What is Course Applicability?
Financial aid award amounts are based upon financial aid course applicable units enrollment level. Course applicability means a course is able to be paid for with federal financial aid.
Students can only use federal financial aid for courses that are required for their degree or certificate program. If you are taking a course that is not course applicable, then you cannot use federal financial aid to pay for it.
The minimum enrollment level varies for different types of financial aid. There are four enrollment levels for financial aid:
- Fall/Spring Terms
- Less Than Half-Time: 0.5 to 5.99 units of financial aid eligible courses
- Half-Time: 6 to 8.99 units of financial aid eligible courses
- Three-Quarter Time: 9 to 11.99 units of financial aid eligible courses
- Full-Time: 12 or more units of financial aid eligible courses
- Summer Term
- Less Than Half-Time: - 0.5to 2.5 units of financial aid eligible courses
- Half-Time: 3 to 4 units of financial aid eligible courses
- Three-Quarter Time: 4.5 to 5.5 units of financial aid eligible courses
- Full-Time: 6 to 8 or more units of financial aid eligible courses
How to View Course Eligibility
- Log into eServices.
- Click on Financial Aid.
- Click on FA Course Eligibility.
Course Applicability FAQ
Yes, you will receive a message in eServices if you are taking a course that is not eligible for federal financial aid.
From your eServices dashboard:
- Click Financial Aid
- Find the section titled FA Course Eligibility
Any courses that are not course applicable and therefore not eligible for federal financial aid will be marked with a red X in the column titled FA Eligible.
Visit the Counseling office if one or more of your classes has been marked as ineligible but you believe that it is required for your program of study.
If a counselor determines that a class that was marked as ineligible is actually eligible, the counselor will complete an override request. The results of the override will post to your eServices account the next business day.
Your fees will remain waived if you received a California College Promise Grant. The California College Promise Grant covers all courses, even those that are not a requirement of your program of study.
Financial aid programs are highly regulated. There is a long-standing requirement that colleges do not award federal financial aid for classes that do not directly apply to a financial aid-eligible degree or certificate program.
Institutional Liability
The US Department of Education has levied audit findings against several institutions for non-compliance with federal regulations regarding disbursement practices. Institutional scrutiny is at an all-time high to ensure accountability with federal financial aid policies and regulations.
If Sacramento City College were to fund courses that are not course applicable, it could result in sanctions. These sanctions include repayment of funds and possible loss of the college's ability to administer Title IV aid.
Prerequisite courses are not eligible for financial aid.
Sacramento City College uses a course audit tool called Highpoint. This tool ensures that the classes a student is enrolled in meet the program's requirements for federal financial aid.
We tested eligibility for fall 2016 students and found that approximately 25% of students receiving financial aid had at least one class that did not meet course applicability requirements.