Applications

Board of Governors Fee Waiver (BOGFW)
California residents may apply for a California Community College Board of Governors Fee Waiver (BOGFW), which waives the $26 per unit enrollment fee and also exempts students from the health fee. Students who meet the following criteria may qualify:

• Current recipient of TANF/CalWORKs, SSI/SSP, or General Assistance
• Have financial need, based upon financial aid office review of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Meet the following 2009-2010 income standards: *

Add $5,400 for each additional family member.

*Subject to change annually

Applying for the BOGFW is free and easy.
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Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
This application is the starting point for virtually all other financial aid processes.  By completing the FAFSA and supplying any other required documents to the financial aid office, you are considered for federal grant and loan programs. In order to be considered for a Cal Grant, as well as for college funds, you will need to meet the priority deadlines. For the Cal Grant program, you will also need to file a verified Cal Grant grade point average by a priority deadline. Click here to learn more about the Cal Grant forms.

The fastest and easiest way to file the FAFSA is online using FAFSA on the Web at www.fafsa.ed.gov.  The site is available in both English and Spanish.  When you use FAFSA on the Web, you will be asked only those questions that pertain to you because it uses skip logic.  In addition, your answers to the online FAFSA are automatically edited as you complete the application; this allows immediate corrections.  

You should receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the FAFSA processor within two to four weeks after submitting the FAFSA, depending on whether you file online or with a paper application. The SAR will list all of the information you put on the FAFSA. This information also is forwarded to the colleges you listed on the FAFSA as well as to the state grant agency. Once the colleges receive your information they will notify you of your aid eligibility or send you a letter requesting additional information.

Here’s how to use the BOGFW application:

• Download the BOGFW application PDF file.
• Print the form
• Fill it out (or see the Financial Aid staff at your local community college campus if you need free help filling it out.)
• Return the completed form to the CCC Financial Aid Office at the campus you plan on attending.
  • When submitting the form to the Financial Aid Office, ask the staff if you need to provide proof of benefits or any other documentation to verify that you are eligible.  This will help expedite the process.
• Ask the Financial Aid Office for the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or fill it out online (use the link at right) to be considered for more financial aid.
• Be prepared to show proof of income, if asked by the Financial Aid staff or other qualified official.  This may include providing a copy of your (and, if necessary, your parents’) U.S. Income Tax Return.
• The Financial Aid Office will review your application and let you know if you qualify for a fee waiver.

Even if you do not qualify for a Fee Waiver using the simple BOGFW method you should still file a FAFSA. Students who do not qualify for the BOGFW may qualify for a Fee Waiver and MORE FINANCIAL AID by completing the FAFSA.