Financial Aid

Welcome

Our FAFSA Title IV code is 014073

Welcome to the SCI-Arc Financial Aid Website!
 
The process of applying for aid can seem complicated and time consuming, and our goal is to make it go as smoothly as possible for you. SCI-Arc participates in a wide variety of financial aid programs to assist our students and their families in paying for their education. This is the place to find information about the various financial aid programs available at SCI-Arc as well as our policies and procedures. Financial aid policies and procedures can change due to changes in federal regulations or campus decisions regarding aid; you should check this site regularly to get the most up-to-date information.
 
If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to stop by our office, call or send us an email.
 
Please view the form below to view our Preferred Lender Arrangement Code of Conduct.
 
 

Financial Aid Office

Making an Appointment

Appointments are available Monday - Friday, 9:30am – 4:30pm, as schedules permit.

To schedule an appointment:

→ Email Financial Aid Manager Marisela De La Torre at [email protected]

→ Call at (213) 356-5376

OR

 → Email Financial Aid Generalist Brin Rhee at [email protected] 

Contacting via Email

When emailing, please remember to include your first & last name and your SCI-Arc student ID number. Unless I am out of the office, or during periods of heavy student demand, I will typically respond within 24 hours.

 

=====================================

 
Mailing Address 
960 E 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
 
Location                                                                                 
255 S Santa Fe Avenue #103                        
(Corner of 3rd & Santa Fe)                                           
 
Email 
 
Fax Number                                                                      
213-403-6700                                         
 

GradReady

Tips on Student Loans and other Financial Aid Resources

 

Did you know that the average student loan balance has doubled (from $15,000 to $30,000) in the last decade? We crafted this guide to help students and their parents better understand their college financing options, how to use student loans responsibly, and how to avoid the all-too-common problem of insurmountable student debt. Key elements of the guide include:

 - A step-by-step guide to applying for federal student loans

 - Information about loan forgiveness for students pursuing various service-oriented careers

 - Comparison of federal and private student loans: pros and cons, common pitfalls, and how to apply

 - Tips on managing and repaying loans post-graduation

 

Check out this great resource to help you be a wise student loan borrower. 

 

ttp://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/college-resource-center/student-loan-guidebook/

Financial Aid Calendar

Register to Vote

Are you Registered to Vote?

Find voter eligibility requirements and information on registering to vote in person, early and absentee.

What's on This Page

Register to Vote

If you need to register to vote, visit Vote.USA.gov. Depending on your state’s voter registration rules, the site can help you:

        Start Your Voter Registration

 

Voter Registration Requirements and Deadlines

Basic Requirements

You are eligible to vote in U.S. federal elections if:

  • You are a U.S. citizen.
  • You meet your state’s residency requirements.
  • You are 18 years old. Some states allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries and/or register to vote if they will be 18 before the general election.

Voter Registration Deadlines

In all states except North Dakota, you must register before you can vote. Registration deadlines vary. Some states close registration 30 days before the election, while others allow voters to register up to and on Election Day.

News

2024-2025 FAFSA CHANGES

Due to the passing of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Simplification Act, the FAFSA is changing significantly for the 2024-2025 aid year.

You can expect the following changes:

  • The 2024-2025 FAFSA may not be available until December 31, 2023.
    • The 2024-2025 FAFSA determines your financial aid eligibility for the Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025 semesters.
  • The FAFSA application process will be streamlined and easier for students to complete.
  • New terminology will be added to the FAFSA.
  • Eligibility for federal financial aid will be expanded.

We will continue to update this page as additional information becomes available. You can learn more about the specific changes, timeline, and how to prepare below.

WHAT SHOULD I KNOW?

FAFSA completion date

Instead of opening on October 1, the 2024-2025 FAFSA will not be available until December 2023. This is only temporary. After the 2024-2025 FAFSA year, the form will be available in October as usual again.

Streamlined application process

The FAFSA will have fewer questions, fewer requirements, and retrieve tax information using a direct data exchange from the IRS instead of the previous IRS Data Retrieval Tool.

