Sierra College’s Financial Aid programs stem from a belief that student aid services should facilitate and foster the successful academic participation of financially needy students. As part of the commitment to help students have a positive college experience, the Financial Aid Office provides this information to help students better understand their relationship with financial aid.

State and federal regulations allow community colleges participating in financial aid programs discretion when establishing college specific policies and procedures. Financial Aid will only be provided for those course in a student's declared major. It is the goal of the Financial Aid Office to provide students with the most current policy information affecting their financial aid while at Sierra College. As new state or federal regulations take effect or college practices evolve, this policy will be updated and posted on the website.

The main financial aid of­fice is located at the Rocklin campus; for information call (916) 660-7310. For assistance at the Nevada County campus, call (530) 274-5346. You may also contact Financial Aid by email at financialaidquestion@sierracollege.edu.

Application Process

To apply for financial aid, all students must com­plete a Free Ap­pli­ca­tion for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act (CADAA). The FAFSA and CADAA use federal formulas to es­tab­lish fi­nan­cial need. Sierra College’s Federal School Code is 001290.

Who Should Apply

Any student who plans to at­tend Si­er­ra Col­lege and is either a citizen or an eligible non-citizen of the United States may apply for federal fi­nan­cial aid. All financial aid recipients must maintain the Financial Aid Sat­is­fac­to­ry Ac­a­dem­ic Progress stan­dards of the Col­lege.

Priority Dates

Some financial aid funds are limited. There­fore, Sierra College has established a priority fil­ing date of March 2. Students whose FAFSAs are completed by this date are con­sid­ered for all fi­nan­cial aid pro­grams avail­able at Sierra Col­lege. Those filed after March 2 will typically only be con­sid­ered for a California College Promise Grant, Pell Grant and/or a Direct Student Loan. The FAFSA should be filed as soon as possible to assure availability of funds when reg­is­tra­tion fees are due.

Document Requirements

A set of federally-de­fined cri­te­ria iden­ti­fy those students who must provide doc­u­men­ta­tion to support in­for­ma­tion re­port­ed on the FAFSA. This selection is referred to as “Verification.” Stu­dents selected for Ver­i­fi­ca­tion will be notified by the Federal Processor and the Fi­nan­cial Aid Office via the students’ mySierra accounts, and will be asked to verify income and other in­for­ma­tion. Non-U.S. citizens will also be asked to show proof of eligibility.

California Dream Act

Sierra College participates with the California Dream Act to help determine financial aid eligibility for students admitted under AB 540 regulations. The California Dream Act application may be completed at https://dream.csac.ca.gov/. 

Academic Year

Academic programs are calculated in units and measured by semesters. Sierra College has established two 16-week semesters (fall and spring), and one 8-week summer session per academic year. This meets the federal 30-week minimum academic year definition.

This definition is important for financial aid purposes because it affects calculation of payment periods. Sierra College makes financial aid payments based on the semester rather than by weeks or classes attended.

Financial Aid Programs

When students apply for financial aid, the funds usually come from more than one source (federal, state, private, etc.). This combination of financial resources is referred to as packaging. State programs are always subject to an approved State budget.

Sierra College participates in the following financial aid programs:

  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
  • Federal Work Study
  • William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program 
  • California College Promise Grant (CCPG) (Formally BOGFW)*
  • Cal Grant B and C, as well as Cal Grant A “student with a dependent stipend”
  • Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) Grants
  • Chafee Grant for Foster Youth
  • CARE Grants
  • TRiO Grants
  • NextUp (CAFYES)
  • Student Success Completion Grant
  • Scholarships
  • Promise Grant (AB19/AB2)
  • Basic Needs Emergency Assistance

*CCPG is awarded based on the results of the financial aid application and academic standing that is posted by Admissions and Records.

For more information on Financial Aid programs offered by Sierra College, please see the website.

Pell Grant Lifetime Maximum

Effective fall 2012, students can only receive Pell Grants for 6 years or 12 semesters of full-time enrollment at all 2 and 4 year schools across the nation. Sierra College defines full-time enrollment as 12 or more units. Students enrolled less than full-time will have their lifetime eligibility adjusted accordingly. The maximum students can use in a lifetime is 600%. Students planning to complete a program and/or transfer within two years must complete 30 units per year or 15 units per semester.

California College Promise Grant (CCPG)

The California College Promise Grant (CCPG), previously known as the BOG Fee Waiver, is a state-sponsored program that waives enrollment fees ($46/per unit) for qualifying students. Eligibility for CCPG is possible even if other forms of financial aid are unavailable. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for financial aid by completing either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA).  

To apply for the CCPG, applicants who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens should complete the FAFSA. Those who do not meet citizenship criteria but meet the AB540 residency requirements should complete the California Dream Act Application to determine eligibility.

Attention Students

The California College Promise Grant covers the enrollment fee of  $46 per unit and parking fees exceeding  $20 per semester (excluding summer and short-term parking permits). Before registering for classes, students should check their MySierra account to confirm CCPG approval status.  It’s important to note that the CCPG does not cover the state-mandated $19 Health Fee, and neither Method B nor Method C of CCPG cover the $2 per unit Student Center Fee.  Failure to pay outstanding fees at the time of class enrollment may result in being dropped from classes.

Important Information About The California College Promise Grant

California Community College students who receive the California College Promise Grant (CCPG) must meet minimum academic and progress standards to remain eligible. Students who are on academic/progress probation/dismissal for two consecutive semesters will lose CCPG eligibility the following term.

What does that mean? It means students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher and successfully complete over 50% of attempted units. Notification of placement on academic (GPA) probation and/or progress probation will be sent via email after all official grades are posted. The notification will clarify if CCPG eligibility, registration priority, or both will be forfeited.

