Enrollment Policies
Eligibility for all institutional aid programs, including CCA merit- and need-based scholarships, named, endowed, and emeritus scholarships, and campus-based federal aid programs—the Federal SEOG, Federal Work-Study, and Federal Perkins Loan programs—is based on full-time enrollment.
Full-time enrollment is defined as 12 or more units per semester for undergraduate students and 15 units or more for graduate students. The only exception is the in Visual and Critical Studies Graduate Program, for which enrollment in 9 or more units per semester is considered full time.
The Pell and Cal Grants are prorated based on actual unit load for part-time students. At least half-time enrollment is required for the Cal Grant, as well as for the Stafford and PLUS Loan programs and for most alternative loan programs.
Students who drop from full-time to part-time status during the add/drop period will have their financial aid revised as follows:
- CCA scholarships, including merit scholarships, will be withdrawn for all undergraduate students.
- CCA scholarships, including merit scholarships, will be prorated for all graduate students based on their actual enrollment.
- Federal Pell Grant will be prorated as determined by the federal payment schedule based on enrollment status.
- Cal Grant will be prorated based on enrollment status.
- Federal Stafford and PLUS Loans will be reviewed for eligibility based on enrollment status. A student must maintain at least half-time enrollment for loan eligibility.
- Federal SEOG may be withdrawn.
- Federal Perkins Loan may be withdrawn.
- Federal Work-Study may be withdrawn.
Refunds to tuition are credited to the student's account at the time of the schedule change. No refunds will be made to students who are dismissed from the college because of disciplinary infractions.
Withdrawals & Leaves of Absence
Students on financial aid who wish to withdraw or take a leave of absence from CCA will be required to meet with a financial aid counselor.
Students who take a leave of absence in the fall semester and plan to return in spring semester are required to contact the Financial Aid Office prior to the start of the spring semester to reactivate their file.
Financial Aid Return of Title IV Funds
A student who withdraws from CCA will have a financial aid refund calculated based upon the time attended and the date the student withdraws, in accordance with federal regulations.
The Financial Aid Office will calculate the amount of Title IV assistance that the student has earned based on the student's date of withdrawal. If the student received more Title IV assistance than the amount earned, the student and/or institution must return the unearned Title IV funds.
Title IV funds will be returned in the following order:
- Federal Unsubsidized Stafford
- Federal Subsidized Stafford
- Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford
- Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford
- Federal Perkins
- Federal PLUS
- Direct PLUS
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal SEOG
- Other Title IV Assistance
CCA will return the lesser of the amount of unearned Title IV aid disbursed or the amount of institutional charges incurred for the payment period or period of enrollment multiplied by the percent of funds unearned by the student.
The student or parent PLUS borrower must return unearned assistance minus the amount returned by the college. The student or parent PLUS borrower must also return or repay the amount of Title IV aid as determined to loan programs according to the terms of the loan and grant programs as an overpayment, subject to repayment arrangements satisfactory to the college or overpayment collection procedures prescribed by the Department of Education.
These policies obtain for all students, including those who withdraw from the college after the add/drop period and remain liable for all tuition charges and other fees.