How Financial Aid Works

Your financial aid starts with the information you provide on your FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (CADAA).

Butte College uses a standard student budget, called the Cost of Attendance (COA), to estimate what it may cost you to attend school for the year.

The information from your FAFSA or CADAA is used to calculate your Student Aid Index (SAI), which is an estimate of how much you (and your family, if applicable) may be able to contribute toward that cost. A lower SAI generally means you may qualify for more need-based aid.

Financial aid is determined by comparing your COA to your SAI.

The difference between the two is your financial need, which helps determine the types and amounts of financial aid you may receive.

Your financial aid offer is based on:

• Your SAI
• The cost of attendance at Butte College
• The types of aid you are eligible for
• Available funding

Your cost of attendance is an estimate of what it may cost you to attend school for the year.

The cost of attendance is not your bill, it is an estimate used to determine your financial aid eligibility.

It includes expenses such as fees, books, housing, food, transportation, and personal costs.

Your financial aid is built around this estimate, not just your tuition.

Learn more about Cost of Attendance

Your financial aid is based on your enrollment.

To receive and maintain your financial aid:

• You must be enrolled in classes that apply to your program of study
• The number of units you take can affect how much aid you receive
• Changes to your schedule may impact your financial aid

The number of units you are enrolled in can affect:

• The amount of aid you receive
• When your aid is disbursed
• Your eligibility for certain awards

Financial aid is not disbursed all at once. Funds are released based on disbursement schedules.

Financial aid is disbursed based on the type of aid you receive. In most cases, financial aid is first applied to your enrollment and fee charges.

If funds remain after your charges are covered, the remaining balance may be disbursed to you.

Not all financial aid is disbursed the same way:

• Grants and loans are typically applied directly to your account, with any remaining funds disbursed to you to help cover other educational expenses
• Scholarships are disbursed according to the scholarship or donor’s instructions, typically first to fees, with any remaining funds disbursed to you
• Work-study is earned through a paycheck based on hours worked

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW AND WHEN YOU MAY RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID

Your financial aid may change based on updates to your information or eligibility.

This may include:

• Changes to your FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (CADAA)
• Updates to your Student Aid Index (SAI)
• Your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) status
• Withdrawing from one or more classes
• Receiving additional financial aid or outside resources

To receive and keep your financial aid, you are responsible for:

• Completing your financial aid application each year
• Reviewing your financial aid status regularly
• Submitting requested documents on time
• Staying enrolled in eligible classes
• Meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements
• Monitoring your student portal and student email for updates

Your enrollment level is based on the number of units you are enrolled in and is used to determine how much financial aid you may receive.

How Enrollment Level Is Defined

• Full-time: 12 or more units
• Three-quarter-time: 9–11.5 units
• Half-time: 6–8.5 units
• Less than half-time: fewer than 6 units

How This Affects Your Financial Aid

• Your enrollment level may affect the amount of financial aid you receive
• Some types of financial aid require at least half-time enrollment (6 units)
• Your enrollment is based on the freeze date(s) for your courses

View How Your Units Affect Your Financial Aid

This chart shows how your enrollment level may impact your financial aid disbursement, including the Pell Grant.

 Financial aid can only be paid for courses that apply to your declared program of study at Butte College.

How Course Applicability Works

• Financial aid may be based on up to two active declared programs
• Your courses must apply to your active declared program(s)

What This Means for You

• Courses that do not apply to your active program(s) may not be counted toward your financial aid eligibility
• Be sure your program(s) are up to date

At the start of each semester, there is a main freeze date, which typically occurs shortly after the first two weeks of the fall and spring semesters, and sooner in the summer and winter semesters.

This date is used to determine your initial financial aid based on your enrolled courses.

Courses that begin later in the semester have their own freeze dates (also called census dates), which are used to adjust your financial aid as those courses begin.

How the Freeze Date Works

• Your initial financial aid is based on your enrollment as of the main freeze date
• Late-start courses may be included in your financial aid if you enroll before their freeze date
• Your financial aid may be adjusted as additional courses reach their freeze dates

What This Means for You

• Adding a late-start course before its freeze date may increase your financial aid eligibility
• However, financial aid for that course may not be disbursed until the course begins
• Dropping a course before its freeze date may reduce your financial aid
• Changes made after a course’s freeze date may not increase your financial aid

If you add a late-start course, you may see an increase in your financial aid later in the semester.

Being enrolled in a course is not the same as actively attending it.

To receive and keep your financial aid, you must both be enrolled in eligible courses and be actively attending them.

Financial aid is based on your participation in your courses, not just your enrollment.

How This Works

• You must be enrolled in courses that apply to your active program(s) of study
• You must begin attending your courses
• You must continue attending throughout the semester

What This Means for You

• Courses you do not begin attending may not be counted toward your financial aid
• If you stop attending a course, your financial aid may be adjusted
• Stopping attendance in all courses may require you to repay a portion of your financial aid

Adding or dropping courses can affect your financial aid.

How Changes May Affect Your Aid

• Adding a course before its freeze date may increase your financial aid eligibility
• Adding a late-start course may increase your aid, but funds may not be disbursed until the course begins
• Dropping a course before its freeze date may reduce your financial aid

Important to Know

• Changes made after a course’s freeze date may not increase your financial aid
• Dropping or withdrawing from courses may impact your financial aid and could require you to repay a portion of your aid

Dropping all courses may result in a return of financial aid funds.

Review the “What Is a Freeze Date and Why Does It Matter?” section for more information.

Your financial aid is disbursed in stages throughout the semester based on your enrollment.

How Disbursement Works

• Financial aid may be disbursed in one or more payments during the semester, depending on the type of aid you receive
• Your disbursements are based on your enrollment status at the time of disbursement
• You must be enrolled in eligible courses for financial aid to be disbursed

Late-Start Courses

• Courses that begin later in the semester may delay a portion of your financial aid
• If you are enrolled in late-start courses, additional funds may be disbursed after those courses begin and you have begun attending those courses

Important to Know

• Your financial aid may be adjusted as your eligible courses reach their freeze dates
• You must begin attending your courses for financial aid to be disbursed
• Changes to your enrollment may affect when your financial aid is disbursed

Visit the "Receiving Your Financial Aid” page for detailed disbursement dates and how your funds are delivered

Receiving Your Financial Aid