Financial Aid and Scholarships is working under guidance from the Department of Education addressing concerns expressed by institutions whose students are directly or indirectly affected by COVID-19. We have prepared this FAQ to answer questions that you may have if you and/or your family has been impacted by Corovirus 19.
I have questions for Financial Aid and Scholarships. Can I make an appointment?
Unfortunately, we are not able to schedule in-person appointments at this time. Please email your questions/concerns to miraaid@sdccd.edu .
What if my parents’ income has been affected by illness?
Our financial aid staff can review your family’s ability to help with your educational expenses if their employment is affected by an illness and their income this year will be significantly less than the income reported on your FAFSA (2017 income was reported on the FAFSA for 2019-2020, 2018 income was reported on the FAFSA for 2020-2021). Email the Financial Aid Office for further review of your family income situation at miraaid@sdccd.edu .
What happens if I need to drop a class?
Department of Education does not have the authority to become lenient regarding compliance requirements related to unit requirements. Financial aid eligibility is verified based on the units you are enrolled in at the “Freeze Date”, February 19th, 2020 for Spring semester. You must be enrolled half time to remain eligible for financial aid.
What happens if I withdraw?
Unfortunately, Department of Education does not have the authority to be lenient regarding compliance requirements related to withdrawals. If you withdraw (officially or unofficially), Financial Aid Office is required to perform a calculation to determine how much of the financial aid you received for the term needs to be returned. The later in the term you withdraw, the more of your financial aid will be considered “earned” and the impact on your financial aid will be smaller. You can find additional information on our financial aid webpage at http://www.sdmiramar.edu/campus/financial-aid/title4
How can I submit documents when the Financial Aid Office is closed?
You can submit your documents in the following formats...
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FAX documents to (619)388-7910
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Email documents to miraaid@sdccd.edu
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Certain forms are interactive, so you can submit electronically.
As a reminder, during this time of uncertainty with COVID-19, the Dept of Education has allowed some relief for the completion of verification documents. Please note, requirements to ensure encryption/security of electronically submission of documents still applies.
What happens if I decide to take a term off?
If you do not enroll, you will not receive financial aid for that semester. However; your eligibility for future semester will not be affected. We recommend that you see your academic counselor any time your enrollment plans change to make sure that you are still on track to graduation.
Are There Alternatives If the IRS Cannot Mail Copies Of Tax Transcripts Due To Coronavirus?
Scenario: According to the IRS website, “We have stopped processing transcript requests by mail until further notice.” Will there be relief from Department of Education when students and parents are unable to obtain their tax transcripts to complete verification?
Answer: Yes, there are limited alternatives. The electronic process for requesting Tax Return Transcripts or alternative tax transcripts still works if the student or parent tax filer can complete the IRS registration and login process and can use Get Transcript Online to download a PDF copy of the tax transcript. If that doesn’t work, then we will accept a signed copy of the tax return that was filed with the IRS in order to complete verification. Student/parent will need to provide proof that they have attempt to request for their IRS tax transcript, and was unsuccessful.
Will Federal Work-Study students be paid due to campus closure?
In the event the campus goes into closure due to COVID-19, current FWS students with remaining hours will be paid for the hours that they are scheduled to work during the time of the closure. The Department of Education has issued this guidance regarding continued payments for Federal Work-Study students.
Resources for Faculties and Students
During these challenging times, we assure you that we are working diligently to consolidate tools and resources, while providing structure to faculty and staff. Toward that endeavor, we have developed a public facing Canvas course with complete information on Temporary Remote Instruction for faculty and students. https://sdccd.instructure.com/courses/2383316
Faculty can access information on:
- Planning
- Gathering Tools
- Implementing Options for Remote Instruction (including labs)
- Accessibility
- Increasing Academic Honesty
Students can access information on:
- Canvas Overview
- Online Student Readiness
- How to access Zoom
- Online Student Tips
- Free or Reduced Internet Access
- San Diego Food Resources
We encourage faculty to incorporate online student resources into their course, such as How to Access Free or Reduced Internet. We will continue to send out email updates highlighting current topics of interest.
From the California Community Colleges Chancellors Office (CCCCO) - Communication Division
Contact Us
For additional information, please feel free to contact us via email at miraaid@sdccd.edu.
