Financial Aid

View office hours, location, email addresses, or schedule your financial aid appointment online.

Contact Us

Diploma and certificate programs eligible for financial aid at DMACC

The following diploma and certificate programs are eligible for financial aid at DMACC.​If you have questions, please contact us at finaid@dmacc.edu or call 515-964-6282.

Code of Conduct for Educational Loans Summary

Iowa Code Section 261F.2 and Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 601.21, require the development, administration, and enforcement of a code of conduct governing educational loan activities. Our officers, employees, trustees and agents, including the alumni association, booster club, and other organizations associated with Des Moines Area Community College, agree to the provisions of this Code of Conduct and will refrain from:

• Refusing to certify or delaying the certification of an education loan based on a borrower’s choice of lender.
• Assigning a first-time borrower to a particular private education loan lender through the student’s financial aid award or another means.
• Packaging a private education loan in a student’s financial aid award, except when the student is ineligible for other financial aid, has exhausted his or her federal student aid eligibility, has not filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or refuses to apply for a federal student loan. 
• Accepting impermissible gifts, goods, or services from a lender, lender servicer, or guarantor.  The institution may accept default prevention, financial literacy, or student aid-related educational services or materials, or other items of a nominal value.
• Accepting philanthropic contributions from a lender, lender servicer, or guarantor that are related to the educational loans provided by the entity that is making the contribution.
• Serving on or otherwise participating as a member of an advisory council for a lender, lender affiliate, or lender servicer.
• Accepting from a lender or its affiliate any fee, payment, or other financial benefit as compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or other contract to provide education loan-related services to or on behalf of the lender.
• Accepting fees or other benefits in exchange for endorsing a lender or the lender’s loan products.
• Requesting or accepting an offer of funds for private education loans from a lender, in exchange for our promise to provide the lender with placement on a preferred lender list, or a certain number of volume of private education loans.

This institution is committed to providing the information and resources necessary to help every student achieve educational success.  To accomplish this goal the financial aid staff will consider each student’s individual needs.

A comprehensive Code of Conduct detailing permissible and impermissible activities has been provided to all of our officers, employees, and agents.  You may review the detailed Code of Conduct on our website at: Institutional Comprehensive Code of Conduct for Ed​ucational Loans.

The College Scorecard is information collected by the US Department of Education for DMACC and other schools throughout the country. 

DMACC College Scorecard

This calculator helps determine an estimated cost of attending college including tuition, fees, books course materials, supplies, equipment, housing, meals and other related costs. 

Net Price Calculator

Student Contact Information

You must maintain a current mailing and email address with DMACC. Your address and other contact information may be updated by utilizing MyDMACC.

Student Eligibility and Program of Study

The Financial Aid Office will offer assistance to prospective students who have not yet enrolled. However, before financial aid may be credited to your account you will need to be admitted to the college, enrolled in an eligible program, and attending the coursework for which you are registered.

Many forms of financial aid are based upon enrollment status (credits) and could be adjusted (prorated) based on your enrollment level.

You cannot receive financial aid from another post-secondary institution while receiving aid from DMACC.

Guest and non-degree seeking students are not eligible to receive student financial aid. Financial aid is based only on courses that count towards your current DMACC eligible degree/certificate.

Students who are enrolled in a degree program (at the time DMACC receives their FAFSA) that requires sequential attendance, i.e. fall, spring and summer (summer term required as shown on the Program's Information Brief) may have financial aid disbursed accordingly.

By federal law, students that have completed a Bachelor's degree are not eligible for a federal Pell Grant.

Student Eligibility and Enrollment

You must be enrolled at least half-time in an eligible program leading to a degree, diploma or certificate at DMACC in order to receive federal student loans. To receive Federal student loans in the summer, you must be enrolled in at least four credits.

Many forms of financial aid are based upon enrollment status (credits) and could be adjusted (prorated) based on your enrollment level.

