Financial Aid Policy

Verification is the process by which the FAO compares the information on the financial aid application with source documents provided by the student to verify the accuracy of the application information. These policies are to be used in conjunction with the Department of Education and the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) verification guidelines. Glendale Community College (GCC) will verify the information on FAFSA for all students who complete the application process for federal & state financial aid and who are selected for verification by the Department of Education or the California Student Aid Commission. In addition, GCC may select files for verification to resolve conflicting information. At Glendale Community College, financial aid will not be awarded to those selected for verification until all documents required are submitted and the verification has been completed.

Notification to Students

Upon receipt of the FAFSA, an email with instructions on how to access MyGCC (student portal) is sent to the student. The email informs the student to access MyGCC to determine what forms or additional information is required to complete his/her financial aid file. Links to the forms is contained within MyGCC. Additional emails are sent if and when more documents are needed. Students are instructed to return the documents as soon as possible in order to complete their file and be awarded financial aid. Students are notified of the results of verification by receipt of an email with instructions on how to access their awards through MyGCC. Students will also receive a corrected FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) from the federal processor if data elements are changed. 

Documentation

Documentation submitted to the FAO must be legible, accurate, and have the student's GCC ID Number for identification purposes. If the student submits a document which is not legible, appropriate, or unidentifiable, the documents will be returned and a request for additional documentation will be requested. Please note that failure to successfully reply to requests for documentation from our office may result in delayed aid or denial of aid.

Processing Time Period

Students are notified that until the missing documents are submitted to the Financial Aid Office, further processing of their file is not possible.

Failure to Comply

Students who fail to submit verification documents to complete their file will not be awarded aid for that aid year.

Submission After Deadline

Students who submit verification documents after established deadlines may not be awarded aid for the application period. Students who are selected for verification by the Department of Education, must submit verification documents to the school by the published deadlines, or 120 days after the last day of the student's enrollment, whichever is earlier. See Important Dates.

In most cases, the Financial Aid Office will submit corrections to the federal processor based on the documentation submitted by the student to the financial aid office. If the student needs to make the change, such as supplying consent with a FSA ID, the student will be notified by email. Packaging of aid will occur after a corrected and valid ISIR has been received by the financial aid office. GCC does not make provisional aid offers.

Prior to Disbursement

All conflicting information must be resolved before any Federal Student Aid funds are disbursed to the student.

After Disbursement

Conflicting information can result from information that the GCC Financial Aid Office collects or has access to, such as financial aid applications, need analysis documents or eligibility documents. Information that the college collects in the admission’s application can also cause conflicting information if the information is discrepant from the financial aid application. This could include information about the student’s citizenship status, high school completion status, previous college degrees earned, legal name, birthdate or Social Security number.

The Glendale Community College Financial Aid Office uses data from the Admissions Office to determine eligibility for aid and to resolve any conflicts collected by the financial aid office. Examples of conflicting information include;

• Prior Associate’s Degree
• Prior Bachelor’s Degree
• Ineligible Goal for Financial Aid
• High School Completion or Equivalency

Financial Aid Advisors at Glendale Community College look for conflicting information when reviewing files selected for verification and when reviewing documents. Students are notified by email to check their student portal (MyGCC) for a comment regarding the conflict. Students are instructed to see a Financial Aid Advisor to resolve the conflict which, in many cases, requires additional documentation.

When Glendale Community College receives an updated FAFSA for a student who has already been reviewed and packaged and disbursed, a designated staff member reviews the updated application and may request additional documentation from the student to resolve new conflicting information. No further disbursements can be made to students until these documents/information is received and reviewed. In some cases students must repay aid if the new information determines that the student was not eligible for their prior disbursements. Some students must repay all Title IV aid received in an aid year if they are currently enrolled at GCC and have not responded and submitted all required verification documents by the Financial aid office deadline (for that aid year).

Failure to submit additional documentation requested by the financial aid office after a file has be reviewed, for the current or prior aid years, may result in a loss of aid eligibility and a resulting aid overpayment. All overpayments must be repaid immediately. Failure to repay any resulting financial aid debt may be reported to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) and to the Department of Education’s Debt Resolution Services for collection. If this information is reported to NSLDS, the student will not be eligible to receive financial aid at ANY college, university or post-secondary institution until they repay the amount owed or establish satisfactory repayment arrangements with the US DOE. 

All instances of suspected fraud are reported to the Office of Inspector General (OIG), as required by law. 

