Financial Aid Terms and Conditions

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to remain eligible for financial aid. SAP requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 and a cumulative completion rate of at least 67%. The completion rate is calculated by dividing units earned by units attempted. Attempted units include all courses in which students remain enrolled after the add/drop deadline each term.

Financial aid eligibility is also limited by the 150% maximum timeframe. Once students have attempted 150% of the units required for their declared degree, certificate, or transfer objective—including all transferred units—they have reached the maximum timeframe for financial aid eligibility unless an approved petition is granted.

Pell Grant Eligibility and Lifetime Limits

Students may receive a Pell Grant for the equivalent of six full-time equivalent years during their lifetime. Students planning to transfer are responsible for considering whether to place a hold on Pell Grant funds through the LPC Financial Aid Office to reserve eligibility for future enrollment. Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) may be reviewed at: https://studentaid.gov

Pell Refunds and Enrollment Status

The posted Pell award reflects eligibility based on full-time enrollment (12 or more units). Students enrolled less than full time will receive a proportionately reduced award. A student’s Student Aid Index (SAI) is listed on the FAFSA Submission Summary and in MyPortal.

Disbursements and Enrollment Changes

Financial aid is disbursed based on the number of units in which students are officially enrolled at the time funds are authorized. Enrollment increases may be paid during a subsequent disbursement only if added before the Frozen Enrollment Date (Pell Recalculation Date). Courses added after this date are not eligible for payment under federal regulations.

The Frozen Enrollment Date is October 14, 2024 for Fall and March 17, 2025 for Spring.

Late-Start and Variable-Unit Courses

Units from late-start courses are not included in financial aid enrollment calculations until the course begins. Payment for late-start courses is issued during the week the course begins only if enrollment occurs prior to the Frozen Enrollment Date.

Students who enroll in late-start or variable-unit courses on or after the Frozen Enrollment Date (October 17, 2024 for Fall 2024 and March 20, 2025 for Spring 2025) are not eligible for payment for those units, in accordance with federal regulations.

For variable-unit courses, any unit increases must be completed before the Frozen Enrollment Date to be eligible for payment.

Pell Recalculation (Frozen Enrollment Date)

Semester Pell awards are finalized on the Frozen Enrollment Date, based on actual enrollment on that date, regardless of original enrollment. Adjustments made after this date will not increase Pell eligibility.

Dropping Below Half-Time Enrollment

If students receive Pell funds based on half-time or greater enrollment and then drop below half-time before the Frozen Enrollment Date, they are responsible for repaying any resulting overpayment. In some cases, students may be required to repay the entire Pell Grant received for that term. Students should consult the Pell Grant Chart on the Financial Aid webpage to determine eligibility.

Repeat Course Policy

Students may receive financial aid for a repeated course only once after successfully completing the course with a grade of “D” or better, per federal regulations.

Cal Grant and Student Success Completion Grant (SSCG)

Cal Grant B eligibility is limited to four full-time years. Students planning to transfer to a private California university are encouraged to reserve remaining eligibility. Students transferring to CSU or UC campuses may still qualify for institutional grant programs.

Students eligible for a Cal Grant at a community college may also receive the Student Success Completion Grant (SSCG) if enrolled in 12 or more units. Students enrolled in 12–14.5 units receive $2,596 per year, and students enrolled in 15 or more units receive up to $8,000 per year.

Withdrawals and Return to Title IV

Students who completely withdraw from all classes, are withdrawn by instructors, or earn zero units with a 0.0 GPA may be required to repay a portion of financial aid under Return to Title IV regulations. No repayment is required if withdrawal occurs after the 60% point of the term or if attendance beyond that point is documented.

College of Record and Program Eligibility

Las Positas College must be the student’s official college of record. Students must be enrolled in a declared, approved, financial aid-eligible degree or certificate program. All AA/AS and AA-T/AS-T programs qualify. Certificate programs must be 16 units or more to be eligible.

Students may not change their college of record after receiving a financial aid disbursement during the aid year.

Prior Degrees and Multiple Institution Enrollment

Students who hold a prior bachelor’s degree from any country are not eligible for federal or state grants and must repay any grants received in error.

Students may not receive financial aid from more than one institution during the same period of enrollment. Failure to report enrollment at another institution may result in an overpayment and loss of eligibility until resolved.

Overawards

Students are responsible for repaying any financial aid overawards resulting from non-attendance, withdrawals, enrollment changes, receiving aid from multiple institutions, or inaccurate FAFSA information. Repayment is required even when the overaward results from institutional error.

Prior College Transcripts and Time Limitations

Students applying coursework from previously attended institutions must submit official transcripts and request an evaluation. All prior units count toward SAP, completion rate, loan eligibility, and the 150% maximum timeframe.

Financial aid eligibility at a two-year institution is limited to 90 attempted units, excluding allowable remedial and ESL coursework. Certificate programs are limited to 150% of the published program length. Continued eligibility beyond these limits requires an approved petition.

Remedial and ESL Coursework

Students may receive financial aid for up to 30 units of remedial/basic skills coursework and unlimited 100-level ESL units. Cal Grant and loan eligibility requires enrollment in at least 6 units of degree-applicable coursework identified on an official Student Education Plan.

High School Completion Requirement

Students who first enrolled in college on or after July 1, 2012 must have a high school diploma or equivalent. Online high school diplomas are not accepted unless recognized by the State of California.

Verification

Financial aid applications may be selected for verification at any time. All requested documentation must be submitted before additional aid is disbursed. Verification may result in changes to eligibility and possible overpayments.