The primary goal of Mendocino College's Financial Aid Office is to help students achieve their educational potential by providing as many financial resources as the students are eligible to receive. Provided below is a menu listing financial aid-related policies at Mendocino College.
In order to provide students with the best possible service, we operate by the following principles:
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Be committed to removing financial barriers for those who wish to pursue a college education or a vocational degree.
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Make every effort to assist students with financial need.
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Support efforts to encourage all students to aspire and plan for education beyond high school.
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Respect the dignity and protect the privacy of students, and assure the confidentiality of student records and personal circumstances.
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Assure equity by applying all need analysis formulas consistently across institution's financial aid applicants.
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Provide services that do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, or economic status.
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Commit to the highest level of ethical behavior and refrain from conflict of interest or the perception thereof.
- Important Dates & Deadlines
- Repeating Classes
- Rights & Responsibilities
- Satisfactory Academic Progress
- Summer Financial Aid
- Withdrawing from Classes
- Disbursements
Award Packaging
As students' financial aid files are completed and processed, students are packaged and awarded eligible aid. Students are notified via their College issued email and asked to review their awards in MyMendo.
Freeze Date
Financial aid disbursements will be based on your enrollment as of the day after the Last Day to Drop without a Grade Notation.
Pell Grants and Direct Loans are issued in two payments each semester. All other awards, ie. FSEOG, Cal Grants, and EOPS Grants are issued in one payment each semester.
For the first disbursement, we will pay you based on your enrollment at the time we process your payment. At the second disbursement, we will adjust your aid based on your enrollment on the financial aid freeze date, which is the day after the 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.
Disbursements
Mendocino College delivers your refund with BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution powered by BMTX, Inc. For more information about BankMobile Disbursements, visit this link: http://bankmobiledisbursements.com/refundchoices/.
For more information, visit: https://www.mendocino.edu/student-services/financial-aid/policies/disbursements
Disbursement Dates
NOTE: The dates and deadlines listed below are subject to change.
Once initial deadline dates have passed, we process disbursement runs every week. If you see your award posted to MyMendo, the regular processing time is one to two weeks for the funds to reach you. Outstanding financial aid documents may delay the processing and disbursement of your funds.
2023-2024
| Fall 2023 | |
| August 17, 2023 | 1st Pell Grant disbursement |
| September 5, 2023 | Financial Aid Freeze Date |
| September 7, 2023 | FSEOG/Cal Grant/SSCG/Promise Scholarship disbursement |
| September 14, 2023 | 2nd Pell Grant disbursement |
| September 21, 2023 | 1st Direct Loan disbursement |
| October 19, 2023 | 2nd Direct Loan disbursement |
| November 30, 2023 | Loan application deadline for Fall; only students |
| Spring 2024 | |
| January 18, 2024 | 1st Pell Grant disbursement |
| February 5, 2024 | Financial Aid Freeze Date |
| February 8, 2024 | FSEOG/Cal Grant/SSCG/Promise Scholarship disbursement |
| February 15, 2024 | 2nd Pell Grant disbursement |
| February 22, 2024 | 1st Direct Loan disbursement |
| March 21, 2024 | 2nd Direct Loan disbursement |
| May 3, 2024 | Loan Application deadline for Springonly students |
| Summer 2024 | |
| June 13, 2024 | Pell Grant disbursement |
| June 17, 2024 | Financial Aid Freeze date |
| July 18, 2024 | 1st Direct Loan disbursement |
| July 18, 2024 | 2nd Direct Loan disbursement |
| July 25, 2024 | Loan application deadline |
Financial Aid Repeated Coursework Policy
- A student may receive financial aid when repeating a course for the first time.
- A student may receive financial aid when repeating a course that was previously failed or withdrawn from regardless of the number of times the course was attempted and failed. (Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy still applies)
- A student may receive financial aid to repeat a previously passed course one additional time. If a student fails the second attempt no more financial aid will be given to repeat the course a third time. If the second attempt is a withdrawal then it is allowable for a third attempt.
- Once a student has completed any course twice with a passing grade; he or she is no longer eligible to receive financial aid for that course. If a student retakes a course that is not aid eligible, the units will be excluded from the financial aid enrollment for that semester.
| 1st Attempt | 2nd Attempt | 3rd Attempt | Can the student receive FA for the enrolled course? |
|---|---|---|---|
| F | D | Enrolled | Yes |
| C | Enrolled | -- | Yes |
| D | C | Enrolled | No |
| D | F | Enrolled | No |
| W | F | Enrolled | Yes |
Your Rights
- An explanation of how your eligibility was determined.