If the applicant's citizenship cannot be determined through the FAFSA database match process with other Federal agencies, the financial aid office must request additional documentation from the applicant.

Primary confirmation

This documentation may be provided automatically through the results of a match with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) records. If the student’s status has been confirmed, no other documentation is required, and eligibility for federal aid has been established.

Secondary confirmation

If the primary confirmation is not received, a student must submit one of the following documents to Glendale Community College Financial Aid Office in order to establish eligibility:

• An Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-151, I-551)
• An Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94 or I-94A)

Students should contact the Glendale Community College Financial Aid Office about submitting other documentation to see if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Submitted immigration documents will be sent to DHS for secondary confirmation. DHS must respond within 15 business days. If DHS does not respond, GCC will resend the documentation for a secondary confirmation and will wait for a response.

Processing Time Period

Students are notified that until all requested documents and forms are submitted to the Financial Aid Office, additional processing of their file is not possible. Once all documents and forms are submitted, and additional information from the student is requested, processing time may be extended. At GCC, students are allowed the maximum time to submit documents that is allowed in federal regulation.

Failure to Comply

Incomplete files will not be packaged. It is important that students reply to all requests for documentation and take the initiative to make sure their files are complete. We recommend monitoring your GCC email regularly for notifications from our office and other GCC departments.

Submission After Deadline

Students must submit citizenship and all other required verification documents in a timely manner to be considered for Federal financial aid. Students who are selected to confirm citizenship by the Department of Education must submit citizenship documents to the school by published deadlines, or 120 days after the last day of the student's enrollment, whichever is earlier. See Important Dates.

Every year, Glendale Community College Financial Aid Office reviews the California Student Aid Commission’s (CSAC) most current Student Expenses and Resources Survey (SEARS). It is a broad survey of students’ budgets and expenses for the University of California, California State University and community college systems, and for independent, and private career institutions. If the survey is not from the current year, it is adjusted for inflation by CSAC. Each year California legislators establish the cost for enrollment per unit. The average amount of full time units at GCC are used to determine the average enrollment and tuition fees. Glendale Community College determines the non-resident tuition rate and the health and student services fees. Information from SEARS is used to establish amounts for books and supplies, transportation, room and board and miscellaneous personal expenses. The cost of attendance is subject to change depending on legislative activity. The cost of attendance sets the maximum amount of financial aid a student can receive for the year. It represents a modest but adequate budget for most students attending GCC. Beginning in 2024/2025 with the absence of housing information on the FAFSA application, the financial aid office is making the determination to give all students' an off-campus cost of attendance. Students may notify the financial aid office if this assumption is incorrect. 

Financial aid offer notifications are sent to students throughout the academic year as files are submitted, completed and packaged. Eligible applicants with a complete file will be packaged with Federal Pell Grant, and FSEOG based on their eligibility and according to fund availability. While Federal Work Study, Federal Direct Subsidized loans, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Federal Parent Plus Loans are available to many students, they are packaged by request only. Students can request loans by contacting the financial aid office. Glendale Community College College does not promise to meet the full financial need of students. Federal Work Study is packaged by request after an eligibility check and will never replace or reduce grant aid. Loans are awarded last in a student's package and will never replace grant aid. 

The formula to determine your aid eligibility is legislated by Congress. The Student Aid Index (SAI) is calculated from information gathered from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Direct Data Exchange with the IRS. The SAI is an index used to determine need based aid including calculated Federal Pell Grant. Maximum and Minimum Federal Pell Grant eligibility is determined by tax filing status, adjusted gross income, family size and its relationship to the Federal Poverty Level. 

The Student Aid Index (SAI) is calculated by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The Federal Pell Grant is the foundation of the financial aid package and eligibility is based on the adjusted gross income, tax filing status and household size in relationship to the Federal Poverty Level.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is awarded according to federal guidelines. Maximum Federal Pell Grant recipients with a negative SAI have first priority for FSEOG funding. The FSEOG annual award is $400 per academic year.

Financial aid offers are based on expected full-time enrollment of 12 or more units. Federal Pell Grant is adjusted by academic unit for students who are enrolled in less than 12 units. 

The College reserves the right to issue adjusted award letters due to institutional error.

Students must log on to MyGCC to view their award summary.

The California College Promise Grant fee waiver (CCPG) will automatically be posted to your student account if you are eligible.

To request Federal Work Study (FWS), students must contact the Student Employment Office. 

Student must receive loan counseling before receiving their Federal Direct Student Loans.

