Questions about financial aid at DVC? Get the answers you need to the most frequently asked questions!
Financial Aid FAQs
Below are our most Frequently Asked Questions related to financial aid applications. If your question is not answered below, please reach out to our team so we can help you navigate the application process.
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Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) if you are:
- U.S. Citizen or eligible non-citizen
Complete the CA Dream Act Application (CADAA) if you:
- Are Undocumented
- Have a U-Visa or Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
- Meet the CA non-resident exemption requirements
- Students from Mixed-Status Families
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The Financial Aid Office is available to help students apply for aid and navigate the financial aid process. We offer in-person and remote assistance to new and continuing students.
We offer support in the following ways:
- For in-person assistance, visit us in the Enrollment Lab at the Pleasant Hill campus during financial aid lab hours.
- For one-on-one assistance by appointment or remotely, please schedule an appointment by calling (925)969-2009.
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For DVC to receive your financial aid application, you must:
- List Diablo Valley College (federal school code 001191 for FAFSA filers; school code 00119100 for CADAA filers) first as your school of attendance.
- Apply to DVC and have a student ID#
- Provide your correct social security number (SSN) and date of birth (DOB) for the FAFSA
Students will be notified via their InSite email account of their financial aid status within one week of submitting the FAFSA once school processing for the award commences. If you do not hear from our office, you may email financialaid@dvc.edu or call (925)969-2009.
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Summary of FAFSA Changes:
- Students can add up to 20 colleges.
- The number of questions on the FAFSA has been reduced.
- EFC is being replaced with the Student Aid Index (SAI). Students can now have a negative SAI.
- Student contributors without an SSN can now create a account, known as an FSA ID.
- All students and contributors, whether they file a US tax return, must provide consent and approval (check a box ) that grants the IRS permission to transfer any data they have directly into the FAFSA form
- Family size will be based on the number of tax exemptions claimed on the tax form(s) transferred into the FAFSA. If the family size has changed since filing tax forms, a family size question will allow for reporting the updated family size.
- The formula used to determine Pell Grant eligibility has changed, resulting in more students qualifying for the Pell Grant.
Learn more about the or watch this .
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Anyone (you, your spouse, a biological or adoptive parent, or your parent's spouse) who's required to provide information on the FAFSA form, is considered a contributor. Every contributor needs a StudentAid.gov account before accessing and completing their section of the online form. Contributors can access their StudentAid.gov account by using their FSA ID (account username and password).
To start the online FAFSA form, select “Start New Form.” You’ll be taken to the “Log In” page to enter your account username and password. After logging in, you’ll be given the option to select your applicable role to fill out the FAFSA form: “Student” or “Parent.” You (the student) should select “Student.” If a parent wants to start their dependent child’s FAFSA form, they should select the “Parent” option.
Watch this helpful video for more information about how to fill out the FAFSA:
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In cases where the student's parent or spouse does not have the SSN required to create the FSA ID, they must authenticate their identity in a different way in order to create an FSA ID and sign the FAFSA.
Follow the instructions below for information about how a parent or spouse contributor can complete the FAFSA without an SSN:
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If you make a mistake in what you reported on the FAFSA, you'll need to make a correction. Here's .
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All required contributors (you, your parent[s], your spouse) must provide a signature on your FAFSA form. If your form is missing one or more required signatures, it isn’t complete, and you won’t be eligible for federal student aid. Once your form is processed, you and your contributor(s) can follow the .
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On the FAFSA form, dependent students can indicate that their parents are unwilling to provide their information and therefore want to apply only for a Direct Unsubsidized Loan. However, if a dependent student doesn’t provide parent information, their eligibility for other types of federal student aid can’t be calculated. This means they won’t be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, Federal Work-Study, or a Direct Subsidized Loan.
If you selected to apply for only a Direct Unsubsidized Loan by mistake, follow the steps below to change your answer to this question and invite your parent(s) to your form:
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If you want to make your FAFSA information available to an additional school after filing the FAFSA form, you may add that school’s Federal School Code.
Once your FAFSA form is processed, you can add or delete a school on your FAFSA form by doing the following steps:
- Log in to your account and go to your account Dashboard.
