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Information in this guide is correct as of the print date
July, 2019. Financial Aid regulations change frequently. Please confirm
information printed in this guide with the COS Financial Aid office.
Financial Aid | Hanford Center
925 13th Avenue | Hanford, CA 93230
Phone: (559) 583-2511 | Fax: (559) 584-1853 | DRC TTY: (559) 730-3913
Office Hours: Monday-Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Summer Hours: Monday-Thursday: 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. & Friday: 7:45 to 11:15 a.m.
Financial Aid | Tulare College Center
4999 E. Bardsley Avenue | Tulare, CA 93274
Phone: (559) 688-3013 | Fax: (559) 687-6294 | DRC TTY: (559) 730-3913
Office Hours: Monday – Friday: 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Summer Hours: Monday-Thursday: 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. & Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Financial Aid | Visalia Campus
915 S. Mooney Blvd. | Visalia, CA 93277
Phone: (559) 730-3747 | Fax: (559) 737-4840 | DRC TTY: (559) 730-3913
Office Hours: Monday – Thursday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. & Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Summer Hours: Monday-Thursday: 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. & Friday: 7:45 to 11:15 a.m.
Alternative Formats
In accordance with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of ADA requirements, this
publication can be made in alternative formats as a reasonable accommodation.
To request a copy of alternative formats,
please contact the Access & Ability Center (559) 730-3805.
Eligibility Requirements for Federal Financial Aid
Please be aware that each financial aid program has its own eligibility requirements. The following requirements are basic eligibility requirements for aid given by the federal government.
• Have a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent. • Be enrolled in a financial aid eligible program.
• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
• Submit all required forms and documents requested by the Financial Aid Office.
• Meet and maintain satisfactory academic progress requirements for financial aid.
• Have financial need as demonstrated by a completed financial aid application and Financial Aid Office review.
• Be in compliance with all Selective Service registration requirements (males only).
• Do not owe a refund or repayment on a federal grant.
• Not be in default on a federal student loan.
• Have a valid Social Security Number for federal aid. Parents of dependent students are not required to have a valid Social Security Number.
• Not be convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs while enrolled and receiving federal financial aid.
Eligible Non-Citizens: US Permanent Residents with a Permanent Resident Card (I-551) or Conditional Permanent Residents (I-551C) or those with an Arriv-al-Departure Record (I-94) showing the designations of Refugee, Asylum Granted, Parole or Cuban-Haitian Entrant or those with an Immigration Court document approving Asylum or documentation of entering the U.S. under provisions of the Victims of Trafficking and Vio-lence Protection Act are eligible for federal financial aid.
Eligibility Requirements for California Dream Act
The California Dream Act allows undocumented and nonresident documented students who meet AB 540 or AB 2000 criteria to apply for and receive private scholar-ships funded through public universities, state-adminis-tered financial aid, university grants, community college fee waivers, and Cal Grants.
AB 540 criteria:• Must have attended a California high school for
three (3) years AND
• Must have or will graduate from a California high school or have attained a GED or received a passing mark on the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHPSE) AND
• If undocumented, the filing of an AB 540 affidavit (after high school graduation) with the college or university stating that they have applied for a lawful immigration status or will apply soon as they are eligible to do so. Complete and submit the affidavit with a copy of official high school transcripts to the Admission & Records Office at any one of our three campuses.
AB 2000 criteria:• Must have attended a California high school or grad-
uated early from a California high school with the equivalent of three (3) or more years of credits; if the student graduates early, they must have attend-ed a California elementary or secondary school for a cumulative total of three (3) or more years.
Along with meeting the above criteria, a student needs to meet the following requirements:
• Be enrolled in an eligible program leading to an as-sociate degree, 16 or more unit certificate, or trans-fer to a university.
• Meet and maintain satisfactory academic progress requirements for financial aid.
• Submit all required forms and documents requested by the Financial Aid Office.
• Have financial need as demonstrated by a complet-ed Dream Act and Financial Aid Office review.
• Be in compliance with all Selective Service registra-tion requirements (male students only).
Students must submit the California Dream Act by March 2nd to be eligible for Cal Grants and other types of aid. After March 2nd, Dream Act applicants can be eligible for the Promise Grant, which is a fee waiver.
Regardless of Federal policies regarding DACA, including cancelling the program, undocumented students who meet AB 540 or AB 2000 criteria listed above are still eligible to apply for California state aid, including the Promise Grant and Cal Grants.
