Although the primary responsibility for meeting college costs rests with the student and his/her family, many families have limited resources and are unable to meet the high cost of post-secondary education. For this reason, financial aid programs have been established to assist students who can document their financial need.

All information on application forms is kept confidential and is used only by the Financial Aid Office, needs-analysis services and federal, state and local program auditors. Our records are audited annually to assure that only qualified students are awarded financial aid and program guidelines are followed.

We sincerely hope that the complexity of the financial aid application process will not discourage qualified students from applying for needed help. Contact our office when you have questions or need help in completing the application forms.
 

THE FINANCIAL AID PROCESS AT

"A step-by-step description of the financial aid process"

• All students requesting financial aid must file a FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA).

• This application is then submitted to the Central Processing Service (CPS) for processing.

• The CPS processes the application and COS receives an Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR). The copy documents the student's/family's resources and financial need.

• The CPS makes a determination of Federal Pell Grant eligibility and notifies the student directly. If the student applies for a Cal Grant, the CPS submits documentation to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC); the Commission will then determine if the student is eligible for a Cal Grant and so informs the student and COS.

• Once COS has received the document from the CPS, the Financial Aid Office evaluates the information and requests all necessary supporting documents from the student (tax returns, etc.).

• Once the student's financial aid file is complete (the Pell Grant eligibility document, and all supporting documentation), the file is given a completion date and is entered into the processing cycle.

• The completed file is reviewed again for accuracy and then prepared for packaging. Packaging is the process whereby the student is considered for all grants and employment programs for which he/she is eligible. In order to meet the student's total financial need, a variety of programs are used (for example, Federal Pell, FSEOG, and Federal Work Study).

• Once packaged, an award letter is generated by computer and mailed to the student.

• In addition to the amount and type of award, the award letter contains a schedule of payments. The student receives his/her grant payment on the next regular or supplemental grant disbursement date.
  
   
  

Federal Pell Grants are federally funded awards. All financial aid applicants are required to apply for a Pell Grant each year by following the instructions in the financial aid application packet. Recipients must maintain good academic standing and make satisfactory academic progress. Eligibility for a Pell Grant is determined by the federal government according to a formula developed by the Department of Education and approved annually by Congress. All applicants are notified via a document, the "Student Aid Report" (SAR).

Grants range from $400 to $4050, depending on unit enrollment, expected family contribution (EFC), and cost of attendance at College of the Siskiyous.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) are federally funded awards designed to supplement other sources of financial aid for students who qualify for additional assistance. These grants range from $100 to $4,000*. All applicants are automatically considered for this award.
(*COS annual maximum is $500.)

Academic Competitive Grant (ACG)
Academic Competitiveness grants are awarded to students who can demonstrate that they completed a rigorous high school program of study before enrolling in college. Eligible students receive up to $750 in their first year of college, and $1,300 for the second year if they also maintain a 3.0 grade point average in college.

Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) grants are awarded to students who show financial need and who are at least one-fourth American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut, as recognized by a tribal group served by the BIA. Applicants must submit a regular financial aid application and provide supporting documents to the Financial Aid Office. In addition, applicants should write to the agency which administers their tribal affairs and request a BIA Higher Education Assistance application. The Financial Aid Office will provide assistance in completing the application.

The amount of BIA grant depends on the need and availability of funds of each BIA agency.
 
 

All financial aid recipients must pre register for classes at least four weeks before school starts in order to be paid on the first regular grant disbursement date. Any student failing to pre register will not be paid until the first supplemental grant disbursement date. This policy will apply to all academic terms; preregistration dates for fall and spring semesters are available in the Admissions and Records Office and in the fall and spring class schedules.

In general, the College of the Siskiyous aims to pay grant aid twice per term:  Once on the first day of classes and once after the end of the drop period.  In between these major payment dates, payments occur approximately bi-weekly to allow for students who missed a prior payment to “catch up” on the disbursement schedule.

Cal Grants are awarded by the California Student Aid Commission and may be renewed each year. All students who are California residents are encouraged to apply.

