Packaging Process

The Coast Community College District will package all students in a manner consistent with federal and state regulations.

In keeping with the federal and state guidelines, it is the philosophy of the District colleges’ Financial Aid Offices that no one has the responsibility of supporting the student except for the student’s parent(s). Thus, a student who is living with relatives will be treated as an "away from home" student, will be given an away from home budget, and will be packaged accordingly. Students who apply for financial aid as "at home" and then move away from home must update their FAFSA to reflect "away".

Students who report child or elder care expenses may have their budget changed to include child care or eldercare based on documentation. This is done by the student completing the appropriate form and adding the element to the standard budget.

It is permissible, using professional judgment, to change the student’s budget to more accurately reflect the actual expenses of the student. It is permissible, for example, to add additional expenses for a disabled student. It would also be permissible to remove the food & housing portion of the budget for a student who is not paying those expenses.

Related Information

Expected Family Contribution

The expected family contribution used in awarding student financial aid and is calculated by the central processor (Department of Education). Reminder: It is permissible, under professional judgment, to change the student’s contribution to more accurately reflect the financial strength of the student (and the student’s parents). Such an adjustment may be used to either increase or decrease the student’s contribution. One way to do this is to use the student’s (and/or parent’s) projected year or projected school year income. This may be done if the projected income is less than or more than the base year income. It is also permissible to remove a source of income from the previous year that is not available for the academic year.

Neediest Students

Title IV regulations require that FSEOG be awarded to the students with exceptional need, as determined by the lowest family contribution. The District defines this as those students with a calculated EFC of zero.
Reminder: It is not permissible to use professional judgment to award FSEOG or Federal Perkins Loan to a student whose need amount is less than the cut off amount in the ranking process.

Packaging Priorities

1. Federal Pell Grant, Chafee Grant
2. Cal Grant, National Service Awards (AmeriCorps)
3. Afghanistan-Iraq Grant
4. FSEOG
5. Cal Works Work‐Study, or Federal Work Study
6. Federal Direct Loans (PLUS, subsidized, and unsubsidized)

Board of Governors Fee Waiver (BOGFW)

To qualify for the BOGFW, a student must be a resident of California as determined by
Admissions and Records and/or an application received through CSAC as defined in AB131 – the California Dream Act.

BOGFW methods of eligibility:
Method A
If the student receives TANF/CalWorks, SSI/SSP, GR/GA or is a dependent of a disabled or deceased (service‐connected) veteran.
Method B
If the student’s EFC is zero or if the student’s (or the student’s parents’) income is less than the appropriate maximum from the BOGFW income table.
Method C
If the student either has remaining need of $1,104, as determined by the FAFSA, the student is eligible for a BOGFW‐C.


Enrollment fee amounts:
Enrollment fees are considered to be part of the student’s budget and the waiver is treated as a student financial aid award. Students that pay their own enrollment fees and are later determined to be eligible for the BOGFW, will receive a refund check for the enrollment fees from the Registration Office.

Cal Grant

Cal Grant will be awarded as notification is received from the California Student Aid Commission of the awards. The maximum Cal Grant award amounts are determined by the California Student Aid Commission and the California State Legislature.

College Scholarships:

Scholarships will be input as we are notified by the student and/or the issuing authority. If needed, scholarships will replace loans first, work‐study second, and FSEOG third.

BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) Grant

Title IV regulations require that if a student receives a BIA Grant, the amount of the grant must be used to reduce the student’s loan first, FWS second, and FSEOG last.

Other State Grants and Scholarships

As other state grants and scholarships are received for individual students throughout the academic year, the awards will be added to the student’s award package.