Financial AidApplication Process
Apply OnlineFAFSA at www.fafsa.gov or
Dream Act at: https://dream.csac.ca.gov
FAFSA School Code: 001186
Dream Act School Code: 00118600
Collect Documents Student and parent documents, if applicable (tax
returns, payroll stubs, bank account statements, etc.)
Complete the FAFSA or Dream Act
File the FAFSA or Dream Act as soon as possible after October 1st. File both completed applications
by March 2nd
Receive, Review & Respond
You will be receiving: SAR (Student Aid Report) and COS required
document e-mail. Be sure to respond promptly.
Watch for the Financial Aid Award E-mail
You will be informed of your eligibility and refund Preference
If you receive an email from California Student Aid Commission, follow the steps to create a Web Grants account and view your Cal Grant award. Verify COS as
your school of attendance in order to receive your grant.
FAFSA UsersYou must apply for an FSA ID in order to electronically sign your FAFSA application. See the next page in this guide for instructions on how to obtain your FSA ID. Parents may also apply for an FSA ID to electronically sign student’s FAFSA application, but only parents with a Social Security number may do so.
Students whose parents do not have a Social Security number will print out a signature page for the parent to sign and mail it to Federal Student Aid. Mailing address is listed on the signature page.
Important DatesOctober 1st - New FAFSA and Dream Act applications available online
October 1st –January 31st - COS FAFSA / Dream Act Priority Filing Period
January 31st - Have all required documents submitted to COS for priority consideration
March 2nd - Deadline for Entitlement Cal Grant Award (FAFSA) AND Deadline for the Dream Act Application
September 2nd - For community college students only - deadline for competitive Cal Grant awards (FAFSA only and GPA Verification Form required)
Communication is Key
Initial communication and the Refund Selec-tion kit will be sent to your mailing address on file with the COS Admissions & Records Office. Please keep that information updated.
Financial Aid Office communications will be e-mailed to your giant.cos.edu account. This e-mail account will be your access to all official communications from the College District as well.
Check your financial aid status, awards, payment dates, etc., on Banner Web - mygiant.cos.edu
For other general financial aid information, policies, or forms check out the COS Financial Aid Website at www.cos.edu/en-us/admissions/financial-aid
HOW TO CREATE AN
FSA ID
1
THE FSA ID USERNAME & PASSWORD IS TO CONFIRM YOUR IDENTITY
WHEN YOU ACCESS YOUR FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION
& ELECTRONICALLY SIGN FEDERAL STUDENT AID DOCUMENTS.
CREATE ONE WHEN LOGGING IN TO FAFSA.GOV OR FSAID.ED.GOV
Create a username, password,
& enter your email address
(An existing, non-school email address
that is different than parent’s)
2
Enter your name & information
Including date of birth, Social Security
number, contact information, & challenge
questions & answers
3
Review your information
Read & accept the
terms and conditions.
4
Confirm e-mail address & phone number
using the secure code, which will be sent to
the e-mail address & phone number you
entered when you created your FSA ID
Confirm your information
5
You can begin using your FSA ID
Access your
FAFSA Application
DO I HAVE TO PROV IDE MY
PARENTS ' INFORMAT ION ON THE
FAFSA FORM ?
INDEPENDENT STUDENT
I f you answer YES to ANY of these
quest ions, then you may be an
independent s tudent . You may not be
required to provide parenta l
informat ion on your F ree Appl icat ion
for Federal S tudent A id (FAFSA) form.
DEPENDENT STUDENT
I f you answer NO to ALL of these
quest ions, then you may be a
dependent s tudent . You may be
required to provide your parents '
f inancia l in format ion when
complet ing the FAFSA form.
1.Were you born before Jan. 1 , 1996?
2 . As of today, a re you marr ied?
3 . Wi l l you be work ing on a master ’s or doctorate program?
4 . Are you current ly serv ing on act ive duty in the U.S .
a rmed forces for purposes other than t ra in ing?
5 . Are you a veteran of the U.S . a rmed forces?
6 . Do you now have—or wi l l you have—chi ldren who
wi l l receive more than hal f o f thei r support f rom you?
7 . Do you have dependents (other than chi ldren or spouse) who l ive
wi th you and who receive more than hal f o f thei r support f rom you?
8 . A t any t ime s ince you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased,
were you in foster care, or were you a dependent or ward of the court?