- A written explanation of the Mendocino College Financial Aid Program.
- To be considered for a revision of your financial aid eligibility if your financial status changes.
- To have your financial aid file fairly reviewed in accordance with federal and state regulations.
Your Responsibilities
- Reporting, in writing, any changes to your address, name, telephone number etc.
- Enrolling in the required number of units each semester per your Education Plan.
- Seeing your counselor to revise your Education Plan when you add or drop classes/dropping classes you cannot attend or complete.
- Maintaining satisfactory academic progress each semester.
- Re-applying for financial aid each year.
- Applying for Cal Grants. Complete a FAFSA and the GPA Verification Form by March 2, for entitlement grants and by September 2, for competitive grants.
- Paying back any overpayment received from Mendocino College.
- Paying back the Department of Education for funds owed by dropping or completing 0 units.
- Notifying the Financial Aid Office in writing, if you receive any sort of financial aid from any outside agencies (e.g. Scholarships, CAMP, Voc. Rehab., MPIC, etc.).
- Notifying the Financial Aid Office immediately if you are attending another college at the same time you are attending Mendocino College. (PLEASE NOTE: you cannot legally receive financial aid from two colleges at the same time, but we may be able to include the units from another college in your total).
Federal and state regulations require that a student receiving financial aid adhere to the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards set by Mendocino College for all financial aid applicants, regardless of previous financial aid history. Satisfactory Academic Progress standards apply also to non-federal aid, including state funds, and some scholarships. Additionally, the same standards are applied to all students and include all terms of enrollment, whether or not aid was awarded or received. 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. 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/released 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. Grade changes will not be reflected until the following evaluation period.
1. GPA Standard (Qualitative): Maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA.
2. Pace Rate (Quantitative): Complete at least 67% of all enrolled units (these include courses in which you received a W and courses you repeated)
3. Maximum Time Frame: Complete your educational goal within 150% of your program's required units.
In order to be eligible to receive and continue to receive financial aid throughout this academic year you must follow the requirements listed below:
- Be an enrolled student at Mendocino College.
- Establish an educational goal leading to an AA or AS degree, a transfer degree, or the completion of an eligible certificate.
- Meet with a counselor to create a comprehensive Education plan before reaching 100% of the units required for your degree or certificate program.
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 on a scale of 4.0.
- Complete 67% or more of the units attempted.
- Continuing Loan Eligibility: Students who have loans must pass at least six (6) units each semester with a “C” or better.
- Not exceed the maximum number of units allowed to complete your degree or Certificate. (The maximum number of units allowed is 1.5 times the published unit length of my academic program.)
- Not withdraw from all my classes.
The following are consequences that may result of not meeting the responsibilities above:
- You may be placed on financial aid probation;
- You may have your eligibility to receive financial aid denied; and
- You may have to return some or all of the financial aid you received.
- Should your financial aid be denied, you should be aware that you can file an appeal to have that decision reviewed.
These terms apply to all types of financial aid you may be awarded, with the exception of the Promise Grant Fee Waiver and scholarships. Your Satisfactory Academic Progress status may affect your eligibility to receive services/grants in EOPS, CARE, and CalWORKS.
Students are able to appeal their Satisfactory Academic Progress status by submitting the following to the Mendocino College Financial Aid Office:
- Complete the Satisfactory Academic Progress Workshop (linked here)
- Completed Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form (provided at the end of an online workshop)
- Supporting documentation that relates to the extenuating circumstances they encountered
Each appeal must be accompanied by an Educational Plan, as stated on the appeal form. Students must meet with an academic counselor to develop an academic plan or review an existing plan.
Keep in mind that submission of a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form does not mean that an appeal will be approved.
A decision on a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal will depend on the nature of the extenuating circumstances preventing the student from meeting all SAP standards. In all cases, documentation is required to demonstrate the validity of the student’s circumstances.
Examples of extenuating circumstances:
Personal illness or injury
Death of a family member, roommate, or friend
Illness of a family member
Academic hardship due to disability
Inability to pass course material, the difficulty of classes, poor time management, and changing majors multiple times are not extenuating circumstances.
