FINANCIAL AID OFFICE
www.smc.edu/financialaid
Admissions/Student Services Complex 104 434-4343
The Financial Aid Office at Santa Monica College strongly encourages students to apply for financial aid and to come into the Financial Aid Office to discuss their individual situations. Students who have been ineligible to receive financial aid in the past should re-apply each year and are encouraged to come in and ask about other resources that may be available to them.
The Financial Aid Office provides a number of important student services, including:
• Providing information regarding the types of financial aid available;
• Providing information in acquiring a high school diploma, GED, or high school equivalency documentation—which is required for financial aid;
• Helping collect and complete all necessary financial aid forms and documents; and
• Providing guidance on student loans and debt management.
The Financial Aid Office annually provides more than $17.5 million in federal and state assistance to SMC students. The major aid programs at SMC are:
• Pell Grants—Federally funded grants of up to $4,713 per year to eligible undergraduate students;
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)—A Federal grant given to the College for disbursement to eligible students (average Santa Monica College student award is up to $200 per semester until these funds are completely expended);
• Cal Grant B—State-funded award for eligible students from disadvantaged backgrounds or low-income families who have exceptionally high financial need, to provide them assistance with enrollment fees, living expenses, books, supplies, and transportation (the average Santa Monica College student award is $1,551 per year);
• Cal Grant C—State-funded award for eligible students from low- and middle-income backgrounds enrolled in vocational training programs, to provide them assistance with training costs such as tools, books, and equipment (average Santa Monica College student award is $576 per year);
• Board of Governors (BOG) Enrollment Fee Waivers—State-funded waivers of certain enrollment fee for eligible students.
• Federal Work-Study (FWS) funds—Federally funded program that provides wages to eligible students for both on-campus and off-campus employment (FWS wage rate is $8 per hour);
• Stafford Loans (subsidized and unsubsidized)—Federally administered, low-interest loans to eligible students; and
• Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS Loans)—Federally administered, low-interest loans to parents of students who are considered dependent according to federal regulations.
To be eligible to receive most forms of financial aid, a student must show documented “financial need” as determined by the federal government. However, there are a number of other specific federal requirements that must also be met. To be eligible for federal financial aid, you must:
• Be a US citizen, a permanent resident, or an eligible non-citizen (if you do not understand these terms, ask the Financial Aid Office to explain them to you);
• Have a valid Social Security Number;
• Have a high school diploma or GED, or pass an approved, independently administered test (Ability-To-Benefit exam) that is available at SMC;
• Be enrolled in an eligible program at SMC;
• Make satisfactory academic progress in your course work;
• Have complied with US Selective Service requirements (male students only);
• Have not been convicted of the possession and/or sale of illegal drugs; and
• Not be in default on a student loan or owe a refund on any state or federal grant you may have received in the past.
The Financial Aid Office is open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m., and Friday 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Hours are subject to change without notice. For additional information, please visit the Financial Aid Office website at www.smc.edu/financialaid or call the office at (310) 434-4343.
Scholarship Office
www.smc.edu/apps/comm.asp?$1=6
1738 Pearl St., Santa Monica 434-4290
SMC’s Scholarship Office handles a variety of awards from sources such as foundations, private endowments, and private individuals. Scholarships are available to students continuing at SMC or transferring from SMC to a four-year college or university. Awards are offered for a wide range of achievements and activities, and many do not include financial need in their requirements.
The Scholarship Office:
• Provides a single-application procedure for consideration for more than 300 scholarships available through Santa Monica College;
• Distributes approximately $430,000 in scholarship funds from the Santa Monica College Foundation (an endowment fund that provides proceeds for about 300 different scholarships), service clubs and local organizations, private individuals, and other organizations, foundations, and corporations;
• Provides information and application forms for a variety of off-campus scholarship sources; and
• Provides support services to get and fill out applications and to collect any required documents.
Scholarships vary from $250 to $2,000 per year, and are awarded as a check issued directly to the student.
For more information, please visit the Scholarship Office webpage or give us a call.