Early Application Period	October	Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) becomes available for the upcoming award year. Submit financial aid application online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
	March 2nd	Cal Grant application deadline - Submit both FAFSA and GPA Verification
	April - May	Respond to Missing Information Letter (MIL). Submit all required documentation to the Financial Aid Office.
	July	Financial Aid Office begins emailing of Award Notifications to students who applied and submitted documentation during the early application period.
	September 2nd	Cal Grant application deadline - Submit both FAFSA and GPA Verification (applies to FAFSA only)

Early Application Period	October	Dream Act Application becomes available for the upcoming year. Submit Dream Act Application online at www.caldreamact.org.
Early Application Period	March 2nd	Cal Grant application deadline - Submit both Dream Act and NON-SSN GPA Verification form

What FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application should I complete?

Complete the 2020-2021 FAFSA or CA Dream Act, if you will be attending during the Summer 2020, Fall 2020, and/or Spring 2021.

Complete the 2021-2022 FAFSA or CA Dream Act, if you will be attending during the Summer 2021, Fall 2021, and/or Spring 2022.

*Please note: Priority deadline for 2020-2021 FAFSA and CA Dream Act is March 2, 2020.

What makes me an independent student?

You MUST meet at least one of the following conditions if applying for the 2020-21 academic year:

You were born before January 1, 1995
You will be enrolled in a master's or doctorate program at the beginning of the school year
You are married as of the day you apply
You have children who receive more than half their support from you
You have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half their support from you at the time you apply and through June 30, 2019
At any time since the age of 13, were both of your parents deceased, were you in foster care, or were you a dependent or ward of the court
You are currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training
You are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces
You are or were an emancipated minor as determined by a court in your state of legal residence
You are or were in legal guardianship as determined by a court in your state of legal residence
You were determined at any time on or after July 1, 2016 by your high school or school district homeless liaison to be an unaccompanied youth who was homeless
You were determined at any time on or after July 1, 2016 by the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to be an unaccompanied youth who was homeless
You were determined at any time on or after July 1, 2016 by the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program to be an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless.

How long does it take for Mt. San Jacinto College to complete my financial aid file?

Depending on when you file and how quickly you submit the required documents, it could take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a few months. Please check your financial aid status on your Self-Service account or follow up with the Financial Aid Office to check the status of your file.

I probably don't qualify for aid. Should I apply?

Yes. Many families mistakenly think they do not qualify for aid and prevent themselves from receiving financial aid by failing to apply for it. The FAFSA form is free. Apply, you may qualify.

Is financial aid available for undocumented students?

There is In-State tuition available: AB 540

Requirements:

Attended a California high school for a minimum of three years, or
Attainment of credits in California from a California high school equivalent of at least three or more years of full-time high school coursework and a total of three or more years of attendance in California elementary schools, California secondary schools, or a combination of those schools.
Attend a combination of California high school, adult school, and community college for the equivalent of three (3) years or more.
Graduated from a California high school or received the equivalent general education diploma (GED), High School Equivalency Test (HiSET), or Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC).
Register or be currently enrolled in a California Community College, California State University, or a University of California.
Sign a statement with the college or university (NOT with DHS) stating that he/she will apply for legal residency as soon as he/she is eligible to do so.

California DREAM Act Application

The passage of AB131 authorized state funded financial aid to AB540 eligible students. If you are an undocumented AB540 student, complete the CA Dream Act Application at www.caldreamact.org. Visit Dreamers at MSJC for more information.

Scholarship Listings for Undocumented Students:

Latino College Dollars

Educators for fair consideration (E4FC)

What is an EFC?

The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is the number used to determine your federal student aid eligibility. Based on your application, it determines what you and your family should be able to contribute towards your educational expenses.

What is a FSA ID?

In order to sign your FAFSA electronically you must create a FSA ID. Your FSA ID confirms your identity when you access financial aid information and electronically sign Federal Student Aid documents. If you do not already have an FSA ID, create one at fsaid.ed.gov. You may also sign the application by printing out the signature page and mailing it to the central processor.

Must I be accepted for admissions before I can apply for Financial Aid?

You may apply prior to submitting your admissions application. However, you must be admitted and enrolled to receive the aid you qualify for. Visit the Enrollment Services web site for more information.

What is verification?

Verification is a process in which files are selected at random to check certain data elements on the FAFSA. If your file is selected for verification, the school is required to verify the information reported. Your SAR will tell you if you are selected for verification.

What is considered half-time and full-time?

Mt. San Jacinto College Financial Aid Office considers between 6 and 8.5 units as half-time and 12 or more units as full-time for the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters.

What is the Federal school code for Mt. San Jacinto College?

The Federal School code is 001246. The Federal School Code for CADAA is 00124600. See School Code list to search for another institutions school code.

What are the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Standards?

Federal Financial Aid guidelines require that the Mt. San Jacinto College Financial Aid Office ensure that each student who receives financial aid maintains SAP. In order to do so, the Mt. San Jacinto College Financial Aid Office has established and monitors the following components, known collectively as SAP standards; a student’s cumulative GPA and cumulative completion rate. Visit the SAP section of the Mt. San Jacinto College Financial Aid Office website for more information.

I don't live with my parents, I live on my own. Do I still need to provide their information on FAFSA?

Even though you don't live with your parents, you will have to provide parent information. The FAFSA gives specific criteria for determining when a student may file for federal aid without using parental income information. However, if there are other extenuating circumstances please feel free to contact the Financial Aid Office for further assistance.

Who has access to my financial aid information?

You, the student, are the only person the Office of Financial Aid will release information without written permission to disclose your information to someone else. You can chose to do so by filling out a Consent to Release form.

How can I look up what documents that I need to turn in?

The Self-Service landing page displays the documents being requested to complete your financial aid file.

How long will it take for my documents to appear as received on my Self-Service page?

It takes roughly 7-10 business days to appear on a student's file after submission.

What is an eligible program of study for financial aid?

Some eligible programs of study for financial are AA, AS, and Certificate programs.

Where do I receive my 1098-T form for tax reporting purposes?

You will be able to access this via Self-Service beginning January 31^st, if you have one available to you.

I applied for Financial Aid, but nothing is showing up. Why is that?

If you do not have an "ISIR received" posted on Self-Service and it has been over a week since you submitted your FAFSA, it may be due to one of the following reasons:

1. MSJC's school code was not included on your financial aid application

2. You may have completed the wrong application for the current school year

3. Your social security number does not match what is on your FAFSA and the MSJC Enrollment Application

4. You did not put your social security number on your admissions application

I applied for Financial Aid, but I was not awarded a fee waiver, Why?

If you do not see a CA College Promise Grant awarded on Self-Service it may be due to one of the following reasons:

1. Your FAFSA or CA Dream Act application has not been received

2. You are not considered a CA resident

3. Based on your FAFSA, you do not demonstrate a "need"

4. You have been placed on Academic Dismissal

I paid for my registration fees before I was awarded the CA College Promise Grant. Can I get a refund for my classes?

If you paid your courses out of pocket and have been awarded the CA College Promise Grant, you should automatically be rebilled. The refund takes 30-45 business days to be processed and issued back to the original method of payment. If a debit or credit card were used, the funds will be returned to the same card. If cash or money order were used, a check will be mailed to the address on file.