How to Apply for Financial Aid

Priority Consideration

Students should complete their FAFSA / CADAA and other related materials as soon as possible each year, but no later than March 2 to ensure that they are awarded in a timely manner to receive any subsequent disbursement.​

Cal Grant

The Cal Grant eligibility requires submission of the FAFSA / CADAA and the GPA Verification Form. The form can be downloaded from the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) website. If you have completed:

• 0-15 transferable units at IVC: Submit your high school GPA.
• 16 transferable units at IVC: You have the option to use your high school GPA or college GPA (whichever is higher). You do not have to complete a GPA Verification Form as your college GPA will automatically be sent.
• 16-23 transferable units at IVC: Your college GPA will automatically be sent. You have the option to use your high school GPA or college GPA (whichever is higher).
• 24 or more transferable units at IVC: You must use your college GPA. You do not have to complete a GPA Verification Form as your college GPA will automatically be sent.

Please note that IVC transmits GPA information to CSAC each August and February for current and former students.

The deadline for the Cal Grant is March 2 of every year, to be awarded for the upcoming academic year, if eligible. There is an extended deadline date of September 2 for community college students, but all late applicants will be competing with others for a limited number of Cal Grant awards. For additional information on Cal Grants, visit CSAC's website.

Irvine Valley College Foundation Scholarships

The IVC Foundation Scholarship Application will be available in November and closes in February. Scholarships will be awarded to students for the following academic year. For more information please visit the IVC Foundation Scholarship.

What to Expect After Submitting the FAFSA/CADAA

After IVC has received your information electronically from the Federal Processor, the Financial Aid Office will contact you to let you know if there are additional forms you may need to submit, such as copies of IRS Tax Return Transcripts and/or verification of family size, untaxed income, and other information you reported on your FAFSA. After all forms and documents are reviewed and processed, you should receive an estimated Financial Aid Award notification email indicating what financial aid program(s) you are eligible to receive at IVC.

Verification and the IRS Data Retrieval Tool

The U.S. Department of Education randomly selects students for a process called verification. Verification is the process used to check the accuracy of the information the student and, in the case of a dependent student, the student's parents, provided when applying for Title IV federal student aid via the FAFSA. As part of this process, financial aid offices are required to collect IRS tax return transcripts from both students and their parents if they are considered dependent students. In order to expedite the process of your application, it is recommended that students and their families use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool so that tax return transcripts do not need to be submitted as these could take several weeks to receive from the IRS.

If a tax return transcript is requested, it must be ordered from the IRS. There are three options available for students to obtain a tax return transcript:

• Online: Go to www.irs.gov
  1. Under Tools, select "Get Your Tax Record"
  2. Select "Get Transcript Online" or "Get Transcript by Mail"
  3. Follow instructions on page
  4. Under "Type of Transcript", be sure to order a "Return Transcript" for the required Tax Year
• By Phone: Call 1-800-908-9946
• By Paper: IRS Form 4506T-EZ may be downloaded through the IRS website.
• In-Person: Click here to find your local IRS office​