Financial Aid Policies

Please take a moment to review the polices that the Financial Aid Office has provided to help students succeed:

Terms and Conditions of Your Financial Aid Award

The terms and conditions of your financial aid award is an official agreement between you and the Financial Aid Office and is enforced throughout the term of the award. Failure to comply with all of the laws, regulations, and rules, may result in the termination of the award and may require repayment of part or all funds disbursed to you. By accepting Financial Aid funds, you are stating you have read, understand and will comply with the following Financial Aid Terms of Agreement.

Enrollment and Eligibility Requirements

  1. Funds on your Financial Aid Offer Notification are tentative and based on full-time enrollment status in approved college credit classes. Funds are subject to adjustment, if you are enrolled in less than full- time (12 units) and your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) limitations. Classes that begin after the students’ first disbursement or added classes will be paid on the subsequent disbursement. My financial aid payments may be adjusted if my enrollment changes.
    Enrollment Status Units
    Full time 12 or more
    Three-quarter-time 9 to 11.9
    Half-time 6 to 8.9
    Less-than-half-time Less than 6
  2. I must be enrolled in an eligible program leading to a degree (AA/AA-T, AS/AS-T), transfer or eligible certificate to receive financial aid. (Certificates less than 16 units are not approved for Title IV Financial Aid).
  3. I must have a high school diploma or a GED.
  4. Federal financial aid (“Title IV funds”) is awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded and enroll in classes in their eligible program.
  5. The Federal Pell Grant has a lifetime limit of up to 6 years / 12 full-time semesters (600%) or until a Bachelor’s Degree is earned, whichever comes first. I understand when I have reached 600% in Federal Pell Grant funds; I will no longer be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant. I understand this limit will be monitored by the U.S. Department of Education and I can check my status by logging into the Federal Student Aid website

Disbursement and Payment Policies

  1. Disbursements: Eligible Chaffey College students will receive their financial aid disbursements via BankMobile disbursement services a technology solution, powered by BMTX, inc. Please visit their website to learn more about selecting a refund preference at https://bankmobiledisbursements.com/refundchoices/ The Office of Financial aid reserves the right to review, modify, and/or cancel financial aid awarded at any time during the year due to changes in your financial status, including but not limited to, eligibility for financial aid and/or Satisfactory Academic Progress.  In addition, your financial aid awarded may be void, cancelled or modified if the aid awarded was based on any error in determining eligibility or the amount of financial aid awarded, whether or not the error was made by you or the Chaffey College Office of Financial Aid.  Students who fail to cash financial aid refunds that were issued as a paper check by the check's expiration date, will have the funds returned to the aid program in which the refund was created.
  2. My financial aid payment schedule may be adjusted or delayed depending on when I enroll for a class, or the start date(s) of my class(es) for the term.
  3. I cannot receive financial aid payment for any units completed as a result of Credit by Examination. I cannot receive financial aid payment for any courses taken for Audit.
  4. I can only receive financial aid payment once when repeating a previously passed course.
  5. I understand I cannot receive financial aid payment for waitlisted courses until I am officially enrolled in the course.
  6. I understand that my Pell grant will be in two disbursements for Chaffey College for Fall, Spring and Summer terms.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and Enrollment Status

  1. Please be aware that Chaffey College is required by federal regulations to establish a Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP). Financial aid is provided for students seeking a degree, transfer status or certificate. I have read and understand the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards. Students who do not meet the SAP standards will lose their eligibility for financial aid. 
  2. It is my responsibility to complete a designated program of study within the maximum time frame as specified in the Satisfactory Academic Progress Regulations and ensure all classes I take will fulfill my educational goal requirements.

Reporting Responsibilities

  1. I agree that I must promptly report to the Financial Aid Office any changes in my financial, marital, residency or academic status. 
  2. I must report any changes in my information promptly to the Financial Aid office including name, mailing address, enrollment status, any additional earning or funding resources not included in my award offer from any other outside sources.
  3. Correspondence from the Office of Financial Aid will be emailed to my college assigned email address or mailed to the mailing address on file with the Admissions and Records Office. All changes in name and/or address must be reported directly to the Admissions and Records Office.

