Financial Aid Programs

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

• For federal aid eligibility, 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 Department of Homeland Security verifying that his/her stay in the U.S. is for other than a temporary purpose.
• For state aid eligibility, be either a 1) U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, or 2) be classified as an AB 540 student by your college’s Admissions & Records Office.
• Demonstrate financial need (for most programs).
• Have a valid high school diploma (as determined by the Admissions & Records office) or a recognized equivalent such as a General Education Development (GED) certificate, passed a high school proficiency examination, or completed a high school education in a homeschool setting. (Students who were enrolled in a college or university prior to July 2012 who do not meet this requirement should check with their Financial Aid Office for alternative qualifying options.)
• Be enrolled as a regular student in an eligible associate degree, transfer program, or Certificate of Achievement program.
• Be making Satisfactory Academic Progress in a course of study leading to a certificate, AA or AS degree, or transfer to a baccalaureate degree program.
• Not be in default on any student loan such as Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Stafford Loans (subsidized and/or unsubsidized), Federal Direct Loans (subsidized and/or unsubsidized), or Supplemental Loans to Assist Students (SLS) at any college attended.
• Not owe an overpayment on a Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG), SMART Grant, or Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant.
• If assigned male at birth, must be registered with Selective Service for California Dream Act Applicants.
• Have a valid Social Security Number (SSN) for federal aid eligibility.
• Must have resolved all drug conviction issues for California Dream Act Applicants.
• File a federal income tax return if required to do so.

I don't think I will qualify for financial aid. Should I still apply?

In order to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (for AB 540 students), it will need to be determined if you are a DEPENDENT or INDEPENDENT student.

For dependency criteria see the LACCD Dependency Criteria webpage information

Financial Aid for Undocumented Students - Dream Resource Center

What is the difference between a dependent and an independent student?

If you meet one or more of the criteria, you are considered an INDEPENDENT student for financial aid purposes.Complete the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (for AB 540 students) with your (and your spouse’s, if applicable) income and asset information.

If you do NOT meet any of the criteria, you are a DEPENDENT student and must provide your and your parents’ income and asset information on the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (for AB 540 students).

Under federal and state laws, if you are a dependent student you are required to provide parental information and signatures on your aid application. Under very limited conditions, you may be able to submit your application without parental information due to special circumstances. Examples of special circumstances include: your parents are incarcerated, or you left home due to an abusive family environment. Notify the Financial Aid Office if you feel that you have special circumstances.

If you believe you have a special circumstance and are unable to provide parental information, you will need to provide documentation to verify your situation. Written evidence may include court or law enforcement documents, letters from school counselor, social worker, or clergy member, and other relevant data that explains your situation.

Students must be enrolled at the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) college at which they have been processed for financial aid in order to be eligible for federal and state aid (other than the BOG Fee Waiver). If you are enrolled in more than one college in the LACCD, you can only have your financial aid processed at one college, preferably the college at which you will complete your program (associate degree, certificate, or transfer program).

"Can I receive financial aid at more than one college?"

Consortium Agreements are in effect for all colleges within the LACCD. If you are attending more than one college within the District in the same academic period, your enrollment status will be the sum total of all units in which you are enrolled throughout the District.

For financial aid programs that are limited in funding, enrollment in a minimum of six (6) approved units may be required at your financial aid processing school. Check with your campus for specific financial aid enrollment requirements.

Approved units refers to courses within a student's academic program. For students who have had an Extension Petition approved, approved units refers to the units/classes listed on their Student Education Plan (submitted with their petition) that have been approved by the Financial Aid Office for financial aid eligibility. If the classes you are enrolled in are not approved, the units will not be included in the calculation of your aid.

If you plan to enroll in courses outside of the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) and wish to have those courses count for enrollment and payment, you must complete a consortium agreement form. The institution outside of the LACCD must be an eligible institution in order for your financial aid processing school to process the consortium agreement.

Students who are new to the LACCD will receive information by mail regarding the process to select their refund/disbursement preference. Students have two choices: have their refunds routed to a currently-open bank account, or open an account through Bank Mobile Vibe (formerly known as Higher One). Students who open a Bank Mobile Vibe account will receive a my LACCD card debit card and information on how to activate your card and account.

AB540 students who receive Cal Grants will receive their disbursements by paper check.

It is important that students update their address on file with the Admissions & Records Office, Business Office or Financial Aid Office to ensure receipt of information regarding the disbursement process.

Disbursement dates and deadlines are governed by Federal, State, District and/or Institutional regulations and policies.

Students receiving a disbursement from a federal student loan have the right to cancel their loan disbursement. Contact the Financial Aid Office at your college for details on loan disbursement cancellation.

Disbursements will be adjusted if enrollment is less than full-time. Supplemental disbursements occur throughout the academic year. Any outstanding non-mandatory institutional debts must be paid in full before we can process your disbursement, unless you have authorized the LACCD to deduct such debts from your financial aid disbursement. Disbursements for late starting classes will not be issued until the class begins. Not all disbursements will adhere to this schedule because disbursements depend upon when your award was processed and the date your classes began. Students are encouraged to logon to the Student Information System (SIS) at https://services.laccd.edu/districtsite/sis_logon.asp to view their disbursement information.

"If I drop a course or withdraw, what will happen to my financial aid?"

Colleges must review payments of funds to students each enrollment period to determine if students have received an overpayment. If you did not attend any of your classes prior to the first day of instruction, and were dropped by the instructor after you already received financial aid funds, you will have to repay all of the funds you received. If you are paid at one level of enrollment and then drop units, you may be subject to repayment of some or all of the funds you received.

Students who receive federal financial aid and then withdraw from ALL classes at their financial aid processing school will not receive further disbursements and may owe for an overpayment.

It is your responsibility to drop your classes through the Admissions & Records 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.

Example: You were enrolled in 12 units (full-time) at the beginning of the semester and received your first disbursement for $1,000. You then drop 3 classes (9 units) and remain in 3 units (less than half-time). The disbursement for less than half-time enrollment is $432. You are overpaid $568 and you must repay this amount before receiving any future financial aid.