9 . Has i t been determined by a court that you are an emancipated minor
or that someone other than your parent or s tepparent has legal guardianship of you?
10. Were you determined to be an unaccompanied youth who was homeless?
FOR A FULL CHECKL IST , V I S I T
STUDENTAID.ED.GOV/DEPENDENCY
Dependency OverrideEligibility for assistance is based on the assumption that students and their parents are primarily responsible for paying for education. If the directions on your financial aid application instruct you to provide parents’ informa-tion, then by law you are dependent on your parents. In extreme hardship cases, the Financial Aid Office may be able to assist a student who is technically depen-dent, but who does not or cannot have contact with their parent. In such cases, the student must complete a Request for Dependency Override form. The student will need to provide written documentation from a third party professional (e.g. minister, counselor, social work-er, etc.) Additional documentation may be requested if warranted by the situation. The Request for Dependency Override form is available in the Financial Aid Office. The form and appropriate documentation should be submitted for review to the Financial Aid Office.
Special Circumstances
Special Circumstances Request
In cases where family income is expected to decrease, or if you have a special circumstance we should take under advisement, such as excessive medical costs, you may request a review of family contribution and finan-cial aid eligibility. The Special Circumstance Request form is available online or at the Financial Aid Office. The form with suggested documentation should be submit-ted for review to the Financial Aid Office.
College of the Sequoias Financial Assistance Programs
California College Promise Grant (CCPG)
California residents who attend community colleges may be eligible to have their enrollment fees waived by the State of California. There are two ways to qualify: use the California College Promise Grant application or use the FAFSA (If homeless in the last 24 months, contact Financial Aid Office for grant eligibility.)
Sequoias College Promise Reimbursement (AB19)
This local program would allow for reimbursement of previously paid tuition costs for those students that do not qualify for BOG Waivers/College Promise Grant (waivers), or for Cal Grants, Pell Grants, or other full financial aid/third party payments (excluding scholar-ships).
This reimbursement program is for first and second year college students only. Prior dual enrolled or concur-rently enrolled high school students will qualify for this reimbursement program. See the financial aid office for more information.
Cal Grant Program
The Financial Aid Office awards eligible students Cal Grants to help meet their unmet financial need to attain their education. Cal Grants are awarded in accordance with state financial assistance regulations as established by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). There are three (3) types of Cal Grants that students may be eligible for depending on their educational goals. Cal Grants do not need be repaid. Students apply to receive a Cal Grant by submitting the FAFSA or Dream Act Application.
If you’re a high school senior, graduate from a California high school, meet the eligibility requirements and apply by March 2nd, you’re guaranteed to receive a Cal Grant. Cal grant A provides grant funds to help pay tuition/fees for California residents at qualifying institutions offering undergraduate academic programs of not less than two academic years. Awards are guaranteed for those who meet the program eligibility criteria. If a student receives a Cal Grant A award but decides to attend a California community college first, the student may choose to hold his or her award in reserve for up to two (2) years.
Financial Aid
Determination Formula
Student Budget
(Determined by the College)
- Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
(Determined by federal processor)
- Resources
(Such as Promise Grant, Book Vouchers, etc.)
= Need
Cal Grant B
Cal Grant B provides grant funds for access costs for low-income students. Such as transportation, supplies and books. Awards are guaranteed for those who meet the program eligibility criteria
Cal Grant C
Cal Grant C provides grant funds to assist students with tuition/fee and training costs for occupational or vocational programs. Recipients are selected based on financial need and vocational aptitude and must be en-rolled in a vocational program at a California Community College, independent college, or vocational school, in a course of study lasting from four months to two years.
*College of the Sequoias Community College District’s Financial Aid Office electronically submits the grade point averages (GPA) of all students who have completed sixteen (16) or more degree appli-cable units to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC).
Chafee Grant
The Chafee Grant is a federal and state funded grant for current or former foster youth who plan to attend a college or receive career training. To qualify, foster youth dependency of the court must have been estab-lished between the ages of 16 and 18. Students apply to receive the Chafee Grant by submitting the FAFSA application and by submitting the Chafee Grant applica-tion at www.chafee.csac.ca.gov.
Federal Direct Loans
Direct loans, from the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, are low-interest loans for eligible stu-dents to help cover the cost of higher education at a four-year college or university, community college, or trade, career, or technical school. Eligible students borrow directly from the U.S. Department of Education at participating schools. For more information, please contact the Financial Aid Office.