There are specific enrollment and eligibility requirements for the Last Dollar Scholarship, for more information go to Iowa Last-Dollar Scholarship.​

​Students adding courses after the second week of class should check with the Financial Aid Office concerning what effect the addition of a class may (or may not) have on their financial aid awards. During the fall and spring terms, a student's enrollment level is "locked" after the second week of classes for Pell grant purposes. This is commonly referred to as a Pell Grant “lock date." Therefore, for students enrolled as of the lock date the addition of coursework after the second week of classes will not increase a Pell grant proration.​

Students that initially enroll after the lock date are subject to a Pell calculation based on their initial date of enrollment. This means that if a student initially enrolls after the Pell lock date in coursework starting later that term, his or her Pell grant will be based courses (and an enrollment level) selected the date the student first enrolled. Adding classes after the initial date of enrollment will not increase a student's Pell grant (because it has been locked).

During the summer term, students adding courses after they have officially begun should check with the Financial Aid Office to determine their financial aid "lock" date.

If you are in a Late Start class and drop it before the class begins, or are administratively dropped due to Not Attending, or if the class is cancelled, an adjustment to the financial aid you have received may be made. Any pending financial aid may be cancelled and your eligibility for aid will be recalculated based on the new number of credits for which you were charged tuition. You will be billed for any refunds you received but were not eligible for based on your new credit load. If you drop all courses during the 100% tuition refund period your financial aid will be recalculated and you may receive a Post Withdrawal Offer.

Unearned Financial Aid Funds (Return of Title IV)

Students may need to repay financial aid that they received but did not earn since they did not complete the term. This is commonly referred to as the Return of Title IV (federal financial aid)​.

Student Eligibility and Academic Progress

You must maintain satisfactory academic progress, as defined by the DMACC Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards policies to be eligible for financial aid. Financial aid may be reduced or cancelled if you are reported as not attending or quit attending class(es). In addition, students who officially or unofficially withdrawal from a term for which they received financial aid may be subject to a return of unearned funds to the Department of Education. Financial aid recipients who withdraw before 60 percent of the term has been completed will have their financial aid subject to a calculation referred to as Return of Title IV. As a result, you may owe the institution and/or the US Department of Education a portion of the funds that were used for tuition and/or were refunded to you. For more information concerning Satisfactory Academic Progress or the return of unearned financial aid funds, visit the Satisfactory Academic Progress page.​

Disbursement of Financial Aid Funds

All Financial Aid funds (including Federal, State, and private awards) are first disbursed to your DMACC Student Account to pay for institutional charges including tuition, fees, and other allowable educationally related charges that appear on your account. Refunds (credit balance disbursements) are processed through the Student Accounts department.

You must use financial aid funds in excess of tuition and other college charges for your education related expenses. You must not use financial aid for fraudulent or abusive purposes such as, but not limited to, the purchasing and/or resale of textbooks and electronic equipment not required for your registered classes.

Award and Application Adjustments ​​or Corrections

After the initial award, a Pell Grant adjustment is unlikely to occur. The U.S. Department of Education could inform DMACC of a change of status to your Federal Pell Grant Eligibility. You are eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant for up to 12 semesters or the equivalent. If you have exceeded the 12-semester maximum, you will lose eligibility for additional Federal Pell Grants. Equivalency is calculated by adding together the percentage of your Pell eligibility that you received each year to determine whether the total exceeds 600%.

If you have been awarded an award/grant from the state of Iowa, in the event that available state funds are insufficient to pay the full amount of each approved grant the Iowa College Student Aid Commission has the authority to administratively reduce the award.

You must inform the DMACC Financial Aid Office of any changes or errors in the information you submitted in support of your application for financial aid, and be aware that those changes may result in a reduction of your award and/or repayment of financial aid already released to your Student Account.

It is your responsibility to ensure that the DMACC Financial Aid Office has all documents necessary to complete the review of your application for financial aid by the deadline date specified on your notification or by the last day of your enrollment period for the award year. If you submit the documents after the last day of your enrollment period, you may not receive financial aid (as outlined under the Department of Education's regulations for Late Disbursement). If you are selected for a process called Verification your award offer may change based upon the documents you provide to the Financial Aid Office.

You are responsible for repaying any funds you receive which exceed your financial need at DMACC. You further understand that the amount of any repayment is based on regulations published by the U.S. Department of Education.

You must notify the Financial Aid Office of any outside scholarship or other gift aid.

