you to identify grant, scholarship and loan options unique to your needs and academic goals.

Your first step to qualify for most financial aid programs is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to see if you are one of the millions of students that qualify each year. To begin you will need an FSA ID & Password.

If you need help filling out the FAFSA or determining which financial aid options are best for you, schedule an appointment with one of our financial aid specialists or walk in during Enrollment Center business hours.

• Taking classes during the Fall 2023, Winter 2024 and Summer 2024 semesters? Fill out the 2023/2024 FAFSA based on your 2021 income information. 
• The 2024/2025 FAFSA for the Fall 2024, Winter 2025 and Summer 2025 is now available! Please log into StudentAid.gov to complete the 2024/2025 FAFSA. It will be based on your 2022 income. 
• State aid recipients please note: You must complete a FAFSA to be considered for any form of state aid.

Have you had a change in your family or financial situation?

Grand Rapids Community College recognizes that households face circumstances which result in a change in your family or financial situation. The information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by students and families may not reflect the current economic situation.

Special Circumstances could include, but are not limited to: unemployment or change in employment resulting in a significant decrease in annual income, divorce or separation, death of a parent or spouse, etc. If you have faced a special circumstance, you can request to complete the form and submit the requested documentation on your Student Forms Account. Please log into your Student Forms Account and click the “Manage Request” button for a “Professional Judgment: Special Circumstance - EFC Calculation Appeal” form.

GRCC will review and process these requests as soon as your documentation is submitted. The Financial Aid Office will send an email to the student’s GRCC email address with any additional documentation requirements. After the documentation has been reviewed, the Financial Aid Office will send an email detailing the outcome of the request. If there is a change to the student’s financial aid awards, this information can be found on the student’s GRCC Online Center under the financial aid tile.

Dependency status

The FAFSA requires that dependent students include parent information. However, Grand Rapids Community College understands there may be family situations in which providing parent information is not possible. Certain circumstances may warrant a dependency appeal. These circumstances include: abandonment by parents, an abusive family environment that threatens the student’s health or safety, or the student being unable to locate their parents.

If there is an extenuating circumstance proving that you cannot provide your parent's information, you can submit request for review and submit the requested documentation on your Student Forms Account. Please log into your Student Forms Account and click the “Manage Request” button for a “Professional Judgment: Unusual Circumstance Appeal” Form.

If on the 2024-2025 FAFSA, you answered yes to the FAFSA question, "Do unusual circumstances prevent the student from contacting their parents or would contacting their parents pose a risk to the student?", please complete the steps listed above to submit an Unusual Circumstance Appeal.

However, none of the conditions listed below, singly or in combination, qualify as unusual circumstances meriting a dependency appeal:

1. Parents refuse to contribute to the student’s education.
2. Parents will not provide information for the FAFSA or verification.
3. Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes.
4. Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency.

GRCC will review and process these requests as soon as your documentation is submitted. The Financial Aid Office will send an email to the student’s GRCC email address with any additional documentation requirements. After the documentation has been reviewed, the Financial Aid Office will send an email detailing the outcome of the request. If there is a change to the student’s financial aid awards, this information can be found on the student’s GRCC Online Center under the financial aid tile.