Financial Aid Policies

Census/Freeze Dates

Your financial aid is based on the number of units you’re enrolled in on Census Day—typically the 3rd Monday of the semester (unless you’re awarded after that day—more on that below).

What Is Census Day?

If you already have a financial aid award:

• Your enrollment on Census Day (the 3rd Monday of the semester) determines how much aid you receive.

If you’re awarded after Census Day:

• Your enrollment on the day you're awarded will be used instead.

Late-Start Classes

If you're taking a class that starts later in the semester:

• You must be enrolled in that class by Census Day
• You won’t be paid for that class until 10 days before it starts.
• Usually no changes are made after Census Day—unless the school made a mistake.

Here are examples of school-related errors (called institutional errors) that might allow us to update your award:

• An instructor accidentally dropped you and confirms it in writing (or by email), with an explanation and contact info.
• Admissions & Records didn’t process your Add Card even though you turned it in on time and it could have been processed before Census Day.

NOT considered school error:

• You didn’t know when Census Day was.
• Your class was cancelled or full.
• You weren’t officially added by Census Day.
• You dropped yourself by accident.
• You thought you were enrolled, but weren’t.
• You tried to re-enroll after being dropped for not attending.
• You didn’t officially register for 8-week courses before Census.
• Dropping Classes After Census Day

If you're taking classes at both Cuyamaca College and Grossmont College, you may be able to get financial aid for all your units—but only if you submit a Consortium Agreement.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Apply at Your “Home” College

You need to apply for financial aid at the college where you officially declared your major. This means that you must add your home college to your financial aid application. That college is your home school.

• You must be taking at least one class at your home college to qualify.

Step 2: Complete a Consortium Agreement with your Academic Counselor

• This form tells us you're taking classes at both schools. Here’s what you need to know:
• You must register in all the classes listed on your form by census day.
• All the classes must be required for your program or major.
• You must stay enrolled in at least 6 units within the district. 
• You can only submit one Consortium Agreement per term.

Step 3: Submit Through Student Forms

• The form must be filled out with your Academic Counselor.
• You can submit it only after Census Day and before the posted deadline.
• Deadlines are listed on the college’s Financial Aid Deadlines webpage.

What Happens After You Submit?

Your form will be reviewed in the order it was received. A financial aid advisor will:

• Check that the classes you listed are required for your program.
• Make a decision and update your file.

What the Decision Could Be:

Fully Approved

• All your listed classes count toward your major—great! You’ll get financial aid for all of them.

Partially Approved

• Some classes are required, but some are not. You’ll only get aid for the approved ones.

Denied

• None of the classes listed apply to your program, so the agreement will be denied.

At Cuyamaca College, your financial aid information is private and protected under a federal law called FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). That means we can’t share your information with anyone—not even your parents—unless you give us permission.

Want Someone Else to Talk to Us About Your Financial Aid?

If you’d like someone (like a parent, spouse, or another trusted person) to be able to talk to the Financial Aid Office about your account, you’ll need to:

1. Come in person to the Financial Aid Office.
2. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID (like a driver’s license or passport).
3. Fill out and sign the Financial Aid FERPA Release Form while you're there.
4. Repeat this process every aid year (the release expires at the end of each school year).

Once your release is on file, we’ll mark your account so approved individuals can discuss your financial aid with us for the rest of that year.

What We Can’t Do:

• We can’t release any of your financial aid information by phone or email to anyone unless your FERPA release is on file.
• The person you authorize can only talk to us—they can’t make decisions or take actions on your behalf.

Changing Your Mind?

You can cancel (revoke) your FERPA release at any time—just come to the Financial Aid Office in person with your photo ID and let us know in writing.

Even though you can take classes at both schools, you have to pick one as your home college—either Grossmont or Cuyamaca.

Your major/program of study must be declared at your home college.

Your home college is in charge of handling everything related to your financial aid, including:

• Processing your financial aid application
• Completing verification (if needed)
• Handling appeals and special requests
• Managing both federal and state financial aid

Can You Change Your Home College?

• Yes—but only once per school year.

Here’s how:

• Meet with an academic counselor at the college you want to switch to.
• Submit your request by Census Day of your first term of enrollment.
• If you miss the deadline, the change won’t take effect until the next school year.

Sometimes life circumstances can affect your financial aid eligibility in ways that your financial aid application does not capture. In these situations, you may be able to request a Professional Judgment (PJ)/Special Circumstance Appeal.

What is a Professional Judgment?

A PJ allows the Financial Aid Office to review your situation on a case-by-case basis and decide if certain changes can be made to your FAFSA information or your Cost of Attendance (COA).

Who Reviews My Request?

PJ requests are reviewed by the Financial Aid Advisor assigned to you based on the first letter of your last name.

When Can I Request a PJ?

You may request a PJ if you have special or unusual circumstances, such as:

• A change in your dependency status (for example, being homeless or unaccompanied)

• A major loss of income for you or your family

• Unusual medical or other expenses

• Other serious, documented hardships

What Can’t Be Changed?

Federal rules set some limits on what we can do with a PJ:

• We cannot automatically make a dependent student independent (unless unusual circumstances apply, such as homelessness).

• We cannot change the federal formula used to calculate your Student Aid Index (SAI).

• We cannot add new cost categories to the COA.

• We cannot add costs that occurred after you are no longer enrolled.

How Do I Request a PJ?

1. Request a PJ with the Financial Aid Office or your assigned Financial Aid Advisor

2. Log in to your StudentForms account.

3. Complete the PJ request form.

4. Upload a written statement explaining your circumstances.

5. Submit supporting documents (for example, medical bills, layoff notice, eviction notice, etc.).

Requests must be submitted no later than the last day of your term of enrollment

Homeless or Unaccompanied Youth

If you indicate that you are homeless or unaccompanied, you will meet with the Financial Aid Director or Supervisor. If you are determined to meet the criteria, your FAFSA will be updated, and the decision will be recorded in your financial aid file.

If you drop all your classes—or just stop showing up—you might have to pay back some of your financial aid. Here’s how it works:

When Are You Considered Withdrawn?

You’re considered withdrawn if you:

• Officially tell us you’re withdrawing (online, in person, or by phone/email), or
• Stop attending all your classes without telling us (this is called an unofficial withdrawal)

How Your Withdrawal Date Is Decided

• If you officially withdraw, your withdrawal date is when you let us know.
• If you unofficially withdraw, your withdrawal date is the last day you participated in an academic activity, as reported by your instructors.

What Happens to Your Financial Aid?

If you withdraw before completing 60% of the semester, you may have to pay back a portion of your financial aid.

If you attend more than 60% of the semester, you keep all of your aid.

If you didn’t earn all of your aid, the government requires us to return unearned aid in this order:

1. Unsubsidized Federal Loans
2. Subsidized Federal Loans
3. Pell Grants
4. FSEOG Grants

How We Track This

Every two weeks, we run a report that shows students who may have stopped academically engaging or withdrawn.

If you're flagged:

1. We’ll confirm your last date of engagement with your instructors.
2. If your instructor doesn’t reply within 10 business days, we’ll assume you didn’t attend and process the aid return accordingly.
3. We calculate what aid you earned and what has to be returned.
4. We update your financial aid file and send you an email if you owe money.

If You Owe Money

You’ll get an email telling you if you have a balance due because of a withdrawal. It’s important to take care of it right away so you don’t lose eligibility for future aid or get sent to collections.