MiraCosta College Simplifies Financial Aid Application Process

​MiraCosta College students will face less paperwork when applying for financial aid, thanks to a new online filing system that can be accessed via cell phone, tablet, or computer and provides immediate status updates.

The MiraCosta College Financial Aid Office this fall is rolling out a new software program called CampusLogic with the goal of making federal verification of files more efficient and allowing staff to get its work done faster. As a result, financial aid staff should have more time for campus outreach and working with students individually.
 
“This will cut down on the number of forms students have to fill out and it puts everything online,” said Financial Aid Technician Sokhea Chap, who has been spending much of the summer training staff on the new system. “It simplifies the process for students while streamlining the process for us.”
 
MiraCosta College students can be eligible for any one of several financial aid programs, including the MiraCosta Promise, the California College Promise Grant, Cal Grants, the federal Pell Grant, work study, scholarships, and more. Although all students seeking financial aid are required to fill out an online Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or a California Dream Act application, additional information is sometimes required the old fashion way—via paper. Students will no longer have to print those forms, fill them out and return them to the Financial Aid Office.
 
Best of all, Chap said, updates are immediate. “We’re hoping to see a noticeable improvement,” she said. 
 
Financial aid offices at California community colleges administer more than $2.8 billion of assistance to more than 1 million students annually.