Ask us in the Financial Aid Office for more information on the following New Rules.

There are many proposed changes to other elements of financial aid.  For updated information check this often.

Lifetime Limit for Pell Grant                         Back to the Top

Students are now limited to 6 full-time years of Pell grant, which equals 12 full-time semesters of Pell or 600%.  This calculation is monitored by the federal government for every college a student has attended.  Please plan you coursework carefully so that you do not run out of Pell grant eligibility before you are ready to graduate.

Ability to Benefit                                         Back to the Top

Effective with the 2012-13 financial aid award year, students must have a high school diploma, GED or High School Proficiency to qualify for a Pell grant.  Students are no longer able to waive that requirement by taking an Ability to Benefit exam.

Repeating Classes for Financial Aid               Back to the Top

Students may be paid once to repeat a class for which they received a satisfactory grade.  If they received a sub-standard grade, they may be paid to repeat the class as many times as the college allows.  PLEASE NOTE: Once it is clear that the student cannot repeat a course that is required for their academic goal, they become ineligible for financial aid at Mendocino College until they have passed that course at another college.

Board of Governor Fee Waiver                      Back to the Top

Students must now demonstrate $1104 dollars of need to be eligible for a BOG C waiver.

Enrollment Fees                                           Back to the Top

Increase from $36 to $46 a unit in 2012 summer.

Income Tax Verification                               Back to the Top

Starting in 2012, the Department of Education will allow students and parents to import their income tax information directly from the IRS.  Students who are unable to do this will be required to submit an IRS transcript.  Financial Aid will no longer take tax forms and W-2s.
 
Freeze Date                                                             Back to the Top

Financial aid disbursements will be based on your enrollment as of the day after the Last Day to Drop without a Grade Notation.  Check dates and deadlines.

For the first disbursement we will pay you based on your enrollment at the time we process your check.  At the second disbursement we will adjust your aid based on your enrollment on the financial aid freeze date (day after last date to drop without a grade notation).  Your Satisfactory Academic Progress will be calculated by calculating your successful completion of these classes.  As always - only enroll in courses you think you can successfully complete.  Continued financial aid depends on you completing 67% of the courses you enroll in a semester and maintaining a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better.

You must be enrolled in late start courses by the financial aid freeze date.  Late start enrollment after the freeze date will not be included in your financial aid calculation.

Statisfactory Academic Progress Changes      Back to the Top

Beginning July 1, 2011, the 2011-12 Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards will change in accordance with new federal regulations.  These new SAP standards will be effective beginning with the fall 2011 semester and supersedes all previous policies.

Federal regulations require that a student receiving federal financial aid make satisfactory academic progress in accordance with the standards set by Mendocino College (MC) and the federal government.  These limitations include all terms of enrollment, whether or not aid was awarded or received.  At Mendocino College (MC), Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards apply also to non-federal aid, including state funds, and some scholarships.  Progress is measured throughout the academic program by the student’s cumulative grade point average (Qualitative) and by credits earned as a percentage of those attempted (Quantitative or Pace of Completion).  In addition, students must complete their program of study before the total number of attempted units equals 150% of their declared academic program.  PLEASE NOTE:  All units on a student’s transcript count as attempted units, whether they were completed with a W; were retaken for a better grade; or eliminated from the transcript calculation by Academic Renewal.

The College Financial Aid Office will evaluate satisfactory academic progress after each term, before aid is awarded for the following term.  The process will be completed as soon as all faculty have posted grades.  Some certificate programs are ineligible for student financial aid, but those credits will be counted toward all SAP requirements (GPA Completion Rate, Maximum Timeframe, and Developmental Maximum) if the student later enrolls in an eligible program.


Appeal Forms - Link

Priority Deadline                                          Back to the Top

Students must complete their FAFSA and the FA (Financial Aid) Process by May 31st, if they want to receive their first check in August for the fall semester term.

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.


Contact us for more information.

Created: March 16, 2010 @ 12:49 PM
Last Modified: April 19, 2012 @ 01:33 PM