- Select the submitted FAFSA form.
- Select the processed FAFSA submission in the “My Activity” section.
- Select the “Add or Remove Schools” button.
- Search for the school by entering either the school code or the state, city, and/or school name and then select “Search.”
- Select the school from the search results. The school’s Federal School Code will appear in the form.
- Submit the update.
Note: Beginning in 2024-25, no more than 20 schools may be listed on your FAFSA form at one time. (The FAFSA PDF has space for only 10 schools, while the online FAFSA form allows 20 to be listed.) If there are 20 schools on your FAFSA form, any new school codes that are added will replace one or more of the school codes already listed. Any school removed from the list won’t have automatic access to the new FAFSA information you provided after you removed that school. However, the school will still have the data you submitted when you listed that school on the FAFSA form.
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The Financial Aid Office is available to answer general questions over the phone. To access specific student information, please email us at financialaid@dvc.edu through your email account or call 925-969-2009 to schedule a Zoom appointment. You may also access your financial aid information on InSite.
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The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of students' financial and academic records. Financial Aid data is also protected under the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) and Internal Revenue Service Code. If you want to give someone access to your financial aid records that are maintained by DVC, fill out a FERPA Release form online that can be accessed from the Financial Aid tile in .
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When you apply for aid, your application will determine your eligibility for grants, free tuition programs, Federal Work-Study, and student loans. It may also impact your eligibility for scholarships. For more information on financial aid options, visit types of aid.
- If you are a U.S. Citizen or eligible non-citizen, you'll submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply for aid.
- If you do not have a Social Security number, have Temporary Protected Status (TPS), or have a U-Visa, you'll submit the CA Dream Act Application (CADAA).
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Students must submit a valid, processed FAFSA or CADAA with the college’s school code (DVC school code 001191) by the last day of the semester for which they are seeking financial assistance for the academic year.
Additionally, the state aid priority application deadline for and is March 2 each year for high school and transfer students, and September 2 for community college students. It is strongly suggested that you apply before the priority deadline to maximize your chances of qualifying for state aid such as Cal Grant and Student Success Completion Grant. If you are unable to apply before the priority deadline, the Financial Aid Office accepts FAFSA applications through June 30 or your last date of enrollment for the academic year, whichever comes first.
Note that it can take 4-6 weeks to process files, appeals, loan requests, and other financial aid documents. The processing timeframe may be extended if corrections are required.
Financial Aid Dates and Deadlines -
Certain grants, including the Pell Grant and the California College Promise Grant, as well as Federal Work-Study and student loans, are available during the summer. You must have a completed for both award years to maximize your chances for financial aid for summer.
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You can receive financial aid at DVC until you reach 150 percent of your declared educational goal. For example, if your educational goal is to earn a certificate that requires completion of 24 units, you can receive financial aid through completion of 36 units (24 units x 150 percent = 36 units). Students who have exceeded the maximum time frame may submit an appeal, available through the Financial Aid tile on InSite, to be considered for an extension of financial aid eligibility.
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Yes, you may apply for a loan by submitting a loan request online via the Financial Aid tile on . You may be required to complete additional steps after submitting your loan request. You will be contacted via email with more information. Please contact the Financial Aid Office with any questions.
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You will know that your file is complete upon receipt of an award offer notification email via your email account. You can also review your award letter via the Financial Aid tile on InSite.
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An offer letter is a notification of the type and amount of financial aid that you have been awarded. Financial aid award amounts are based on full-time (12+ units) enrollment for the semester. You will be notified when your award offer is available via your email account.
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It depends. For example, some grants, such as the Federal Pell Grant Program, will determine whether a student may need to be enrolled in a minimum number of units to qualify based on the calculated Student Aid Index (SAI), and then adjust the amount funded based on enrollment intensity. By default, Pell Grant is awarded in the student’s offer letter based on full-time enrollment. Meanwhile, other awards, such as Cal Grant payments, are adjusted accordingly for three-quarter, half-time, and less than half-time enrollment. Students enrolled less than half-time (six units) are not eligible for the Cal Grant, student loans, SEOG, or Federal Work-Study. However, all students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA or the CADAA to determine eligibility.