Direct Subsidized Loan
The Direct Subsidized loan is made available to eligi-ble undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need to help cover the costs of higher education at a college or career school.
Direct Unsubsidized Loan
The Direct Unsubsidized loan is made available to eligi-ble undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, but in this case, the student does not have to demon-strate financial need to be eligible for the loan.
Direct PLUS Loan
The Direct PLUS loan is made available to graduate and professional students and parents of dependent under-graduate students to help pay for education expenses not covered by other financial aid.
Federal Pell Grant
The Federal Pell grant is awarded usually only to under-graduate students who have not earned a bachelor’s or professional degree. Pell Grants are considered a foun-dation of federal financial aid, to which aid from other federal and nonfederal sources might be added. Stu-dents apply for the Pell Grant by submitting the FAFSA application.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants are for undergraduates with exceptional financial need. Pell Grant recipients with the lowest Expected Family Contributions (EFC) will be the first to get FSEOGs.
Students apply for the FSEOG by submitting the FAFSA application.
Federal Work Study (FWS)
Federal Work Study provides part-time, subsidized employment for undergraduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay edu-cation expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to the student’s course of study. Students apply for FWS by answering “yes” to the work-study question on the FAFSA application.
For more information, please call 559.730.3856.
Other Financial Resources
California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs)
The mission is to provide a wide range of opportunities that will improve to self-sufficiency skills of low-income students and enhance their ability for long term employ-ment. This program provides occupational training and job transition services for persons receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). For eligibility requirements and/or for more information contact Cal-WORKs at (559) 730-3864, or online at www.cos.edu/en-us/student-support/calworks
Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE)
The CARE Program serves Extended Opportunity Pro-grams and Services (EOPS) students who are transi-tioning from receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to becoming economically self-suffi-cient. The CARE program provides grants, child referral assistance and self-advocacy support.
Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS)
The EOPS Program is dedicated to recruit and suc-cessfully retain college students of educationally and socioeconomically challenged backgrounds from Kings and Tulare Counties. The primary purpose of the EOPS Program is to prepare students to transfer to a four-year university, complete an Associate Degree or vocational certificate in order to acquire desirable career-related skills to attain rewarding employment as a result of their
educational experience. The EOPS program provides grants and book vouchers to eligible students.
Students who are interested in learning more about the EOPS/CARE programs should contact the EOPS/CARE Office at 559.730.3818 or visit their website at www.cos.edu/en-us/student-support/eops
Scholarships
Scholarships are a source of money available to stu-dents who meet certain eligibility requirements that does not need to be paid back. Last year, the COS Foundation awarded over $400,000! You can complete one online scholarship application and be matched to all available scholarships through the COS Foundation. Scholarships are available to incoming, continuing, and transferring students of all income levels. For more information, visit cos.edu/scholarships or call (559) 730-3878.
Veterans’ Education Benefits
There are several educational financial assistance pro-grams available through Veterans Administration and the County to assist veterans and their dependents. If you are a veteran or the dependent of a veteran, please contact the COS Veterans’ Resource Center at (559) 730-3854 or by visiting their website at www.cos.edu/en-us/student-support/veterans
Government Regulations
Please visit www.cos.edu/en-us/financialaid/regula-tions-disclosures for the following resources:
• California Licensure Examination Reporting
• Consumer Information
• Net Price Calculator
California Student Aid Commission (CSAC)
For helpful information about college costs in California and various state financial aid programs that include Cal Grant and Chafee Grant for Foster Youth, visit:
www.csac.ca.gov.
Webgrants for Students
Webgrants for Students is an online site by the Cali-fornia Student Aid Commission (CSAC) which allows students to create an account and check on their award status, view updates, make address chang-es, or post leave of absences for state funded grants such as Cal Grant or Chafee Grant. Please visit: https://mygrantinfo.csac.ca.gov.
WEWInternal Revenue Service (IRS)
If a student is selected for verification and does not upload tax return information onto their application by using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, the student will need to provide tax return transcripts to the Financial Aid Of-fice. You can request a free tax return transcript from:
Online
www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript.
Transcript will be mailed to you.
U.S. Mail
To download request form, go to
www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506t.pdf.
