Adding CC to FAFSA for summer courses

Paying for College
1

I go to a four-year in California. I decided to take summer courses for the summer. I was told by some students that adding the community college to my financial aid is a good choice. Are there any risks in adding a community college for summer courses to my FAFSA? Some people say that it is a good idea while others say it can mess up my financial aid at a four-year.

2

You can only receive financial aid at the school to which you matriculate. You can’t get aid at a school where you are a guest student. Unless you plan to transfer to the community college, you will not be eligible for aid there.

3

You should also check with your four year school to see if they will accept your CC credits. Some colleges (I don’t know about the UCs) would then look at you as a transfer student.

4

The CC is not your main school so you can’t use FAFSA to get aid there.

5

This student is already enrolled in a four year college. It sounds like they want to take a summer course or two at the community college. Their four year isn’t going to view them as a “transfer” student unless they withdraw from the four year college…but that doesn’t sound like the case. @“Erin’s Dad”

  1. As noted, you can only receive aid at the college where you are a matriculated student. That is your current four year college...not the community college.
  2. You need to check to be sure your four year college will accepted CC courses. My kid attended Santa Clara. Once you matriculated there, they accepted no courses from other colleges. Zero.
  3. Can you pay out if pocket for this summer courses?
  4. Submitting the FAFSA to the community college for summer 2020 is a waste of time as you aren’t a matriculated student at the CC. But even if you did submit it...it won’t have any impact on your aid at the four year college. That four year college won’t even know you submitted the FAFSA elsewhere.