General Financial Aid Questions
No, The Financial Aid Office remains open and ready to assist you in person or via the phone and other online methods. Please refer to our website for the latest announcements, office hours, and contact numbers.
You must meet the following requirements to be eligible:
- A U.S. citizen or eligible non citizen
- Attending a participating school
- Working toward a degree or certificate
- Making satisfactory academic progress
Also
- You must not owe a refund on a federal grant or be in default on a federal education loan
- You must have financial need
- You must not have any drug convictions
There are three classifications of financial aid:
- Grants and Scholarships - also called gift aid and are not paid back
- Work-Study - Funds are earned by payment of a job
- Loans - Must be repaid after graduation or leaving school.
FAFSA stands for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This is the government form that determines your financial need to attend college.
You will need to have your income tax information for the past year to fill out the FAFSA. If you are a dependent student, you will also need to submit your parent(s) tax information as well.
Once you submit the FAFSA, the government will calculate as to how much your family can afford to pay towards college costs including tuition, fees, room and board, and books. This amount stays the same no matter the cost of the school you are attending. The FAFSA will determine whether you qualify for federal financial aid like Pell Grants and Stafford Student Loans.
The FAFSA is also used to determine the scholarships, grants, and work study programs that they will offer you as part of your overall financial aid package. Except for merit based grants that do not depend on financial need, the FAFSA report will determine how much money you will get from each college.
Warning: FAFSA.gov is a safe and secure government website. The application is completely FREE, so please be cautious of any websites that ask for credit card information.
The CCPG is funded by the State of California to waive in full the amount of enrollment fees to eligible students who are California residents.
To qualify for this waiver, one of the following methods must be satisfied:
Method A
- You are receiving TANF/CalWorks, SSI/SSP, or General Relief (GR). Current benefits verification is required.
Method B
- You/your family meet the following income criteria:
CCPG Method B 2023-24 Income Standards | |
Family Size | 2021 Income |
1 | $ 20,385 |
2 | $ 27,465 |
3 | $ 34,545 |
4 | $ 41,625 |
5 | $ 48,705 |
6 | $ 55,785 |
7 | $ 62,865 |
8 | $ 69,945 |
Each Additional Family Member | $ 7,080 |
These income standards are for the 2023-24 academic year and are to be used to determine California College Promise Grant (CCPG).
Method C
- The 2023-24 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application is required to be completed and processed for Method C. Deadline is June 30, 2024.
- The Financial Aid Office will determine your CCPG eligibility due to your unmet need.
The Financial Aid Office administers a variety of federal and state grant programs to assist students with their education costs at Oxnard College. To be considered for these grant programs, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid(FAFSA). Oxnard College must receive a valid FAFSA and any requested documentation by your last day of enrollment for the academic year to be considered for aid.
Federal Pell Grant Program
A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid. Federal Pell Grants usually are awarded only to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's or a professional degree.
Amounts can change yearly. For the 2023-24 award year, the maximum award is $7,394. The amount you get, though, will depend on
- your financial need,
- your cost of attendance,
- your status as a full-time or part-time student, and
- your plans to attend school for a full academic year or less.
You may not receive Federal Pell Grant funds from more than one school at a time.
Effective on July 1, 2012, you can receive the Federal Pell Grant for no more than 12 semesters or the equivalent (roughly six years) up to a bachelor's degree. You’ll receive a notice if you’re getting close to your limit. If you have any questions, contact your financial aid office.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program (FSEOG)
To get an FSEOG, you must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) so your college can determine how much financial need you have. Students who will receive Federal Pell Grants and have the most financial need will receive FSEOGs first. The FSEOG does not need to be repaid.
The FSEOG program is administered directly by the financial aid office at each participating school and is therefore called “campus-based” aid. Not all schools participate. Check with your school's financial aid office to find out if the school offers the FSEOG.
Cal Grants
The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) determines Cal Grant recipients. To apply for the Cal Grant Program, you must submit the FAFSA and a Cal Grant GPA Verification form by March 2. If you do not meet the March 2 priority filing deadline, you may have a second chance to compete for a Cal Grant by filing the FAFSA and GPA Verification form by September 2.