If a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal is approved, eligibility for financial aid will be reinstated on a probationary level. Students will be required to adhere to their Educational Plan and maintain good standing at the College.
Students whose appeal is not approved must successfully achieve 67% pace rate completion in all courses attempted (cumulative) and maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average to regain eligibility. Additionally, students will need to adhere to the maximum time frame standard mentioned above. While a denied appeal may not impact a student's ability to enroll in courses, students will be required to do so without financial aid.
Year-Round Pell Grant: Summer Financial Aid
Beginning with the 2017-2018 academic year, an eligible student may now receive full Federal Pell Grant for a summer term even if they received a full Federal Pell Grant during the fall and spring semesters. Year-round Pell allows students to receive up to 150 percent of a regular grant award over the course of the academic year so that they can continue taking classes in the summer and finish their degrees faster than they would otherwise.
With careful planning, Pell Grant recipients may take advantage of this new regulation to earn their degree faster. However, students should keep in mind that the summer term is shorter (8 weeks) than fall and spring semesters (17 weeks). Students should consult with their counselor to develop a manageable course load for the shorter summer term.
Note: The amount of Federal Pell Grant funds a student may receive over his or her lifetime is limited by a federal law to be 600 percent. If a student's lifetime eligibility used (LEU) equals or exceeds 600 percent, the student may no longer receive Pell Grant funding. Students can log on to https://studentaid.gov/ with their FSA ID to view their Pell Grant LEU.
To be eligible for additional Pell Grant funds the student:
- must be otherwise eligible to receive Pell Grant funds for the payment period
- must be enrolled at least half-time in the payment period(s) (6 credit hours) during the summer term
- must be maintaining satisfactory academic progress
How much may I receive in Year-Round Pell?
| Scenario 1 | Fall | Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | 12 units Full-Time |
12 units Full-Time |
12 units Full-Time |
| Pell Grant Awarded | $3,173 | $3,172 | $3,172 |
| Scenario 2 | Fall | Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | 12 units Full-Time |
12 units Full-Time |
6 units Half-Time |
| Pell Grant Awarded | $3,173 | $3,172 | $1,587 |
| Scenario 3 | Fall | Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | 12 units Full-Time |
12 units Full-Time |
3 units Less Than Half-Time |
| Pell Grant Awarded | $3,173 | $3,172 | $0 |
| Scenario 4 | Fall | Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | 12 units Full-Time |
9 units Three Quarter-Time |
6 units Half-Time |
| Pell Grant Awarded | $3,173 | $2,380 | $1,587 |
| Scenario 5 | Fall | Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | 12 units Full-Time |
9 units Three Quarter-Time |
3 units Less Than Half-Time |
| Pell Grant Awarded | $3,173 | $2,380 | $407 |
The Financial Aid Office will review all student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress status at the end of the Spring semester once grades have been posted.
View the Important Dates and Deadlines page for information on disbursements and dates.
Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4)-Withdrawing from Classes
If you are thinking of withdrawing from your classes, immediately see an academic counselor. Additionally, withdrawing from your courses may have an adverse effect on your financial aid. In some cases, you may be required to return the financial aid you received in accordance with federal and state regulations. Contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss your options.
Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4)
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. When a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Title IV funds that the student was originally scheduled to receive.
If a recipient of Title IV grant or loan funds withdraws from Mendocino College after beginning attendance, the amount of Title IV grant or loan assistance earned by the student must be determined. If the amount disbursed to the student is greater than the amount the student earned, unearned funds must be returned. If the student receives less Federal Student Aid than the amount earned, in rare cases, Mendocino College offers a disbursement of the earned aid that was not received. This is called a post-withdrawal disbursement.
Failure to repay any unearned aid may result in the debt being sent to the Department of Education for collections and could make you ineligible for future financial aid at other colleges.
Withdrawal Date
The withdrawal date established by Mendocino College is the date used by the Financial Aid Office to determine the point in time that the student is considered to have withdrawn so the percentage of the payment period or period of enrollment completed by the student can be determined. For more information on withdrawal dates for each semester, please review the Academic Calendar at http://www.mendocino.edu/academics/academic-calendar. The percentage of Title IV aid earned is equal to the percentage of the payment period or period of enrollment completed.
Since Mendocino College is not required to take attendance, a student’s withdrawal date for the return of Title IV calculation will be:
- The date the student provides notification, orally or in writing, to the Admission’s Office that he or she intends to withdraw, or
- The midpoint of the semester for students who do not officially withdraw, or
- The last date of attendance as reported by the instructor and/or by email notification from the instructor. A counseling appointment or logging into a computer lab or science lab can be counted as a last activity.
