Important Changes for Financial Aid 2012-13 School Year
Effective July 1, 2012 there will be many changes to financial aid programs due to changes in Federal and State regulations that may affect you. Below you will find a summary of the changes for the 2012-2013 school year. These changes apply to all students unless otherwise indicated.
You should review these changes carefully and plan ahead for your educational future. If you have questions or concerns, visit your college Financial Aid Office.
Enrollment Fee Increase
Although we will not be offering a summer session, beginning with the summer 2012 semester, the enrollment fee will increase to $46 per unit.
Increase in the Minimum Need Required for a BOG C Fee Waiver based on the FAFSA
The amount of "need" to receive a BOG C Fee Waiver will change from $1 to $1,104. Need is determined by subtracting the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) from the full year Cost of Attendance (COA) or Student Budget. The formula is COA minus EFC equals Need which must be $1,104 or greater.
Decrease in the Maximum Lifetime Eligibility for a Pell Grant
The maximum lifetime eligibility to receive a Pell Grant (without earning a Bachelor's Degree) is changing from 9 full years to 6 full years. It is very likely that some students will have exceeded the 6 year limit and will no longer be eligible for a Pell Grant after July 1.
Elimination of the Ability to Benefit (ATB) Provisions
Students enrolling for the first time after July 1, 2012 must have a High School Diploma, GED or state equivalent to be eligible for any federal financial aid. Students will no longer have the option to pass an ATB test or to successfully complete 6 core/degree applicable units to gain eligibility for federal financial aid. Please check back with the Financial Aid office for updated information as it becomes available.
Information on obtaining a GED can be found at http://www.sdce.edu/classes/high-school-ged-basic-skills
Increase in the Interest Rates for Direct Loans
The interest rates for Direct Loans will increase from 3.4% to 6.8% for loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2012.
Elimination of the Interest Subsidy for Direct Loans during the Grace Period
For new loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2014, the federal government will no longer subsidize (pay) the student loan interest during the six month grace period. The grace period is the time between when the student graduates or drops below half-time status and the time when the student must start repaying the loan. Students are encouraged to check with their Loan Servicer for any available options to assist with their loan repayment.
IRS Tax Transcript Required
Students that do not use the IRS Data Retrieval when completing their FAFSA online, and who must verify their tax and income information, must provide an IRS Tax Transcript to our office. We can no longer accept copies of federal tax returns (1040EZ, 1040A, 1040). To request an IRS Tax Transcript, students can call 1-800-908-9946 or order it online at http://www.irs.gov/ and under the "Tools" section select "Order a Return or Account Transcript".
Students that apply for a BOG Fee Waiver, and are required to verify their income information, must also provide the IRS Tax Transcript as described above.
Increase in GPA requirement for Entitlement Cal Grant Awards
The California Governor has proposed to increase the GPA required to receive a Cal Grant award from 2.00 to 2.75 for Entitlement and Transfer Cal Grants. Note: This proposal must still be adopted by the State legislature and signed by the Governor to become effective.
Course Repetition and Receiving Federal Aid
Students can only receive financial aid for up to 1 repeat of any course with a passing grade (“D” grades are considered passing for purposes of repetition).
Attention Students!
Spring 2012 Hours
Monday - Thursday : 8:00am - 6:00pm
Friday: 8:00am - 12:00pm
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What's New in Financial Aid
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy
The Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy has changed for the 2011-2012 school year. The SAP standards have been strengthened and the appeal process is now enforced more rigorously. Please click here to review the new standards.
Certificate Programs (Gainful Employment)
Federal regulations require institutions to provide students with Gainful Employment information for specific certificate programs offered at our college. Please click on the this link, Certificate Programs, to view the information for each program at San Diego Mesa College as well as the other SDCCD schools.
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Please click the headlines below for important information about protecting your financial aid and enrollment status.
Early one morning a student at Mission College (Santa Clara), reported receiving a phone call from "GrantUniversity.Com.", instructing her to sign-up for Direct Deposit for faster disbursement of her aid. The student gave all of her personal identification and banking info to the caller. Immediately after hanging up, the student second guessed the call contacted the Financial Aid Office and closed her bank account. PLEASE BE AWARE, That at no time will a San Diego Community College District professional call a student and request banking information for Direct Deposit.
- This type of call is NOT authorized, nor is contact information provided by Mesa College Financial Aid or any SDCCD personnel.
- You will NEVER pay the SDCCD to have grants or scholarships awarded to you.
- The SDCCD has developed a Direct Deposit system. Sign into reg-e and follow the prompts to sign up for Direct Deposit.
ALL students are required to pay the student health fee. Students who do not pay their health fee by the due date will be dropped for nonpayment.
The only exceptions to this policy are as follow:
1. Students or students with parents who receive SSI/SSP [not to be confused with benefits from the Social Security Administration], TANF/CalWorks, or funds from the General Assistance Program. If you feel that this may apply to you, please contact the Financial Aid Office at (619) 388-2817.
2. Students who depend solely on prayer for healing. If you feel that this may apply to you, please contact the Admission’s Office at (619) 388 – 2686.