Cal Grant A helps low- and middle income students with tuition/fee costs. Grant recipients are selected on the basis of financial need and grade point average.

If you qualify for a Cal Grant A and want to attend College of the Siskiyous, the Student Aid Commission will hold your award until the transfer to a four-year college, provided that you continue to qualify.

To be eligible for a new (first time) Cal Grant A, a student may not have completed more than six semesters or nine quarters of college study, and must enroll at least half time.

Cal Grant B awards are based on financial need and are made to entering students, primarily from low-income backgrounds. About half of all new Cal Grant B recipients are expected to begin their college education in a public community college. Therefore, the Cal Grant B award for freshmen is usually limited to the non tuition costs of attending college--help with living expenses, books and supplies, transportation, etc. When renewed by sophomores, juniors, and seniors, a Cal Grant B may also cover all or part of tuition/fee costs.

There are 250 special Cal Grant B awards authorized for community college students transferring to four-year colleges. To be eligible for a special award, an applicant may not have completed more than six semesters or nine quarters of college study and must enroll at an eligible four-year tuition/fee charging college. The last school of attendance must be a community college.

Cal Grant Cawards help vocational students with tuition/fee and training costs. Recipients must be enrolled in a vocational program at a community college, an independent college, or a vocational school, and must be in a program of study from four months to two years in length. Contact your high-school counselor or the College of the Siskiyous Financial Aid Office for more information about vocational areas that qualify.
 
 

Cal Grant B checks are disbursed twice per semester: at the beginning of the semester and in the middle of the semester. Cal Grant C checks are disbursed once at the beginning of each semester.

EOPS is a student support program for educationally and economically disadvantaged students, funded by the State of California and Siskiyou Joint Community College District. It is designed to provide opportunities in higher education for students with academic potential who, without the EOPS assistance, may not have chosen a college education.

EOPS also offers other services as academic advising/counseling, book vouchers, childcare assistance, semester starter kits, transportation passes, and tutoring.

Program participants must meet eligibility criteria to qualify for services. Contact the EOPS Office at (530) 938-5309 for additional information.

Board of Governors Waivers (BOGW) are awarded to students who need assistance paying enrollment fees. If you are a California resident, you may be eligible for a BOGW if you meet any one of these criteria:

• You have established eligibility for financial aid.
• You or your family are receiving AFDC, SSI, or General Assistance/General Relief.
• You are a dependent of a deceased or disabled veteran who is eligible for benefits under the California Veterans Dependents Educational Assistance program.
• Your family's income (family of four) is $31,800 or less; or you are a self-supporting student with an income of $15,600 or less.

These standards are based upon the federal poverty guidelines as published each year by the US Department of Health and Human Services.  Under Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, the income standards for the BOGFW program equal 150% of the federal poverty guidelines for the base year.

These standards are for the 2009-10 academic year and are to be used to determine BOGFW-B eligibility EFFECTIVE July 1, 2009.

Once you have qualified for a BOGW, your enrollment fees will be paid for the rest of the school year, including summer. Refunds for BOGW must be requested DURING the semester for which the request is being filed. BOGW refund requests for any semester will NOT be processed after the last day of the semester. Contact the Financial Aid Office to initiate the refund process. BOGW is intended to financially help a student who would not be able to attend school without the waiver. Once the semester is over it is assumed that the student was able to pay and in fact did pay. The BOGW form is available in English or Spanish (PDF file).

FEDERAL WORK STUDY (FWS) is a federally funded program that gives students the opportunity to earn part or all of their financial need by working on campus. Jobs are available as teachers' aides, clerks, grounds maintenance persons, custodians, lab assistants, and others. The salary received is at least minimum wage or higher depending on skills required, and students are able to work up to 20 hours per week while classes are in session and 40 hours per week during vacation periods. The number of hours that you may work depends upon your need for financial assistance, your class schedule, and your health and academic progress. Work study is included as part of the student's financial aid package if the student expressed an interest in work study on the FAFSA.

PLEASE NOTE: A student who has not signed a contract to work within seven (7) days of the beginning of the semester, will have his/her work-study award removed.

