Financial Aid

Yes, you must reapply for financial aid each academic year.

The 2023-24 financial aid application will cover fall 2023, spring 2024, and summer 2024. The 2024-2025 financial aid application will cover fall 2024, spring 2025, and summer 2025. The last day to apply for 2023-24 aid is June 30, 2024.

There could be several reasons why your California College Promise Grant (CCPG) hasn’t posted:

• You haven’t submitted a FAFSA/CADAA application for the current academic year.
• You forgot to add Cypress to your FAFSA or CADAA.
• The class(es) you registered for are at Fullerton College – if this is the case, you just need to add Fullerton to your FAFSA or CADAA and resubmit so that they can post the CCPG for you.
  • If you see an “F” next to a course number, that is a Fullerton course. (Ex: Math 40 F)
  • If you see a “C” next to a course number, that is a Cypress course. (Ex: Math 40 C)
• You have been disqualified – get information on the standards and how to regain eligibility.
• Please note for summer registration: the CCPG posts to eligible student accounts within 48 hours after the student registers for a summer course. Students will not be dropped for nonpayment while waiting for the CCPG to post to their account.

If you are applying for aid or completing your financial aid file, you can wait to pay the fees until you have completed it. You will not be dropped for nonpayment; however, you will receive a hold on your account (will prevent you from being able to register for classes in the future) until the balance is paid.

If you qualify for the CCPG (fee waiver) after you’ve already paid for your enrollment fees, you will receive a reimbursement check in the mail from the Bursar’s office. Each semester, refunds are processed automatically after the last day to drop classes with a refund (this usually is around the same date as the financial aid freeze date). If any issue arises and you do not receive your refund, please check directly with the Bursar’s office.

Please ensure that your mailing address is up-to-date in myGateway.

If you are eligible for Pell grant funds, you can wait for your Pell grant to pay out (see disbursement schedule) and you will be required to pay the remaining balance. You will not be dropped for nonpayment, but you will have a hold on your account until the balance is fully paid off. If you do not want the hold on your account, you can contact the Financial Aid Office to request a Non-Resident Fee Deferment Form – however, you will need to pay the remaining balance up front.

If you have already completed your financial aid application and file, check the Student Success checklist in myGateway. If you have questions regarding your checklist, please contact the Charger Experience Team.

You can access by:

1. Click on “CC Tools” in the navigation bar in myGateway.
2. Click on “Charger Experience

If your financial aid file is incomplete, you may need to complete additional required documentation through our online software called Student Forms.

Students may select an Excused Withdrawal (EW) with a refund via myGateway. For Financial Aid purposes, EWs are treated similarly to a Withdrawal (W) from a class and will impact your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)*. Receiving an EW will directly impact the completion rate portion of your SAP since you attempted the class and did not complete it.

Students who are disqualified due to SAP, whether it is because of GPA below 2.0, completion rate below 67%, and/or reaching the maximum timeframe, are encouraged to submit an SAP appeal. COVID-19 extenuating circumstances can be considered via an SAP appeal if they happened during spring 2022 and after. Please see our Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy page for more information about (SAP).

*Important note: Cypress College has a COVID-19 SAP exemption for W and EW grades earned during the spring 2020 semester through end of fall 2021. W and EW grades earned during the exemption period are excluded from the 67% completion Rate and Maximum Timeframe calculations. W and EW grades earned before or after the exemption period will still count against you when SAP is calculated.

Cypress College offers one-month winter intersession online classes, and financial aid is available to eligible students. Financial aid is limited to one school per semester. Winter intersession disbursements are considered part of spring semester. Students are ineligible to receive spring aid at another institution if they receive winter disbursement at Cypress College. Get additional information.