Policies and Procedures

Back to Financial Aid Overview

Attending Hours

Per US Department of Education regulations, financial aid will be disbursed to students based on Course Program of Study (CPOS) attending hours. The amount you receive in a disbursement is based on: the types of federal aid you are awarded, your number of enrolled CPOS-applicable credits, and the class start date of the class. You must meet all of the disbursement eligibility requirements to receive the money. Funds will be disbursed after YC charges are paid

  • Taking ONLY full-semester length courses: If ALL of your eligible CPOS classes begin on the first day of the semester then ALL of your financial aid (after YC charges are paid) will be disbursed on the first disbursement date of the semester (see academic calendar).
  • Taking ONLY late start classes: If you are ONLY enrolled in late start CPOS classes, meaning those that start during the second eight week module of the semester, your financial aid disbursement will occur approximately 3 weeks after your classes begin.
  • Taking both full-semester and late start classes: If your enrollment includes a combination of CPOS classes (classes beginning the first day of the semester and late start classes), your disbursements will depend on your enrollment status at the time of the scheduled disbursement dates.  You may only receive a partial disbursement of financial aid on the first disbursement date of the semester and the remainder will disburse approximately 3 weeks after your late start classes begin.
  • Direct Loans may disburse on different schedules based on loan type and borrower status. Please contact the financial aid department for more information.

More information may be found at studentaid.gov 

Book Advance Program

Book Advance Program requirements:

  • Students are eligible to charge books after being awarded
  • You must have a credit balance after all tuition, fees, and room and board charges have been paid.
  • Books and supplies only. Clothing cannot be charged.
  • Books must be charged within a specific timeframe. Please see the academic calendar for specific dates.
  • Your student ID is required to verify your financial aid eligibility and the amount that you are authorized to charge at that time.

Book Advance Key Points:

  • If your financial aid eligibility changes, or your awards require re-calculation due to a change, you are responsible for the balance created on your student account from this book charge.
  • If you do not receive your financial aid, or withdraw prior to receiving your financial aid, all outstanding charges including the books charged will be your responsibility.
  • The bookstore charges will reduce the amount of financial aid refund that you will receive.

If you have questions about bookstore purchases or opt-out forms (purchasing from a third party), please contact financial.aid@yc.edu. If a student chooses to use the bookstore opt-out form, they are no longer able to use their financial aid for that semester to purchase items at the YC bookstore.

Email Correspondence

Email is the official means of communication with you regarding your financial aid.

Our initial email correspondence goes to the email you listed on your FAFSA. When you register for classes you receive a YC scholar email address and all future correspondence will go to your YC scholar email. If you want to redirect your official @scholar.yc.edu address to another email address, log into your YC account. Learn how to login and update your information in your YC portal account.

Financial Aid Freeze Date

A student’s financial aid award is prepared based on anticipated full-time enrollment. In accordance with federal regulations, Yavapai College will recalculate federal, state and institutional aid awards based on the enrollment status in degree applicable courses as of the published Freeze Date. Your aid may be prorated based on the recalculated enrollment status.

Generally, the initial Freeze Date occurs approximately ten calendar days after the start of the semester. The published Freeze Date for each semester can be found on the academic calendar. Student enrollment levels are locked on this date for disbursement purposes.

The published Financial Aid Freeze date is relevant to students enrolled in full length and/or first part of term courses. Student enrolled in only second part of term courses will have a delayed freeze date, as will students that complete their FAFSA file mid-semester. Any classes that are added after this Freeze Date will not increase the student’s financial aid for the semester. If a student drops a class before the Freeze Date, their financial aid will be calculated based on enrollment at the time of the Freeze Date. Students who never attend class will have their Pell Grant reduced. Students who withdraw from all classes will be subject to a Return to Title IV eligibility calculation that may result in financial aid funds having to be repaid.

Visit the Academic Calendar for upcoming dates and important deadlines: https://www.yc.edu/v6/registrar/calendar.html

Ineligible Programs

Please check the individual degree or certificate pages in current year catalog for Program Financial Aid eligibility.

