Questions & Answers

A: To apply for Federal Financial Aid, you need to:

1. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
   
2. File your FAFSA online. Before you complete your FAFSA on the Web, we recommend completing the on-line worksheet and the Financial Aid Office staff can check it for accuracy and completeness. Incomplete or inconsistent information will delay processing so completing the worksheet beforehand will ensure you have gathered all the appropriate documents you might need to complete the FAFSA, such as prior year tax forms or W-2's.
   
3. Complete all the required paperwork and submit to the Financial Aid Office.
   
4. If you have attended any colleges other than Grossmont, request an Official Academic Transcripts from all colleges previously attended and have them sent to the Grossmont College Admissions and Records Office. If the transcripts are issued to you personally, they must be sealed as "Official Transcripts". Submit them in the original SEALED envelope to the Admissions and Records Office.
   
   You need to reapply for financial aid every school year. The best time to apply is January 1st through March 2nd.

A: A FREE transcript of your income tax records for past years (Letter 1722) can be obtained from the local IRS office, if you:

• Visit www.irs.gov "Order a Return or Account Transcript"
• call 1 - 800 - 829 - 1040; or
  
• send a written request to:
  Internal Revenue Service
  Attention: Taxpayer Service
  880 Front Street, Room 1295
  San Diego, CA 92101-8869

A: Here are Title IV school codes for some local colleges:

Grossmont College - 001208

Cuyamaca College - 014435

IMPORTANT: for each college you list on your FAFSA, you must specify your housing plans by marking an appropriate answer (either "off-campus" or "with parents" for attendance at Grossmont College).

This information will affect your eligibility and the amount of your award.

A: Being on your own does NOT make you independent for financial aid purposes.

To be considered independent, you have to meet AT LEAST ONE of the following requirements:

• be at least 24 years old as of January 1, 1991 for the 2014-2015 school year;
• be legally married;
• be a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces or be currently serving on Active Duty;
• be an orphan (both parents dead) or a ward of court (at any time since the age of 13);
• be in a homeless status at any time on or after July 1, 2013
• be in a legal guardianship until the age of 18 or be an emancipated minor as determined by a court;
• have legal dependents other than a spouse;
• be a postgraduate student (beyond a bachelor’s degree)

Under some extreme circumstances (unknown whereabouts of both parents, abusive situation, etc.) you may apply for a dependency override. Documentation of your situation will be required.

A: Being on your own does NOT make you independent for financial aid purposes.

To be considered independent, you have to meet AT LEAST ONE of the following requirements:

• be at least 24 years old as of January 1, 1991 for the 2014-2015 school year;
• be legally married;
• be a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces or be currently serving on Active Duty;
• be an orphan (both parents dead) or a ward of court (at any time since the age of 13);
• be in a homeless status at any time on or after July 1, 2013
• be in a legal guardianship until the age of 18 or be an emancipated minor as determined by a court;
• have legal dependents other than a spouse;
• be a postgraduate student (beyond a bachelor’s degree)

Under some extreme circumstances (unknown whereabouts of both parents, abusive situation, etc.) you may apply for a dependency override. Documentation of your situation will be required.

A: A student is ineligible to receive federal financial aid for a specified period of time if the student has been convicted of an offense for the sale or possession of an illegal drug. Convictions only count if they were for an offense that occurred during a period of enrollment for which the student was receiving federal student aid- they do not count if the offense was not during such a period, unless the student denied federal benefits' for drug trafficking by a federal or state judge.

Convictions for possession: 

Only one conviction - ineligible for federal financial aid for one year from date of conviction

Two convictions - ineligible for federal financial aid for two years from date of the second conviction

Three or more convictions - ineligible for federal financial aid for an indefinite period of time

Convictions for sale: 

Only one conviction - ineligible for federal financial aid for two years from date of conviction

Two or more convictions - ineligible for federal financial aid for an indefinite period of time

A student may regain eligibility for federal financial aid, if during the period of ineligibility, the student completes an approved drug rehabilitation program.

Students convicted of a drug offense during a period of time in which they are receiving federal financial aid, must notify the financial aid office immediately.

To find out if you are eligible, visit the Department of Education's website.

A: Call (800) 433-3243 to:

• find out if your FAFSA has been processed;
  
• find out if corrections have been processed;
  
• order a copy of your Student Aid Report;
  
• add a new college to your Student Aid Report.

For general information on Federal Student Aid programs, call (800) 433–3243.

A: To apply for the work study program, you must:

• complete the FAFSA and turn in all the required documents as early as possible.

There is NO separate application for the work study program..

You can find more information about the work study program in the Student Guide to Financial Aid.

If you are not awarded Federal or State work study, there are two more ways to find a job on campus:

• Job Placement Center
• CalWORKs Program (if you are currently receiving TANF (formerly known as AFDC)

A: Yes. If you are a single parent with at least one child under age 13, you may qualify for additional assistance from the following State-funded programs:

• CARE (Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education) - for full-time students currently receiving TANF (formerly known as AFDC); and/or

• New Horizons - for students enrolled at least half-time (6 or more units) in a vocational major.
  
  For both of these programs, you must be a California resident and have completed less than 70 college units. To apply, contact the EOPS Office.

A: To add another college to your FAFSA application, you should:

• Call the Federal Processing Center at (800) 433–3243.
  
• Contact the financial aid office of the college you are transferring to, and submit all the necessary paperwork.

• Cancel any outstanding financial award at your previous school (for any given semester, a student may be awarded from only one college.)
• ** NOT ALL FINANCIAL AID AWARDS TRANSFER**

A: You need to call (800) 367-1589 to arrange repayment. After you have made satisfactory repayment arrangements, you may regain eligibility for Federal Financial Aid. Satisfactory repayment arrangements may include:

• repaying the loan in full;
  
• making three (3) consecutive, on-time monthly payments and then applying for loan consolidation; or
  
• making six (6) consecutive, on-time monthly payments.
  
• You also may be able to receive a deferment on your loans. For more information, contact the Financial Aid Office or check the Student Guide to Financial Aid for further information.

A: You can call the California Student Aid Commission at (888) 224–7268.

Written requests can be sent to:
CSAC
P.O. Box 419026
Rancho Cordova, CA 95741-9026

Fax (916) 464-8002

For more information, you can also visit their website at www.csac.ca.gov.