Financial Aid Programs

Financial Aid Programs

The Financial Aid Office offers a variety of programs to assist students with meeting the costs of higher education. You must complete the FAFSA on the web to apply for any Federal programs. Students completing a California Dream Act Application should visit our Dreamer page for more information.

When completing the FAFSA, or the CA Dream Act Application, students should use the Federal School Code Identifier for Hartnell College (001209). If you are not sure which college you will be attending, list all colleges that you are considering.

The Financial Aid priority deadline is March 2nd. We encourage you to apply early. The applications become available October 1st of every year. To ensure fairness to ALL students, financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis with priority given to students who complete their application by March 2nd of each year. You must submit all required forms and be registered in classes before you financial aid is processed. Hartnell College will notify you if any forms required after we have received your FAFSA information. Be sure to check your Hartnell College e-mail for notifications.

Need based financial aid programs are based on the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from your FAFSA. Your EFC is determined by a federal formula using the information reported on your FAFSA. Your financial need is the cost of attending Hartnell minus your EFC. For an estimate complete our Net Price Calculation.

Ayuda Financiera Para Estudiantes

Are you NEW to Hartnell? Click on the Award Letter Guide to learn about processing timelines, types of awards, disbursements and eligibility requirements.

Need help figuring out your Award Letter? Click here

FEDERAL AID 
Many types of Federal Aid are grants, which is free money that generally does not need to be repaid unless you fail to meet conditions of awards. (See Withdrawal from Classes - Return 2 Title IV agreement).

Federal Pell Grant
This grant provides federal money for students with financial need. The federal government uses the family information from your FAFSA to determine who is eligible and how much each student is eligible to receive. 

IMPORTANT : The amount of Federal Pell Grant funds you may receive over your lifetime is limited by federal law to be the equivalent of six years. Click here for more information

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
This federal program is designed to assist students with exceptional need by supplementing other financial aid sources. You must be enrolled in at least 6 units and have an Expected Family Contribution of 0 to qualify for SEOG. Award amounts will range from $100 to $200 per year for qualified students.

Federal Work-Study (FWS)
This program, based on financial need, provides part-time employment at the College so that students can earn money while gaining work experience for employment after graduation. A FWS award is not a guarantee of employment. For further information see FWS on campus jobs.  Students cannot exceed 20 hours per week.

Community Service 

Community Services are designed to improve the quality of life for commuinity residents, particularly low-income individuals or to solve particular problems relatd to their needs.  Included in the definition of community services are childcare services and support services offered by the school to is students with disabilities.  

Federal regulations state a school must expend at least 7% of its Federal Work Study allocation to compensate students employed in community service positions.  This includes at least one Federal Work Study student as a reading tutor for preschool-age or elementary school children, or in family literacy activity.  Hartnell College has allocated Federal Work Study funds that meet the 7% requirement to the Child Development Center.

Federal Direct Loan Program:

The U.S. Department of Education's federal student loan program is the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program.  Under this program, the U.S. Department of Education is your lender. Hartnell College offers two types of direct loans:

• Direct Subsidized Loans are loans made to eligible undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need to help cover the costs of higher education.
• Direct Unsubsidized Loans are loans made to eligible undergraduate students, but eligibility is not based on need.

Please visit the following website for more information: studentloans.gov

State of California - (State-Sponsored Grants for residents of California)

California College Promise Grant (formerly known as the BOG waiver) 
For eligible California residents, the California Community College system offers a fee waiver program known as the California College Promise Grant (formerly known as Board of Governors Enrollment Fee Waiver or BOGW). The program may waive the enrollment fees for an eligible student. 

Cal Grants
The State of California, through the Student Aid Commission, offers several grant programs for undergraduate students. These include Cal Grant A, B, and C. A student can receive only one type of Cal Grant. 

Cal Grant B - Cal Grant B provides students a living allowance and tuition and fee assistance for low-income students. Awards for most first-year students are limited to an allowance for books and living expenses.

• Student Success Completion Grant (SSCG): The intent of this grant is to support student persistence, retention and success by providing additional assistance to Cal Grant B recipients who are enrolled in a minimum of 12 unit or more during Fall and Spring semesters. Students must also maintain a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA. For more information, please visit: https://www.csac.ca.gov/cal-grant-faq

Cal Grant C - Cal Grant C awards assist with tuition and training costs at occupational or vocational programs. The award can include an amount for books, tools and equipment.

 

SCHOLARSHIPS

A variety of scholarships are offered for new, continuing and transfer students. Scholarships are available for students who show academic interest, financial need, scholastic achievement, a desire to succeed and community or campus involvement.

Most scholarships are funded through generous contributions by community groups, businesses, foundations and individuals who value education and want to make a difference in the lives of our students.

The Hartnell College Scholarship Application places students in consideration for many scholarships.

Fastweb (Scholarship Search Engine)