There are two types of Cal Grant B awards: Entitlement and Competitive
* Cal Grant B Entitlement Award
Every graduating high school senior who has at least a 2.0 GPA, meets the financial and academic requirements, and files the FAFSA and GPA Verification form by the March 2nd deadline will receive a Cal Grant B Entitlement award.
* Cal Grant B Competitive Award
Other eligible students who have at least a 2.0 GPA may apply for a Cal Grant B Competitive award. Selection is based on a composite score that takes into consideration your family’s income, assets, parents’ educational level, GPA, and other factors.
Cal Grant C
Cal Grant C is a competitive grant award available to eligible students who are pursuing a vocational degree program. Cal Grant C recipients are selected by the California Student Aid Commission.
Full-Time Student Success Grant
On top of the $1,672 annual Cal Grant B award paid at community college, the Full-Time Student Success Grant pays full-time Cal Grant B recipients an additional $1,000 annually.
Login to the WebGrants for Students portal for more information regarding your Cal Grant eligibility status from the CA Student Aid Commission.
Chafee Grant Program
The California CHAFEE Grant Program awards up to $5,000 annually to eligible foster youth and former foster youth to use for college courses or a vocational school training. The Financial Aid Office certifies the student’s need and enrollment status on the CHAFEE website and disburses CHAFEE grants in accordance with the regulatory statutes of this program. Click here for more information on this grant and opportunities for foster youth.
Independent Student
For receiving Title IV aid, a student is considered independent if he/she is:
- is at least 24 years old by Dec. 31 of the award year for which aid is sought;
- is, or was at any time since the age of 13, an orphan, ward of the court, or foster child;
- is a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces;
- is on active military duty for purposes other than training;
- has legal dependents other than a spouse (for example, dependent children or an elderly dependent parent);
- is a graduate or professional student;
- is married;
- is, or was when he reached the age of majority, an emancipated minor or in legal guardianship as determined by a court in the student's home state; or
- is an unaccompanied youth who is homeless or is self-supporting and at risk of homelessness
Any student that does not fit any of the above criteria is considered a dependent student.
COA, EFC, and Need
Cost of Attendance (COA)
A student's total cost of attending a postsecondary institution for a specified period of time, as established by law. The COA includes tuition and fees; room and board (or an allowance for housing and food); a reasonable cost for the documented rental or purchase of a personal computer that the student will use for study for the enrollment period; an allowance for books, supplies, transportation, loan fees, and dependent care (if applicable); disability-related expenses; a one-time allowable cost of obtaining the first professional credential in a program requiring professional licensure or certification; and some miscellaneous expenses as well.
Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
A comparative measure, determined according to a need analysis formula specified by law, of how much the student and his or her family can be expected to contribute to the cost of the student's education for an award year. This figure is used to determine an applicant's eligibility for federal student aid. The EFC figure is shown on the SAR and ISIR received after completing the FAFSA.
Need
The difference between a student's cost of attendance (COA) and what the student's family is able to pay—the expected family contribution (EFC). The cost of attendance minus the expected family contribution equals the student's financial need. Also, see need analysis.
Tax filers can request a transcript, free of charge, of their tax return from the IRS in one of three ways. 2023-2024 requires 2021 Income Tax Return 2024-2025 requires 2022 Income Tax Return |
Online Request |
---|
|
Telephone Request |
|
Paper Request Form – IRS Form 4506T-EZ |
|
How do I use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool?
You may use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool two weeks after you and/or your parents have electronically filed taxes or eight weeks after you and/or your parents have filed taxes by mail.
Instructions for IRS Data Retrieval on your FAFSA
- Log in to www.fafsa.gov.
- Click on “Make FAFSA Corrections.”
- Click on the “Financial Information” tab.
- Correct “Will File” to “Already Completed.”
- If you are eligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, click Procced to the IRS and OK.
- On the IRS Web site (www.IRS.gov.) enter the requested information and click Submit.
- Click on the box under the “Transfer My Tax Information into the FAFSA” and then click Transfer Now.
- You should receive the message “You have successfully transferred your 2020 tax information.”
- Complete all steps and electronically sign and submit your FAFSA.
- Your FAFSA is successfully submitted once you have received a confirmation number.
How can we help you?
If you need further assistance, FAFSA workshops are scheduled every Tuesday from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Oxnard College Zoom meeting(until further notice).
