Career Information

H3 Careers

  • WHAT ARE H3 OCCUPATIONS?

    High Wage, High Skill and High Demand jobs are today's in-demand jobs.

    • Occupations are high wage when at least half of their wage measures are at or above the regional average for all occupations.
    • Occupations that require some college, no degree or a higher level of educational attainment are high skill, as well as occupations that require a high school diploma or equivalent plus long-term on-the-job training, an apprenticeship, or internship/residency.
    • The number of annual openings, net change in employment, and growth rate determine whether an occupation is high demand. An occupation must be High Wage, High Skill and High Demand to be an H3 occupation. For more information on the methodology for H3 occupations, click here.

Financial Aid Information

  • What is Financial Aid?
    Financial aid is money provided by federal, state and institutional sources to help students meet expenses while attending post-secondary school. Many students are finding it increasingly difficult to finance a college education without some assistance, and you may be having a similar experience.

    In general, all U.S. Citizens and eligible non-citizens who are enrolled in an approved program are eligible to receive financial assistance.

    Refer to the student eligibility criteria listed on the front of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) page or go to the Eligibility page.

    What Types of Financial Aid Exist?

    There are five types of financial aid:

    • Grants (Gift-aid)
    • Work-Study
    • Loans
    • Scholarships
    • Veteran Benefits

    Grants and scholarships are financial assistance that you don't have to pay back. Federal Work-Study allows you to work and earn money to help pay for school. Loans are borrowed money that you must repay with interest. The Federal Student Guide provides greater detail on Federal Student Aid.

    If you are a veteran, you may be entitled to financial aid benefits offered through The Veterans' Administration. The Financial Aid and Veteran Services office provides advisory services relating to such benefits and periods of earned entitlement.

    Financial Aid offices offers a financial aid package generally consisting of a combination of grant(s) (gift aid) and work-study employment (self-help aid) to eligible students with a demonstrated need. Aid is awarded as part of the means for you to begin or continue your studies.

    The office emphasizes "part of the means" because you and your family must make maximum efforts to assist in meeting college expenses. The Financial Aid office is able to bridge only a portion of the financial gap that may exist between the cost of your education and the money available to you from family, job earnings, savings and other resources. The College participates in, or administers, all major federal and state grant and loan programs. The goal is to help students pay for their direct educational costs, such as tuition, books, supplies and transportation.

    Estimated Cost of Attendance (COA)

    The cost of attendance (COA) is the amount it will cost students to go to school. Cost of tuition, technology service fees, books and supplies, room and board, transportation and personal expenses are used in determining the amount of financial aid students will receive.

    The student budgets listed on the COA page are used to determine cost of attendance for MCC students. These annual budgets, for students attending full time (12 credit hours) during the College's academic year, are calculated using three-quarter or four-quarter enrollment. To determine a quarter’s cost of attendance, divide the annual budget figure by the number of quarters for which a student is attending (three or four).

    Actual living costs will vary depending on student dependency status, personal spending habits and other variables. The student budgets reflect minimal costs of living incurred by the student while attending MCC.

    COA is used to calculate a student's eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Stafford Student Loan, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Nebraska Opportunity Grant (NSG), Federal Work-Study (FWS) and Board of Governors Tuition Grant (BGTG). 

    NOTE: Personal Expense items include transportation, clothing, medical, telephone, utility, insurance, household, entertainment, etc.

    Determination of Need

    The Financial Aid office determines financial need by subtracting the student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the appropriate student budget. (See student budgets above.) FAFSA, which the student submits to the Federal Processor, is designed to provide this EFC figure.

FAFSA Information

  • The acronym, FAFSA, stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It is the basic federal application you will file if applying for financial aid.

    You can now process your FAFSA application electronically at the Financial Aid offices and learning centers at the three campus locations. If you have an internet connection, you may also complete your application from your home. New! You can now complete your FAFSA through the myStudentAid mobile app.  Download the myStudentAid app in the Apple App Store (iOS) or Google app (Android).  We do recommend that you get assistance in completing your forms from Financial Aid staff members.

