Financial Aid

We are excited you are considering College of the Redwoods (CR) in your educational plans. CR participates in a wide variety of state and federal financial programs to help you reach your educational goals. If you receive financial aid, it is expected that you will enroll in courses needed to complete your chosen program, work hard at learning, and move responsibly toward successful completion of your educational goal.

The information provided here will assist you in understanding the various components to financial aid. We understand that the rules that govern financial aid programs can be complicated. The Financial Aid Office staff is available to assist you through the process and answer any questions you may have.

Check this page regularly for important announcements. Also be sure to check your student redwoods.edu email account on a regular basis. This is not the same as the MyCR course management system - to access your email, click on the email/envelope link from the homepage. For more information about accessing your student email account, click here.

Remember it is your responsibility to stay informed of important deadlines and other information.

NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW

Federal regulations (CFR 668.2) no longer allow financial aid payment for multiple repeats of the same course. Basically, students will not be paid for the third attempt of a course, so your disbursement may reflect this new limitation. For purposes of this regulation only, 'W' and 'F' grades are not considered attempts. Remember that both 'W' and 'F' grades are always included as attempts in the Satisfactory Academic Progress calculation.

Apply NOW for financial aid for 2012-2013 (remember you must apply every year). Workshops will be held on Thursday, February 23 from 1-3:00 p.m. and Mondary February 27 from 3-5 p.m. to help you complete the online FAFSA. The workshops are drop-in; you do not need an appointment.

When leaving phone messages, please slowly and clearly state your name, student ID number, and your phone number. We are not able to return phone calls if we are not able to understand the message. Thank you for your understanding.

2011-2012 Financial Aid Application Processing:

Have you completed your 2011-2012 FAFSA? Remember you must re-apply for financial aid each academic year. When we have received your online FAFSA application, we will notify you by email. Required forms, satisfactory progress notifications, and award notifications (for eligible students) will be sent to your redwoods.edu email address. Your financial aid file is not processed without all additional required forms, so be sure to check your student redwoods.edu email account on a regular basis. This is different from the email you receive from the federal processing center directly after you complete your FAFSA. Please check your email and webadvisor account for updates on a regular basis.

Please be aware that frequently calling, emailing or in-person checking actually delays the processing of your file, as it takes time away from reviewing and processing. It is currently taking 5-6 weeks AFTER all additional paperwork is received to process your file.

Make sure you are enrolling in only required classes to meet your academic goals. New federal and state regulations will severely limit financial aid. It is vital that you keep focused and progress toward your goal.

Tips: Here are some helpful hints that will assist you during the financial aid process…

Return all requested forms and documents to the Financial Aid Office!

Educate yourself by reading all forms, emails, brochures and documents!

Do apply for financial aid early!

Waiting in line is not necessary, go on-line!

On-time submission of forms, means timely disbursement of financial aid!

On-time disbursement of financial aid means students have met all requirements!

Do check the financial aid website & your student email account regularly for important announcements!

Students are our #1 priority, your success matters to us!

ANNOUNCEMENTS - other important information you need to know

Funds:

When funds are disbursed to your CR Access Card, the funds are not there immediately. The funds are disbursed sometime during the indicated disbursement date (normally by noon). Please be patient and allow for the transfer of funds to be processed. Thank you.

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BOG Fee Waiver and the health fee:

The health fee for students receiving the BOG fee waiver is not waived. Be prepared to pay this MANDATORY fee at the time of registration.

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Satisfactory Academic Progress standards

Make sure you are enrolling in classes needed for your program and don't take unnecessary classes! Click here to read the new Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Avoid Delays in Disbursemements:

Disbursements are made through the CR Access Card program. In order to avoid delays in your financial aid disbursement, you must activate your CR Access Card online to indicate where you want to receive your financial aid disbursements. The card will be mailed to you after you have enrolled in classes at CR. DO NOT THROW THIS CARD AWAY, it is not a credit card. For more information on the program; check it out here: www.CRaccesscard.com. There is a Higher One ATM on the Eureka Main Campus in the LRC Breezeway.

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Financial Literacy Information website:

Click here to access CashCourse , which provides information to help you make informed financial decisions throughout your college years and into your professional life.