New terminology and information

  • The FAFSA is introducing the new term contributor, which refers to anyone who is required to provide information on a student’s FAFSA form, including the student, the student’s spouse, a biological or adopted parent, or the parent’s spouse. Being a contributor does not imply responsibility for the student's college costs. 
    • Students will need the contributor’s name, date of birth, Social Security Number (SSN), and email address to invite them to complete the required portion of the FAFSA. 
    • Contributors will need to provide personal and financial information on their section of the FAFSA. 
  • If your parents are divorced or separated, the contributing parent(s) is the parent (and their spouse, if remarried) who provided the greater portion of your financial support during the 12 months immediately prior to filing the FAFSA. It is not automatically the parent you primarily lived with during the past 12 months.
  • All Contributors–student, student's spouse (if married), and student's parents(s) (if a dependent student)–must provide consent to have tax data transferred directly from the IRS to the FAFSA. If consent is not provided by all parties, the student will not be eligible for federal financial aid. In previous years, transferring IRS data was optional. It is now required.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8uubc08CDE&t=19s

  • The need analysis formula to determine financial aid, formerly known as the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), will now be referred to as the Student Aid Index (SAI). Unlike the EFC, the SAI may be a negative number.
  • Small businesses and family farms are now considered assets.
  • The number of family members in college will still be asked on the FAFSA, but it will be excluded from the federal, state, and institutional financial aid calculation.
  • The Student Aid Report (SAR) will now be referred to as the FAFSA Submission Summary. This is the summary submission document you receive after completing the FAFSA. The FAFSA Submission Summary provides your SAI and expected Federal Pell Grant offer.

Expanding Pell Grant eligibility

The adjustments to the new Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation will expand Federal Pell Grant eligibility to more students.

Prepare for the FAFSA

While the 2024-2025 FAFSA won’t be available until December, you can still prepare by doing the following:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpjwM6zzdPc

  • Create a StudentAid.gov account on the Federal Student Aid website and assist contributors, such as your parent(s) or spouse, in creating an account.
    • A StudentAid.gov is an account and password that gives you access to the Federal Student Aid’s online system and serves as your electronic signature.
    • With the StudentAid.gov account, you can fill out the FAFSA when it’s available, sign your Master Promissory Note (MPN), apply for repayment plans, complete loan counseling, and use the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Help Tool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pitb_aIQBVc

  • Use the Federal Student Aid Estimator to find out how much federal student aid you may be eligible for starting with the 2024–25 award year.
    • This tool estimates the Student Aid Index (SAI) for 2024–25 award year, not the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for 2023–24 award year.

Notice to Students

An individual may contact the Bureau for Private Post-secondary Education for review of a complaint.  The Bureau may be contacted at 2535 Capitol Oaks Drive, Suite 400 Sacramento, CA 95833, http://www.bppe.ca.gov, Telephone (916) 431-6924 Fax (916) 263-1897.

Computer Budget Increase Update

Computer Budget Increase

Computer budget increases are meant to allow a student to increase their financial aid budget in the event they have a need to purchase a new computer for the current academic year.  This increase will only be approved within the first 30 days of each semester.  Students will need to provide an itemized statement listing the planned computer equipment to be purchased, and/or a receipt that details the type and specifications of the computer already purchased.  The student must submit the budget increase request along with the supporting documentation to the Chief Information Officer for approval before submitting to Financial Aid.

In the event a computer budget increase is needed after the 30 days, in addition to the itemized statement and receipt, a written statement from your instructor must be submitted.  The Instructor letter must indicate that a new computer is necessary for the student to successfully complete the semester.   

In all cases, a copy of the actual receipt showing that the student purchased computer equipment is required to be submitted to the financial aid office. 

2023-2024 Direct Loan Information

What are the interest rates for federal student loans?

 
During the payment pause, the interest rate for Direct PLUS Loans is 0%.