EOPS and CARE

The selection of EOPS/CARE recipients will be the responsibility of the EOPS/CARE Office. To be eligible for EOPS, a student must have a zero EFC or meet the income criteria for BOGFW A or B. It is the policy of the EOPS/CARE program to award students even if they are in default of a student loan, suspended from student financial aid or don’t meet the ability to benefit. In general, EOPS/CARE grants will replace loans first, work‐study second, and FSEOG third; however, exceptions to this guideline may be made by the financial aid advisor upon the recommendation of the EOPS/CARE Office staff. EOPS/CARE grant amounts are based on the availability of funds.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunities Grant (FSEOG)

To receive FSEOG, students must:
Meet the “students with exceptional need” criteria, as defined, and be eligible for Federal Pell Grant. The District colleges will use the following awarding process:

1. In August, contact the District Fiscal Office and find out how much SEOG funding will be available to Coastline students. Mark 75% of the funds to be awarded for students beginning their school year in the fall semester. Set aside 20% of the funds for students beginning their school year in the spring. Set aside 5% of the funds to be awarded to students beginning their year at Coastline in the summer.
2. In August, before fall POE loads are set to actual units (default is full-load), run a selection set to find all Pell-eligible, Pell Awarded students who have registered for classes at Coastline, who have completed their FAFSAs by the priority data of May 19th, and who have an EFC of 0.
3. From this group, run a report that ranks all individuals by original need, showing those with the greatest need at the top and the least amount of need at the bottom.
4. FA staff begin manual packaging with those at the top of the list and award maximum SEOG (currently $500) moving down the list until all 75% of the SEOG funds are awarded. Students who are in IP status at the time of the report will not be awarded SEOG, but will be considered if funds are still available after all other students on the report are awarded SEOG.
5. If funds are left after all students on the report are packaged and we have gone back through the list and packaged IP students, then a new report will be run to include students meeting all packaging criteria, but who completed their FAFSA after May 19th. Then Steps 3 and 4 will be repeated.
6. If funds are still left after all students on the second report are packaged, then a new report will be run to include students meeting all packaging criteria of Step 2 who are Pell eligible, but who did not receive a Pell Grant (e.g., LEU used up). Then Steps 3 and 4 will be repeated.
7. Previously awarded SEOG funds that become available again (e.g., the student does not attend Coastline) will be awarded to students who have not been awarded and SEOG, starting with criteria in Step 2 and moving through Step 6 until the funds are all awarded.

Note: Students who have been awarded SEOG but who are determined to have an SAP issue, will have their SEOG kept on hold for them until their appeal can be reviewed. Those who have their appeal approved will receive their SEOG. Those whose appeals are not approved will lose their SEOG and the funds will be awarded to another student.

Spring SEOG Awarding

1. Twenty percent of the annual SEOG funds will be awarded at this time (January, prior to POE loads being set to actual units). More funds may be available if students who received an SEOG in the fall do not continue into the Spring or if students lose SEOG funds due to SAP issues and appeals not being approved.
2. Run a selection set to find all Pell-eligible, Pell Awarded students who have an EFC of 0, who have registered for classes at Coastline for spring, but who were not enrolled in the fall.
3. From this group, run a report that ranks all individuals by original need, showing those with the greatest need at the top and the least amount of need at the bottom.
4. FA staff begin manual packaging with those at the top of the list and award maximum SEOG (currently $500) moving down the list until all of the spring SEOG funds are awarded. Students who are in IP status at the time of the report will not be awarded SEOG, but will be considered if funds are still available after all other students on the report are awarded SEOG.
5. If funds are still left after all students in Step 2 are awarded (including IP students), then a new report will be run to include students meeting all packaging criteria of Step 2 who are Pell eligible, but who did not receive a Pell Grant (e.g., LEU used up). Then Steps 3 and 4 will be repeated.
6. Previously awarded SEOG funds that become available again (e.g., the student does not attend Coastline in spring) will be awarded to students who have not been awarded and SEOG, starting with criteria in Step 2 and moving through Step 5 until the funds are all awarded.

Note: Students who have been awarded SEOG but who are determined to have an SAP issue, will have their SEOG kept on hold for them until their appeal can be reviewed. Those who have their appeal approved will receive their SEOG. Those whose appeals are not approved will lose their SEOG and the funds will be awarded to another student.

