Financial Aid Office

News and Updates

2023-2024 FAFSA is now available to complete!

The new 2023–2024 FAFSA form is here so don’t delay!

To complete the 2023–2024 FAFSA visit: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

You can create or obtain your FSA ID here: https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch

Filing your FAFSA is easier if you have gathered everything you need before you get started. If you are a dependent student you will need the following information for yourself, as well as your parents. If you are married you will need this information for your spouse also.

  • Social Security Number (or Alien Registration Number if you are not a US citizen)
  • Student’s driver’s license (if applicable)
  • 2021 Federal tax returns
  • Bank statements, records of investments, and records of untaxed income
  • An FSA ID to electronically sign the form (students and parents will each need their own FSA ID)

The IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) can make obtaining accurate tax information easier.  However, there are some stipulations on who is eligible to use the DRT, so it’s still a good idea to have the information list above on hand.

It is important to follow all of the FAFSA deadlines! We recommend putting them on your calendar as soon as possible:

  • 🗓 FAFSA Opens: October 1st
  • ⏱ State Specific Deadlines: Varies by State
  • ⏱Federal Deadline: June 30th, 2024

NEW MDCAPS Feature - Electronic File Upload Tool

The Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) with the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC), is pleased to announce that the Maryland College Aid Processing System (MDCAPS) has a NEW feature known as the “Electronic File Upload” Tool.

Students may now submit documentation to OSFA as required for certain state grant/scholarship programs, online directly through their MDCAPS account. Documents uploaded through MDCAPS are secure.

How do students upload documents in MDCAPS?

  1. Log in using your MDCAPS username and password.
  2. On the homepage click “Electronic File Upload”.
  3. Select the “Academic Year” for which you are uploading document(s) for.
  4. Select the “Document Type” you are uploading as it appears in the drop down menu.
  5. Click “Choose File” to select the file(s) you want to upload from your computer.
  6. Then, click “Submit”.
    1. If uploading more than one file repeat steps 3-6.
  1. Once you have uploaded your file(s) the type of document(s) you uploaded will display at the bottom of the page.
  2. Then, click “View Application Status” at the top of the “Electronic File Upload” page in MDCAPS to view the “Status” of each document you successfully uploaded.
    1. A status of “Submitted” means your documents were uploaded successfully.
    2. A status of “Accepted” means MHEC has reviewed your document and the documentation is acceptable.
    3. A status of “Rejected” means MHEC has reviewed your document and the information you provided is Incomplete. You will receive a notification from our office informing you why the document is Incomplete.

A reminder that all files must be in PDF, jpg, png, doc, or docx format when uploading documents through MDCAPS.

For more information about the Electronic File Upload Tool click the following link https://mhec.maryland.gov/preparing/Pages/2-4-2021.aspx

 

Matching Out of State Grant

Students who reside outside of Maryland may qualify for a Matching State Grant for up to $5000 beginning fall 2021.  Most states do not have a reciprocal State Grant agreement with Maryland, therefore Capitol will match State Grants/Scholarships from non-Maryland State Agencies for up to $5000.  Students must complete the FAFSA, apply to their State Higher Education Agency annually, be awarded, and submit to Capitol’s Financial Aid Office a copy of their State Award Letter.  Upon verification, Capitol will match the award for all full-time undergraduate students.  The award is not automatically renewed.  Student must reapply each year when completing the new award year FAFSA, submit the new State Award Letter and meet other requirements such as full-time enrollment and a minimum 3.0 CGPA.

 

2022/2023 Maryland Guaranteed Access Grant

Maryland Residents Applying for Maryland Guaranteed Access Grant

For the 2022/2023 Award Year, Capitol will be processing ALL verification and documents for new and continuing students applying for the Maryland Guaranteed Access Grant.  All documents should be submitted to the Financial Aid Office to upload to MDCAPS on the students behalf.  This is to assist in the timely processing of 2022/2023 awards and eliminate duplicate requests for documents.  Contact the Financial Aid Team at finaid@captechu.edu for more information.

 

Special Circumstance Appeal

The federal laws governing financial aid allow the Financial Aid Office at Capitol Technology University to recalculate financial need in cases of special circumstances not taken into consideration by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  Families who suffer significant losses of income due to temporary or long term loss of employment or the death of a wage earner, or families who incur significant medical expenses not covered by insurance may appeal for a review of the financial aid decision. In these unusual situations, Capitol will use “current year” income rather than the “prior-prior year” income to determine a change in financial aid eligibility.  All requests must be made in writing and must include the pertinent documentation requested. You can locate the appeal form under Financial Aid Forms or click here: Special Circumstance Appeal Form

 

Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement (New Requirement for 2021/2022 Loan Borrowers)

The Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement is an online session that will allow students and parents to see how much they have borrowed, preview what their monthly payments might be, and explain concepts such as capitalization and the difference between federal and private loans.

Students and parents must complete the Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement each year to accept a new federal student loan. The goal is to help them understand how loans affect their financial future.

What am I acknowledging?

If this is your first time accepting a federal student loan, you are acknowledging that you understand your responsibility to repay your loan.

If you have existing federal student loans, you are acknowledging that you understand how much you owe and how much more you can borrow.

Who should complete this?

Borrowers accepting a subsidized/unsubsidized loan, a PLUS loan for graduate/professional students, or a PLUS loan for parents.

How do I complete this?

To complete the ASLA go to https://studentaid.gov/ and login using your FSA ID and password.  A link entitled “Complete Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement” can be found under the Complete Aid Process Tab.  Parent PLUS borrowers and student graduate/professional PLUS borrowers must also complete this requirement. The Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement should take less than 10 minutes to complete.

 

Financial Literacy