Financial Aid Eligibility

To be considered for financial aid, students must generally meet the following minimum requirements:

• Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen. An eligible non-citizen is a U.S. permanent resident who has documentation from the Immigration and Naturalization Service verifying that their stay in the U.S. is for other than a temporary purpose.

• Demonstrate financial need.

• Be making satisfactory progress in a course of study leading to an AA or AS degree, certificate, or transfer to a baccalaureate degree program.

• Have a valid Social Security number.

• Not be in default on a Perkins Loan (formerly National Direct Student Loan), Stafford Loan (formerly Guaranteed Student Loan), or Supplemental Loan for Students (SLS) or Parents Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) at any school the student attended.

• Not owe a refund on a Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), or State Student Incentive Grant (SSIG).

• Be registered with the Selective Service if required to do so.

• Be enrolled as a regular student in an eligible program.

• Have a high school diploma, GED, or State equivalency certificate, or pass a federally approved Ability to Benefit test offered by the Assessment Center.

 

Ability to Benefit

Students who meet one of the qualifications listed below have demonstrated the ability to benefit from a college education in accordance with applicable Federal Regulation.

• Receive a high school diploma; or

• Pass a high school proficiency examination; or

• Receive a certificate of General Education Development (GED); or

• Successfully completed a two-year program (minimum 48 units) that is acceptable for full credits towards a bachelor's degree. This student may be admitted on the basis that he or she has the recognized equivalent of high school diploma; or

• Passed an independently administered test that is approved by the Secretary of the Department of Education.

 

Deferred Tuition for Non-Resident Students

A student on financial aid whose application has been processed and whose eligibility has been established, may make arrangements to defer payment of tuition. The Financial Aid Office will provide a “tuition deferment” form to take to registration, which will indicate how many units a student plans to take and the amount of aid he/she will receive. Federal PELL Grant and other aid may not pay the full tuition; therefore, a student may have to pay the remaining balance, which may be several hundred dollars depending upon the number of units taken. Tuition fees must be paid at the time of registration.

  

Audited Classes

Students cannot receive financial aid, including the BOGFW, for enrollment in audited classes. No exceptions to this policy can be made.

  

Enrollment at Other Colleges

Consortium Agreements are in effect for all colleges within the Los Angeles Community College District. If you are attending more than one college within the district in the same academic period, payment will be based on all units taken. You must maintain at least one (1) unit level of enrollment at the Home Primary school (the school processing your financial aid) for the entire award period. If you are applying for a loan, you must be enrolled in a minimum of six (6) units at the home school. For further information, please contact the Financial Aid Office.

 

Receipt of Benefits

At the time of enrollment you are a recipient of benefits under the TANF/CalWORKs Program (formerly AFDC), Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Program (SSI), or General Assistance Program (GA). Documented proof of benefits is required.

 

Qualify by Income Standards

You and/or your family must meet the specified income standards by household size.

  

Apply for Financial Aid

You may be eligible if you have applied for financial aid via the FAFSA, and you have been determined to have financial need.

  

Dependent Fee Waiver

You are eligible if you have a Certification from the California Department of Veteran Affairs of the National Guard Adjutant General that you qualify for a Dependent’s Fee Waiver.

 

If you are a dependent of deceased law enforcement/fire suppression personnel killed in the line of duty, you must show proof of benefits.

 

Change of Enrollment Status

Colleges must review payment of funds to students each enrollment period to determine if students have received an overpayment. If you are paid at one level of enrollment and then drop units, you may be subject to repayment of some of the funds you received.

 

It is your responsibility to drop your classes through the Admissions Office if you do not attend. Failure to drop classes may result in a financial aid overpayment, which may require repayment of the financial aid you received.

 

If it is determined that you owe a repayment, and you do NOT repay the funds, a hold will be placed on your academic record, your debt will be reported to the Department of Education for collection, and you will not be eligible for further financial aid at any postsecondary institution until the debt is paid in full.

 

No further award adjustments will be made after the second disbursement run date of the Fall and Spring semesters. Any outstanding institutional debt will be deducted from your financial aid disbursement.