Minimum Requirement

Eligibility Requirements: minimum criteria to be eligible for most federal, state and institutional funding

  • A U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen
  • A valid Social Security number
  • Registered with Selective Service, if you are male
  • Demonstrate financial need
  • Enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program
  • Maintain satisfactory academic progress
  • Not in default on a federal student loan or owe money on a federal student grant
  • Not convicted of a drug related felony while being a recipient of federal student aid
  • High school diploma OR a recognized equivalent such as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate OR have completed a high school education in a home school setting approved under state law OR have passed an Ability to Benefit (ABT) test prior to July 1, 2012 OR have completed at least 6 credit hours at Yavapai College or elsewhere, or the equivalent coursework (225 Clock hours), prior to July 1, 2012 that are applicable to a degree or certificate currently offered by Yavapai College.

Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) Policy

Visit the Federal Student Aid website to learn how the amount of Pell Grant you have received is calculated.

Students can review the amount of Pell Grant they’ve received by logging into their FSA account at studentaid.gov. You can find the information by starting at your Dashboard > View Details.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

SAP is key to keeping your financial aid eligibility. Federal regulations require that a student receiving federal financial aid achieve and maintain satisfactory academic progress in accordance with the standards set by YC and the federal government.

All financial aid recipients are required to meet minimum SAP standards by maintaining a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or better AND a 66.67% or better rate of progression. Rate of progression is measured by the total number of earned credits divided by the total number of attempted credits.

The number of total attempted credits is reviewed to determine if you have reached Maximum Time Frame (MTF) suspension. Per Federal regulations, you must complete your degree or certificate within 150% of the credit hours required to complete the program. For example, 90 attempted credits are allowed to complete a 60 credit Associates Degree at YC or only 45 credits are allowed for a 30 credit certificate program. The number of credits allowed for financial aid is 150% of the published number of credits for your primary program of study. This “pace of progression” requirement equates to completing 66.67% of all credits you attempt.

The Financial Aid Office will evaluate satisfactory academic progress before aid is awarded and again after grades are posted for every term.

For more information, refer to the policies below.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is a process that schools use to determine if a student is meeting their requirements while working toward a degree or certificate. Students must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA, 66.67% Rate of Progression, and not exceed 150% of their degree or certificate’s Maximum Timeframe in order to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress and be eligible for federal financial aid. If Satisfactory Academic Progress is not maintained it may result in suspension of financial aid eligibility. Please read the SAP policy for more information as this is a brief overview of the SAP process.

To view your Satisfactory Academic Progress, log into https://www.yc.edu > My Account > Student financials > Financial Aid > click on the Satisfactory Academic Progress tab.

See the YC College Catalog for additional information about Grades. Go to catalog.yc.edu > scroll down and click on the Admission, Registration and Records link > select the Grades & Credits Link

Click HERE to view Yavapai College’s SAP policy.

Maximum Timeframe (MTF)

Maximum Timeframe (MTF) is a federal regulation that requires students to complete their degree or certificate within 150% of the credit hours required to complete the program. MTF is part of Satisfactory Academic Progress. If students exceed 150% of their credit hours required for completion, they are put on financial aid suspension and will need to go through an appeal process to determine financial aid eligibility for future semesters.

To view your Maximum Timeframe percent, log into https://www.yc.edu > My Account > Student financials > Financial Aid > click on the Satisfactory Academic Progress tab.

Click HERE to view Yavapai College’s SAP policy.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Status Levels

GOOD Status: Students who are meeting all aspects of the satisfactory academic progress policy or successfully following a designated academic progress plan.

Warning Status: Students who fail to meet satisfactory academic progress for the first time (excluding students who have already attempted 150% of the credits required for their programs of study) will be automatically placed in a Warning Status for one term and are expected to meet SAP requirements by the end of that term.

Students who fail to meet satisfactory academic progress requirements at the end of the warning status term will be placed on financial aid suspension. However, with a successful SAP appeal, those students will retain financial aid eligibility.

Financial Aid Suspension: Students who do not meet the credit progression schedule and/or the cumulative grade point average standard will be placed on financial aid suspension. Students in Suspension Status are not eligible to receive financial aid, unless an appeal is submitted and approved.

Probation Status: Students who have successfully appealed their financial aid suspension may be placed in a Probation Status for no more than one semester. After completion of the Probation semester the student MUST be meeting the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Students who have successfully appealed their financial aid suspension may also be placed in an Academic Plan. Students placed in an Academic Plan are eligible to receive financial aid for multiple semesters, provided that 100% of attempted credits each term are completed with a passing grade. Failure to meet the term by term requirements will result in termination of the Probation status and the student will no longer be eligible to receive financial aid.

