Purpose/Philosophy
In keeping with the philosophy that no student should be denied a college education simply because of lack of funds, the Financial Aid and EOPS Offices of the San Diego Community College District are dedicated to assisting as many students as possible given the funding available each year.
The goal of the Financial Aid Office is to assist with financial concerns so that you might obtain maximum benefit from the educational opportunities available. The Financial Aid/EOPS Offices at each college recognize that your situation is unique and your application is carefully analyzed with complete confidentiality regarding your personal financial information.
Information regarding academic programs, facilities, faculty, student services, and the refund policy for tuition and fees are printed in the college catalog. You may obtain a catalog by contacting the campus bookstore.
When to Apply for Aid - Important Dates
Apply for financial aid as soon as possible after January 1 of every year. Application materials are available at each campus Financial Aid Office beginning in January for both the current and subsequent academic years.
Application processing may take 4-6 weeks. When required, the Financial Aid Office will request additional information which may delay processing further. You will be notified by award letter of eligibility and disbursement dates.
December 1
You must request a Personal Identification Number (PIN) for FAFSA on the WEB: www.pin.ed.gov
January 1
You may begin to file your application for the coming Fall, Spring and Summer semesters.
March 2
Deadline to submit a GPA verification for new Cal Grant applicants to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). FAFSA applications must also be filed on this date in order to be considered for Cal Grant. Cal Grant GPA’s will be calculated and transmitted automatically by San Diego Mesa College for eligible college students.
April 15
Deadline for priority consideration for Federal SEOG and Federal Work Study. The processor must receive your application by this date for the coming academic year.
April 15 (per www.irs.gov)
Deadline to file your Federal Income Tax returns.
September 2
Deadline to submit a GPA verification for Community College Competitive Cal Grant. Cal Grant GPA’s will be calculated and transmitted automatically by San Diego Mesa College for eligible college students.
June 30
Deadline for Federal Pell Grants for the 2012-2013 academic year. The Central Processing System (CPS) must receive your application by your last day of classes for the term or June 30, 2013 whichever comes first. We strongly encourage you to apply early, in order to be considered for grant funds which may be exhausted.
Important Changes for Financial Aid effective as of 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 and will continue for subsequent years.
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.
Experimental Site Initiative
Effective with the 2012-2013 school year, San Diego Mesa College (along with City College and Miramar College) have been approved by the U.S. Department of Education to participate in an experimental initiative regarding "Over-borrowing" that allows our college to reduce or eliminate Unsubsidized Loan eligibility and borrowing for certain groups or categories of students.
The following groups or categories of students will not be eligible to borrow Unsubsidized Loans:
1. 1st Year students
• 1st year is defined as students who have completed less than 24 units in their current program or major based on their educational plan.
• Units that will be counted towards the 24 units will be units that fulfill the major, general ed and district requirements for the current program or major based on the educational plan.
• Units that will not be counted towards the 24 units are units that are basic skills or remedial, ESOL, electives or any other units that are not applicable to the current program or major based on the educational plan.
2. Students approved on Appeal
• Students who have an "Unsatisfactory" status for any reason and who are approved on appeal will not be eligible for an Unsubsidized Loan.
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!
Summer 2012 Hours
Monday - Thursday : 8:00am - 6:00pm
Friday: Closed
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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.
