Apply for Financial Aid

Your financial aid award includes your maximum eligibility for federal and state grants. These are automatically accepted for you and do not need to be repaid.

You may also see federal student loans included in your offer. These loans are optional—you can choose to accept all, some, or none of the amount offered.

Keep in mind:

Grants = free money you don’t repay

Loans = money you must repay with interest

Steps to Request Loans (Optional):

If you decide to accept a loan from your award:

1. Complete the Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Entrance Loan Counseling (ELC).
2. Log into MyMSTC and choose how much of your subsidized and/or unsubsidized loan you want to accept.

Request Additional Loan funds (Optional):

If your financial aid does not cover all your costs, you may request additional unsubsidized loan funds beyond what was initially offered.

To request more, complete the Additional Loan Request Form.

Before requesting more loans:

• Only borrow what you truly need.
• Remember that unsubsidized loans begin accruing interest right away—even while you’re in school.

Questions?

Mid-State's Financial Aid Office is here if you have questions. Let us know how we can help. Email us or call 715-422-5300 (option 3).

Understanding the Cohort Default Rate

Mid-State cares about your success—during college and after graduation. Part of that success means helping students manage their federal student loans responsibly.

Cohort default rate shows the percentage of a school’s students who start repaying federal student loans during a given year and then default (stop making payments as required) within three years. The US Department of Education calculates and shares this information each year.

Here’s how it works:
The Department of Education looks at all Mid-State students who began repaying loans in a specific year and tracks how many of them default within three years. The percentage of those who default becomes Mid-State’s cohort default rate.

Because some schools have only a small number of students who take out loans, these rates don’t always represent the experience of the entire student body.

Mid-State's Cohort Default Rate

The table below displays Mid-State's cohort default rate compared to the national average, based on the latest available reporting from the US Department of Education. (Rates in recent years are lower due to the temporary student loan payment pause during COVID. Rates going forward are expected to increase.)

Why Default Matters

Falling behind on student loan payments can have serious consequences:

• Interest and collection fees can increase what you owe.
• Your credit score may drop, making it harder to buy a car or home.
• Your wages or tax refunds could be taken to repay the debt.
• You won’t be eligible for more federal student aid until the default is resolved.

If you’re ever worried about making your loan payments, Mid-State is here to help. Contact our Financial Aid team at 714-422-5300 or email us to talk through your options and find support before problems arise.

If you’ve been awarded financial aid, you may be eligible to charge textbooks through Mid-State Technical College.

Learn More (PDF)

Understand how to appeal if your aid is suspended or reduced.

If you believe a financial aid decision is unfair or incorrect, you have the right to appeal.

Start by submitting a written appeal to the Financial Aid manager. Be sure to include:

• A clear explanation of what you believe is inaccurate or unfair
• Any details about special circumstances
• Supporting documents, if available

If you and the Financial Aid manager cannot resolve the issue, you may submit a second written appeal within five school days of receiving your decision. This appeal goes to the dean of Enrollment Management.

The dean will meet with you and the financial aid manager within five school days to review your appeal. You will then receive a written decision within five school days of that meeting.

When you receive federal financial aid, it’s based on the idea that you’ll attend Mid-State for the whole semester. If you leave early or stop attending, you might not be able to keep all the aid you were awarded.

If You Withdraw or Stop Attending

• Federal rules say you “earn” your aid as you attend class.
• If you attend more than 60% of the term, you’ve earned 100% of your aid—nothing needs to be repaid.
• If you withdraw or stop attending before 60%, we must calculate how much aid you’ve “earned” and return the rest to the federal programs.

The date you officially withdraw or last attend class determines how much aid you can keep. If you receive all “F”s or stop participating, we may have to treat this as a withdrawal and adjust your aid.

If You Never Attend

If you don’t attend any of your classes, you’re considered a no-show and not eligible for financial aid. Any funds you received must be repaid in full.

Post-Withdrawal Disbursements

If you earned more aid than what was paid out before you withdrew, you might still receive the remaining amount.

• You’ll be notified if you qualify.
• Grants are paid automatically; for loans, you’ll have the option to accept or decline.

Repaying Unearned Aid

If you owe a repayment, Mid-State will notify you in writing. You’ll need to pay the balance to the College. If you don’t repay within 45 days, we must report it to the U.S. Department of Education, which could affect your future financial aid.

Need Help Before You Withdraw?

We understand that life happens, and sometimes you need to make tough decisions about your classes. Talk to Financial Aid before withdrawing—we can help you understand how leaving might affect your aid and what options are available.

Questions?

Please contact the Student Services & Information Center (888-575-6782) near you regarding any refunds or student account matters.

Students who wish to dispute an amount due should address all concerns in writing to:

Registrar
Mid-State Technical College
500 32nd Street North
Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494

Learn what academic standards you must maintain to keep your aid.

To keep receiving financial aid, you need to make steady progress toward finishing your degree or diploma. Federal rules require all colleges, including Mid-State, to check your progress every semester—even if you’re not using financial aid at the time.

What You Need to Stay Eligible

You must meet all three standards below:

1. Grade Point Average (GPA): Keep a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.
2. Pace (Completion Rate): You must complete at least 67 percent of all credits you’ve ever attempted at Mid-State. Pace is calculated by dividing your total completed credits by your total attempted credits (including withdrawals, incompletes, and repeats).
3. Maximum Time Frame: You can receive financial aid for up to 150 percent of the length of your program. For example, if your program requires 64 credits, you can attempt up to 96 credits (64 × 1.5). Changing programs doesn’t reset this limit—all your attempted credits at Mid-State count toward it.

Other Important Details

• Repeating a course: You can receive aid for a repeated class only once if you already passed it.
• Remedial classes: You can receive aid for up to 30 remedial credits.
• Aid only applies to program-required courses.

If You Fall Below the Standards

Financial Aid Warning

If your GPA or Pace falls below the standard, you’ll be placed on Financial Aid Warning for one semester. You’ll still receive aid during this time, but you must meet the standards by the end of the term. We encourage you to use our free student support services—tutoring, counseling, or the Academic Learning Center—to help you get back on track.

Financial Aid Suspension

If you don’t meet the standards after your warning semester, your aid will be suspended. You can still attend classes by paying on your own. Once your GPA and Pace meet the requirements again, your aid can be reinstated.

Appealing a Suspension

If you had unusual circumstances—like a serious illness, a death in your immediate family, or military service—you can submit a Petition for Reinstatement and an Academic Success Plan.

Here’s how:

1. Meet with your academic advisor to complete the petition and success plan.
2. Include documentation that supports your situation.
3. Your plan will outline how you’ll get back into good standing.
4. If approved, you’ll be placed on Financial Aid Probation for one semester and may receive aid during that time.

To stay eligible after that semester, you must follow your Academic Success Plan and meet SAP standards.

If You Reach the 150-Percent Limit

If you’ve attempted more than 150 percent of your program’s required credits, you’ll need to meet with your advisor to appeal. While on this status, you must stay on an approved Academic Plan until your program is complete.

Regaining Financial Aid After Denial

If your appeal is denied, you can regain eligibility by improving your GPA and Pace on your own.

This means paying for your classes until you meet both:

• A 2.0 GPA or higher
• 67% pace or higher

Once you’re back in good standing, you can appeal again to reinstate aid.

Communication

You’ll receive all updates about your financial aid status—such as warnings, suspensions, or appeal decisions—through your Mid-State email. Each appeal is reviewed individually, and decisions are final.

Questions or Help

If you have questions about your financial aid eligibility or need help with an appeal, email Financial Aid or call 715-422-5300. We’re here to help you stay on track and succeed at Mid-State!