Financial Aid FAQ

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Financial Aid Frequently Asked Questions!

ANNOUNCEMENT: STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS TO RESUME

Federal Student Aid and the Biden-Harris Administration have announced the student loan payment pause has ended. As of September 1st, interest will begin to accrue, and payments will resume in October. Ensure you stay in contact with your Student Loan Servicer!

If you do not know who your loan servicer is, access your account via https://studentaid.gov. You will need to login with your StudentAid.Gov Account (formerly FSA ID) and password (the same as the FAFSA). Please see the Financial Aid Office if you have any questions regarding this process. We will assist you as best as we are able with the available information diseminated by the U.S. Department of Education.


When Can I submit my FAFSA Application?

The FAFSA Application (with the exception of this 24-25 academic year) typically opens every 1st of October for the next upcoming academic year. You can always take a look at the studentaid.gov website for the most up-to-date information.

Should I fill out the FAFSA?

If you would like to be considered for any federal need-based aid (Pell Grant, FSEOG Grant, Stafford loans, and Federal Work-Study) or Helena  College need-based aid, you must complete the FAFSA. The new 2024-2025 FAFSA Application has been updated to make the process more user-friendly and had adjusted the Pell Grant to where more students maybe eligible!

What do I need for the FAFSA?

You will need your and/or your parents' tax returns for income and tax data, as well as your personal information. You also need to know that Helena College's FAFSA School Code is 007570. You can pull up the online FAFSA pre-application to get an idea of the questions you'll need to answer.

What is the FAFSA Deadline?

The results of your FAFSA or the Student Aid Index (SAI) will be sent to each school you list on the FAFSA. Helena's priority deadline for receipt of the FAFSA is March 1 of this year. However you can still submit your FAFSA after the priority deadline we will still accept it! If you have not submitted one yet be sure to do so today!

I have submitted my FAFSA but have not received my aid offer yet, what now?

We are pulling in FAFSA applications from the Department of Ed everyday, if you have not received an aid offer for us please be sure you added us as one of your schools. See our how to add a school to your FAFSA sheet for step by step instructions!

If you have already added us as a school and it has been more than two weeks since you resubmitted your FAFSA application, please contact us at (406)447-6916 or email us at financialaid@helenacollege.edu

Where do I go to see my financial aid offer?

We send out financial aid offers to your MYHC student portal. You can accept/decline your aid by following the steps below.

  • Go to MyHC
  • Click on Financial Aid
  • My Aid Offer
  • Offer By Aid Year
  • Select 2024-2025
  • Then follow each tab through in sequential order for all of the tabs to open-up. Make sure to read everything and click on all links provided.

I made a mistake in accepting/declining my financial aid, what do I do?

No need to panic we have a financial aid revision form just for you!

2024-2025 Financial Aid Revision Form

If you have questions on how to fill out this form please feel free to contact us at (406)447-6916 or email us at financialaid@helenacollege.edu

How do I complete/finalize my bill if I have enough financial aid to cover it?

Here is our step by step instructions on how to do so!

How to complete/finalize your bill with financial aid

If you would like to pay out of pocket or see what other payment options are available please contact our Business Office at (406)447-6921 or email them at hcstudentaccounts@helenacollege.edu

What is the cut-off for filing my FAFSA if I intend to use financial aid to pay for my schooling?

  • If you would like financial aid funds to pay for and be in place prior to the start of the term, it is recommended you file your FAFSA at least one month prior to classes starting.  This is due to the processing time of the U. S. Department of Education and the institution to calculate how much aid for which you are eligible.
  • You will also need to respond to any document requests from the Financial Aid Office, with completed verification information, in order to complete your file and allow the funds to be disbursed in a timely manner.

I have not lived with my parents for quite some time and I support myself, why is their information needed to apply for aid?

  • If you are under the age of 24 and do not meet any other requirements set forth by the U.S. Department of Education on the FAFSA form, you are deemed a dependent student and will need your parent’s tax information in order to apply for financial aid. Parental information on your FAFSA form does not require your parent to pay anything towards your education.
  • To be deemed independent you must:
    • Be at least 24 years old as of the date you filed your FAFSA, or
    • Be married, or
    • Have children or other legal dependents, or
    • Be an active duty member of the armed forces or a veteran.
  • There are only a few extraordinary circumstances that could possibly allow you to appeal for a dependency override.  Please see a Financial Aid Administrator for further information.

The school I attended last year granted me a dependency override, am I okay since they have already approved this?

  • Not necessarily. Each institution has the right to evaluate your dependency request circumstances and come to their own conclusion. 
  • If granted, your status may remain the same as long as you remain at the same institution for consecutive semesters.

The tax information I provided on my FAFSA does not reflect my current financial situation. Can my financial aid be re-evaluated?

  • For most students, the FAFSA does a good job of evaluating their family's financial strength. However, it does not do a good job of dealing with students who experience unusual circumstances. Recognizing that, the U.S. Congress has given authority to financial aid administrators to use their professional judgement to account for conditions that are out of the norm.
  • Any adjustments made are at the discretion of the Executive Director of Compliance & Financial Aid and must be supported with documentation that can withstand an audit. The Executive Director's decision is final and is not appealable.
  • Professional judgements can be completed for Child/Elder Care Expenses, Income Reduction, Medical Expenses, Extended Family Expenses, or other reasons.

What is “Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)”?

SAP measures completion of coursework toward a certificate or degree. Federal regulations require us to monitor your progress. If you fall behind in coursework, or fail to achieve standards for GPA, and completion of classes, you may lose eligibility for federal and state aid. What is required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress?