NOTE: Due to limited funding allocations, it is possible that not all students meeting financial aid office published deadlines will be awarded funds from all programs.

 

At Glendale Community College, students are initially awarded Federal Pell Grant based on information from the the financial aid application (FAFSA). Sometimes information changes after a file has been reviewed and corrected during verification. There are also times when a Federal Pell Grant must be recalculated.

At Glendale Community College, we recalculate a student’s Federal Pell Grant in the following situations:

• A change in data elements when when an updated FAFSA (ISIR) is received after a student is awarded or disbursed or both 
• To correct an over-award or under-award caused by a change in the Student Aid Index (SAI) or Maximum or Minimum Federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria 
• Change in enrollment by the Financial Aid Census Date for that term
• Changes in cost of attendance
• Receipt of new information (e.g., prior Bachelor's degree, lack of or validity of High School diploma)

When there are unusual situations or circumstances that impact your federal student aid eligibility, federal regulations give a financial aid administrator discretion or professional judgment on a case-by-case basis and with adequate documentation to make adjustments to the data elements on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form that impact your Student Aid Index (SAI) to gain a more accurate assessment of your family's ability to contribute to your cost of education. The Department of Education does not have the authority to override a school's professional judgment decision. Please contact the financial aid office at GCC to speak with an advisor about a professional judgement review. In certain circumstances, we can make professional judgment adjustments to your dependency status, your Student Aid Index (SAI) , or your cost of attendance.

Students whose financial aid results in a credit balance will receive a refund 5-7 days after disbursement if they opt in to direct deposit before refunds are processed, and within 22 days if the student opts out of direct deposit or does not reply to the refund preference communications. Credit balances are not held on a student’s account for future charges. Refunds are processed regularly once the term begins and again after enrollment has been locked on financial aid census date. Financial aid will be adjusted at census according to the enrollment intensity at that date. Disbursements may be impacted by enrollment changes. Uncashed or unclaimed refund checks, and failed direct deposit credit balance refunds will be credited back to the student’s account and the funds will be returned to the respective aid program.

Federal regulations stipulate that you may only receive financial aid (other than a CCPG Fee Waiver) at one institution at a time. In some cases, a student who is unable to take required courses at GCC (the home college) may be able to take those courses at another college (the secondary college) and request that those units be counted toward their financial aid eligibility. A Financial Aid Consortium Agreement must be agreed to and signed by the Financial Aid Offices at both institutions.

Glendale Community College does not do consortium agreements, where GCC is the home school, with 4 year Universities.

In order for a course at another college to be approved for financial aid purposes at Glendale Community College, the course must be able to be credited toward your degree, certificate or transfer objective at GCC. 

At Glendale Community College if you are on a financial aid contract you are NOT eligible for a consortium agreement. In addition, courses previously taken at GCC with a grade of ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’, or ‘P’ are NOT eligible for payment through a consortium agreement. 

Consortium Agreements will not be accepted until after the Financial Aid census date for each semester/intersession. The Financial Aid census date is usually the 5th week of classes for Fall and Spring semesters. For the Winter intersession, consortium agreements will not be accepted until after the Financial Aid census date for the Spring semester. Financial Aid census date for Summer intersessions are usually the 3rd week of classes. Current verification of enrollment must be attached to the Consortium Agreement. Current is defined as less than seven (7) days prior to the date submitted. 

Consortium Agreements are only approved for one semester/intersession at a time. Consortium Agreements are not approved retroactively. Winter intersession consortium agreements will be processed after the Spring census date. To be eligible for payment, a completed Consortium Agreement and current verification of enrollment at the secondary college must be received by the GCC Financial Aid Office after the Financial Aid census date and prior to the last day of the semester/intersession listed in the Student’s Section of the form.

A student may find it necessary to withdraw from all classes during a semester. The student may be eligible to receive a refund of tuition and enrollment fees depending upon the timing of the withdrawal. If circumstances cause a student to withdraw from all classes, they are encouraged to contact an academic counselor so their decision will be based on a clear understanding of the consequences of withdrawing from all classes. For financial aid purposes there are two types of withdrawals: Official and Unofficial.

Official
Official withdrawal from Glendale Community College can be initiated by the student or by the instructor. The current academic year’s policy for a Complete Withdrawal can be found in the Glendale Community College General Catalog – Withdrawal/Course Drop Policy.

Unofficial
Federal financial aid regulations consider a student to be an unofficial withdrawal if the student receives all fail (F/NP) grades or a combination of all fail (F/NP) and withdrawal (W) grades for the term.

