Financial Aid & Scholarships

Application Procedures

If you wish to apply for financial aid, you must complete the following steps. Students must reapply for financial aid each year. Awards are not automatically renewable.

STEP 1: January

1. Apply for admission to the college.

2. Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), being sure to list all appropriate colleges with correct addresses (no abbreviations). Grossmont College’s Title IV school code is 001208. Do not date or mail your FAFSA prior to January 1. Read the instructions carefully. Accuracy is very important. This form must be filed annually.
   
   The FAFSA provides information needed by the processor to evaluate you and/or your parents’ ability to contribute toward your educational expenses. Students are required to apply for all available state and federal aid. The Department of Education has developed an electronic version of the FAFSA that you can use to complete and file your FAFSA application: FAFSA on the Web. The application is easier to complete using FAFSA on the Web, and the overall processing of your application is faster. The Department of Education has installed the latest technology in security measures to ensure your information stays confidential as you complete and file your FAFSA over the web.
3. Submit official academic transcripts from all colleges, universities or vocational schools that you have attended to the Admissions Office. Your Advanced Standing must be determined before your financial aid application will be considered complete. Advanced Standing means the number of units that are transferable to Grossmont College. This is important because your Advanced Standing will affect the amount of financial assistance you may be eligible to receive.  Please note: if you do not submit academic transcripts from all prior colleges attended and the Financial Aid Office determines that you attended other colleges for which we have no transcripts on file, your financial aid will be cancelled and you may have to repay funds.
4. Complete the Grossmont College Financial Aid/Counseling Workshop if you are a first time Grossmont College student and/or have completed twenty four (24) units or less at the time you initially apply for Financial Aid.
5. Complete a petition if: a) you have or will complete 71 or more units by August of the academic year for which you are applying;  b) you have not completed or passed all the courses you have attempted while at Grossmont College; or c) you have a G.P.A. below 2.0.
6. Complete the Verification process. One out of three students who apply for financial aid are selected by the federal government for verification. If you are selected for verification, there will be a special message on your Student Aid Report. You may download the Verification Worksheet from our website or pick one up in the Financial Aid Office. Complete this form and turn it in to the Financial Aid Office. Submit a signed copy of your Federal Income Tax Return to the Financial Aid Office. If you did not file a tax return, you must submit copies of your W-2 forms. Dependent students must turn in a signed copy of their parent(s) Federal Income Tax Return to the Financial Aid Office. After you submit all the required forms to the Financial Aid Office, they will be reviewed for accuracy. If corrections are required on the SAR, the Financial Aid Office will submit them directly to the central processor.
7. If you are enrolled in or will be enrolled in ESL courses, you must take the CELSA exam in the Assessment Center. You must also have an educational plan completed and submitted to the Financial Aid Office.
8. Complete and submit all requested supplemental documentation to the Financial Aid Office.
9. For Cal Grant applicants, complete and mail the FAFSA and GPA verification form by March 2.  The GPA Verification form is available from the Financial Aid Office or from your local high school counselor.  Students who have completed at least 16 degree applicable units as of the end of the prior Fall semester will have their GPA submitted electronically by Grossmont College.  All other students will be required to have their high school GPA's submitted by their high school.