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Commonly Asked Financial Aid Questions and Answers
- What is Financial Aid?
- Who should apply?
- What is the application procedure?
- When and how often should I apply?
- What is LAVC's Federal Title IV school code?
- What is a SAR?
- How can I obtain a duplicate SAR?
- What does Expected Family Contribution (EFC) mean?
- What is the Cost of Attendance (COA)?
- What is Financial Need?
- If I had a BOGFW last semester will I have it again for this semester?
- Why does it sometimes take so long to process a financial aid application?
- What can I do to avoid unnecessary delays in the processing of my financial aid application?
- When will I find out if I am eligible for financial aid?
- How and when can I receive my funds?
- Why isn't my check ready?
- How do I maintain financial aid eligibility?
- Why does the FAFSA ask for last year's income and not the current year?
- What if the information I am required to provide on my FAFSA does not reflect my family's present situation?
- I am now a U.S. Citizen but have an Alien Registration Number (ARN), which box do I check?
- I'm going to get married next month. How do I answer the question that asks if I am married?
- What if I live with a girlfriend or boyfriend who pays the rent?
- Is an emancipated minor considered an independent student?
- How should I fill out the FAFSA if I have not yet filed a tax return?
- How do I fill out the FAFSA if I am separated but filed a joint tax return?
- My parents are separated. I live with my mother. My parents filed a joint tax return and claimed me as an exemption. Do I report both their incomes?
- If my parents are divorced, whose information do I need to report on the FAFSA?
- What should I do if the parent with whom I live with remarried?
- I am enrolled at two colleges. Can I receive financial aid from two different schools at the same time?
- I plan to go to Los Angeles Valley College in the Fall and transfer to a different college in the Spring. Will my financial aid transfer with me?
- What is Financial Aid?
Financial aid is money made available by federal and state governments and private sources in the form of grants, scholarships, employment and loans. The basis for such assistance is the belief that students and their families have the responsibility to assist in meeting educational costs. Financial aid is available only to fill the gap between a family contribution and the student's yearly expenses.
- Who should apply?
If you feel that you will need help to pay for tuition and fees, books, transportation, or living expenses while you attend college, you should apply.
- What is the application procedure?
Obtain and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). We recommend that you apply online. Be sure to obtain a Personal Identification Number (PIN) by accessing www.pin.ed.gov. Parents of dependent students may also apply for a PIN at www.pin.ed.gov. Prior to completing the FAFSA online, go to www.fafsa.ed.gov to download the pre-application worksheet. Once you have completed the worksheet, go online at www.fafsa.ed.gov to transfer the worksheet information to the online FAFSA.
- When and how often should I apply?
You need to apply for financial aid every academic year. Apply on or after January 1 for the upcoming academic year with the FAFSA.
Students who wish to be considered as first priority applicants at LAVC must have their valid FAFSA processed by March 2 and submit all requested documents to LAVC Financial Aid Office by May 1.
California residents are highly encouraged to file their FAFSA and the Cal Grant Grade Point Average Verification by March 2 so they may be considered for Cal Grant funding.
California Resident Community College students have a second opportunity to apply for Cal Grants by September 2nd, but the awards are limited, so we encourage you to file by March 2. If you miss the Cal Grant deadlines, you can still apply for other types of financial aid throughout the year.
- What is LAVC's Federal Title IV school code?
001228. You may access http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/fotw0506/fslookup.htm to find out other school codes.
- What is a SAR?
A SAR is a Student Aid Report, which serves as your acknowledgment from the Central Processing System that your FAFSA application was received. Please take time to review this information thoroughly.
- How can I obtain a duplicate SAR?
Call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)
- What does Expected Family Contribution (EFC) mean?
This is the amount you (and your family, if applicable) are expected to contribute toward your educational expenses.
- What is the Cost of Attendance (COA)?
Cost of attendance is the general cost of attending a particular college. Expenses usually include tuition and fees, books and supplies, transportation, room and board and miscellaneous costs. The sum total is the student's budget or cost of attendance (COA).
- What is Financial Need?
Financial need is the difference between the cost of attendance (COA) and the expected family contribution (EFC).
- If I had a Board of Governors Fee Waiver (BOGFW) last semester will I have it again for this semester?
BOGFW applications must be renewed every academic year starting with the Summer term. The waiver covers Summer (if enrolled), Fall, Winter and Spring. June 30th of the Award Year is the deadline to apply.
- Why does it sometimes take so long to process a financial aid application?
The Los Angeles Valley College Financial Aid Office is committed to processing financial aid applications as quickly as possible. However, sometimes the following situations occur:
- Applications with conflicting or inaccurate information cause delays and may require corrections;
- Additional documents may be required after the corrected application is received from the processor;
- Documents may not have been submitted; and
- Late submission of applications causes delay.
- What can I do to avoid unnecessary delays in the processing of my financial aid application?