Determination of the Withdrawal Date
The withdrawal date used in the return calculation of a student’s federal financial aid is the actual date indicated on the official drop form. If a student stops attending classes without notifying GCC (unofficial withdrawal), the withdrawal date will be the midpoint of the semester.

When A Student Fails to Earn a Passing Grade in Any Course
Financial aid is awarded under the assumption that the student will attend Glendale Community College for the entire term/semester for which federal/and or state assistance was disbursed. Federal regulations require the school to determine whether the student established eligibility for each Title IV eligible class. Therefore, if the student failed to earn a passing grade in any of his/her Title IV eligible classes for the term/semester, the student is considered to have unofficially withdrawn.

When the student has any combination of all fail (F), No Pass (NP) and/or withdrawal (W) grades for the term/semester, the midpoint (50%) of that term/semester will be used as the withdrawal date. After grades are processed for the prior term/semester the financial aid office identifies the students who fall in this category and requires a R2T4 calculation.

Determining Aid Earned
If a student withdraws from Glendale Community College, then the school, or the student, or both may be required to return some or all of the federal funds awarded to the student for that semester. The federal government requires a return of Title IV federal aid that was received if the student withdrew on or before completing 60% of the semester. Federal funds, for the purposes of this federal regulation, include Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Federal Direct Subsidized Loans, and Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loans. The formula used in this federal "return of funds" calculation divides the aid received into earned aid and unearned aid.

A student "earns" financial aid in proportion to the time s/he is enrolled up to the 60% point. The percentage of federal aid to be returned (unearned aid) is equal to the number of calendar days remaining in the semester when the withdrawal takes place divided by the total number of calendar days in the semester. If a student was enrolled for 20% of the semester before completely withdrawing, 80% of federal financial aid must be returned to the aid programs. If a student stays through 50% of the semester, 50% of federal financial aid must be returned.

For a student who withdraws after the 60% point-in-time, there is no unearned aid. However, a school must still complete a Return calculation in order to determine whether the student is eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement.

In compliance with federal regulations, the financial aid office will perform the calculation within 30 days of the student's withdrawal and funds will be returned to the appropriate federal aid program within 45 days of the withdrawal date. An evaluation will be done to determine if aid was eligible to be disbursed but had not disbursed as of the withdrawal date. If the student meets the federal criteria for a post withdrawal disbursement, the student will be notified of their eligibility within 30 days of determining the student's date of withdrawal. If the eligibility is for a grant disbursement, the funds will be disbursed within 45 days of determining the student's date of withdrawal. If the eligibility is for a loan, the student will be notified in the same time-frame but they must also reply to the Financial Aid Office if they wish to accept the post withdrawal loan obligation. A post withdrawal disbursement of any funds would first be used toward any outstanding charges before any funds are returned to you.

Return of Title IV Federal Financial Aid

Once the amount of unearned federal aid is calculated, the repayment amount is the lesser of the unearned total or the amount of unearned institutional charges. GCC will satisfy its responsibility under regulation by repaying funds in the student's package in the following order:

• Federal Direct Stafford Unsubsidized Loan
• Federal Direct Stafford Subsidized Loan
• Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan
• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal SEOG

Other Title IV Grant Funds

Keep in mind that when Title IV funds are returned, the student may owe a balance to the institution and/or the U.S. Department of Education. If a student fails to repay grant funds, they may be ineligible for future federal financial aid.

Academic programs offered at GCC are calculated in units and measured by semesters. GCC establishes two 16 week semesters (fall and spring), one winter intercession for 6 weeks and a 10 week summer session period per academic year. This meets the federal minimum academic year definition (30 weeks of instruction minimum). During the academic year, students are expected to complete at least 24 semester units as a full time student. This also meets the minimum federal definition of full time enrollment. For financial aid purposes, the academic year definition is important because it affects how payment periods are calculated. GCC issues financial aid payments based on three payment periods. One payment period for Fall semester, a payment period combining Winter Intercession and Spring Semester, and one payment period for the Summer session.  

Federal rules define what academic programs are eligible for Title IV (Federal) financial aid. To remain in compliance with federal regulation, the financial aid office at GCC does not disburse aid to students enrolled in an ineligible program for Title IV aid. All certificate programs under 16 units, the EMT program and the Pilot Training certificate are ineligible for Title IV aid. Review the GCC Catalog for more information about Title IV eligible degrees and programs.