Apply for Aid -
Financial aid awards can be sent to you via your selected refund preference with BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc.
You can select your refund preference on by clicking on the "Financial Aid" tile, selecting "My FA Disbursements" and then choosing BankMobile-First Time Setup. If you do not select a refund preference, your financial aid will be paid by check, which will require additional processing time. For more information, visit .
Also, the following grants and loans are disbursed according to the following timelines.
- Pell Grant payments will be disbursed twice a semester: 50 percent in the first week of the semester and 50 percent at the midpoint of the semester.
- Cal Grant, Student Success Completion Grant and SEOG are generally disbursed by the end of the fifth week of the semester.
- Loan checks are disbursed at the start of the term, provided all loan requirements are met.
- Federal Work-Study wages are paid on the tenth of the month.
- California College Promise Grant and Full-Time Free Tuition are not disbursed directly to you. The grant is applied to your student account to offset your tuition costs.
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No. Financial aid funds disbursed by checks are mailed to the student's current address in the DVC database. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that the address on file is correct. Please check with the Admissions and Records Office to verify or make any changes to your address.
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Financial Aid information can be submitted to another college by adding the school code of the college you will be attending to your FAFSA or CADAA. Adding an additional school code to your FAFSA or CADAA can be done online by signing into your application. FAFSA applicants can also call the Department of Education and inform the representative that you will be attending another college.
You must have your Data Release Number (DRN), which is found on the FAFSA Submission Summary, to make changes on your FAFSA and/or to release copies of your FAFSA Submission Summary electronically to the school you will be attending.
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International Students attending Diablo Valley College on an F1 or F2 student visa, a J1 or J2 exchange visitor, or a G series visa are not eligible for federal student aid. However, international students are still eligible to apply for scholarships. Visit the Scholarship Office located on the first floor of the Student Services Center.
International students may be eligible to apply for on-campus student assistant jobs by contacting the offices to see if there are any current job openings.
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If you are enrolled in two or more Contra Costa Community College District colleges during the same academic year, you will only receive financial aid from the institution that you listed first on your FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application. If your desired college is already listed on FAFSA but not listed first, you may also contact the Financial Aid Office at your desired location to request a Home School Change Request.
General FAFSA questions
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is the Federal Department of Education's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is the most important document that needs to be completed by every student as it assesses your eligibility for all forms of possible financial aid.
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An FSA ID serves as your electronic signature and provides access to your personal records. The FSA ID is required to sign and complete your . If you are a "dependent" student, your parent must also apply for an FSA ID, as you and your parent will need to sign the FAFSA. Your FSA ID is also necessary if you need to make corrections to your FAFSA.
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After completing the FAFSA, the Department of Education will process your application to determine your eligibility. Approximately 2-3 days after you submit your FAFSA, a FAFSA Submission Summary will be emailed or mailed to you by the U.S. Department of Education. The college generally receives the FAFSA within 3-5 days of its processing by the Department of Education. Note that the school does not begin award year processing until the the April preceding the start of the award year.
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If you are not a U.S. Citizen, you may still be eligible to submit the FAFSA if you meet certain criteria.
According to federal policies, you may be an if you are one of the following:
- A permanent U.S. resident with a Permanent Resident Card
- A conditional permanent resident
- The holder of an Arrival-Departure record from the Department of Homeland Security showing any of the following designations: "Refugee," "Asylum Granted," "Parolee," "Victim of human trafficking," T-Visa holder, or "Cuban-Haitian Entrant."
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According to the Department of Education, a student is considered "independent" for financial aid purposes if they meet at least ONE of the following criteria:
- You are 24 years of age or older.
- You're married.
- You have dependent children or a dependent for whom you provide 51 percent of financial support.
- You're an orphan or ward of the court.
- You're a veteran.
- You're going to graduate school. This is the case even if you do not live with your parents and/or they do not claim you when filing taxes.
If you do not meet any of these criteria and you still believe you are independent due to other circumstances, please come into the Financial Aid Office to discuss the possibility of requesting an unusual circumstances appeal.
