FAQs
Questions? Contact Us.
Financial Aid
Yakima Campus
Deccio, Building 8
finaid@yvcc.edu
509-574-6855
Grandview Campus
Yakima Campus
Building 56
finaid@yvcc.edu
509-882-7008
Financial Aid Portal
Located within the Student ctcLink Portal.
The Financial Aid Portal will give you access to messages from the Financial Aid office.
Financial Aid FAQs
Yes. Many families mistakenly think they don’t qualify for aid and prevent themselves from receiving financial aid by failing to apply for it. In addition, there are a few sources of aid such as unsubsidized Stafford and PLUS loans that are available regardless of need. The FAFSA form is free. There is no good excuse for not applying.
You cannot submit the form before this deadline because the need analysis process uses your financial information from the prior tax year when calculating eligibility for the upcoming award year.
Submit a FAFSA. To indicate interest in student employment, student loans and parent
loans, you should check the appropriate boxes. Checking these boxes does not commit
you to accepting these types of aid. You will have the opportunity to accept or decline
each part of your aid package later. Leaving these boxes unchecked will not increase
the amount of grants you receive.
Yes. Most financial aid offices require that you apply for financial aid every year.
If your financial circumstances change, you may get more or less aid. After your first
year you will receive a “Renewal Application” which contains preprinted information
from the previous year’s FAFSA. Note that your eligibility for financial aid may change
significantly, especially if you have a different number of family members in college.
Renewal of your financial aid package also depends on your making satisfactory academic
progress toward a degree, such as earning a minimum number of credits and achieving
a minimum GPA.
No. Parents are, however, responsible for the Federal PLUS loans. Parents will only be responsible for your educational loans if they co-sign your loan. In general you and you alone are responsible for repaying your educational loans.
You do not need to get your parents to cosign your federal student loans, even if you are under age 18, as the ‘defense of infancy’ does not apply to federal student loans. (The defense of infancy presumes that a minor is not able to enter into contracts, and considers any such contract to be void. There is an explicit exemption to this principle in the Higher Education Act with regard to federal student loans.) However, lenders may require a cosigner on private student loans if your credit history is insufficient or if you are underage. In fact, many private student loan programs are not available to students under age 18 because of the defense of infancy.
If your parents (or grandparents) want to help pay off your loan, you can have your billing statements sent to their address. Likewise, if your lender or loan servicer provides an electronic payment service, where the monthly payments are automatically deducted from a bank account, your parents can agree to have the payments deducted from their account. But your parents are under no obligation to repay your loans. If they forget to pay the bill on time or decide to cancel the electronic payment agreement, you will be held responsible for the payments, not them.
The federal formula for computing the expected family contribution is different from
those used by many colleges. In particular, the federal formula does not consider
home equity as part of the assets.
Not immediately. The subsidized Stafford loan has a grace period of 6 months and the Perkins loan a grace period of 9 months before the student must begin repaying the loan. When you take a leave of absence you will not have to repay your loan until the grace period is used up. If you use up the grace period, however, when you graduate you will have to begin repaying your loan immediately. It is possible to request an extension to the grace period, but this must be done before the grace period is used up.
If your grace period has run out in the middle of your leave of absence, you will have to start making payments on your student loans.
Yes. If you are receiving any kind of financial aid from college or government sources, you must report the scholarship to the financial aid office.
Unfortunately, the college will adjust your financial aid package to compensate. Nevertheless, the outside scholarship will have some beneficial effects. At some colleges outside scholarships are used to reduce the self-help level. For example, at MIT the outside scholarship is first applied to reducing the self-help level, and only when the scholarship exceeds self-help does it replace institutional grants. At other colleges outside scholarships are used to replace loans instead of grants.
Normally, a minor cannot be held liable for a contract that they sign. However, in 1992 the Higher Education Act was amended to permit eligible students, defined as per Title IV regulations, to sign promissory notes for their own Federal student loans. As such, student loans represent one of the few exceptions to the so-called “defense of infancy”. The specific citation is section 484A(b)(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 USC 1091a(b)(2)), and applies to Stafford, PLUS and Consolidation Loans. It does not appear to apply to Perkins and Direct Loans, although it was clearly the intent of Congress that it should.
Several states have also passed similar laws that consider minors to be competent to enter into a contract for an education loan. This extends similar protection to private and non-federal loans. All private education loans require a cosigner when the student is under the age of majority, just to be safe.
The money you earn from Federal Work-Study is generally subject to federal and state income tax, but exempt from FICA taxes (provided you are enrolled full time and work less than half-time).
Federal Work-Study earnings during the calendar year should be included in the totals for AGI and Worksheet C on the FAFSA. Work-study earnings should only be included in Worksheet C when they represent financial aid to the student, since the answer to this question is used as an exclusion from taxed income. The student should also be careful to report amounts based on the calendar year, not the school year.
