Financial Aid

Financial Aid Process

Eligibility Requirements

In order for a student to be eligible for financial aid, the student must meet all general eligibility requirements.  Click HERE for details on all general eligibility requirements.

If a student does not meet any of the general eligibility requirements, the student may make an appointment with a Financial Aid staff to discuss how to resolve any eligibility issues. 

Financial Aid timeline

To apply for federal and state financial aid programs, you need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.gov.  The FAFSA must be completed annually.  The best time to submit the FAFSA is between January 1st and March 2nd prior to the start of the academic year (Fall semester).  We recommend that you follow the key dates and timeline in the process as listed below:

If you submit your FAFSA outside the priority application period between October 1st and March 2nd, you may not be able to take advantage of other financial aid funds that are limited in funding. 

What Happens after completing the FAFSA

Once you have submitted your FAFSA, you will receive your results (known as the Student Aid Report) from the Federal Processor via email or postal mail.  If you listed Pierce College (001226) on your FAFSA, we will also receive a copy of your application from the Federal Processor.  We will conduct a review of your FAFSA information.  We will then initiate communication to you via email regarding our review of your FAFSA information and provide next steps if necessary.  Please note that we will use the LACCD assigned email if you have been assigned one during your admissions application at Pierce College; otherwise, we will use the email that you provided on your FAFSA.

If Pierce College is your home school, you may log in to the Student Information System at mycollege.laccd.edu to view any checklist items (TO DO).  Additional documents required by the Financial Aid Office may be submitted to the Financial Aid Office in person, or fax or postal mail. Students should submit all required information and/or documentation by the May 1^st priority deadline to be considered for funding during the first week of fall semester assuming all eligibility requirements are met.  Submission of required documentation after the May 1st priority deadline will cause delay processing of your financial aid file.

If your FAFSA has been selected for verification, you may be required to complete the verification process. You may also be required to submit copies of your (and your parents, if required) IRS Tax Transcript, as new regulations no longer allow the submission of copies of federal tax returns as acceptable documentation to complete the verification process. To request your IRS Tax Transcript, log in to www.irs.gov.  If you (and your parents) did not use the IRS Data Retrieval process when you submitted your FAFSA, you may now do so (assuming you and your parents submitted your tax return to IRS) by accessing your FAFSA.

Once all required documentation has been submitted, we will conduct a thorough review of your file for discrepancies.  Please note that if you have not yet selected your "financial aid processing school" your financial aid file will not be reviewed and processed. 

You will be notified via email to your LACCD assigned email of your award notification.

Refunds/Disbursements will occur during the first week of fall semester assuming all eligibility requirements are met such as satisfactory academic progress and verification of enrollment.  Otherwise, we continue to make disbursements throughout the semester on a regularly scheduled basis.  Please note:  it is your responsibility to read policies to continue your financial aid eligibility on the Award Guide.