Federal Work Study funds are earned through employment. A time sheet is submitted by the first (1st) of the month and funds are disbursed on the last working day of the month the timesheet is turned in. (Please note: timesheets submitted after the 10th of the month will not be processed until the end of the next month.)

In order to verify their identity and employment eligibility, students need to present one document from list "A" or one document from list "B" and one document from list "C."

List "A"
1. U.S. Passport
2. Certificate of U.S. Citizenship
3. Certificate of Naturalization
4. Unexpired foreign passport with attached employment authorization
5. Alien Registration Card (green card) with photograph

List "B"
1. Driver's License or State I.D. Card
2. U.S. Military I.D. Card

List "C"
1. Social Security Card (original)
2. Birth Certificate (original)
3. Unexpired INS Employment Authorization

Work supervisors are responsible for turning in work time sheets on the scheduled dates and for verifying hours worked with the student.

Average weekly work hours are computed for each student employee based on the amount of the work authorization and the number of weeks of employment. Students should not exceed those limits and cannot earn more than the amount authorized.

A budget does not, and indeed cannot, take into consideration all of the situations in which people find themselves, and it presumes mature consumer choices on your part. Sharing an apartment with other students or walking or biking to school are ways to cut expenses so you will have money for other things. In any event, you must choose what is important to you. Consumer choices are not reflected in the budgets that follow.

We do not mean by the above that budgets are absolutely inflexible. In fact, we can and do adjust budgets where circumstances warrant. Contact the Financial Aid Office regarding special circumstances that may change your financial aid eligibility.

Dependent/Child Care Allowance
Reasonable expenses up to a maximum of $2,400 per year depending on age and number of children. Student must provide adequate documentation.

Out-of-State Tuition
$199 per unit, plus $26 per unit enrollment fee = $225 per unit

Oregon Students - Interstate Exchange
$42 per unit (no enrollment fee)

Resident Enrollment Fee
$26 per unit

Health Fee (all students
$15 (12 or more units)
$12 (Less than 12 units)

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENTS RECEIVING FINANCIAL AID

Rights

• All students are entitled to, and are guaranteed, fair and equitable treatment in the awarding of financial aid. Appeal procedures exist for anyone who feels that a violation of the above has occurred. Contact the Financial Aid Director.

• To be responsible for petitioning for reinstatement immediately upon application, if a student applies for financial aid while on disqualified status.

COLLEGE OF THE SISKIYOUS

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS REQUIREMENTS FOR
FINANCIAL AID RECIPIENTS

OVERVIEW

College of the Siskiyous complies with federal requirements to monitor student aid recipients' satisfactory academic progress toward a declared, approved educational objective of an Associate Degree, Certificate, or Transfer to a baccalaureate, degree-granting institution.   It is the student’s responsibility to choose an approved educational objective and to know the academic progress requirements that must be met to remain eligible for Federal Student Aid.  It is the college’s responsibility to track, measure and assess the student’s progress toward their stated objective.   The College has established a satisfactory academic progress policy that measures progress in three ways:

Qualitatively: Ensuring the student's GPA is consistent with requirements for receipt of a degree, certificate or transfer status,

Quantitatively: Ensuring the student completes his/her program within a maximum period of time, and

Incrementally: Ensuring the student's term-by-term, credit-hour completions are sufficient to enable the student to complete his/her educational objective within a maximum timeframe.

The College has established parameters for minimum GPA in accordance with federal regulations that require students who have completed the equivalent of their first two years of undergraduate work to maintain a 2.0 ("C" average) cumulative GPA.  In determining the maximum timeframe for completion, the FAO has established a period that recognizes the average degree-completion time of a student at College of the Siskiyous, and adds an allowance of time (based on historical completion rates) that it considers a reasonable maximum timeframe for completion.  Incremental, term-by-term completion requirements have been established to be consistent with and support the maximum timeframe requirements.

Progress is monitored on an annual basis for both student aid recipients and new financial aid applicants. Transfer units are included in the maximum timeframe limit of the policy if the units are applicable toward the student's stated objective. Progress is monitored on a term-by-term basis for students on appeal for extensions (beyond the unit limit) and for those on financial aid probation.

