Financial Aid Policies

It is required that all students receiving financial aid meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards. SAP is evaluated after each term (including summer). In order to maintain eligibility for financial aid, you must:

• Maintain a cumulative financial aid GPA of a 2.0 or higher
• Complete at least 67 percent or more of all units attempted
• Complete your educational goal within 150 percent of the published requirement of the goal

Failure to meet any of the items above can result in being placed on a financial aid warning or suspension status, which can negatively affect your financial aid.

For more information on our SAP policies, see to the 4CD Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy and 4CD SAP Policy CARES Act Addendum (PDF).

For more information on the 67 percent SAP requirement, see the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Grid.

When a student is awarded financial aid, it is assumed they will complete courses with satisfactory grades and attend school for the entire period the financial aid was awarded for. Students who do not remain eligible for financial aid may be required to return all or some of their award. This is also known as financial aid repayment.

Withdrawing From Classes

Financial aid repayment is required for students who completely withdraw from all classes prior to completing 60 percent of the term. Financial aid repayment includes, but is not limited to, students who are awarded the Pell Grant, Supplemental Opportunity Grant, and direct loans.

Students who complete more than 60 percent of the term and then completely withdraw from classes are considered to have earned 100 percent of the financial aid disbursed to them and there is no repayment.

Students who receive federal financial aid for the 2024-2025 academic year and withdraw prior to the 60 percent point of their enrollment period may be subject to repayment.

Students will have 30 days from the date of notification to return the amount owed to DVC. If the repayment amount is not made in full, the amount owed will be reported to the U.S. Department of Education for the student to make satisfactory payment arrangements after 45 days.

Please note that students who owe repayment of aid will not be eligible to receive financial aid at any college until the repayment conditions are met.

Failing to Earn a Passing Grade

Financial aid repayment is required for students who fail to earn a passing grade in all classes during a term for which financial aid has been awarded.

If the student cannot document their last date of attendance, our office will determine if that the student unofficially withdrew at the 50 percent point of the term.

If the student is able to document that they attended class past the 60 percent point of the term, then no repayment will occur. The student must submit written documentation verifying attendance within 30 days of repayment notification.

Failing to Begin Attendance (No Show)

If students are awarded financial aid, but fail to attend any of their classes, the student will be ineligible for the award and all aid will be canceled. A financial aid hold will be placed on the student's record and the student will be responsible for repaying the funds to the college.

If students are awarded financial aid, but fail to attend some of their registered classes, the original award will be adjusted. If it is determined that the student has been overpaid by financial aid, a financial aid hold will be placed on the student’s record and the student will be responsible for repaying the college.

Changes in Enrollment Status

Students receiving the Pell Grant will generally receive two payments per term. Around the midpoint of each term, the award will be re-calculated based on any changes to the student's enrollment. The Pell Grant award will be automatically increased or decreased according to the enrollment status. Please review the 2024-2025 Financial Aid Disbursement Calendar posted to the Financial Aid tile on InSite to learn more about recalculation dates.

If it is determined that the student has been over awarded for the term, the student will be responsible for repaying the overage back. The student will be notified of the overpayment and given 30 days to pay the debt owed. The amount owed will be reported to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) and the student will not be eligible to receive additional federal financial aid at any college until satisfactory payments arrangements are made.

If the overpayment amount is not repaid within 30 days of notice, the debt will be referred to the Department of Education for collection. Do not contact the Department of Education about the collection until at least two weeks from the date of the original repayment due date.

Receiving Federal Financial Aid From Multiple Colleges

A student cannot receive aid from more than one college for the same period of enrollment. Students that have received aid from multiple colleges for the same term will be required to repay the award amount. If this occurs, the student will be notified in writing of the amount owed and repayment options.

Financial Aid Application Changes After Disbursement

Financial aid repayment is required if it is determined that the student made an error on the financial aid application that would have resulted in the student receiving a lower award amount.

If a correction is made to the student’s financial aid application that results in documentation verification, the student must submit the required documents or they will have to repay the award amount.

