When applying for Early Decision, you should plan to apply for need-based financial aid as early as possible. This allows us to prepare your tentative Financial Aid Award Letter which will provide an estimate of how much need-based financial aid you’ll receive.

If you’re considering Early Decision, you’ve probably done a lot of thinking about college and have found in HMC an environment that really matches up with your interests and needs. We want to make it possible for Early Decision students to enroll, so we do our best to provide a quality award that correlates to the information provided on your application materials. Your choice to apply to Early Decision will not affect your chances for receiving need-based financial aid.

International students considering Early Decision, refer to Financial Aid for International Applicants.

Follow these steps to apply for need-based financial aid:

1. Submit a CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE for Early Decision I applicants on or before November 15, 2011. The deadline for Early Decision II applicants is on or before January 2, 2012. HMC's CSS Profile code is 4341. 

Note: If applicable, the Noncustodial PROFILE from the noncustodial parent must be submitted for Early Decision I on or before November 15, 2011. The deadline for Early Decision II is on or before January 2, 2012. The link and password for the Noncustodial PROFILE will be provided to the student from The College Board.

2. Send a signed copy of your parents' 2010 federal income tax return to the Office of Financial Aid for Early Decision I applicants on or before November 15, 2011. The deadline for Early Decision II applicants is on or before January 2, 2012. A signed copy of your parent(s)’ 2010 federal income tax return includes all Schedules, Forms, W-2s, 1099s, and Corporate/Partnership Federal Tax Returns with all K-1s (if applicable). Copies may be sent by fax, email attachment (PDF format), or United States Postal Service (USPS) mail.

Based on the information you provide in the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE and the tax statements, we will respond to your aid application with a tentative Financial Aid Award Letter. Later in the year you’ll also need to:

3. Submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) between January 1 and February 1, 2012. HMC's Federal School Code is 001171. Submit the FAFSA in paper format or online. You will be able to obtain a paper FAFSA by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) toll-free at (800) 4-FED-AID or (800) 433-3243. You may request up to three copies of the paper application and should receive the FAFSA in three to seven business days. We highly recommend that you file your financial aid application online. Prior to filing online, you and one of your parents must obtain a Personal Identification Number (PIN) through the Department of Education's PIN web site.

NOTE: You don’t need to file your 2011 federal income tax return prior to completing a FAFSA. Estimate to the best of your ability your 2011 income on the FAFSA. Be sure to file your 2011 federal tax return early and use the FAFSA on the Web/IRS Data Retrieval. You may be required to submit an IRS Individual Tax Return Transcript using Form 4506T-EZ, if your FAFSA is selected for verification by the U.S. Department of Education. We will request a final, signed copy of your and your parents’ 2011 federal income tax returns including all Schedules, Forms, W-2s, 1099s, and Corporate/Partnership Federal Tax Returns with all K-1s (if applicable) for verification in the spring. These forms should be submitted on or before April 15, 2012.

4. Submit a Cal Grant GPA Verification Form (California Residents only) to your high school counselor to complete and submit to the California Student Aid Commission by the March 2 deadline. Begin the process to submit the form well before that date. If you do not receive a Cal Grant Entitlement Award during your first year or you are disqualified based on not meeting income, asset, and financial need requirements, you must reapply for a Competitive Cal Grant for your second, third, or fourth year. Based on California Education Code section 69432.7(k) effective March 24, 2011, Cal Grant eligibility must be determined each year. Cal Grant recipients will now need to meet income, asset, and financial need requirements annually, all of which previously applied only to initial Cal Grant recipients.

5. Submit your supplemental documents on or before, but no later than April 15, 2012. These documents should be sent directly to The College Board with your personalized Cover Sheet from The College Board's Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC):

• signed final copy of your and your parent(s)' 2011 federal income tax returns including all Schedules, Forms, W-2s, and 1099s. Draft copies of tax forms are not acceptable.
• signed final copy of any 2011 Corporate Federal Tax Return(s) with all K-1s (if applicable) for any corporation(s) in which you or your parents have an investment.
• signed final copy of any 2011 Partnership Federal Tax Return(s) with all K-1s (if applicable) for any partnership(s) in which you or your parents have an investment.
• Verification Worksheet for Dependent Student, if requested on your Student Aid Report (SAR) which you will receive after filing the FAFSA.
• Business/Farm Supplement, if requested.

Any other documents requested by the Office of Financial Aid should be sent directly to the Office of Financial Aid.

Last Updated: February 2012