The College Financial Aid Academic Progress Policy is published on the COS Financial Aid website, www.siskiyous.edu/financialaid and distributed to students in the initial contact letter once their financial aid application is received by the College.  The policy is distributed again in a simplified format with their award notification letters.  Students are notified of failure to meet progress requirements and ineligibility to receive financial aid by the Financial Aid Office.

Students may petition the progress policy when special, mitigating circumstances prevented the student from meeting minimum requirements. The Director of Financial Aid reviews reinstatement requests and a decision is made to grant or deny the request. Students are notified in writing of the outcome. Students may appeal a denied petition with the Financial Aid Appeals Committee(FAAC).  Decisions of the FAAC are final.

Reinstatement of cancelled eligibility is accomplished either through making up deficient units in the summer session following the academic year, the granting of an appeal to waive requirements, successfully meeting the terms of a contract or by meeting minimum requirements in a subsequent semester without the receipt of Federal aid. Students who have made up deficiencies are responsible for reporting their renewed eligibility status to the Financial Aid Office.

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS POLICY

Federal Regulations require that all students receiving Title IV aid meet or exceed the academic requirements of the institution.  In order to comply, determination of satisfactory progress begins once a student enrolls at COS and all elements of satisfactory progress, including adherence to an educational plan and remaining semesters of eligibility, will be evaluated annually and by term for those students on extensions or financial aid probation.

I.  Ability to Benefit
    In order to receive financial aid, a student must first:
            · Have a high-school diploma (including foreign diplomas) or General Education
            · Pass the High-School Proficiency Exam, OR
            · Pass an independently administered test approved by the U.S. Department of Education Competency Test)

II. Academic Requirements
    In addition, a student must also:
          · Be enrolled in an eligible program for the purpose of completing an AA/AS Degree, Transfer Requirements or Certificate Program
          · Maintain a minimum semester and cumulative 2.00 grade point average (GPA).  (Credit course grades "CR" are the equivalent of a "C" grade or better and will be used to determine grade point averages.)  "CR" grades combined with letter grades will be considered for determination of satisfactory progress.
          · Have a cumulative completion rate of at least 67% of the units attempted each semester enrolled*.  A student who takes all classes on a "CR/NC" basis and receives all "CR" grades will be considered meeting Financial Aid Satisfactory Progress standards.

*Students who attempt less than 6.0 units must complete all units attempted with a minimum of a 2.00 GPA.  (Students enrolled in less than six units are not eligible for Federal Family Educational Loan programs (FFELP).

Grade Interpretation
Grades of A, B, C, D, or CR are considered units completed.  Grades of IP, F, FW, NC, W, or I are considered units not completed.  If the units completed total less than 67% of the units attempted, the student is placed on probation.  Students are eligible for payment of repeated courses only if the student received a "D" grade or lower and a "C" or better is required for transfer, certificate, etc.  Consequently, satisfactory academic progress cannot be reviewed for a student until all I, IP grades have been completed and are reported on the student's academic transcript.

III. Eligibility Requirements
A student may continue to receive financial aid until he/she has attained one of the following:
· Completed the equivalent of six (6) full-time semesters; OR
· Completed 90 units, whichever is sooner

By extension, students who enroll less-than-full-time will have their eligibility based as follows:
· Half time:  12 semesters
· Three Quarter:  9 semesters
· Less Than 1/2-Time:  A less-than-half-time student will be measured individually based on patterns of attendance.

Summer Classes
The units earned during the summer will count toward the GPA requirement and the 90-unit maximum.  However if three (3) or more units are completed for the summer that apply to the student's degree, certificate, or transfer, then those units may be considered for xxxxxreinstatement of financial aid and removal from one probation status level (for example, change status from Disqualification to Probation).

Transfer Students
The transfer student's GPA and percentage of completion from previous colleges will be reviewed for determining the 90-unit maximum and cumulative GPA only.

Duration of Eligibility
Students who have completed a total of 72 units must submit an appeal to the Director of Financial Aid or her designee.  The appeal must include a Required Courses Form.  The Director will review the appeal to determine the student's remaining eligibility.