  • Maintain the required cumulative 2.0 grade point average (GPA) for the number of hours you have attempted, and
  • Pass at least 70 percent of the credit hours attempted, and
  • Complete a degree or certificate program in no more than 150% of the number of credits required for the degree program.
  • Do not completely withdraw from classes, unless there are mitigating (unusual) circumstances. Any credits attempted, regardless of the grade/outcome are counted against the percentage of passage rate requirement. The SAP regulations list the GPA and required pass percentage. See the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (PDF). It is also much better to withdraw than to receive a failing grade as this affects for your GPA and pass rate.

What is verification?

  • The U. S. Department of Education randomly selects and requires us to verify the accuracy of FAFSA data. We may ask you to submit documents, such as a federal income tax transcript, to our office before you receive aid. If you don’t, it may mean cancellation of financial aid. Aid will be delayed until documents have been received and processed.

I said I was interested in student loans on my FAFSA application. Why wasn’t a student loan processed for me?

Applying for loans at Helena College requires additional processes. You must:

How will dropping a class affect my financial aid?

  • Some examples of what dropping a class may do:  If you withdraw from all your classes before 60% of the semester has passed, you could owe money back to the school and the U. S. Department of Education, depending on when the drop took place
  • Dropping a class can also affect your Satisfactory Academic Progress, which requires you to complete a certain percent of your credits to stay in good standing.
  • If you have accepted a loan and are dropping a class that puts you below half-time enrollment, you become ineligible for federal student loans.

How do I apply for Summer Financial Aid?

  • If you have already accepted aid for either the fall or spring semesters and are registered for summer classes, the Financial Aid Office will automatically send you an aid offer for the summer semester. This is normally done in April prior to the start of the summer semester. 
  • You may meet with a Financial Aid Administrator if you would like to inquire prior to registering for courses; however, the actual offer will not be created until you are enrolled.

I just accepted my financial aid offer online, am I done?

  • No, 24 to 48 hours after you accept, or after your verification is completed, you will need to log back into your MyHC account to finalize your bill for the Business Office, EACH semester.
  • This needs to be done even if your financial aid will completely cover your bill.  This lets the school know that you intend on attending classes. 
  • Without this step you risk having your classes dropped and your financial aid delayed, each semester. You also risk accruing a late charge.

My financial aid was terminated.  Does this mean I can’t attend classes next semester?

  • No, this just means that you will need to find an alternative way to pay for your classes, or file an appeal to have your financial aid reinstated.  The deadline in order to file an appeal is two weeks prior to the start date of the term for which you are seeking your financial aid.  There are no appeals entertained for the summer term.
  • You are able to attend classes utilizing your own funds if you have not been placed on academic suspension.
  • Please visit with the Financial Aid Office if you have any further questions regarding the appeal process.

I completed my Master Promissory Note (MPN), is this all I need to do to receive my loans?

How is financial aid disbursed?

  • The first financial aid disbursement will take place 7-10 days after the 15th instructional day.  Funds are disbursed on your behalf to the Business Office.  The Business Office then applies these funds towards your charges (tuition and fees).
  • If your financial aid is more than the amount of charges on your account, you should receive a disbursement check in the mail.  (Please make sure your mailing address is up-to-date on your MyHC account.)
  • The first disbursement will consist of all of your grants, scholarships, and half of your student loan for the term.
  • The second half of your student loan will disburse 7-10 days after successful mid-term grades are posted.

What if I need my financial aid to pay for books and supplies?

  • The Business Office will create a book voucher, book advance, and/or tool voucher available to any student that will have aid greater than the amount due.
  • A Book Voucher allows a student to obtain books on the online Helena College Bookstore prior to financial aid disbursements. If a student would like to obtain books/supplies elsewhere they will need a book advance. Similar with tools, a student will obtain an advance to help cover costs until aid is disbursed.
  • You may inquire in the Business Office regarding a voucher or an advance.
  • The vouchers and advances may be available two to three weeks before the start of the semester. 

Other than a loan, is there any other aid available to me?

  • Yes, there are scholarships listed on the Financial Aid page of the website.
  • There are scholarships due EACH month of the academic year.
  • Bookmark the scholarship page and visit it at least twice a month to see which scholarships are due the following month.
  • You can’t receive a scholarship unless you apply.
  • Be very aware of deadlines and where to submit applications.

I received a scholarship but it is not showing up on my account, what should I do?

Scholarship donors will make checks out to  Helena College and mail them to our Business Office. These are then sent over to our scholarship and work study officer. The scholarship and work study officer will then input them into the student's account and email the student once this is complete. If you have any questions please reach out to Dana Palen our scholarship and work study officer at (406)447-6914 or email her at dana.palen@helenacollege.edu and she will look into your scholarship!

How do I find out if I am eligible for Work Study?

Students that are interested in applying for a work study position will need to set up an appointment with our Scholarship and Work Study Officer to see if they meet the requirements. Please contact Dana Palen, our Scholarship and Work Study Officer, at (406)447-6914 or email her at dana.palen@helenacollege.edu to see if you are eligible today!

Contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing or dropping a class to see what effect it will have on your financial aid award and future eligibility.


Helena College does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, religion, sex, marital status, color, age, physical handicap, national origin, service in federally or state defined uniform service, veteran status, political ideas, genetic information, gender identity, gender expressions, sexual orientation or physical or mental handicap in the administration of all aid programs. 

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