Financial Aid Application Process
FOLLOW THE 4 STEPS TO CASH TO APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID
Step 1: Apply
Apply for FAFSA
- Submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at www.studentaid.gov/fafsa
- List the Federal School Code for Cerritos College 001161
- Apply by March 2nd to be considered for Cal Grant and Student Success Completion Grant
Note: Remember to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to transfer your tax information onto your FAFSA.
OR
Apply for California Dream Act
- If you are not a citizen or eligible non-citizen and qualify for AB 540 status
- Submit a California Dream Act Application at www.caldreamact.org
- List the School Code for Cerritos College 00116100
- Apply by March 2nd to be considered for Cal Grant and Student Success Completion Grant
For more information visit www.cerritos.edu/dream.
Get hands-on assistance completing your FAFSA or Dream Act application!
Join our Zoom Sessions
Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 8 - 4:30 pm
Wednesday 8 - 6 pm
Friday Closed
Step 2: Submit forms
- Follow the link on your To Do List and complete all required Outstanding Financial Aid Tasks.
Note: It is important to submit these required tasks in a timely manner to avoid any delays in your financial aid file. Once the Financial Aid Office reviews all required documentation and completes the verification process if required, the file will be completed.
Step 3: View awards
You will be sent an award notification on your MyCerritos message center. You may view your awards on MyCerritos. Disbursement of awards are based on you meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards.
Once you receive your award notification, you can apply for a Federal Direct Stafford Loan if you are interested. (See Loans for requirements and application process)
Step 4: Receive Disbursement
Once awarded financial aid, you will be sent a refund selection kit in a green envelope*. Next, you will go to www.refundselection.com to use the personal access code provided and select how you would like to receive your refund.
- Electronic Deposit to Another Account
- Electronic Deposit to Cerritos Falcon Card
A disbursement will be processed for eligible students according to the disbursement schedule. You can check the status of your disbursements online at MyCerritos.
*CA Dream Act applicants will receive financial aid refunds via paper checks.
*This entire process can take a few weeks or a few months depending on the required documentation needed to complete and how quickly you turn in the required documentation.
**Please note if you need your fees waived, you can print out the Student Aid Report (SAR) from the www.fafsa.gov website and submit it to the Financial Aid Office during office hours. The other option is to submit a California College Promise Grant application to the Financial Aid Office.
To contact the Financial Aid Office, call (562) 860-2451 ext. 2397 or e-mail us at finaid@cerritos.edu.
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