Merced College 2010-2011 Catalog

MERCED COLLEGE
Extended Opportunity
Programs and Services (EOPS)
and CARE Programs
The EOPS program provides academic & personal counseling,
book service, book loans, emergency loans, EOPS grants for
eligible students. Other services available to EOPS eligible
students include priority registration, tutoring, computer/typewriter
usage, typing services, etc.
The CARE program is an additional service provided through
the EOPS program to assist the single parent in completing
their college education. The additional services to CARE eligible
students include CARE orientation and workshops, CARE grants,
meal vouchers, gas card/bus passes.
To determine your eligibility for EOPS/CARE contact the Merced
College EOPS office at (209) 381-6596 or Los Baños EOPS Office
at (209) 826-3495 for more information.
Facilities Usage
College facilities are available for use by public agencies and
community organizations to serve the educational, economic,
and artistic interests of the citizens of the community. Hundreds
of events per year are scheduled on the Merced campus. A
comprehensive master calendar is maintained in the Facilities
Office. Both indoor and outdoor facilities are available, subject to
priority of instructional programs. Reservations for meetings and/
or banquets should be made well ahead of time at the Facilities
Office. Call (209) 381-6593 for more information.
Financial Aid
While Merced College subscribes to and supports the philosophy
that primary responsibility for funding college expenses rests with
the students and families, the College recognizes that you and/or
your family may have limited financial resources and are unable to
meet all of the expenses associated with higher education without
supplemental assistance.
To help accommodate you with supplemental needs, the College
provides a variety of financial assistance methods through the
Financial Aid Office on the main campus and at the Los Baños
campus.
Available programs include: 1) the Federal Pell Grant; 2) the
Academic Competitiveness Grant 3) the Federal Supplemental
Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG); 4) the Federal Work Study
program; 5) State of California Cal Grant programs; 6) State of
California Board of Governors Fee Waiver (BOG); and 7) Merced
College Foundation Scholarships.
Application
Financial aid funds come from appropriations made by the Federal
and State governments and through scholarship awards made by
individuals and other public and private agencies and organizations.
Hence, each of these funds MUST be administered according to
different sets of policies, regulations, and/or specific requirements.
To make the process of receiving aid as simple as possible for you,
the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) determines
your eligibility for most state and federal assistance programs.
You also are required to file a Grade Point Average Verification
30 • Student and College Services •
209.384.6000
Form with the California Student Aid Commission for a Cal Grant.
Separate applications forms for specialized grants (the Child
Development Grant and the Chafee Grant for Foster Youth) are
also required. Separate scholarship applications for a number of
locally administered scholarships are available in the Financial Aid
offices on both campuses.
Student Eligilibility
Policies relating to the College’s general admission and academic
progress standards are described elsewhere in this catalog.
Following are the requirements for most financial aid administered
by Merced College:
● You must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
● You must have a valid Social Security number;
● You must be working toward a degree or certificate;
● You must be making satisfactory academic progress;
● You must not owe a refund on a Federal grant or be in default
on a Federal educational loan;
● You must have a “financial need” as determined by submitting
the FAFSA;
● You must have a high school diploma, or GED, or pass the
California High School Proficiency Examination or Merced
College’s Ability-To-Benefit Test.
To be eligible for California grants, you MUST also:
● Be a resident of California, and have “financial need” based
on the criteria for the BOG or Cal Grant Program.
Additional information about financial aid is available in the
Financial Aid Office, or call (209) 384-6031.
Merced College Standards of Satisfactory
Academic Progress for Financial Aid Eligibility
This policy has been developed for students receiving Financial
Aid. Federal laws require you to move toward the completion of
a degree or certificate when receiving financial aid. These laws
state that Academic Progress Standards MUST include a review
of periods of enrollment in which you did not receive aid as well as
the periods you did receive aid.
For the purpose of financial aid eligibility, you MUST meet the
following minimum standards:
● You must maintain a grade point average of at least 2.0 in all
units attempted. This includes a cumulative GPA as well as a
2.0 for your last two semesters.
● Your transcript history must reflect at least a 67% successful
completion of all enrolled units.
● You will be expected to complete a degree or certificate
program within 90 attempted units (150% of the published unit
requirement). Exception to this maximum may be made with
appropriate documentation on a case-by-case basis.
You may appeal a denial of aid based on the maximum time limits
by submitting a petition form and an educational plan, which has
been reviewed and signed by a counselor, and which shows the
revised goal and specific additional unit requirements. You may
also appeal a denial based on poor grades. You can obtain the
petition or appeal forms in the Financial Aid Office. Each appeal
will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. You will be notified in
writing of a probationary status or denial of financial aid when
academic progress has not been met.