Funding Your Education
Funding your education is a vital part of your education and future.
All students are strongly encouraged to complete the Financial Aid Application.
The office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at Cabrillo College is committed to helping all students navigate through the financial aid process to promote access, affordability, and student success. In addition to the Welcome Center financial aid front staff, financial aid advisors are also here to make every attempt to assist you in funding your education.
Cabrillo offers a Financial Wellness Canvas Course. We encourage you to self-enroll in this helpful course.
Please contact your college financial aid office to determine personalized financial aid packages or Access your financial aid package through the My Cabrillo Student Portal
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The College Financing Plan is a consumer tool that institutions use to notify students about their financial aid package after they have completed a FAFSA application. It is a standardized form that is designed to simplify the information that prospective students receive about costs and financial aid so that they can easily compare institutions and make informed decisions about where to attend school. Students can access their college finance plan by:
Logging into My Cabrillo Self-Service
Selecting the Financial Aid tab
Clicking on Financial Aid Shopping Sheet
Select current aid year and click submit
The table below is for informational purposes only and may not reflect your true cost of attendance. Please note that not all costs will be relevant to your current situation and costs may increase or decrease based on factors outside of the colleges control. This estimate is for two years of attendance (60 Units of course work) which is the minimum requirement to earn an associate degree. If students take less than 15 units a semester, they may need to stay beyond the 2-year period which would increase the overall cost of attendance. In addition, students completing prerequisites for some programs and then completing the program requirements may require additional years of attendance at Cabrillo College which would increase the cost of attendance. All students with concerns regarding college costs and financial assistance are encouraged to speak with the Financial Aid office as well as participate in all programs available to assist with defraying the cost of attendance such as EOPS and the Scholarship program.
2021-22 Student Cost of Attendance
A student budget that includes standard fees and costs is assigned to all financial aid recipients. The budget is based on data provided by the California Student Aid Commission and the Chancellor’s Office for California Community Colleges.
Scholarships
Scholarships are a source of money available to students who meet certain eligibility requirements that do not need to be paid back. You can complete one online scholarship application and be matched to all available scholarships through the Financial Aid Office at Cabrillo College. As a student, it is recommended that you look for scholarship opportunities that can help reduce the financial burden of attending Cabrillo College.
The College Fee Waiver for Veteran Dependents benefit waives mandatory system-wide tuition at any State of California Community College, California State University, or University of California campus. This program does not cover the expense of books, parking or room and board. It is important to note that this waiver only covers the per unit enrollment cost of attendance, so students are still responsible for other institutional fees and course fees.
The child of a Veteran who has a service-connected disability or had a service-connected disability at the time of death or died of service-related causes is eligible. The child's annual income, which includes the child's adjusted gross income, plus the value of support provided by a parent, may not exceed the annual income limit. The current academic year entitlement is based upon the previous calendar year's annual income. There are no age restrictions on this benefit. Children are the only dependents eligible under this plan. There is no prohibition against receiving concurrent VA Chapter 35 benefits. For more eligibility information and to download the most recent application please visit the CalVet website.
Estimated amount of student loan debt upon completion of 2- year degree or certificate at Cabrillo College can be found at Cabrillo College’s Scorecard.
An overpayment of benefits occurs when there are changes to a student’s schedule that affects their rate of training or the amount of tuition and fees owed to the college.
Student debts are debts to the VA that you are responsible for paying back to the VA. Student debts typically occur when students make changes to their schedules that affect their training time such as dropping a course, being dropped from a course by the instructor or switching from full term to short term courses. Please note that if you drop a course or withdraw from all your courses after the drop period ends and you earn a “W” grade, the VA will reduce benefits effective to the first day of the term. For example, if you are using the Post 9/11 GI bill and the monthly full time BAH rate is $1400 and you enrolled in 12 units but drop a 3-unit course with a “W” grade 2 months into the semester VA will now calculate your BAH at the 3/4th time rate which would be $1050 ($1400x.75=$1050). In this example the VA would have overpaid you by $700 for BAH for those first 2 months of the semester. In addition, since you dropped the course, the VA may request all or some of the book stipend to be returned as well. You would owe this money back to the VA, unless there are mitigating circumstances. Mitigating circumstances are circumstances beyond the student's control that prevent the student from continuing in school or that cause the student to reduce credits.
Examples are:
An illness or injury afflicting the student during the enrollment period.
An illness or death in the student’s immediate family.
An unavoidable change in the student’s conditions of employment.
An unavoidable geographical transfer resulting from the student’s employment.
Immediate family or financial obligations beyond the control of the claimant that require him or her to suspend pursuit of the program of education to obtain employment.
Discontinuance of the course by the school.
Unanticipated active military service, including active duty for training.
Unanticipated difficulties with childcare arrangements the student has made for the period during which he or she is attending classes.
If the student has already been paid for the course or courses, VA will create an overpayment from the beginning of the term, quarter, or semester. Students who have a mitigating circumstance should speak with the Veterans Information Center to see if you are eligible for an excused withdrawal prior to dropping your courses.
Please note that dropping courses could also result in a debt to Cabrillo College if the VA requests back the tuition and fees that they paid and it creates an outstanding debt with the college you will be responsible for the debt to Cabrillo College. Debts to the college should be paid in a timely manner to avoid holds that prevent registration and/or the release of student records as well as possible referral to a collections agency. Students who cannot pay their debt in full have the option of setting up a payment plan through their My Cabrillo accounts.
A school debt is created when the VA determines that it has overpaid the college for tuition and fees or when a student drops a course after the drop date, the VA will request a prorated amount of tuition and fees back from the college. Please note that a school debt can also result in a student debt to Cabrillo College.
Avoiding and/or mitigating VA Overpayments
The best way to avoid or mitigate overpayments with the VA is to notify the VIC of any drops or changes in your schedule (adding/dropping a class, course cancellations, selecting a different section of the same course) immediately. While you may not be able to avoid a debt completely, timely notification can mitigate the amount of overpayment you end up with.
It is also a good practice to meet with the Veterans Counselor prior to dropping a course so you can discuss the possible implications for your situation. Remember that dropping courses after the drop date and earning a W grade can not only affect your benefits, but it can also affect financial aid eligibility or admissions to certain programs. The counselor can also assess if there are any additional resources you can access to avoid dropping a course.
Complete a New Veteran Student Intake Form to get connected to the Veteran information Center and start your journey at Cabrillo College. If you have any questions feel free to email us at vetcenter@cabrillo.edu to set up a Zoom meeting.