Financial aid is awarded on the basis of need. Need is determined by a family's financial strength. Items such as income, number in the family, other family members in college, the ownership of property or business, and a number of other criteria are taken into consideration. Strict congressionally-mandated formulas are used to determine need to ensure fair and equal treatment of everyone applying for financial aid. Grants are dollars that do not have to be paid back.
Loans are dollars that the student borrows from lending institutions and repays with interest.
The purpose of the financial aid program is to provide financial assistance to students who, without such aid, would find it difficult to attend college. Several types of financial aid are available to students at Dakota County Technical College, but students must apply in order to receive aid. The financial aid year runs from July 1 to June 30. Students must re-apply each year they attend school. It is available to Minnesota residents only.