Rights and Conditions

  1. I understand that all financial aid awards are contingent upon the availability of funds. This award has been based on the documented information I submitted at the time I applied for financial aid.  It is my responsibility to inform the Financial Aid Office if that information changes. 
  2. Chaffey College reserves the right to revise the student’s Financial Aid award.  Modification of this offer may be reduced due to lack of necessary state or federal funding, academic progress, corrections or changes in the data reported to the institution by parents and/or students, receipt of additional awards by non-college sources, unintended error, student changes in unit load, change in residence, or other reasons consistent with Chaffey College’s procedures.  It may be necessary for the Financial Aid office to alter the types of assistance I have been awarded so that the funds in each of our programs may be fully utilized by students qualifying for particular types of aid.
  3. I will be considered to have received an overpayment of financial aid funds if:
    • The student is selected for verification by the Department of Education after receiving Title IV disbursement.
    • Students, who drop any classes after receiving their first disbursement (but do not drop all of their classes during the term) may be in overpayment penalty per Federal Title IV regulations due to reduced enrollment.
    • Other income discrepancies caused by students revising their FAFSA due to conflicting information.
    • Payments are made to me and I already have a Bachelor's degree (or the equivalent from a foreign country) - for Federal Pell or SEOG grants, loans and state Cal or Student Success Completion grants (SSCG) only;
    • Payments are made to me when I receive financial aid from Chaffey College and from another institution during the same enrollment period. I must notify the Financial Aid Office if I am receiving financial aid for attendance at another institution while attending Chaffey College. Further, I cannot receive financial aid payment that exceeds the maximum annual award.
  4. Financial Aid recipients are advised to consult with their Chaffey College Financial Aid Advisor before dropping classes, or making changes to their FAFSA.
  5. I cannot receive financial aid funds if I am in default of Title IV educational loans made to attend any college and/or owe an overpayment of Title IV grant to the college and/or U.S. Department of Education.
  6. Release of Information: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) provide students with certain rights regarding their educational records, including information on the student’s financial aid application. As a rule, the Chaffey College Financial Aid office cannot release information to anyone other than the student. If you want Chaffey College Financial Aid office to release information to someone else, please visit the Financial Aid office virtually or in person and request a Student Release Information Form. To make this request, you must present this form along with your Student ID, and a current California ID or California Driver’s License. A signed Student Release of information form is required before any student information will be disclosed to anyone other than the student. Please understand that by doing this, you are authorizing someone other than yourself to inquire about your financial aid information and status.
  7. Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4): Federal Title IV financial aid funds are awarded under the assumption that a student will remain in attendance for the entire semester for which the funds were awarded. Students who officially or unofficially withdraw from all classes prior to completing more than 60% of the enrollment period are subject to having their federal aid recalculated. These funds include Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity (SEOG), and Federal Direct Loans.
  8. Assembly Bill-2248 Notification to Cal Grant B & C Recipients: Cal Grant offer is limited to four academic years, except for students enrolled in an institutionally required five-year undergraduate program or for students with baccalaureate degrees admitted to and enrolled in a program of professional teach preparation. A student needs to take 15 units per semester or quarter, or 30 semester units or the equivalent quarter units per academic year, in order to graduate within four years.
  9. If I fail to begin attendance in at least one course in which I was enrolled, or I fail to appropriately or promptly withdraw from a course which I am no longer attending, I may owe funds back to the college and/or U.S. Department of Education.
  10. In the event of financial aid overpayment, regardless of the cause, I must repay the funds. This includes students who received financial aid funds and are later determined to be ineligible.
  11. I understand the Financial Aid office reserves the right to revise my Financial Aid award during any time of the year if there are changes to my financial aid eligibility.
  12. The Financial Aid Terms and Conditions and Satisfactory Academic Progress Policies may change any time during the semester. In the event of changes, I will comply with all the new policies. I also understand changes will be posted on the college website

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy

The U.S. Department of Education requires that students applying for financial aid, must demonstrate Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward an AA/AS degree, transfer requirements, or certificate program. This Policy applies to all students whether or not they were recipients of financial aid at Chaffey College or at any other College. Chaffey College requires students to meet both a qualitative and a quantitative standard for academic progress. All students will be evaluated at the end of each semester to determine if they are meeting SAP standards. In order for students to receive any federal or state financial aid, students must adhere to all of the SAP Standards.

 

Repayment Policy

If you receive a grant and then withdraw from one or all of your classes, you will owe money back to the federal program.  Here's how it works:

If a student receives financial aid, contact the Financial Aid Office and the Counseling Department prior to withdrawing from classes to discuss alternative options. There are programs and/or services to assist students in staying on track with their educational goals.

Reduced Enrollment

If you receive a grant and you withdraw from one or more of your classes, but still remain in some courses, then this is referred to as reduced enrollment.  You will owe money back to the federal program.