The Financial Aid Office offers a variety of workshops each semester covering financial aid topics, including CCPG. Please visit our website for upcoming workshop dates.

For additional information regarding CCPG please visit the website for additional information.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Federal regulations require that all financial aid recipients make financial aid sat­is­fac­to­ry ac­a­dem­ic progress and remain in good academic standing. At Sierra College, academic progress is reviewed at the end of each semester. Additional information about SAP is located on the website.

Determining Enrollment Status

Prior to each financial aid disbursement, the Financial Aid office verifies the number of units in which students are enrolled. For Fall 2024, students must be enrolled in all units by September 3, 2024. For Spring 2025, students must be enrolled in all units by February 10, 2025.

Enrollment status is defined as the number of units in which a student is enrolled at the final disbursement for the semester. Completed units mean that credit was received for the enrolled classes. Classes in which a student receives an “F,” “I,” “NP,” “MW,” "EW", or  “W” are not counted as completed units for satisfactory academic progress, but are counted as units attempted.

To be considered as making satisfactory progress, students must complete 67% of all enrolled courses with a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Units earned through credit by examination are not counted for financial aid purposes.

Maximum Time Length and 90 Unit Limitation

Federal regulations allow students to receive aid for 150% of the published length of an undergraduate program. Because students can earn a degree by completing 60 units, students may receive aid for a maximum of 90 units, including accepted transfer units. Up to 30 units of remedial coursework, including ESL courses, are deducted. Students terminated from financial aid due to the maximum unit limit may appeal to the Financial Aid Advisory Committee (FAAC). 

Students who have earned an associate degree, bachelor's degree, or certificate must appeal to receive additional aid.

Repeated Coursework

Repeated coursework that falls under the following conditions cannot be included in enrollment status for Title IV Federal Aid eligibility:

  • Repeating a previously passed course more than twice. A grade of D or better is considered passing.
  • Repeating a previously passed course due to failing other coursework.

Remedial (including ESL) Coursework

Remedial and ESL courses are considered the same as credit courses for tuition, full-time academic standing, and SAP, and are included in the 67% completion requirement. Financial aid may be paid for a maximum of 30 remedial units.

Transfer Units

It is the student’s responsibility to request transcripts from previously attended institutions if choosing to apply any units toward the current educational objective. Upon the student’s request, transcripts from regionally accredited colleges will be evaluated and all units applicable to the current educational objective will be counted when calculating the maximum time length for financial aid. All units attempted, even if earned before the student was receiving financial aid will be considered toward the maximum time length.

Definitions

Good: Students are considered in good standing if they complete at least 67% of all enrolled units and earn a 2.0 GPA or higher for the semester.

Warning: Students are placed on warning status if they complete less than 67% of all enrolled units for the semester. Students are removed from warning at the end of the next semester if they complete at least 67% of their units with a 2.0 GPA.

Termination: Students are terminated if they were on warning from a previous semester and then completed less than 67% of the courses for which aid was provided or if their cumulative GPA was less than 2.0.

Probation: Students are placed on probation if they receive an approved reinstatement petition. Students may continue on probation if their cumulative GPA is below 2.0 but their term GPA is above 2.0. This is considered making progress term-by-term. Students may be removed from probation if they complete at least 67% of their units and achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.0. Students placed on maximum unit probation may receive federal student loans.

67% Completion Rate: Students must pass at least 67% of their coursework each semester.

Financial Aid Termination: Students exceeding their maximum time length (90 attempted units), not completing the required number of units, or earning a cumulative grade point average of less than 2.0 may be terminated from financial aid. Students terminated because of insufficient units completed or a GPA deficiency will not receive further financial aid until they have filed and received an approved Reinstatement Petition.

Appeal Procedures: Any student who has been terminated from financial aid may submit an appeal to the Financial Aid Advisory Committee (FAAC). Students will need to complete the appeal within Campus Logic and upload all supporting documents. Appeals are reviewed and approved or denied based on individual circumstances and the student’s proposed course of action. If approved, financial aid may only be provided for courses listed on the Student Education Plan. If an appeal is denied, the appeal will automatically be sent for second review for a final determination.

Students reaching the maximum time length of 90 units attempted may submit a written appeal to the FAAC. If approved, financial aid will be given for a specific length of time.

Financial Aid Disbursement and Refunds

All financial aid is refunded to students through the Business Office. Financial aid funds will first be used to satisfy any student debt owed to Sierra College. Any remaining balance goes directly to the student by the refund preference selected by the student through BankMobile. For more information about BankMobile, click here.

The first refund of financial aid (grants, federal student loans, and scholarships) to eligible students is the week following the add/drop period. For the fall and spring semesters, this is the end of the third week of the semester. For students who apply or complete their files after the third week, financial aid is usually ordered once a week. Orders are processed Monday mornings and direct deposit is normally completed by Thursday evening of the same week. 

Pell Grants must be paid at the level of units in which students are enrolled at the end of the add/drop period for the semester. Students adding a class after the add/drop deadline will not receive Pell funds for the additional units to include any late start classes. 

Federal Direct Student Loans are issued in two refunds. If a student loan covers fall and spring, the second refund will be available the third week of the spring semester, as long as the student is eligible and enrolled in 6 or more units. If the student loan covers only one semester, the second refund will be available after the withdrawal deadline has passed, as long as the student is still enrolled in 6 or more units.

Students who are first-time, first-year borrowers must wait until 30 days after the semester has begun to receive their first refund.

Scholarships are issued in two refunds; half for fall and half for spring.

Reference: Sierra College Board Policies/Administrative Procedures Chapter 5.