Oxnard College has partnered with BankMobile to deliver your financial aid refund. For more information about BankMobile, visit this link: http://bankmobiledisbursements.com/refundchoices/
This process may take between 7-21 days.
Don’t have your Personal Code?
Check your mail for the bright green envelope or go here to track it online.
SAP stands for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
The Ventura County Community College District Financial Aid Offices establish Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in accordance with federal regulations. To be eligible for financial aid, students must meet or exceed these standards. The standards apply to all financial aid recipients and to all college coursework taken including coursework taken from outside colleges if that coursework has been submitted and appears on your Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) transcript. Failure to maintain these standards may result in loss of financial aid eligibility.
Standard | Minimum Requirement |
---|---|
Qualitative Standard | A 2.00 minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) in all coursework attempted. |
Quantitative Standard | A 67% minimum course completion of all coursework attempted. |
Maximum Time Frame | Attempted units may not exceed 150% of the number of units required to complete your educational objective. |
Grades
In determining the above standards, grades of A, B, C, D, P, CR (Credit), or CRE (Credit by exam) are considered completed coursework. Grades of F, I (Incomplete), IP (In Progress), W (Withdrawal), MW (Military Withdrawal), NC (No Credit), NP (No Pass), and RD (Record Delayed) are not considered completed coursework. All grades are considered attempted units.
Enrollment
A student’s enrollment will be verified prior to each financial aid payment to determine eligibility for financial aid.
Enrollment Status | Units |
---|---|
Full time | 12 or more units |
Three-quarter time | 9 to 11.5 units |
Half-time | 6 to 8.5 units |
Less Than Half-time | 0.5 to 5.5 units |
Maximum Time Frame
A student must complete his/her educational goal within 150% of the program length. All coursework appearing on his/her VCCCD academic transcript will count toward the Maximum Time Frame. A student who has exceeded this time frame and/or cannot mathematically finish their program within this time frame, and/or has attained a BA/BS (for student loans only), MA/MS (for student loans only), or beyond (for student loans only), will be placed on Suspension and may be required to submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form for evaluation.
Educational Goal | Units Required to Complete Goal* | Maximum Attempted Units (150%)* |
---|---|---|
AA/AS | 60 units | 90 units |
Transfer | 60 units | 90 units |
Certificate of Achievement | * | * |
*Program lengths vary. See the college catalog for program length. |
For more information please click HERE
Financial aid is awarded on the basis of financial need, except for some student loan programs. When you apply for federal student aid, the information you report is calculated using a formula established by Congress. The formula determines your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), an amount you and your family are expected to contribute toward your education (although this amount may not exactly match the amount you and your family end up contributing). If your EFC is below a certain amount, you may be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, assuming you meet all other eligibility requirements.
There is not a maximum EFC that defines eligibility for the other financial aid programs. Instead, your EFC is used in the following equation to determine your financial need:
Cost of Attendance (COA) - Expected Family Contribution (EFC) = Financial Need |
We calculate your cost of attendance and subtract the amount you and your family is expected to contribute toward that cost. If there is anything left over, you are considered to have financial need. A financial aid package is put together for you that comes as close as possible to meeting your financial need. However, because funding is limited, the amount awarded to you may fall short of the amount of which you are eligible. Also, in determining your need for aid we must first consider other educational resources you are expected to receive during the school year.
California Residents pay the following fees:
- Enrollment Fee $46 per unit
- Health Fee $26 per semester
- Student Representation Fee $2 per semester
- Student Center Fee $1 per unit, not to exceed $10 per academic year
- Student Activities Fee (optional) $75per semester
Above enrollment fees are based on a 14 unit average per semester.
Out-of-State residents pay a tuition fee of $397 per credit unit as well as the in-state Enrollment Fee of $46 per unit and the Non-California Resident Capital Outlay Fee of $15 per unit.
ADDITIONAL EXPENSES – Specialized programs may incur additional expenses.
Ventura County Community College District
2023-2024 Student College Budget (9 months) - California Residents | ||
---|---|---|
Budget Components* | With Parents, Without Dependents | All Others |
Room & Board | $10,125 | $17,784 |
Personal Miscellaneous | $3,609 | $3,924 |
Enrollment Fees (Full-Time) | $1,354 | $1,344 |
Books & Supplies | $938 | $1,152 |
Travel Expenses | $1,611 | $936 |
Total | $17,637 | $25,140 |
*Budgeted expenses are estimated for the purpose of calculating financial aid – actual costs may vary by individual.
