Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the most common questions students have regarding Financial Aid.

If your question is not answered below, you can use our Live chat during business hours or call or email us using the contact information listed below. We are here to help you.

FAFSA

Do I need to submit a FAFSA to be awarded state funds?

All students applying for state funds must complete the FAFSA application every award year. You may be eligible for State grants based on your FAFSA.

What are federal student loans?

A federal student loan is money borrowed from the federal government to help pay for your education and must be repaid with interest.

I applied for state and federal aid, why can I not see them both awarded?

State aid may not apply if your tuition and fees are fully covered by federal grants.

How do I apply for Michigan Reconnect and what does it cover? 

Complete a current FAFSA application and complete a Reconnect Application on the State of Michigan website. Michigan Reconnect covers the cost of in-district tuition and mandatory fees. It does not cover the cost of out-of-district tuition, books and supplies.

What is Federal Work Study?

Federal Work Study is an on-campus or off-campus federal employment program that helps students earn money to pay for school through part-time work. The Federal Work Study program encourages work that is related to a student’s course of study or community service.

How can I apply for scholarships?

OCC has teamed up with Scholarship Universe to provide easy access to thousands of internal and external scholarship opportunities.

Financial Aid Forms

How do I complete Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) appeal forms?

The SAP forms are located in your Student Forms under the Financial Aid card. Students must create an account in Student Forms to view any required FA documents to complete. Log into your MyOCC account and look for the Financial Aid card, then click on student forms. You will have a task to complete. Complete task, sign and submit. 

How do I update my contact information?

Students must complete the Student Update Form which can be found on the Student Records page.

How can I increase the amount of my loans?

The Financial Aid Adjustment Form can be used to request additional funding. You can request this form by contacting Financial Aid at (248) 341-2240. This form will be made available to you through your Student Forms portal.

How can I get financial aid during the Summer semester?

You will receive an email notification when the OCC summer application is available. This form will be made available to you through MyOCC.

How to use Financial Aid

Why are my classes showing not approved for financial aid?

If you recently registered for classes, you must wait up to 48 hours to allow the system to verify that the classes are required for your program of study. If the classes are not showing as eligible for financial aid, but are part of the program, you student must contact an Academic Counselor who will work with the Register’s office to resolve the issue.

How do I use my financial aid in the bookstore?

If your financial aid exceeds the cost of your tuition/fees, the excess can be used in the bookstore to purchase books and supplies. 

Does changing my program of study affect my financial aid?

In order to utilize financial aid, you must be in a financial aid eligible program and your classes must be required for that program of study.

Will I be able to use financial aid as a guest student?

Financial aid can only be used toward OCC financial aid eligible programs leading to a degree or certificate. Guest status is ineligible for federal financial aid.   

Why was I dropped from my class?

You can be dropped from your classes if your financial aid (grants, scholarships, accepted loans) has not been awarded or, if your tuition and fee charges have not been paid by the scheduled payment due date, or if you have not entered into the OCC tuition payment plan.

When will my Financial aid get approved?

Once a FAFSA application is completed and received by OCC, you will receive an email verifying receipt of your FAFSA.  If no additional information is needed, evaluation of your eligibility should be complete within two weeks. If you have not received an email after two weeks, contact the Financial Aid department to check the status of your application at (248) 341-2240.

I was awarded student loans; do I have to take them?

No, students can decline any aid they do not want on their award letter under the Financial Aid card in their MyOCC portal.

Why do I have a balance to pay?

There are various reasons that a student may owe a balance. Check with the Financial Aid office to have a representative check your status or make an appointment with financial aid. Contact information for Financial Aid can be found below.

Refunds

What happens if I drop a class after the drop/add period?

The tuition will not be adjusted. If all classes in a semester are dropped or result in 0 credits earned, your federal financial aid would be subject to the Return to Title IV calculation as mandated by the Department of Education. This could result in you owing financial aid back to the federal program(s). The last day for tuition refunds can be found on the Refund Information page under the Last Day for Tuition Refund (no refund after this day) heading.

Will I get a refund if I paid out of pocket before financial aid? and when will I receive it?

Once all eligible aid has posted to a student’s account and there is a credit, the refund will be issued to the student. The refund schedule can be found on the Refund Information page under the Student Refund Dates heading.

How do I set up a bank account for refunds?

You can set up direct deposit by providing your banking information by logging into your MyOCC self-service portal, accessing your Finance card and clicking on Refund banking information.