Quantitative Standards or Pace of Completion

Completion Rate (66.67% Rule): Students must, at a minimum, receive satisfactory grades in 66.67% of cumulative credits attempted. Credits with a grade of A, B, C, D, S or P are considered satisfactory. Courses with a grade of F, W, U, I, R, or X are considered unsatisfactory.

The calculation is made by dividing the cumulative total number of successfully completed credits by the cumulative total number of credits attempted. All credits attempted at YC are included.

All credits accepted in transfer count as both attempted and successfully completed credits. This evaluation will be made prior to aid being awarded and after grades are posted at the end of each semester a student is enrolled at the college.

Special Circumstances

There is some flexibility in determining a student's eligibility for financial aid.

Dependent status vs Independent status - Parents refusing or unwilling to contribute to a student's education or students that demonstrate total self-sufficiency do not qualify a student as independent. However, a student may be eligible to appeal the dependent status by filing a Petition for Independent Status if there are extenuating circumstances. Contact the Financial Aid Office for more information.

Financial Situations - In some cases, your financial aid administrator may adjust your cost of attendance or the information used to calculate your Student Aid Index (SAI) to take into account circumstances that might affect the amount you and your family are expected to contribute toward your education. These circumstances can include: a family's unusually high medical or dental expenses, not covered by insurance; or if you, your spouse, or either of your parents (if a dependent student) have been recently unemployed. Contact the Financial Aid Office to obtain information on how to submit an Income Reduction Appeal.

Transfer Monitoring Hold Policy

Transfer monitoring is the process by which schools must verify with the Department of Education (via the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), eligibility for federal financial aid for students who begin their study mid-year or during the summer at Yavapai College. Once transfer monitoring for a student is reported to NSLDS, Yavapai College is required to wait seven (7) days before funds can be disbursed to the student. This process must be done even if the student did not receive financial aid at any other school.

Verification Policy

The Financial Aid Office verifies all FAFSAs selected for verification by the Department of Education. Under certain circumstances, additional files may be selected where conflicting information indicates that there may be errors in the data reported.

Withdrawal Policy

If you withdraw from your classes at Yavapai College after you have received your financial aid, you may be required to repay a portion of the funds you received. 

YC is required by federal statute to recalculate federal financial aid eligibility for students who completely withdraw prior to completing 60% of a term.  Recalculation is based on the percentage of earned aid using the federal Return to Title IV funds formula.  All unearned aid must be returned to the Department of Education and repaid to YC. 

R2T4 Policy

DETERMINING THE WITHDRAWAL DATE

The withdrawal date will be determined based on the following criteria in the following order:

  • Official withdrawal date: The date the student began the official withdrawal
  • Unofficial withdrawal date: The last date student attended class, determined by the student’s instructor; or
  • If the student did not begin the withdrawal process or otherwise notify the school of the intent to withdraw, the midpoint of the semester for which federal financial aid was disbursed or a later date documented by the school.

REPAYMENT OF FUNDS

  • The Financial Aid Office will provide written notification to any student who is required to repay a portion of their federal financial aid received. This written notification will include the returned amount as well as your current balance due.
  • A hold will be placed on the student’s college record until this debt has been satisfied. This hold will prevent the student from accessing services such as registering for classes.
  • In the case of a Pell Grant overpayment, the Department of Education will also be notified, which will prevent the student from receiving future federal financial aid until the required amount has been paid in full.

ORDER OF RETURN OF FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID FUNDS

Unearned funds returned by the institution or the student will be credited to outstanding balances on title IV loans made to the student or on behalf. Those funds will be credited to outstanding balances for the payment period or period of enrollment for which a return of funds is required in the following order:

  1. Unsubsidized Federal Direct Stafford loans
  2. Subsidized Federal Direct Stafford loans
  3. Federal Direct PLUS received on behalf of the student
  4. Federal Pell Grants
  5. Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants
  6. FSEOG Program aid

Withdraw FAQ

If I withdraw from a class, will it affect my financial aid and will I owe money?

Changes to your class schedule can affect your continued eligibility for aid. If you withdraw from a class after the 100% tuition refund date, you may owe money and it will lower your rate of progression. If you completely withdraw from all classes, not only will you lower your rate of progression, but you may also have to pay back some of your financial aid.

If I drop a class before the 100% tuition refund date, will it affect my financial aid?

Dropping a class before the 100% tuition refund date could reduce the amount of financial aid you are eligible for. However, it will not negatively impact your rate of progression or your ability to receive financial aid in the future.