For purposes of Title IV, students who receive F's or NP’s in all classes will be considered withdrawn from classes. The last date of attendance that is reported by the instructor will be used to determine if the student earned their F. If a last date of attendance is not reported, the student can produce verification from faculty that they attended an academic activity late enough in class and earned their F.
Process for Calculation of Amount of Title IV Aid Earned by the Student
The amount of Title IV aid earned by the student is determined by multiplying the percentage of Title IV aid earned by the total of Title IV program aid disbursed plus the Title IV aid that could have been disbursed to the student or on the student’s behalf.
For students who withdraw on or before the 60% point in the payment period or period of enrollment, the percentage earned is equal to the percentage of the payment period or period of enrollment that was completed. Students who withdraw at any point after the 60% point in the payment period or period of enrollment have earned 100% of their Title IV funds. Although no repayment will be required the “withdraws” will affect the student’s completion rate and the possibility of receiving further aid if Satisfactory Academic Progress is not being met.
Internal Process
The Admissions Office will notify the Financial Aid Office of any student who officially withdraws. The financial aid office also runs a report twice a month to monitor students who have dropped to zero units. The percentage of Title IV aid earned will be calculated by using the Colleague Student system.
The Financial Aid Office will return any funds due from the institution and will notify the student of any funds they may owe. If a student is due a post-withdrawal disbursement, they will be notified of the offer. This process will occur within 45 days of notification or within 45 days of the student appearing on the zero unit report or within 45 days of the final grade report for any student with zero units or all F grades. For students who do not officially withdraw, final grade reports will be used to determine the withdrawal date and Mendocino College will return funds and notify students within 30 days of receipt of final grades.
The student will be responsible to return unearned funds in the same priority listed below. However, students who have loans will return funds in accordance with the terms of the promissory note. If a student owes $50 or less, no amount is due to be paid.
In its notification, Mendocino College will inform the student that the student owes an overpayment of Title IV funds, that the student’s eligibility for additional Title IV funds will end if the student fails to pay Mendocino College by the 45th day following the date Mendocino College sent notification to the student, and that if the student fails to pay Mendocino College during the 45th day period, the student’s overpayment must be reported to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) and referred to the Debt Resolution Services for collection.
Return of Funds
If the student receives more Federal Student Aid than the amount earned, Mendocino College, the student, or both must return the unearned funds in a specified order as follows:
- Unsubsidized Direct Stafford Loans (other than PLUS loans)
- Subsidized Direct Stafford Loans
- Direct PLUS loans
- Federal Pell Grants
- Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
When a Return of Title IV funds is due, Mendocino College and the student may both have a responsibility for returning funds. Funds that are not the responsibility of Mendocino College to return must be returned by the student. Mendocino College exercises its option to collect from the student any funds Mendocino College is obligated to return, and funds required for Mendocino College to return will become a debt on the student’s account which the student will be responsible for paying. This charge is not reported to the Department of Education and simply remains as a debt on the student’s account with Mendocino College until it is repaid. As mentioned above, students who fail to pay their unearned funds during the 45th day period will be reported to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) and referred to the Debt Resolution Services for collection.
Post-Withdrawal Disbursement
When the determination is made that the student did not receive all of the earned Title IV aid and the withdrawal date has been determined, Mendocino College will make the funds available to the student. Federal loan funds will be made available within 30 days of the date our office determined the student withdrew. Mendocino College will request confirmation of acceptance or decline a loan payment before processing. Federal grant funds will be made available within 45 days of the date our office determined the student withdrew.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, The U.S. Department of Education has provided some flexibilities with how we treat verified COVID-19 related withdraws during the covered period. Students will be notified about these flexibilities in the communication sent to each student who withdraws.
Mendocino College has partnered with BankMobile to deliver your financial aid disbursement. This partnership will give students options for receiving financial aid funds. For more information about BankMobile, visit this link: http://bankmobiledisbursements.com/refundchoices/.
Please be aware that the Financial Aid Office communicates with you via your Mendocino College Student Email Account. For information on your Mendocino College Student Email Account visit: https://www.mendocino.edu/admissions/student-email.
View Mendocino College's contract with BankMobile, a Division of Customer Bank.