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Financial Aid Forms
Rocky Mountain College scholarships are renewable and are available for four years based on satisfactory academic progress. We require all returning RMC students (i.e., sophomores and older) to complete the RMC Grant & Scholarship Renewal Form by February 1 every year.
To apply for federal financial assistance, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); be sure to enter RMC's school code (002534). The FAFSA should be completed as soon as possible after October 1st for every year you are seeking federal aid. We strongly encourage families to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool that is part of FAFSA on the Internet when completing the FAFSA to eliminate errors and avoid possible processing delays. The IRS Data Retrieval Tool allows students and parents to access the IRS tax return information needed to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and transfer the data directly into their FAFSA from the IRS Web site.
Verification
If your application was selected for review, RMC will be comparing information from your application with tax return transcripts for you, your parent(s), and/or your spouse or other financial documents. The best way to verify income is by using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool that is part of FAFSA on the Internet. Please use the following instructions for help with using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. If the student, parent(s) and/or spouse is unable or chooses not to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool in FAFSA on the Internet, the student, parent(s) and/or spouse must submit a 2020 IRS tax return transcript or a signed photocopy of the income tax return, supporting schedules, and W-2s. There are several ways to obtain an IRS tax return transcript. Please read the IRS Tax Return Transcript and IRS Record of Account Request Process for guidance. For information on when the IRS will have transcripts available after taxes are filed for the FAFSA on the web's IRS Data Retrieval Tool (IRS-DRT) and for requesting IRS tax return transcripts, please refer to the Timeline Availability of IRS Tax Information.
Complete the appropriate verification form listed below and submit to the RMC Financial Aid Office as soon as possible so that your financial aid won't be delayed.
- 2023-2024 Verification Worksheet for Dependent Students
- 2023-2024 Verification Worksheet for Independent Students
Other verification forms you may be required to complete are:
- 2023-2024 Verification of Identity and Statement of Educational Purpose
- Verification of 2021 Income Information for Student (and Spouse) Nontax Filers
- Verification of 2021 Income Information for Parent Nontax Filers
If you, your spouse, and/or your parent did not file a 2020 federal income tax return you will also need to submit documentation from the IRS or other relevant tax authority dated on or after October 1, 2021 that indicates a 2020 IRS income tax return was not filed with the IRS or other relevant tax authority. A confirmation of nonfiling can be obtained by completing IRS Form 4506-T available at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506t.pdf. Check box 7 on this form and mail it to the appropriate IRS office for your state of residence.
Please read the Verification of 2020 Income Information for Individuals with Unusual Circumstances for guidance on what documentation you must submit if you, your spouse, and/or parent(s) were granted a Filing Extension by the IRS, filed an Amended IRS Income Tax Return, were victims of IRS Tax-Related Identity Theft, or filed Non-IRS Income Tax Returns.
Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Documentation
Complete this form if you indicated on your FAFSA that you are an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or at risk of being homeless. Have the appropriate authority sign it. If you are unable to have one of the authorities listed on the form sign, please contact the Financial Aid Office for other acceptable documentation.
External Scholarship Reporting Form
Complete this form if you will be receiving any scholarships from a source outside of Rocky Mountain College. External scholarships need to be reported to the Financial Aid Office as they may affect how much need-based aid you receive.
Legal Dependent Form
Complete this form if your application indicates that you have at least one dependent child and you would not otherwise meet the federal qualifications to be an independent student. To claim a child as your dependent for financial aid purposes, you must be currently providing at least 51 percent of the child’s support and must also continue to provide at least 51 percent of their support throughout the school year. You must attach any supporting documentation required.
Fifth Year Appeal
If you are a regular full-time undergraduate student at RMC receiving institutional financial assistance in the form of scholarships and/or grants and you are making satisfactory academic progress, your institutional assistance will remain in effect for either eight or ten semesters depending on the length of your program of study. The intent of this policy is to assure students understand their responsibility in planning and completing their first bachelor's degree in a timely manner. Occasionally a student has planned carefully and successfully completed 15 to 16 credits each semester, but still needs an additional semester or two in order to complete their first bachelor's degree. Please complete and return this form to the Financial Aid Office in order to appeal the continuation of your institutional assistance.
VA Yellow Ribbon Program
Complete this form if you are eligible to receive VA Chapter 33 Post 9/11 benefits at the 100 percent level and wish to use your benefit to attend RMC.
Consortium Agreements
Consortium agreements will be made available to students on a case-by-case basis. The consortium agreement allows a student to maintain full-time status while enrolled at two institutions on a less than full-time basis, thereby maximizing their federal financial aid eligibility. (For example, a student may be enrolled at RMC for nine credits and at another institution for three credits, for a total of 12 credits, making them a full-time student.) The consortium agreement also clarifies to the institutions involved which school will award and disburse financial aid. Institutional scholarships will be prorated to reflect enrollment status at RMC if a student's overall enrollment status is full time. No institutional scholarships are awarded if a student is less than full time between schools. To be eligible to participate in a consortium agreement, students must:
- Enroll in at least nine credits at Rocky Mountain College;
- Exercise all academic options at Rocky Mountain College before taking credits at another institution (i.e., students may not enroll in a class at another institution if the same class is offered at Rocky Mountain College);
- Have completed at least 90 credits toward their degree;
- Complete the Application for Consortium Agreement.
Special Considerations
Student/Family Income - Students wishing to have their financial aid evaluated based on special financial conditions within their family can appeal to have their financial aid award recalculated. Special financial conditions include the death of a parent or spouse, loss of employment, divorce, and unusual debt or expenses. Students must submit the completed Appeal of Special Financial Consideration no later than April 1st of the year in which aid is received.
Dependent/Independent Student Status - Many students also feel they are independent because they currently live on their own or because their parents no longer claim them on their income taxes. Others feel they should be considered independent because their parents refuse to provide information on the FAFSA or because their parents cannot afford to help with college expenses. However, these reasons are not sufficient for an appeal. The Financial Aid Office is required to consider parent information and expect parental contribution for students who are not independent according to the FAFSA definition. Specific instructions and a description of who may qualify for independent status is outlined on the Appeal for Independent Student Status form.