  • Scenario: If you were enrolled in 12 units and received a Pell grant of $3,247, then you withdraw from 2 classes (6 units) you would then owe $1,623.00.

Return to Title IV Funds

Federal Title IV financial aid funds are awarded under the assumption that a student will attend and successfully complete the entire semester for which the funds were awarded. The funds include, Federal Pell Grant and Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). Students who withdraw from all of their classes, are dropped by all of their instructors, and/or receive all FW grades for the semester may be subject to repayment of federal funds and the Return of Title IV will be calculated assuming attendance at the 50% point of the semester.  If a student withdraws after completing 60% of the term, the student has earned 100% of the Title IV funds awarded/received. 

Chaffey College is not required to take attendance. Students who are not able to complete a course have an obligation to withdraw officially. A student may drop or withdraw only before 61% completion of the class. An instructor may also drop or withdraw a student for lack of attendance only before 61% completion of the class. After census, students should not rely on instructors to drop or withdraw them from a class.

A student’s withdrawal date is categorized in the following ways:

  • Official withdrawal--the date the student dropped his/her last class in the Admissions Office of his or her intent to withdraw.
  • Unofficial withdrawal--the midpoint of the semester for a student who leaves without notifying the college (and received all FW grades; combination of all FW and/or W grades).
  • The student’s last date of attendance in a documented academically-related program.

If a student earned more aid than was disbursed to him/her, the institution would owe the student a post-withdrawal disbursement. The student will receive a Post Withdrawal Disbursement notification letter informing the student of the award eligibility, and the amount that the student is eligible to receive and when funds will be available.

Payment of a Refund or Return of Title IV (Section 8.3)

Chaffey College is required to perform a Return to Title IV calculation within 30 days of the date the school learns that a student has completely withdrawn. Federal regulations require that the Financial Aid Office performs a calculation to determine how much financial aid a student has earned. The Financial Aid office uses a federal formula to determine how much aid a student earned based on his/her last day of attendance.

The institution would also be required to return a portion of the funds. The institution must return the portion of Title IV funds for which it is responsible to the U.S. Department of Education no later than 45 days after the date of the determination of the date of the student’s withdrawal.

  1. In the event that a student has not earned all of the aid that was disbursed, he or she may be required to return some of the financial aid received. Students will be notified in writing of the requirement to return financial aid funds.
  1. A repayment notification will be sent with the amount due. The student will have 45 days from the date on the notification to repay the funds directly to the school. After the 45thday, the overpayment will be reported to the US Department of Education for collection.  The student will be ineligible for any additional Title IV funds until the repayment is resolved. Once the balance owed is transferred from the college to the U.S. Department of Education, the student can contact the Department of Education by calling 1-800-621-3115.

Any unearned portion will be returned by the college and/or the student in accordance with the method prescribed in regulations. The amount will be returned in the following priority order: 

  1. Federal Pell Grant
  2. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

Any wages paid to a student from the Federal Work Study program are wages earned and do not need to be paid back.

Calculation of Return to Title IV Funds

Step 1: Determine the total amount of federal funds for the semester

  • Scenario: Student receives $1,524 Pell Grant award and could have received an additional $1,523 if you had completed the semester, equaling a total of $6,095 for the semester.              

Step 2: Determine the percentage of funds earned by the student

  • Scenario: There are 120 days in the semester and the student withdraws from all classes on the 26th day of the semester. 26/120=21.67% of funds earned

Step 3: Determine the amount funds earned (and unearned) by the student within the semester

  • Scenario: $1,524 grant money received + $1,523 could have received = $3,047

$3,047 X 21.67% (days student stayed enrolled in courses) = $660.28 (21.67%) earned funds
$1,524 grant money received - $660.28 earned funds = $863.72 (78.30%) unearned funds 

Step 4: An additional portion of the grant must be repaid by the college based on your total institutional charges at the time you withdrew

  • Scenario: You took 13 units for the semester at $46 per unit. Your total institutional charges = $640X 78.30% (unearned) = $501.12 the college has to pay back to the federal program

Students will return the unearned amount minus 50% of the total aid that was disbursed and aid that could have been disbursed.

$863.72 unearned aid - $501.12 that the college returns = $362.60 which is the initial amount of unearned aid due from you. $3,047 total aid disbursed/could have been disbursed X 50% = $1,523.50.

$362.60 - $1523.50 = $0 student returns to the federal grant program.

 

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