Income and Tax Questions
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Income from two years prior to the award year is one factor in determining a student's eligibility for Financial Aid. If taxes were filed, tax data is automatically transferred from the IRS when you and your contributor (parents or spouse), if applicable, sign and submit the FAFSA. In some cases, the data transfer is not possible or conflicting information arises, so verification of income may be required.
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If your income or your parents' income has decreased since two years ago, you can complete a Reduction of Income Appeal available through the Financial Aid tile on . The form will be reviewed to determine whether you are eligible to use this year's income instead of the income on your FAFSA or CADAA.
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Copies of your tax transcripts and W2s can be obtained online through the . You can also call the IRS at 800-829-1040 or visit a local IRS Office.
FAFSA Submission Summary Questions
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Your FAFSA Submission Summary will list all of the answers you provided on your . You should review these answers carefully to make sure they are correct. The report will also state your eligibility for financial aid.
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If you filed your FAFSA electronically, corrections can be made online. Go to the and select "make corrections to a processed FAFSA" under the FAFSA follow-up section.
If you received your FAFSA Submission Summary by mail, you can make the corrections on the physical document and mail it to the Department of Education for processing.
Additional Documents and Verification Questions
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If you are determined to be eligible for financial aid, you may be required to submit documentation to verify the information you reported on your FAFSA or CADAA. Read, complete and submit the forms online or in-person (if required) to the Financial Aid Office, along with any other documentation that has been requested, such as tax forms, W-2s or citizenship verification.
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Once you submit all required paperwork, it will be reviewed and processed by a member of our staff. The general timeframe for processing files, appeals, loan requests and other financial aid documents is 4-6 weeks. Once the paperwork is processed, you will either receive an "offer letter" with award details or an email stating if you have missing documents and/or you need to make specific corrections to your paperwork. You can also call or visit the Financial Aid Office to ask about your status.
Financial Aid Status, Warning and Suspension Questions
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The Satisfactory Academic Progress policy outlines requirements that all financial aid recipients need to meet in order to be considered on "satisfactory status." You must complete the required number of units per semester with a minimum semester and cumulative GPA of 2.0.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy -
You can drop a class, but first make sure that you are still enrolled in 67 percent of the number of units that you attempted. Refer to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy and the Satisfactory Academic Progress Grid to see if you are completing 67 percent or more of all the units you are attempting.
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You may have to pay back a portion of the money if you completely withdraw before 60 percent of the end of the semester.
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Financial Aid Warning is the status you will receive if your semester and/or overall GPA is below a 2.0 or your overall completion rate is below 67 percent of the units attempted. If you are on Financial Aid Warning, you will receive aid for the following semester only. You will not receive further aid unless Satisfactory Academic Progress is achieved during that semester.
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To clear Financial Aid Warning, you must complete at least 67 percent of the number of units attempted and earn a semester and cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in the semester you are placed on Financial Aid Warning. Please refer to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.
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You will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension if you do not meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements for two consecutive semesters and are on Financial Aid Warning. You will not be eligible for any Financial Aid until your status has been cleared by completing at least one term of Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements and you have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above. You may choose to appeal your Financial Aid Suspension status by completing a Suspension Appeal available from the Financial Aid tile on .
You will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension if you reach Maximum Time Frame, meaning you have attempted more than 150 percent of the units required to complete your major and/or educational goal (150 percent completion includes all previous coursework attempted, even if financial aid was not received). A student may choose to appeal a Maximum Time Frame suspension by completing the Maximum Time Frame Appeal available from the Financial Aid tile on .
A student that successful appeals, will be placed on Financial Aid Probation for continued monitoring of their academic progress. Students on probation are eligible for financial aid for the term for which they successfully appealed.
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Financial Aid Status Updates
All financial aid students are required to check their DVC student email account through on a regular basis in order to receive notifications, file status updates, announcements, and further instructions from the Financial Aid Office.
Financial Aid School Codes
- DVC FAFSA Federal School Code: 001191
- DVC CA DREAM Act Application School Code: 00119100