In order for you to keep your California College Promise Grant status you must:

• Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0
• Successfully complete at least 50 percent of all units attempted

If you are not able to meet these standards for two consecutive primary terms (fall and spring), it will result in loss of eligibility. You will receive a notice that you have been placed on probation and will have one term to meet both standards. If these standards are not met, you will lose your California Promise Grant.

How to Get California Promise Grant Eligibility Back

If you meet one of the following criteria, you may appeal your loss of the California Promise Grant.

• Extenuating circumstances (accident, illness, or change in economic situation)
• Significant academic improvement (2.0 GPA and 50 percent completion rate in the last term)
• Verified disability with accommodation not received in a timely manner
• Unable to obtain essential disability support services (4.6)
• Are a participant in CalWORKs, EOPS, Disability Support Services, or Veterans Services

Loss of California Promise Grant appeals must be submitted to the Admissions and Records Office no later than:

• Fall 2024: December 1, 2024
• Spring 2025: May 2, 2025

The Registration Appointment and California Promise Grant Appeal Form is available on the Admissions and Records Forms page.

Federal regulations limit the number of times a student can repeat a course and receive financial aid for that course. Once a student earns a passing grade (D or higher) for a course the student can only repeat the course one time and still receive financial aid. If a student enrolls in a previously passed course for a third time, this course will not count for financial aid purposes.

A repeated course can be included in a student's financial aid award if it is taken:

• To repeat a failed course until a passing grade is received, or
• To repeat a course (one time only) in which you previously received a passing grade

To read the policy in its entirety, please review to the Contra Costa Community College District's Financial Aid Repeat Coursework Policy.

Please note that the repeat course policy for financial aid is separate from institutional academic policies regarding repeating courses. Please review this policy in the DVC catalog.

Once a student has received a Federal Pell Grant for six years (12 full-time semesters or the equivalent) the student will no longer be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant for future semesters.

Pell Lifetime Eligibility Usage (LEU) is tracked by the U.S. Department of Education. Pell Grant usage is recorded in percentages. For example, if a student is awarded $4,000 in an academic year and receives $2,000, then the student is considered to have used 50 percent of the award for that year. The maximum Pell Grant award a student can receive in an academic year is 100 percent. The maximum a student can receive in their lifetime is 600 percent (100 percent per year for six years).

Students can track their own Pell Lifetime Eligibility Usage (LEU) by logging into the National Student Loan Database System (NSLDS).

Student Rights

As a student at DVC you have the right to:

• Know what financial aid is available, including information on all federal, state, and institutional aid programs
• Know the priority dates for submitting applications for each financial aid program available
• Be informed of financial aid policies and procedures
• Review and understand the cost of attendance and the Refund Policy for DVC
• Know the criteria used by the Financial Aid Office to award financial aid funds and how your financial need is determined
• Know the type of financial aid you have been packaged, as need-based or non need-based, and if it is gift aid, requires work, or needs to be repaid
• Know how and when you will be paid a financial aid refund
• Know the financial aid policies for satisfactory academic progress and the consequence for not meeting the minimum requirements
• Know the terms of any loans received, deferment and forbearance topics, and your right to cancel a loan request
• Request an explanation of your financial aid and how much of your financial aid eligibility has been met as determined by the Financial Aid Office
• Request a re-evaluation of your application based on special circumstances

Student Responsibilities

As a student at DVC it is your responsibility to:

• Complete all application forms accurately and submit them by advertised deadlines; provide correct information to the Financial Aid Office*
• Return all documentation, verification forms, corrections, and/or new information requested by the Financial Aid Office in a timely manner
• Read and understand all forms that you are asked to sign and retain copies for your records
• Accept responsibility for all agreements your sign
• Repay all loans including the interest accrued on those loans
• Perform the work agreed upon in accepting a Federal Work-Study award satisfactorily
• Be aware of financial aid repayment policies
• Report any changes in the information used to determine your aid eligibility
• Report any additional resources received from external sources, such as scholarships received from organizations outside DVC, so your financial aid package can be adjusted to include these awards
• Understand DVC's refund policy
• Understand the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Financial Aid
• Make sure your mailing address is current at all times - failure to maintain an updated mailing address may delay receipt of your financial aid

*Intentional misrepresentation on your financial aid application is a violation of federal law and may be a criminal offense.