Eligibility
There are several different eligibility requirements depending on a variety of factors.
Citizenship: Federal programs require applicants to be a US citizen or eligible noncitizen. California allows undocumented students to apply for state funds using the California Dream Act Application (CADAA).
Diploma or Equivalent: You must have a high school diploma or state-issued equivalent to be eligible for most forms of financial aid. You do NOT need a diploma or equivalent for the CCPG. Students
concurrently enrolled in high school and Solano through the dual enrollment program are not eligible to receive financial aid.
Major or Program: All Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees are eligible for Title IV aid. Most certificates at Solano are ineligible for financial aid (e.g., Fire Technology, EMT, Esthetics). Contact the Financial Aid Office to find out if your program is eligible for financial aid.
Enrollment status: Many financial aid programs have minimum unit requirements, typically 6 (half-time) or 12 (full-time). If a student’s enrollment status drops below the status for which they were awarded, they may have their awards reduced and/or be required to pay them back. For more information, visit the Title IV Repayment page.
Family Income: While some financial programs are intended to support low-income students, almost every student is eligible for some form of financial aid, regardless of income.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP): Students must maintain good grades and completion rates in order to receive financial aid. They must also not go over 1.5x the intended timeframe for their program (e.g., 3 years for an Associate’s degree intended to be completed in 2 years). Students not meeting these standards will be placed on Warning status and have one term to improve. If they are still not meeting SAP standards at the end of their Warning term, they will lose their eligibility until they return to good standing or file a successful SAP appeal. The deadline for SAP appeals is the last day of the semester. For more information, including the full SAP policy, visit the Satisfactory Academic Progress page.
Citizenship: Federal programs require applicants to be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, and some state programs permit application from undocumented students.
HS Completion: Students without high school diplomas or a recognized equivalent are generally ineligible for federal aid and most state aid; fee waivers may still be available depending on other eligibility requirements. Note: students concurrently enrolled in high school are not eligible to receive financial aid at Solano Community College.
Program eligibility: To receive federal aid, students must be enrolled in a Title IV eligible program. All associates and bachelor degree level programs are eligible for Title IV aid. Note that some certificate programs offered at Solano are ineligible for financial aid (e.g. Fire Technology, EMT, Special Manicuring, and Esthetics).
Enrollment status: Many programs have minimum unit requirements. If a student’s enrollment status drops below the status for which they were awarded, they may have their awards reduced and be required to pay them back. For example, a full-time (12+ units) may be eligible for $3000 in a term. If that student drops classes and becomes a less-than-half-time student (0.5 – 5 units), they may only be eligible for $300 and have to return the difference ($2700) to the college.
Family Income: While some financial programs are intended to support low-income students, almost every student is eligible for some form of financial aid, regardless of income.
Satisfactory Academic Progress: Students must maintain good grades and completion rates while receiving financial aid. Students not meeting these standards will lose their eligibility until they return to good standing (or file a successful appeal).