If you got your Direct PLUS Loan on or after July 1, 2022, and before July 1, 2023, it will have a fixed interest rate of 7.54% after the payment pause ends.
If your loan was disbursed before July 1, 2022, it likely has a different interest rate. View interest rates for loans disbursed earlier.

All Direct PLUS Loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2013, have fixed interest rates. New fixed interest rates are determined each year and apply to all loans first disbursed during the period from July 1 of the current year through June 30 of the following year.

All Direct PLUS Loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2006, and before July 1, 2013, have a fixed interest rate that is set by law.

All Direct PLUS Loans first disbursed before July 1, 2006, have variable interest rates. New interest rates for these loans are determined annually and are in effect during the period from July 1 of the current year through June 30 of the following year.

To find out what your interest rate will be after the payment pause, contact your student loan servicer.

Private Loan Information

 
   This link above will lead you to our Preferred Lender List. 
   We have compiled a list of private loan lenders who have the best quality of products and services.
 
NOTE:  If you wish to use another lender who is not on our list, you have the right to do so.
 

Federal Pell Grant 2023-2024

On December 29, 2022, the President signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, which included a $500 increase to the maximum Pell Grant. The maximum Pell Grant award for the 2023-2024 award year is $7,395, and the corresponding maximum Pell Grant eligible expected family contribution (EFC) is 6656.

Constitution Day

Constitution Day

Constitution Day commemorates the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution by thirty-nine brave men on September 17, 1787, recognizing all who, are born in the U.S. or by naturalization, have become citizens.
 

Several members of the SCI-Arc community (students and staff) have recently become naturalized citizens.  In order for them to become citizens, they had to take a test.  Do you think you could become a citizen too?
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Download Naturalization Test

Free-form Content

Cal Grant Deadline

How to Apply

All students start the application process by completing and submitting either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Whether a student is completing a bachelor’s program, associate’s program, a credential program, or a career technical education program, there’s money available to help.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

If a student is a US Citizen, permanent resident, or other qualifying non-resident then they must submit a FAFSA by the March 2 Cal Grant Deadline to be eligible for the most opportunities. Students attending California Community Colleges can submit a FAFSA through September 2 of each year to be considered for a community college Cal Grant award. To start the FAFSA a student will need to create a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID so they can login and sign the completed application. The FAFSA is used to apply for state financial aid, like Cal Grant and the Middle Class Scholarship, federal financial aid programs like Pell Grant, and institutional aid from colleges like the Blue and Gold Scholarship or the State University Grant (SUG).

All students should create a WebGrants 4 Students (WG4S) Account

Students should create a WG4S account to monitor and manage their state awarded financial aid. 

After a student’s FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application is processed, they will receive an email from CSAC letting them know it’s time to create their WebGrants 4 Students account.  WebGrants 4 Students (WG4S) will let students check the status of their state grants, and take necessary steps to secure their aid. It’s important to note that a student’s WG4S account does not replace their school or FAFSA accounts and they may need more than one account to successfully apply for financial aid.

Stay up-to-date on deadlines and requirements by reading all correspondence from CSAC, FAFSA and your school of attendance.

 

Make sure a Grade Point Average (GPA) has been submitted to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC)

All students will need to ensure their GPA has been submitted to CSAC.

The best way to do this is by creating a WebGrants 4 Students account and logging in to confirm we have a GPA on file. All students must ensure CSAC has their GPA on file by the March 2 deadline.


 

 

Cal Grant FAQ

Cal Grant B Recipients

Cal Grant B recipients may elect to receive the full disbursement of their “Access” or “Book and Supplies” awards to use towards educational expenses or have it applied to any outstanding balances on the student’s account. By choosing the first option, Cal Grant B recipients are responsible to resolve any account balances with their institution. Please see your financial aid office for more information.

1. Applying the “Access” or “Books and Supplies” portion to outstanding balances on the student’s account.

2. Request personal receipt of the funds prior to disbursement. (The recipient must understand that he or she is responsible for any remaining balance on the recipient’s account.)

3. Student has the ability to rescind option at any time.