Migration Status
Pell Lifetime Eligibility:
Beginning with Fall 2012, a student has 6 years (12 full-time semesters) of total Pell Grant lifetime eligibility. (This includes all years Pell was received prior to Fall 2012.) All the years each student has received a federal Pell grant will be counted toward the 6 years, regardless of when the student began receiving aid.
The Oxnard College Financial Aid Office will continue processing each student’s Pell grant unless he or she notifies the financial aid office not to do so. If a student is close to the 12-semester limit and does not want to utilize their Pell Grant at Oxnard College, they must notify the financial aid office. The California College Promise Grant (CCPG) will continue waiving enrollment fees if the student is eligible.
Tracking Your Lifetime Eligibility Used on NSLDS
You can find your Lifetime Eligibility Used for the federal Pell Grant by going to the Web site studentaid.gov and creating a student account. The Federal Student Aid tracks your lifetime Pell Grants, loan usage, and overpayment status. If you have loans, you may view how much you owe and to whom.
The Federal Student Aid
Step 1: If you have not already done so, create the new FSA ID to log-in to the studentaid.gov website. Your FSA ID serves as your electronic signature and provides access to your personal records with the U.S. Department of Education systems. You can create an FSA ID online at studentaid.gov.
Step 2: Access Federal Student Aid by going to www.studentaid.gov. On the My Aid screen, click on Financial Aid Review
Step 3: Read the privacy statement on this screen. If you agree, click Accept to find your Lifetime Eligibility Used. A security configuration question may or may not prompt depending on your browser’s security configuration. If you are comfortable with your browser’s current security configuration, click Accept to continue. The Confirming Your Identity screen will appear after you click Accept.
Step 4: Enter your FSA ID information and click Login.
Step 5: View the Financial Aid Review screen listing your total Lifetime Eligibility Used
MyVCCCD Student Portal Questions
The username is your first name underscore last name followed by a number. Most numbers will be a 1 unless that username already exists(e.g. john_doe1, john_doe2).
To retrieve your username go to http://my.vcccd.edu/ and click on 'Forgot username?'. You will be prompted to input your personal information.
Complete the requested fields. Click 'Look Up' to continue.
The following screen will appear if all required fields are completed properly:
Go tohttp://my.vcccd.edu/
Click on 'Forgot password?'.
Input your username. Click 'Continue'.
Received a one time passcode which was emailed to the non-VCCCD email address provided in the previous screen. Please open and read the email for the one time passcode. Then, enter the one time passcode in the box provide and click Continue. This screen is to validate the email address entered
Contact Admissions and Records for assistance at 805-986-5810
- You will be issued a temporary password
- You will be asked to select a new password and setup your security questions after you log in
Undecided/undeclared is not an eligible Major to receive financial aid. As a financial aid student, you must be enrolled in an eligible course of study leading to a(n)
- Associate Degree,
- Certificate of Achievement, or
- Transfer to a four-year institution.
How to update your Major and/or Educational Goal on MyVCCCD:
If you have chosen undecided/undeclared as your major, please log-on to your MyVCCCD account to update your Major at: http://my.vcccd.edu
1. Log on to MyVCCCD
2. Click on the 'My College' tab
3. Go to the 'My Student Records' portlet (located in the left side of your screen) and click on 'Update College, Program and Goal'
4. Click the drop down arrow 'Select a Term' to select current term (eg. Spring 2020) then click 'Submit'.
5. To declare an eligible Major/Ed Goal, click on the drop down lists and select an eligible Major/Ed. Goal
6. Click 'Submit' when finished
Step 1 Log on to your MyVCCCD account
Step 2 Once you log in, click on the 'Financial Aid' tab:
Step 3 Click on the 'Financial Aid Awards' hyperlink:
Step 4 Select the aid year that you are applying for financial aid in the drop-down list for 'Select Aid Year':
Step 5 Click 'Submit' once you have selected the year.
Step 6 click 'Submit' once you have selected the year.
Step 7 click on the 'Award Overview' tab and scroll down to the 'Financial Aid Award by Term for the Award Year 2019-2020 section. This section shows the awards for the academic year chosen.