IV.Financial Aid Progress Probation and Disqualification
Financial Aid Progress Probation and Disqualification for students not meeting academic requirements will be determined as follows:

A.A student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation if he/she falls below:
· A 2.00 GPA or the cumulative grade point average is less than a 2.00 GPA,
AND/OR
· The completed number of units is less than those attempted, but the completed units meet the 66.7% completion rate. Students who are attempting less than 6.0 units must complete all units attempted with at least a 2.00 GPA.

B.After being placed on Financial Aid Probation, the student must meet satisfactory
Progress standards during the next period of enrollment or he/she will be placed on Financial Aid Disqualification status, and Federal aid, including student loans, will be terminated.  (NOTE:  Students who are disqualified from receiving financial aid are not eligible for funding for the semester used to reestablish eligibility.

V. Reinstatement of Financial Aid
Once financial aid has been denied for lack of satisfactory progress, a student may be removed from Financial Aid Disqualification status and placed on Financial Aid Probation status by one of the following:

Completing a semester in which ALL the following conditions are met:
· A minimum of six (6.0) units are completed (and 67% of all units attempted);
· A minimum of a 2.00 GPA is achieved both for the semester and cumulatively

If Probation or Disqualification was based on less-than-half-time enrollment from the prior semester(s), then the equivalent or higher number of units must be completed for credit with at least a 2.00 GPA; OR

Submitting an appeal to the Director of Financial Aid and Veterans Services or her designee.  Appeal applications may be obtained through the Financial Aid Office or on the COS Financial Aid website.

After Federal financial aid has been denied due to completion of six (6) equivalent full-time semesters and/or completion of 90.0 units, a student may request re-evaluation by submitting an appeal to the Director of Financial Aid and Veterans Services or her designee.  Appeal applications may be obtained through the Financial Aid Office or on the COS Financial Aid website.

VI. Financial Aid Appeal Policy
Both Financial Aid Probation and Financial Aid Disqualification may be appealed to the Director of Financial Aid or her designee.

· Transcript Error:  If there has been an error on the student's transcript that resulted in the probation or disqualification, then the student should notify the Financial Aid Office. Probation/Disqualification will only be removed when the student's transcript is changed to reflect the correction.

· Unusual or mitigating circumstances:  Students may appeal if there were unusual ormitigating circumstances that affected the student's ability to make progress.  Allowable considerations to reinstate financial aid eligibility may include:

1.  Student illness or death in immediate family
2.  Family stress
3.  Medical or emotional disability
4.  Any other reason for which a student can demonstrate good cause for exception to financial aid probation/disqualification

In order for an appeal to be considered, the student must provide the following:

1. A written statement to the Director of Financial Aid or her designee explaining why satisfactory progress was not maintained
2. An updated Educational Plan
3. A Financial Aid Appeal Form completed by both the student and a COS counselor or program director.

THE LAST DAY TO SUBMIT AN APPEAL IS 30 DAYS AFTER THE BEGINNING OF A SEMESTER.

If you have any questions regarding the Satisfactory Progress Policy, please contact the Financial Aid Staff by telephone at (530) 938-5209, or by mail at:

College of the Siskiyous
Financial Aid office
800 College Avenue
Weed CA  96094

 

	College of the Siskiyous  Financial Aid Department   Presents . . . .  Financial Aid Web sites
	The Financial Aid Information Page: finaid.org FAFSA on the Web:  fafsa.ed.gov To get an estimate for financial aid: finaid.org/finaid/calculators/estimate.html Financial Aid For Students: ed.gov/finaid.html To calculate loan payments: finaid.org/calculators/loanpayments.phtml California Student Aid Commission:  csac.ca.gov EdFund:  edfund.org	FastWeb: fastweb.com Project EASI: easi.ed.gov Mapping Your Future: mapping-your-future.org Veterans Education Benefits: gibill.va.gov California Associate of Student Financial Aid Administrators Casfaa.org Association of Independent College and Universities: Aiccu.edu.html

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