Summer SEOG Awarding

1. Five percent of the annual SEOG funds will be awarded at this time (May, prior to POE loads being set to actual units). More funds may be available if students who received an SEOG in the spring do not continue into the summer, or if students lose SEOG funds due to SAP issues and appeals not being approved.
2. Run a selection set to find all Pell-eligible, Pell Awarded students who have an EFC of 0, who have registered for classes at Coastline for summer, but who were not enrolled in the fall or spring.
3. From this group, run a report that ranks all individuals by original need, showing those with the greatest need at the top and the least amount of need at the bottom.
4. FA staff begin manual packaging with those at the top of the list and award maximum SEOG for one semester only (currently $250) moving down the list until all of the spring SEOG funds are awarded. Students who are in IP status at the time of the report will not be awarded SEOG, but will be considered if funds are still available after all other students on the report are awarded SEOG.
5. If funds are still left after all students in Step 2 are awarded (including IP students), then a new report will be run to include students meeting all packaging criteria of Step 2 who are Pell eligible, but who did not receive a Pell Grant (e.g., LEU used up). Then Steps 3 and 4 will be repeated.
6. Previously awarded SEOG funds that become available again (e.g., the student does not attend Coastline in summer) will be awarded to students who have not been awarded and SEOG, starting with criteria in Step 2 and moving through Step 5 until the funds are all awarded.

Note: Students who have been awarded SEOG but who are determined to have an SAP issue, will have their SEOG kept on hold for them until their appeal can be reviewed. Those who have their appeal approved will receive their SEOG. Those whose appeals are not approved will lose their SEOG and the funds will be awarded to another student.

If SEOG funds are increased due to converting a portion of FWS funds to SEOG, then awarding of these funds will begin with the fall group then move to spring and then summer until the funds are awarded.

Federal Work Study, CalWorks

Awards will be made for the 36‐week school year. The number of hours per week will be no more than 19 hours/week per student.
If the need of the first priority applicants cannot be met within the limits of the FWS funds available, these maximums may be adjusted downward. As long as they remain eligible and meet the first priority deadline, students who received FWS in the previous award year will receive it again in the current year, for up to three years. Students will not be awarded FWS for more than three years.
FWS jobs will be assigned through the OCC Job Placement Center at OCC and through the Student Financial Aid Offices at CCC and GWC.
In general, only those students who meet the following criteria will be added to the FWS program:
• Met the First‐Priority deadline of March 2
• Have not received FWS for more than 3 years
• Additional criteria could be campus specific.
Students who worked on FWS during the previous award year will, provided the supervisor and student agree, be continued in the same position for the next award year.

Federal Direct Loans

For students indicating that they will be attending Fall, Spring, and Summer, or Fall and Spring, their Federal Direct Student Loans will be packaged for two terms--Fall and Spring. Half of the requested loan amount will disburse in Fall and the other half in Spring. If a student is only attending Spring and Summer, the loans will be packaged to disburse 50% of the requested loan amount in each term. A student who has already attended one term in an award year and decides to request a loan in a second term for that award year, will have 100% of the requested funds disbursed in the second term, but in two separate disbursements within the term.

Students may receive 100% of their annual Federal Direct Student Loan in one term if that term is the only term that the student will be attending in that award year. If the one term is the last term of the student's program of study, the loan will be prorated in conformity with federal regulations.

Over Awards

• If the student has federal student financial aid other than Federal Pell Grant, reduce the federal aid (other than Federal Pell) until the over award is eliminated.
• If the student has only a Federal Direct Loan to reduce and the loan has already been disbursed and then a scholarship is added, the loan does not have to be recalculated.
• In reviewing over awards at the end of an award year, after the amount of FWS actually earned has been posted, if the over‐award is less than $25, it is within the tolerance for FWS and does not need to be adjusted.
• If the student is over awarded, has Cal Grant, and has no federal student financial aid (other than Federal Pell) that may be reduced, first meet with the student to determine if the student has an unusual situation that warrants an addition to the budget. If not, the Cal Grant will be reduced to stay within the budget.
• If the student is over awarded, has EOPS or CalWorks, and has no federal student financial aid (other than Pell) that may be reduced, notify the EOPS Office. They will either reduce or remove the EOPS grant or meet with the financial aid advisor and recommend increasing the student’s budget because of unusual financial circumstances.

Professional Judgment

Professional judgment cannot be used to waive general student eligibility requirements or to circumvent the intent of the law or regulations.

Change a Dependent Student to Independent

The Petition for Change to Independent Status form is to be used for students who request a change from dependent to independent status. The decision to change the student from dependent to independent status will be made by the Financial Aid Appeal Committee, in accordance with the authority described in the HEA. This determination is campus specific and can not be re-appealed.