    Before you Begin Completing the FAFSA

     You will need a FSA ID (username and password) to electronically sign your FAFSA application. You can create an FSA ID at https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm/

    The FSA ID, which consists of a user-created username and password, replaced the PIN effective May 2015. The FSA ID serves as a student’s or parent’s identifier to allow access to personal information in various U.S. Department of Education systems and acts as a digital signature on the FAFSA and other U.S. Department of Education online forms.

    Using your FSA ID is also the only way to access or correct your information online, or to pre-fill a FAFSA on the Web application with information from your previous year’s FAFSA.

    Your FSA ID is used to sign legally binding documents electronically. It has the same legal status as a written signature. Don't give your FSA ID to anyone—not even to someone helping you fill out the FAFSA. Sharing your FSA ID could put you at risk of identity theft!

    THE FSA ID PROCESS CONSISTS OF THREE MAIN STEPS:

    1. Enter your log-in information.

    • Provide your e-mail address, a unique username, and password, and verify that you are at least 13 years old.

    1. Enter your personal information.

    • Provide your Social Security number, name, and date of birth.
    • Include your mailing address, e-mail address, telephone number, and language preference.
    • For security purposes, provide answers to five challenge questions.

    1. Submit your FSA ID information.

    • Agree to the terms and conditions.
    • Verify your e-mail address. (This is optional, but helpful. By verifying your e-mail address, you can use your e-mail address as your username when logging into certain ED websites. This verification also allows you to retrieve your username or reset your password without answering challenge questions.)

    When finished creating your FSA ID you are ready to complete your FAFSA application on the web on studentaid.gov.

    Video: How to create an FSA ID

    FAFSA application

    To complete the 2020-21  FAFSA application you will need to gather the following information:

    • 2018 Income information (including self, spouse or parent, if dependent)
    • 2018 records of earned income (non-tax filers)
    • 2018 Social Security documentation
    • 2018 Child support documents (either paid or received)
    • Any other 2018 untaxed income documentation (disability benefits, workers' compensation, etc.)
    • Current balance of cash, savings and checking
    • Net worth of all investments such as stocks, bonds, real estate (not your residence), businesses and investment farms

    It is strongly recommended that you have this information before you attempt to file electronically.

Types of Colleges

  • What are the types of colleges??

    Is a college the same thing as a university? What does "liberal arts" mean? Why are some colleges called public and others private? Here are the basics on the types of colleges.

    Public and private colleges

    •Public colleges are funded by local and state governments and usually offer lower tuition rates than private colleges, especially for students who are residents of the state where a college is located.
    •Private colleges rely mainly on tuition, fees and private sources of funding. Private donations can sometimes provide generous financial aid packages for students.

    Four-year and two-year colleges

    •Four-year colleges offer four-year programs that lead to a bachelor's degree. These include universities and liberal arts colleges.
    •Two-year colleges offer programs that last up to two years that lead to a certificate or an associate degree. These include community colleges, vocational-technical colleges and career colleges.

    Liberal arts colleges

    These colleges offer a broad base of courses in the liberal arts, which includes areas such as literature, history, languages, mathematics and life sciences. Most are private and offer four-year programs that lead to a bachelor's degree. These colleges can prepare you for a variety of careers or for graduate study.

    Universities

    Universities often are larger and offer more majors and degree options—bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees—than colleges. Most universities contain several smaller colleges, such as colleges of liberal arts, engineering or health sciences. These colleges can prepare you for a variety of careers or for graduate study.

    Community colleges

    Community colleges offer two-year associate degrees that prepare you to transfer to a four-year college to earn a bachelor's degree. They also offer other associate degrees and certificates that focus on preparing you for a certain career. Community colleges are often an affordable option with relatively low tuition.

    Vocational-technical and career colleges

    Vocational-technical and career colleges offer specialized training in a particular industry or career. Possible programs of study include the culinary arts, firefighting, dental hygiene and medical-records technology. These colleges usually offer certificates or associate degrees.