Call the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or 1-800-730-8913 (if hearing impaired) and ask for a free copy of The Student Guide: Financial Aid from the US Department of Education. This toll free hotline is run by the US Department of Education and can answer questions about federal and state student aid programs and applications. You can also write to
Federal Student Aid Information Center
PO Box 84
Washington, DC 20044
Visit Fees and Cost page to see the estimated cost of attendance.
No, you do not need to attend full time to receive grants, loans or work study. However every student’s eligibility is different so students with an EFC of approximately 3501 or higher may not receive grant aid if they enroll less than full time. Check with the Financial Aid Office if you want to enroll less than full time and you have an EFC equal to or greater than 3501.
Financial aid is available to student at all enrollments levels, except federal loans that require a minimum enrollment of 6 credits per quarter. The YVC financial aid office awards financial aid to students at the full-time level (12 or more credits per term) so that students know their maximum level of support.
However, aid will only disburse if the student enrolls at the enrollment level for which the aid was processed.
Beginning the second week of the quarter, if the student did not enroll in full-time credits, the financial aid office will prorate the grant assistance, authorize the aid to disburse at less than full-time level, and adjust the student’s satisfactory progress requirements.
For earlier financial aid availability, part-time students submit an Enrollment Revision form before the first day of the quarter and prior to disbursement of any aid. We recommend that part-time students submit their Enrollment Revision forms as soon as they have enrolled in all their classes so that the financial aid staff can prorate the aid, adjust the disbursement and satisfactory progress requirements and make aid available as early as possible.
- You are a U.S. Citizen, national, or a permanent resident. (International students are not eligible.)
- You have a high school diploma or the recognized equivalent (GED). Students enrolled prior to July 1, 2012 may have established eligibility through an Ability-to-Benefit provision; however, other students must have the diploma or recognized equivalent (GED) to receive financial aid.
- For State Need Grant only: You qualify as a non-citizen “dreamer” based on state residency for 3 years prior to high school diploma or passing the GED and through enrolling in post-secondary Education.
- You are making satisfactory academic progress in your studies at YVC whether you received aid previously or not.
- You are in an approved college program that is at least one year in length and leads to a degree or certificate.
- You do not owe a repayment of federal or state grant funds received at any college.
- You are not in default on a student loan received at any college. If you are a grant recipient, have not earned a bachelor’s degree and if pursing an associate’s degree, not having earned an associates degree within the past 5 years (state grants).
- You are registered for selective service, if male.
- You have not been barred from receiving federal benefits by a federal court.
- You have not been convicted of a selling or possessing illegal drugs while receiving financial aid.
Visit Eligibility for more details.
Yakima Valley College offers a variety of programs for which needy students may receive support through the financial aid office.
However, there are some programs that DO NOT QUALIFY for financial assistance. In general, programs that lead to associate’s degrees and certificate programs that are at least one academic year in length are eligible for funding.
Adult basic education courses and shorter certificate programs do not qualify. It is important to work with the financial aid office if you are taking adult basic education or certificate classes so that ineligible credits are not counted in your enrollment for financial aid. If your certificate program can be completed in fewer than three quarters, download the Program of Study document from the Forms page that identifies programs of study that are eligible for assistance.
Financial aid is intended only for students pursuing an eligible program. When a student has completed the requirements for a certificate or degree program at YVC, financial aid priority ends until the student enrolls in a new, eligible program.
However, State Grant programs are not available for the pursuit of a subsequent associate degree program for five years after completion of any associate’s degree.
Yes. Many families mistakenly think they don’t qualify for aid and prevent themselves
from receiving financial aid by failing to apply for it. In addition, there are a
few sources of aid such as unsubsidized Stafford and PLUS loans that are available
regardless of need. The FAFSA form is free. There is no good excuse for not applying.
No. You can apply for financial aid any time after October 1. To actually receive
funds, however, you must be admitted and enrolled at the college.
If you haven’t received a Student Aid Report (SAR), call the Federal processor at 1-319-337-5665 or 1-800-433-3243.
The formula used to process the FAFSA information was established by Congress to ensure that all financial aid applicants are treated consistently and that they pay a fair portion of the educational costs. The formula, called Congressional Methodology, is used for all financial aid applicants and considers your family’s income and assets to calculate the Expected Family Contribution. The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is the amount you and your family are expected to contribute toward your education. If your EFC is less than the cost of attendance, you have financial “need”. If you and your family have very few resources and your EFC is below a certain level, you may qualify for a Federal Pell Grant.
For families with children who are not yet college age, the FAFSA4caster, a federal website, can provide guidance on estimating the Expected Family Contribution.
If you are a high school senior or you are contemplating going to or attending college within the next year, it is time to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Apply as early after January 1 as possible for the upcoming school year (Fall through Spring). If you intend to take classes in summer, find out what year’s FAFSA your school uses for summer enrollment. Then, go to FAFSA online and get started.
