
Policies, Appeals, and Important Information
The information below will assist you with completing the financial aid process as well as understanding your rights and responsibilities as a financial aid recipient.
California College Promise Grant (CCPG) Policy and Appeal Information
The California College Promise Grant (CCPG) has separate standards from the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy. If you are disqualified, please see below for the process to appeal.
To complete your CCPG Appeal, please go to cypresscollege.verifymyfafsa.com (you will log in with your myGateway credentials). If you do not see a CCPG Appeal, please contact our office at financialaid@cypresscollege.edu to request an appeal.
If disqualified for winter/spring 2025, the last day to submit a CCPG Appeal is May 23, 2025.
NOTE: Foster youth (under the age of 24) and CCPG F recipients are EXEMPT from appealing for both the CCPG Fee Waiver and Enrollment Priority. These standards are separate from the eligibility criteria for Federal Financial Aid and should not be confused with the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy.
California College Promise Grant (CCPG) – Requirements
Students can lose their CCPG eligibility after 2 consecutive primary terms (with no more than a one term break: i.e. fall 2019, fall 2020) of not meeting academic or progress standards. You must maintain a 2.0 or higher GPA and satisfactorily complete more than 50% of attempted units each semester and cumulatively to avoid CCPG fee waiver disqualification.
California Virtual College (CVC)
The California Virtual College (CVC) Exchange program allows students at California Community Colleges to enroll in online courses at eligible colleges without a separate application. Students can search and register for courses on the CVC website.
Home College vs Teaching College
- Home College: Where students are enrolled (ex. Cypress College for our students).
- Teaching College: Offers courses to students from other colleges (ex. Cypress College for a Long Beach City College student).
Eligibility for aid with CVC units includes:
- Enrollment at a California Community Colleges home college
- In-state address
- Minimum 2.0 GPA
- At least 6 units at the home college
- Up to 2 exchange courses per term
- Registration during open periods at the teaching college
- Approved courses toward program of study
Eligibility checks and awards will be processed after Cypress College’s Financial Aid freeze date and are subject to the Return to Title IV (R2T4) and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policies.
Cypress College Student Internal Complaint Process
Pursuant to the U.S. Department of Education’s Program Integrity Rule, every institution of higher education is required to provide all prospective and current students with the contact information for the state agency or agencies that handle complaints against postsecondary education institutions offering distance learning within that state.
Students are encouraged to utilize the Cypress College internal complaint procedures prior to filing a complaint with a state agency. If you are a student wishing to file a complaint in your home state, please select the state contact from the State Authorization Guide to file a complaint directly in your state.
Finally, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges serve as resources for colleges seeking to comply with state laws in California.
For other complaints related to encountering academic, personal, or emotional challenges, please summit via ChAT.
Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA)
Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA)
This policy is the North Orange County Community College District’s policy regarding the privacy of student records. This policy also applies to student financial aid records at Cypress College.
Financial Aid Disbursement Policy and Dates
Important information and requirements for student financial aid disbursement for the current academic year.
Get disbursement schedules and frequently asked disbursement questions.
Federal Student Loan Eligibility Policy
Student Loan Eligibility Policy
An overview of important information and requirements for student loan eligibility at Cypress College.
Retroactive Payments
Retroactive payments may be made for completed payment periods within the current award year or loan period. Disbursements can be made in one lump sum.
To receive retroactive payments, the U.S. Department of Education must process the student’s FAFSA, or the California Student Aid Commission must process the Dream Act application and generate an ISIR reflecting eligibility while the student is still enrolled in the award year. Completed hours at Cypress College include grades A, B, C, D, INA, INB, INC, and IND. If a student receives an F, INF, or INP, the Last Day of Activity (LDA) will be reviewed to confirm the grade was earned. The LDA must fall within the last week of the class/semester.
Classes with EW, W, or MW grades are not eligible for retroactive payments. Students can appeal their LDA by submitting documentation to the Financial Aid Director (gdelacruz@cypresscollege.edu). Acceptable documentation includes an instructor’s email or signed letter confirming attendance. Documentation must be emailed directly to the Financial Aid Director.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP)
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP)
This policy describes your responsibilities as a financial aid recipient at Cypress College to maintain a sufficient grade point average while completing the minimum required units annually to maintain eligibility.
SAP is reviewed after final grades are reported for each term. If disqualified for winter/spring 2025, the last day to submit a SAP Appeal is May 23, 2025.
Please note: Appeal determinations are made on a case-by-case basis and are not automatically approved.
Financial Aid Statuses and Appeal Process
This page serves as an addendum to our satisfactory academic progress policy. It is provided to students to help them better understand their status and the appeal process.
State Authorization
State authorization, part of the Higher Education Act, requires institutions to be authorized in the state in which they are located as a condition for eligibility to receive Title IV federal student aid. The U.S. Department of Education continues to review and update the regulations for state authorization of online education. The current regulations are in effect as of July 1, 2021. If an institution offers postsecondary distance education to students in a state in which it is not physically located or in which it is otherwise subject to state jurisdiction as determined by the State, the institution must meet any state requirements for it to legally offer distance education in that state.
Students without a California address cannot receive a financial aid disbursement. Please reach out to the financial aid office if you have any questions or concerns.
Unusual and Special Circumstances Policies
Special Circumstance – Income Adjustment
If you (or a parent) have recently experienced a change in income or household, such as job loss, divorce, or a special circumstance – you might be eligible for a Professional Judgement Appeal on your financial aid application. This is done via an appeal process on our Student Forms platform.
