How Financial Aid is Awarded

What is Financial Need?

Financial aid is given based on a student’s financial need. This is calculated using the Student Aid Index (SAI), which comes from the information on your FAFSA. The SAI is then compared to IVC’s Cost of Attendance (COA) to determine if you qualify for need-based aid.

• If the COA is higher than your SAI, you may qualify for need-based financial aid.
• The neediest students are those with an SAI of -1500 according to federal rules.
  
  

How Financial Aid is Given

Financial aid is given in a specific order based on eligibility:

1. 1. California College Promise Grant (CCPG)
      • Covers the $46 per unit enrollment fee for students who qualify.
      • To qualify, you need at least $1,104 of financial need after your SAI is subtracted from COA.
   2. Pell Grant
      
      • This is a federal grant given based on SAI levels.
      • The amount varies depending on federal guidelines.
   3. Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
      • SEOG funds are very limited, so they are awarded to the neediest students first, generally low SAI and Pell Grant eligible.
      • If funds remain, more students may receive SEOG based on federal rules.
   4. Federal Work-Study
      
      • Limited work-study jobs are available for students who show financial need.
      • IVC offers up to $3,000 per semester ($6,000 per year)
      • Funds are limited and offered early in the process

These are the only programs that IVC includes as part of a student's financial aid package initially. Please note that SEOG and Federal Work-Study funds are very limited and generally spent early in the awarding cycle.

Other Types of Aid (Not Included at First)

After you receive your initial Financial Aid Award Offer, Imperial Valley College may be notified by campus or other external agencies about other financial aid resources you may be receiving. These include Cal Grant, foundation scholarships, other off-campus scholarships and EOPS grants.

If you receive one of these, your financial aid package may be adjusted. For example, if you get a scholarship, your Federal Work-Study amount might be reduced.

For more details, check out the How to Read Your Award Offer page.