The News Site of Fresno City College

The Rampage Online

The News Site of Fresno City College

The Rampage Online

The News Site of Fresno City College

The Rampage Online

Change in Disbursement

The date for the second disbursement for the financial aid grant has been changed from Oct. 9 to Oct. 30 according to the latest update on the student disbursement calendar.

According to Kira Tippins, director of financial aid and scholarships at Fresno City College, these dates cannot be changed. The second Pell grant payment, she said, is always scheduled to be after the 50 percent point, which is the final drop date.

However, these dates have changed at times during the semester going from days to whole weeks from the original disbursement date.

Two main disbursement dates are shown on the college’s website — one at the beginning of the semester and the other at the end. Both are weighted disbursement dates.

Elizabeth-Ann Whitney, a third semester student, said, “It [date change] happens every semester usually only by a few days.”  She worries about the impact of a 20-day change and the possibility that the date may change again.

“I don’t have a lot of money,” Whitney said. “Financial aid could have really helped.” Because of the date change, she may not be able to get the supplies she really needs.

“The date change was a late notice, so I could not budget my funds properly,” Breanna Torrence, second year student at FCC said. “I was not prepared to find out the disbursement date would be pushed back a whole month.”

Aid recipients receive a warning in the award letter that “financial aid disbursement dates provided are tentative and are subject to change.” There are no clear reasons why date changes happen.

Approximately 71 percent of the FCC student body receives a Board of Governors fee waiver from the State of California, according to Kira Tippins.  This fee waiver allows students to enroll without carrying the burden of enrollment fees and tuition.

Fifty four percent of FCC’s students also receive a Pell Grant, a cash award which students can use to help offset the cost of books and living expenses.

Both of these government sponsored grants make college affordable for students who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford the expenses.

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