The number of Financial Assistance awards available for each MMFin course during each of the three MMFin semesters each year is limited. Consequently, the MMFin team prioritizes learners who demonstrate the strongest commitment to succeeding in the course via a set of eligibility criteria.
To be eligible for Financial Assistance for an MMFin course, you must meet the following criteria:
- Submit a complete application during an Application Period (using the correct Application Form)
- Demonstrate that paying the Course Fee would cause you economic hardship
- Demonstrate you are capable of successfully passing the course
As part of the Application, you will be required to declare your annual household income and answer a few questions explaining why you are applying for assistance and how obtaining the MicroMasters Course Certificate will benefit you.
You must choose one MMFin course. Financial Assistance can only be provided for one MMFin course per learner per semester. Any additional Applications submitted by the same learner during a semester will be disregarded—only the first application will be considered for assistance. All Applications that do not meet the eligibility requirements will not be considered for Financial Assistance.
- Note: This limit does not apply to the MMFin Comprehensive Final Exam (CFx) course, because these course sessions operate on a different schedule of availability.
For MMFin Content Courses, in addition to submitting an Application, you must also complete and submit the first few Graded Problem Sets (homework assignments) in the course and achieve high scores on each. In general, you must achieve a score of at least 80% on each of the first three assignments. The specifics may vary between course sessions, but will always be communicated within the Courseware.
| All learners are expected to carefully and thoroughly read all of the introductory Courseware materials within each course and understand the important course information & details communicated there—which includes the Financial Assistance process. |
Important Note About Application Timing
To apply for Financial Assistance in an MMFin course, you must be enrolled in a running MMFin course session, on the Audit (free) track. Because the Financial Assistance Application Period is only available during the first few weeks of each course session, we strongly encourage learners to enroll in MMFin Content Course sessions before they start, and to be well-prepared for CFx course sessions to start.
- Note: Learners cannot enroll themselves in the MMFin CFx course directly. Instead, the MMFin Team will enroll all eligible learners into each CFx course session on or before the session's Start Date. Consequently, CFx-eligible learners reliant on Financial Assistance should be prepared to complete and submit their Application as soon as possible once a CFx course session they plan to participate in starts.
When Can You Submit a Financial Assistance Application
Financial Assistance is available for both MMFin Content Courses and the MMFin Comprehensive Final Exam (CFx) course. The process is identical for both, but the timeline differs.
Financial Assistance Applications for Content Courses can be submitted during a three-week period (21 days) near the beginning of each course session, in the second, third, and fourth weeks after the session's Start Date. (See the image below for a visualization of the timeline)
Financial Assistance Applications for the Comprehensive Final Exam (CFx) can be submitted as soon as the course session starts, for approximately two-and-a-half weeks (18 days).
For full MMFin Financial Assistance information and instructions, please see the FAQ article How Does Financial Assistance Work for MMFin Courses?