Send in the form as soon as possible after October 1. Do not wait until your taxes
are done. Although it is better to do your taxes early, it is ok to use estimates
of your income, so long as they aren’t very far off from the actual values. You will
have an opportunity to correct any errors later. If you wait too long, you might miss
the deadline for state aid. Most states require the FAFSA to be submitted by March
1, and some even as early as early or mid-February.
No. Only the original FAFSA form produced by the US Department of Education is acceptable.
Photocopies, reproductions, facsimiles and electronic versions are all not acceptable.
(See DCL GEN-95-21.)
The “award amount” is the amount of federal grants and state grants and the net amount of any federal loans for which the student was eligible after the school has made any required adjustments for need and enrollment level; work study earnings and awards are not included in repayment calculations.
All federal and state aid is included in the repayment calculation whether it was disbursed to the student account or to the student (through BankMobile Disbursements); however 50% of federal grant awards are protected from student repayment and state grant repayments are reduced by 50% in recognition of term start-up cuts incurred by the student.
If attendance cannot be established by the financial aid office, 100% of the student’s aid must be returned, including aid that applied to institutional charges and aid that was delivered to the student. (In the case where the student’s attendance is not established, all aid including loans must be repaid immediately.) If attendance can be verified but a last date of attendance is not established, 50% of aid must be returned. If the last date of attendance for all classes is documented, that date may be used to calculate the amount that must be returned if this yields a lower repayment owed by the student.
If a student withdraws after 60% of the term has been completed, no funds are returned
to the federal or state government; of course, student loans must still be repaid
according to the terms of the promissory note. If a student begins attendance but
withdraws on or before 60% of the quarter has been completed, the amount of federal
aid that must be returned by the school is based on the percentage of “unearned” aid
compared to the institutional charges incurred by the student. The amount that must
be repaid by the student is the remaining “unearned” amount comprised of federal grant
funds after 50% of federal grant is protected and the student is permitted to repay
any loan funds according to the terms of the loans promissory note. Similarly, if
the student begins attendance but withdraws on or before the mid-point of the quarter,
the student is responsible for repaying 50% of any unearned state grant funds.
Students who withdraw or are expelled before attending classes are not eligible for financial aid and must return/repay any aid that was disbursed. YVC will return any funds that applied to the student’s account, and the student must repay all other aid that was disbursed.
Federal and State financial aid recipients and others who qualify for aid, who begin attendance but withdraw from all classes, are expelled, or otherwise stop participating within a term, are required to repay federal and/or state aid funds based on the calculation of the “unearned” portion of their aid. The proportion of the aid that is “earned” is calculated by taking the number of calendar days of attendance divided by the number of calendar days in the term (excluding any period of 5 consecutive days when no classes are held). If the student has completed more than 50% of the term before withdrawal, the student is considered to have “earned” 100% of the state grant aid awarded; if the student has completed more than 60% of any term before withdrawal, the student is considered to have “earned” 100% of the federal financial aid. However, if the student completed less, the portion of “unearned” aid is the percent of the term that was unattended or 100% less the “earned” percentage, and is subject to repayment.
- Students may work during summer, but they must be awarded through financial aid specifically for Summer Quarter.
- Students must have a complete financial aid file and have met our priority deadline date.
- Students must be enrolled at least half-time – 6 credits.
- Award may not be exceeded.
Students must be enrolled at least half-time – 6 credits.
How to Calculate Number of Hours Per Week/Quarter
Follow these three easy steps:
- Start with your total quarterly award.
- Divide your total quarterly award by your hourly wage to determine how many hours you can work in the entire quarter.
- Divide the total hours you can work in the quarter by the number of weeks in the quarter to arrive at how many hours you can work per week without exceeding your quarterly award.
Submit your (Time Leave Reporting) TLR to your lead. Leads will approve all TLRS
and they will send to Payroll for processing.
Submit your (Time Leave Reporting) TLR on the 15th and end of each month.
Late TLRs will be processed on the next payroll date.
All paychecks are submitted by direct deposit to the student’s bank account.
We are paid twice a month, usually the 10th and 25th of each month.
- Our expectation is for students to take time off from work during winter and spring breaks.
- If you have funding remaining at the end of fall or winter quarters and are enrolled at least half-time for the following quarter, you may work during break periods.
- You may not exceed your quarterly award.
To inquire about the status of your scholarship please send an email to finaid@yvcc.edu and include the following;
- Your full name
- Your ctcLink student ID number
- The name of your scholarship
- The amount of your scholarship award
- And any additional questions or details
Mail your scholarship payment to:
YVC Cashier’s Office
P.O. Box 22520
Yakima, WA 98907-2520.
Please include student's full name and student's ctcLink ID number.