How to request the appeal:
- Once we have received your financial aid application, you may request the appeal by logging in on the platform and clicking the blue “Manage Request” button at the upper right corner and select “Professional Judgement: Special Circumstance – EFC/SAI Appeal.”
- You will need to provide a brief explanation of your situation and upload supporting documentation.
- Please note that any student requesting an Income Adjustment Appeal will need to complete verification before their appeal can be processed.
- Once all information is complete and submitted, your Financial Aid Technician will review and may request additional clarification or items if needed in order to complete the appeal.
Unusual Circumstance – Dependency Override
If you answer “no” to all of the dependency questions on your financial aid application, you are considered a dependent student.
You may be able to request a Professional Judgement: Unusual Circumstance Appeal if you have an unusual circumstance such as: you have no contact with either parents and don’t know where they live or unable to have contact with them, or you’ve left home due to an abusive situation. Please contact the Financial Aid Office for further clarification and assistance on the information needed for you to complete a Dependency Override Appeal on our Student Forms platform.
Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
If you answer “yes” to the homeless questions on your financial aid application, you are considered either an unaccompanied homeless youth or are self supporting and at risk of being homeless. You will need to complete verification tasks to confirm this in the Student Forms platform. Please contact the Financial Aid Office for further assistance if you have questions on the information needed to complete the task.
Withdrawal and Return to Title IV (R2T4) Policy
Official withdrawals from a class or from the college are primarily the student’s responsibility. Withdrawals can be made online through myGateway or in person at the Admissions & Records Office.
The Cypress College Financial Aid Office awards aid with the expectation that students will attend and complete the courses they enroll in for the semester (also referred to as the “payment period”). If a student completely withdraws (i.e., does not complete any of their enrolled courses for that semester), they may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Title IV funds originally scheduled to be received. In such cases, the Financial Aid Office must perform a Return to Title IV (R2T4) calculation to determine any earned or unearned aid based on the Last Date of Academic Activity (LDA).
Title IV Aid refers to the following:
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal Direct Loan (both subsidized and unsubsidized)
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
If you’re a Cal Grant A or B recipient with a tuition award and you receive a fee refund due to withdrawal, your Cal Grant award will be canceled accordingly.
An R2T4 calculation occurs only if a student has attended at least one day of the semester, is eligible for Title IV funds, and withdraws from all courses. R2T4 regulations do not apply to students who do not begin the semester or who remain enrolled in the term, even if it’s just one class.
Unofficial Withdrawal
If a student receives all substandard grades (such as all F’s, NPs, or a combination of substandard grades and withdrawals), they will be considered to have unofficially withdrawn. The financial aid office will then need to assess whether the student attended classes and earned those grades. In such cases, the financial aid office must assess whether the student attended classes and earned those grades.
Starting in fall 2024, the financial aid office will use the LDA provided by instructors to determine if a student earned their F, NP, INF, or INP grade. If the LDA falls within the last week of the class, it indicates that the student attended through that day. An unearned F, NP, INF, or INP grade occurs when a student stops attending before the final week of the course. If a student has only unearned F’s, NP’s, INF’s, and INP’s, the financial aid office will perform a Return to Title IV (R2T4) calculation.
Last Date of Academic Activity
Federal student aid regulations require schools to verify your active participation in courses. Simply certifying attendance is not sufficient to confirm academically related activity.
Your financial aid will be adjusted based solely on enrollment in classes where you are actively participating. Starting in fall 2024, your instructor will report your LDA, which will determine your earned or unearned aid for both official and unofficial withdrawals. This information will also help confirm whether a student attended their course.
A student is considered to have not begun attendance if the school cannot document their presence in any class. During the Return to Title IV (R2T4) process, any class without a reported LDA will be treated as a No Show, leading to an adjustment in your financial aid. If a student believes their LDA is later than reported, they may appeal the decision.
Academic activities may include:
- Physically attending a class with direct interaction between instructor and students,
- Submitting an academic assignment or taking an exam,
- Participating in study groups assigned by the school,
- Engaging in online discussions or contacting a faculty member regarding academic matters.
For Distance Education:
- Submission of academic assignments or exams,
- Participation in interactive tutorials or online study groups assigned by the institution,
- Engaging in online discussions about academic matters and initiating contact with a faculty member.
Academic activities do NOT include:
- Merely logging into an online class without active participation,
- Academic counseling or advisement,
- Course registration.
For more information about withdrawal and R2T4, please review the Financial Aid Handbook.
Appeal Process
Students can dispute their LDA by submitting an appeal to the Financial Aid Director, along with documentation demonstrating that their F or NP grade was earned or that they began attendance and are not classified as a no-show. Appeals will be accepted until August 1.
Acceptable Supporting Documents Include:
- A signed letter from the instructor confirming the LDA for the course(s).
- A copy of a graded test or quiz with a date for the course(s).
- A copy of a graded assignment with a date for the course(s).
No Show
A student is considered not to have begun attendance if the school cannot document their presence in a class. If you have not engaged in any academic activity, your instructor will report you as a No Show, with the LDA recorded as the first day of class.
Additionally, if the financial aid office cannot determine whether a student began attendance for a class that is withdrawn during the R2T4 process, that course will be classified as a No Show. A student can submit an appeal to have this decision reconsidered, following the appeal process outlined under the R2T4 section.
Some financial aid is awarded based on units at the freeze date. However, if LDAs do not demonstrate attendance at freeze, units cannot be counted toward aid eligibility.