Where we foster excellence in education that challenges students of every background to develop their intellect, character, and abilities; to assist students in achieving their educational and career goals; and to be responsive to the greater community.
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IVC participates in most of the Federal and state financial aid programs such as the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Work-Study, Federal SEOG, Cal Grants, California Chafee Grant, the Student Success Completion Grant, and the California College Promise Grant (CCPG). IVC does not participate in the Federal Direct Student Loan program.
No, financial aid information is free. Be aware of scholarship scams that ask you to pay for financial aid and scholarship information. Financial aid information and application are free. Before you pay for financial aid-related services, contact the Financial Aid Office. For more information, visit: How do I identify student aid scams?
If you meet AB 540 criteria as determined by Admissions and Records, you may complete the California Dream Act Application at https://dream.csac.ca.gov/
If you are under 24 years of age, you are considered dependent on your parents by federal law, no matter who you live with or whether your parents claim you as an exemption on Federal Tax Returns. There are a few exceptions, including students who are married, have dependents of their own, or are veterans. Please follow the instructions on the FAFSA; it will inform you if you are required to provide parental information. If you have special circumstances which make it impossible for your parents to complete the application, contact the financial aid office to discuss your situation with one of our staff members.
The Department of Education selects a certain percentage of applications for a process called verification. If your application is selected, you must complete the Verification processing in our online verification system; the link will be available to you in WebSTAR.
If you or your family have had a change in income or other financial aid circumstances,
you may click on the link below to request a Family Contribution Appeal.
Request Family Contribution Appeal (use Chrome, Firefox, or Safari)
Is there a deadline to apply for financial aid?
Yes, for federal aid, your 2023-24 FAFSA must be filed by June 30, 2024. However, your file must be completed and corrected before the last day of enrollment which may be earlier. For instance, the last date of enrollment for the Spring semester is June 7, 2024. Keep in mind that we have very limited Campus-Based funds, which include FSEOG and Work-Study, so apply early. State aid, such as the Cal Grant Entitlement program, has a March 2nd deadline.
Yes, you must reapply for financial aid every year by completing the FAFSA or Dream Act Application (CADAA) and submitting the required documents. The FAFSA becomes available every October for the following Fall term.
Your eligibility for Fee Waiver will be determined when you complete your FAFSA or Dream Act Application (for AB 540 students). IVC will use the results to determine eligibility for the CCPG and will automatically award those students who are eligible and who have registered for classes. For more information, please visit California College Promise Grant (CCPG) page.
You must complete the FASFA and submit a GPA Verification Form to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). If you have less than 16-degree applicable college credits, then your high school must complete the GPA Verification Form. If you have 16 or more degree-applicable college credits, then IVC will send your GPA electronically provided that you have attended at least one term in the last academic year.
If you have been determined eligible for Cal Grant, you may be eligible for this additional award. You must be enrolled in 12 to 14.5 units to receive up to $1298 per semester and in 15 or more units to receive up to $4000 per semester. You must meet all the requirements for Cal Grant and have enough remaining unmet need.
If you have been awarded financial aid, checked that you are interested in Work-Study on question 29 of the FAFSA, and have remaining unmet need, you may be eligible for Work-Study. Due to limited funding, Work-Study funds are awarded on a first-completed – first awarded basis with priority given to students in good academic standing. Check your WebSTAR messages to see if you may be eligible, and follow the directions if you are interested in a Work-Study job.
IVC offers a variety of scholarships administered by the IVC Foundation. The list is available on the IVC Foundation website, or you can access it through the IVC website. Just click on Financial Aid and choose Scholarships. The scholarship page also provides links to help you search the internet for scholarships.
No. Most students are eligible for aid at less than full-time; however, some programs such as Work-Study and Cal Grants require a minimum of 6 units.
If you would like to have units taken at another institution count toward your current educational goal, you must request that an official academic transcript from the college(s) you attended be sent to IVC for evaluation. Units accepted for transfer will be used to determine your eligibility for financial aid.