Mail to: RAIVS Team, Stop 37106, Fresno, CA 93888
Fax
To download request form, go to
www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506t.pdf
Fax to: 559.456.7227
IRS Office
Visalia by Appointment ONLY
1.844.545.5640
Selective Service
If you are a male age 18 through 25 and living in the U.S., then you must register with Selective Service. It’s the law. According to law, a male must register with Selective Service within 30 days of his 18th birthday. This is required to receive federal aid. To register or to check if you are registered, go to www.sss.gov. You may also register by answering “yes” to the selective service question on the FAFSA application if you are applying for financial aid.
Students doing the Dream Act application must register for the Selective Service by mail. The registration cards are available at U.S. Post Offices.
ATMs from the Allpoint Network may also be used with no fees. For locations near you, go to www.allpointnet-work.com or you may download the Allpoint Global app for iPhone, Android, or Windows device.
Keep your BankMobile Account activeYou may be required to verify your identity with Bank-Mobile in order to access your financial aid funds from your BankMobile Debit Card. If you need assistance, bring your government-issued identification to the Finan-cial Aid Office. For a list of valid forms of identification for BankMobile, please visit:
www.cos.edu/en-us/addmissions/financial-aid/bank-mobile
If your debit card is lost/stolen or never received
You may contact BankMobile at 1.877.327.9515 to report your card lost/stolen or to report that your refund selection kit and personal code was never received. BankMobile does charge a $10 fee to replace activated lost/stolen cards that is due immediately when ordering a replacement card. The Financial Aid Office may also order a personal code, but this only applies to debit cards/personal codes that were never received or never activated. Debit cards/personal codes are mailed to the address that you have on file with the COS Admissions & Records Office, so make sure your address is up-to-date.
How are financial aid funds disbursed at College of the Sequoias?
COS has partnered with BankMobile. A Refund Selection Kit and Personal Code will be mailed to each potential financial aid eligible student. This is the method used to disburse financial aid funds. Once you receive your personal code, you must go online to:
www.refundselection.com
and select a refund preference. You can select to have your funds deposited to a BankMobile account or you can choose to have your funds deposited to another account. Fund availability may vary from payment date posted on Financial Aid Payment schedule if deposit to another account is chosen.
ATM Machine LocationsCOS has two Cardtronics ATM machines that students can use to withdraw money from, using their BankMo-bile Debit Card, at no charge. The locations are:
Hanford Educational Center
Educational Building (Lobby)
Tulare College Center
Building A (Lobby)
Stay Organized!Fill in the below fields to keep your information organized.
FSA IDStudent Info:
Personal Email:______________________________________________________________________________________
Username:__________________________________________________________________________________________
Password:__________________________________________________________________________________________
4 Security answers:___________________________________________________________________________________
Parent Info:
Parent Email:________________________________________________________________________________________
Parent Username:____________________________________________________________________________________
Parent Password:_____________________________________________________________________________________
Parent 4 Security Answers:_____________________________________________________________________________
Create your FSA ID
Create Parent FSA ID
FAFSA or Dream Act Applicaion (due by March 2nd!)
Check your emails
Financial Aid Checklist
NOTES
Financial Aid Tips & Resources
Be prepared. It is recommended that you have $300-$400 saved at the beginning of each semester to purchase books, supplies, and other required instructional materials.
Financial Aid awards are not disbursed until school begins.
Read and follow instructions on the FAFSA/Dream Act website.
Know what documents/information is needed to complete the FAFSA/Dream Act application. Common documents/information needed:
• Social security number (for FAFSA only)• Work social security number (if applicable, for DREAM ACT only)
• Alien registration number (if you are not a U.S. citizen, for FAFSA only) • Most recent federal tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned,
• bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)• Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
• An FSA ID to sign electronically (for FAFSA only)
If you are a dependent student, then you will also need most of the above information for your parent(s).
Make sure you submit your FAFSA/Dream Act application by March 2nd.
Check your financial aid status consistently. To access your financial aid status, please login to your Banner Web and navigate to:
Student & Financial Aid > Financial Aid > Financial Aid Status.
Check your COS student email account (giant.cos.edu) for notifications from financial aid and COS. This is the way we communicate with you.
Helpful Websites
FAFSA Help: fafsa.ed.gov/help.htm
FSA ID: fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm
Dream Act Help: dream.csac.ca.gov
Student Loans and Repayment Calculators:studentloans.gov/myDirectLoan/index.action
Estimating Aid Eligibilitystudentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/estimate
Scholarshipswww.cos.edu/en-us/administration/foundation/scholarships
WWW.COS . EDU