External gift or grant assistance may reduce or eliminate institutional and/or state financial assistance.

Student Aid and Drug Convictions or Incarceration

You cannot receive certain types of financial aid if you are incarcerated in a federal, state, or local penal institution.

​Student Loan Default or Overpayments

You cannot be in default on any federal financial aid program (Title IV) or owe an overpayment and receive financial assistance.

Student Aid and FERPA

The U.S. Department of Education requires the use of your social security number when applying for financial aid. DMACC is committed to ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of student records and will not disclose your social security number or DMACC ID without your consent for any purpose except as allowed by law. For additional information concerning your rights and responsibilities under The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act visit DMACC's FERPA website.

The Student Expense Budget, or Cost of Attendance (COA) is determined by the Financial Aid Office and is based on the estimated costs a student will incur during the academic year.

These student budgets should not be used as to estimate the actual bill from the college.  The costs below include averages and estimations and also a majority of items not found on the bill owed to the school.  These budgets should be used to better judge how much it may cost a student to take classes AND pay for other items while in school—such as rent and getting back and forth to campus.   

Included in the budget are:

• tuition
• books, course materials, supplies, and equipment
• housing and food
• transportation
• personal/miscellaneous expenses.

The budget the student will be placed in will vary depending on whether a student is dependent or independent on the FAFSA.  Dependent students are initially placed in an “living at home” budget; independent students are initially placed in an “off-campus” budget.  A third budget is set aside for students who live in DMACC owned housing (Boone and Carroll campus only).

The estimated costs reflect typical expense patterns for DMACC students. While actual expenses will depend on your lifestyle and level of enrollment, the estimated costs listed on this page should assist you in planning your own personal student budget.​

2026-27

• Off-Campus Budget
• Living at Home Budget
• Living on Campus (Boone or Carroll Campuses)

2025-26

• Off-Campus Budget
• Living at Home Budget
• Living on Campus (Boone or Carroll Campuses)

The Net Price Calculator can also be used in planning a budget while attending school.

• Tuition is based on 15 credits per semester (fall & spring) and 10 credits for summer semester. Full-time enrollment for fall and spring semester is 12-18 credits (8+ credits for summer). Actual tuition expenses will increase or decrease based on enrollment.
• Housing and Food amount is based on data supplied from government data compiled annually from the Fair Market Rent Documentation System complied annual for the State of Iowa and data collected from the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. The room costs are based on the average cost of rental data in the local area or the estimated cost of living with parents or the costs of living on campus (Boone Campus Rates). Actual costs may vary by individual choices related to location and circumstances.
• Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment is the average cost of books and various supplies necessary for classes for a typical student enrolled in Fall/Spring (15 credits each semester) or Summer semester (10 credits) from the previous year.
• Transportation expenses for independent and dependent students are based on select data collected from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics most recent available data: 2025, Midwest Region. On campus transportation costs are configured on averages of distance of campus to permanent home address for housed students from previous award year.  The allowance is based on one round-rip per month.  Students of extremely or significant more distance can be considered for additional costs if not approximately covered by current rate.  However, the consideration is still averaged and not meant to fully reimburse students for all travel.  For example, any student needing to fly to DMACC will only be provided budget consideration for one round trip per term.
• Personal and Miscellaneous expenses are based on select data collected from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics most recent available report: 2025, Midwest Region.​
• First time licensure exam fee and federal student loan fees are expenses built into the electronic version of a student’s budget. Because there are select costs for a specific portion of the student population these costs are only included when the student is taking a loan or enrolled, as a second-year student or higher, in an educational program that requires the licensure exam. These expenses are added automatically.

Other costs can be included on a case-by-case and limited basis.  Unusual expenses such as purchase of a computer (for education); other more expensive supplies, tools and uniforms; significant out-of-pocket medical, dependent care or sibling educational costs can also be taken under consideration.  Contact the financial aid office directly if you or your family has any of the requests.   Note that some expenses may only be allowed one time, requests may be denied, and even if the request is granted aid eligibility or programs may not change.  Often, the expanded budgets only allow for additional student loan usage. 

Financial Aid release dates and information.

Release of Funds