Complete the FAFSA early and accurately to avoid future corrections. Respond promptly to all document requests.
- When will I find out if I am eligible for financial aid?
Usually, if you meet the LAVC first priority deadline, you will know by the beginning of the Fall semester. Files are reviewed in the date order received.
- How and when can I receive my funds?
Most funds will be sent to your home mailing address or you may also sign up for Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT).
- Why isn't my check ready?
We recommend that students come to the LAVC Office of Financial Aid to ascertain the specific problem.
- How do I maintain financial aid eligibility?
You must reapply for financial aid each year and supply all requested documents. For best results, apply early. In addition, you must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress. For more information, refer to the Satisfactory Academic Progress section on our web site or you may stop by the financial aid office to pick up a copy of the policy statement.
- Why does the FAFSA ask for last year's income and not the current year?
Verifiable income information from the base year is more reliable and accurate than "projected income."
If you are applying early (as recommended), we suggest that you also complete your tax return as early as possible. If you are not able to complete your tax return early, you should estimate the prior year's income, taxes paid, and current assets (using your W-2s or last paycheck stub and business/investment records) as accurately as possible in order to submit your FAFSA as early as possible. Once the tax return has been filed, you must make corrections to your information.
- What if the information I am required to provide on my FAFSA does not reflect my family's present situation?
The first step is always to complete the FAFSA accurately, providing the information asked for on the form and to submit it. The information on the FAFSA is a "snapshot" in time and is used to measure your household's ability to pay for your education. If you or your family have recently experienced unusual, unexpected circumstances that may affect your ability to pay for your education, contact the Financial Aid Office.
- I am now a U.S. Citizen but have an Alien Registration Number (ARN), which box do I check?
Check the U.S. Citizen box; do not check both, as this would cause a problem with your FAFSA. If you have attained U.S. Citizenship status, do not give an ARN.
- I'm going to get married next month. How do I answer the question that asks if I am married?
Answer the appropriate response of your marital status as of the day you sign the FAFSA. Answer "Yes" if you are married on the day you sign the FAFSA, otherwise answer "No".
- What if I live with a girlfriend or boyfriend who pays the rent?
You should not report any information for a friend or roommate unless the two of you are actually married. You must report any cash support given by a friend as untaxed income but should not report in-kind support (such as food).
- Is an emancipated minor considered an independent student?
The status of emancipated minor is not recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) for financial aid purposes; students must meet one of the approved criteria to be considered independent by USDE.
- How should I fill out the FAFSA if I have not yet filed a tax return?
Ideally, you should complete a FAFSA after you have filed your (and your family's, if applicable) tax return. If your tax returns are not done early, estimate as accurately as possible the prior year's income and taxes paid using W-2s, paycheck stub, untaxed income statements, etc. You must correct your FAFSA once tax returns have been filed. Failure to make corrections to your FAFSA will cause delays in the processing of your file.
- How do I fill out the FAFSA if I am separated but filed a joint tax return?
If you are separated at the time you are filing your FAFSA, you should only provide your portion of the exemptions, income, taxes paid, assets, etc.
- My parents are separated. I live with my mother. My parents filed a joint tax return and claimed me as an exemption. Do I report both their incomes?
Report only the income and assets of the parent whom you lived with the most during the past 12 months. Use a W-2 form or other record(s) that indicate the parent's share of the reported income and taxes paid on the tax return or other documents that provide the parent's share of the resources.
- If my parents are divorced, whose information do I need to report on the FAFSA?
Report the income and assets of the parent whom you have lived with the most during the past year. It does not make a difference which parent claims you as a dependent for tax purposes. If you did not live with either parent or lived equally with each parent, the parental information must be provided for the parent whom you received the most financial support or the parent from whom you received the most support the last time support was given.
- What should I do if the parent with whom I live with remarried?
If you are a dependent student and your parent remarried, the stepparent's information must be included or you will not be considered for federal student aid.
- I am enrolled at two colleges. Can I receive financial aid from two different schools at the same time?
You may apply for financial aid at any number of schools, but you cannot receive aid from more than one school during the same term. You must decide which school you will receive aid from.
An "automatic" Consortium Agreement exists among the nine campuses of the Los Angeles Community College District (including ITV), and, if eligible for aid, students will be paid for Pell and Cal Grants only based on all units taken within District, as long as you maintain at least one (1) unit enrollment at the primary campus. For all other programs, students must be enrolled in a minimum of six units at the campus where they are receiving their financial aid. Los Angeles Valley College does not participate in Consortium Agreements outside of our district.
- I plan to go to Los Angeles Valley College in the Fall and transfer to a different college in the Spring. Will my financial aid transfer with me?
Financial aid doesn't automatically transfer from one college to another. Each institution may participate in different aid programs and sets different packaging policies. It is the responsibility of each college to determine a student's eligibility for the various aid programs the college participates in. It is the responsibility of the student to apply for financial aid at the other college and to comply with all requirements.