Pell Grant is subject to a limit of 12 full-time semesters from all colleges cumulatively. In addition, you are no longer eligible for Pell Grant after obtaining a Bachelor's degree.
Log on to WebSTAR, IVC's online system that provides access to your registration and financial aid information. If you need assistance, please contact the Financial Aid Office. You can also visit our Check Your Financial Aid Status page
Depending on the time of year and whether the application was selected for verification, the process may take up to 6 weeks once you have submitted all required documentation. Peak processing for IVC is between June and September of the award year. Complete your FAFSA and submit all required documentation early in the year for faster processing.
Electronic upload: This option is available for students using the verification system.
Mail: Imperial Valley College
Attn: Financial Aid Office
380 East Aten Rd.
Imperial, CA. 92251
Fax: 760-355-6119
We DO NOT accept forms or documents through email.
Please make sure forms are completed and that your name and student ID are on each page submitted. Keep a copy of all forms and documents for your records.
Application status, award information, and notices are posted on your WebSTAR account. Communication is also sent to your IVC email account. Make sure to check your IVC email and WebSTAR regularly.
You can receive federal financial aid from only one school for each term of enrollment. If you are enrolled in two schools at the same time, you will need to decide which is the one from which you want to receive aid and advise our office. You may still be eligible for the California College Promise Grant (CCPG) at IVC even if you receive federal financial aid at another institution.
Check the Award Payment Schedule on WebSTAR to determine when your funds are scheduled for payment. You can also visit our Financial Aid Payment page
The award amount on your award letter is based on full-time enrollment (12 units or more). This amount is prorated based on your actual enrollment status as of the semester freeze date. If you are enrolled at half-time, you can expect half of the funds. Remember that fees owed to IVC will be deducted before a payment is made to you.
The "Authorization Date" listed on WebSTAR is the date that aid will be authorized for payment. The funds will be made available to you the following week; please see the payment schedule for payment dates.
Your financial aid payment is based on your enrollment status as of the semester freeze date; if you drop the class after this date, your payment should not be affected. If you are paid for a class that you drop before the census, your award will be recalculated, and you may owe a refund. In addition, if you drop all courses before completing 60% of the semester, you may be liable to return a portion of the financial aid funds received. You can find the freeze date and Return to Title IV Drop Date (60% point) on the Important Dates and Deadlines list for each semester.
In addition to possibly affecting the amount of your financial aid payment, failing or withdrawing from classes will negatively affect your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) status. SAP must be maintained in order to be eligible for financial aid. Please refer to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.
The California College Promise Grant (CCPG) is available. Federal Pell Grant is available as well, however, students who have earned 100% of their full-time award for Fall and Spring are only eligible in the Summer if they are enrolled at least half-time (6 or more units). In addition, we must evaluate academic progress prior to payment of summer aid, so please make arrangements to get your books and take this into consideration when enrolling in classes for the summer term.
Units taken in the winter term will be counted toward your enrollment status for the Spring semester, and only the first 25% payment will be made during the winter session. The remainder of the Pell Grant award will be paid according to the Spring semester payment schedule.
If you do not meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards at the annual evaluation done at the end of the Spring semester, you will be disqualified (DQ). In addition, if you have exceeded the maximum timeframe standard (see below), you will no longer be eligible for financial aid.
The number of units you attempt may not exceed 150% of the units required to complete your current educational goal. Once you have reached this limit, you will no longer be eligible. This standard is monitored throughout the academic year.
If you have been disqualified, you must raise your cumulative GPA to a 2.0 and/or your completion rate to 67% or higher at the next annual evaluation. If you have exceeded the maximum timeframe standards, you may be eligible for an extension if you have changed majors or are pursuing a high unit or transfer major. You may request a unit extension by completing this form Request for Unit Extension.
If you have extenuating circumstances that prevented you from meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards, you may file for an appeal. Contact the financial aid office to request an appeal form which you will access via the verification system. Each appeal will be reviewed by the Appeal Committee and will be recommended for approval or denial based on the student's individual circumstances. All decisions are final, and the is no higher appeal.