Financial Aid & Scholarships

Hours of Operation

Remote Availability through QLess

• Monday8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
• Tuesday8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
• Wednesday8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
• Thursday9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 
• Friday8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Add yourself to the "line" for a 3-7 minute session

We'll send you a text message to alert you when we are ready

We'll call you at the number provided

Join the QLess Line

For faster service, we urge you to visit our office during office hours.

In-Person Services

Location: SSC 1st Floor

• Monday8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Tuesday8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
• Wednesday8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
• Thursday9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 
• Friday8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Email or Call

For faster service, join QLess callback queue. Please leave a message, including your ID number, full name, and a detailed description of the issue you are calling about. 

For General questions, contact us via email at financialaid@smc.edu. 

• Loan applications and questions: LoanSupport@smc.edu
• Scholarship applications and questions: Scholarships@smc.edu
• Contact your assigned Financial Aid Specialist based on your last name: 
  • A, B, C, D: Taryn De La Rosa
  • E, F, G, H, I, J: Torrance Williams
  • K, L, M: Jennifer Reza
  • N, O, P, Q, R, X, Y, Z: Nilofar Ghasami
  • S, T, U, V, W: Connie Chen
  • Cal Grant/Work Study/Dreamers: Cesar Casillas
  • SMC Promise: Joshua Casillas

Treatment of Potential Fraudulent Financial Aid Applications

After conducting a review of a Financial Aid application, through review of the FAFSA or supplemental documents that accompany the FAFSA, if there is any credible information indicating that the applicant may have engaged in fraud or other criminal misconduct in connection with their application, the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships will take several steps to address.  The type of information that an institution must refer is that which is relevant to the eligibility of the applicant for Title IV assistance.  Examples of this type of information are:

• False claims of independent student status
• False claims of citizenship
• Use of false identities
• Stolen demographic information including: Name, Social Security Number, Date of birth, etc.
• Forgery of signatures or certifications
• False statements of income

The office will notify the Office of Admissions and Records, Cashier’s Office, Information Technology, and other relevant offices as deemed necessary. The Admissions & Records Office reports the case to the Chancellor’s Office.  The Financial Aid & Scholarships office will also refer these cases to the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Education for investigation.

In addition, any credible information indicating that any employee, third-party service, or other agent of the institution that acts in a capacity that involves the administration of the Title IV programs or receipt of funds under those programs, may have engage in fraud, misrepresentation conversion or breach of fiduciary responsibility or other illegal conduct involving the Title programs will also be referred to the Inspector General.  The type of information that an institution must refer is that which is relevant to the eligibility and funding of the institution and its students through the Title IV programs.

ID.Me for Financial Aid Disbursement

Visit our Get Verified page for step-by-step instructions.

Recently, BankMobile notified the institution that as part of our ongoing commitment to fraud prevention and secure account access, they are updating the identity verification process for students by requiring mobile phones and mobile-based One-Time Passcodes (OTP) beginning Friday, August 1, 2025. This change is designed to strengthen security by eliminating the email OTP option, which has proven to be more susceptible to fraud.

What's Changing: 

1. Mobile Phone Required for Refund Selection
   1. Students will now be required to provide a mobile phone number and successfully enter the OTP sent to that mobile number before proceeding with Refund Selection.
      1. If a student indicates that they do not have a mobile phone number or fails to successfully complete the OTP process, they will acknowledge receipt of future refunds by paper check only.
      2. Future refunds for these students will be sent upon receipt of a refund file to the most recent address provided by the institution.
2. Additional Verification for Refund Preference Changes
   1. Following profile completion, if a student wishes to add a new ACH account for deposit, they will be prompted to complete a mobile OTP.
   2. Students can update their mobile number at any time by logging in to their profile; doing so will also require mobile OTP verification.
   3. Once verified, the updated mobile number will be used for future alerts and account security measures. 
3. Self-Serve Mobile Number Change
   1. They are introducing a new self-serve identity verification step when students request to change the mobile number on file. 
   2. When a student is logged in to their Refund Selection profile or BankMobile account and attempts to update their phone number, they will be prompted to complete a short identity verification process. This may include submitting a government-issued ID and/or a selfie to confirm their identity.
   3. Once the verification is complete, the request may take up to 5 business days to process. When the mobile number update is finalized, a confirmation email will be sent to the primary email address on file. 

Please ensure that you take these steps to prevent a delay in receiving your financial aid refund.

Annual Pell Award
The Annual Pell Award is the Scheduled Pell Award adjusted for enrollment intensity. The FAFSA Simplification Act (the Act) changes the way a Scheduled Pell Grant must be reduced for students enrolled less than full-time. Per the Act, the Pell Grant must be prorated according to the student’s enrollment intensity rounded to the nearest whole percent.

Enrollment Intensity
Enrollment intensity is the percentage of full-time enrollment at which a student is enrolled, rounded to the nearest whole percent. For example, if full-time enrollment is 12 credit hours and the student is enrolled in 7 hours, the enrollment intensity would be 7 ÷ 12 × 100% = 58%.

Credit Hours	Enrollment intensity formula	enrollment intensity	Enrollment status equivalent
12 (or more)	12 ÷ 12 = 1.0	100%	Full-Time
11	11 ÷ 12 = 0.917	92%	Three-Quarter Time
10	10 ÷ 12 = 0.833	83%	Three-Quarter Time
9	9 ÷ 12 = 0.75	75%	Three-Quarter Time
8	8 ÷ 12 = 0.667	67%	Half-Time
7	7 ÷ 12 = 0.583	58%	Half-Time
6	6 ÷ 12 = 0.50	50%	Half-Time
5	5 ÷ 12 = 0.417	42%	Less-than-Half-Time
4	4 ÷ 12 = 0.333	33%	Less-than-Half-Time
3	3 ÷ 12 = 0.25	25%	Less-than-Half-Time
2	2 ÷ 12 = 0.167	17%	Less-than-Half-Time
1	1 ÷ 12 = 0.083	8%	Less-than-Half-Time

FAFSA

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first step toward applying and getting federal aid for college, career school, or graduate school. Santa Monica College will use your FAFSA data to determine your eligibility for state and school aid. All students are encouraged to complete and submit a FAFSA by March 2nd of each year.

How to Apply for FAFSA

• Access the FAFSA to submit your FAFSA application early!
• Create an FSA ID. This is your federal student number to apply for financial aid.

DREAM ACT (For AB 540/SB 68 Eligible Students)

How to Apply for CA DREAM Act 

1. Submit a DREAM Act Application online (SMC School Code: 00128600). Priority Deadline for Cal Grant program is April 3.

2. Submit an AB 540 Affidavit to Admissions and Records Office with an official High School Transcript, GED certificate or the equivalent.

3. Apply to SMC today!

       4. Meet with a college counselor to develop an education plan to help you achieve your goals.

CCPG:

Beginning with the 2023-24 academic year, to apply for the CCPG, please complete the FAFSA if you are a U. S. citizen or eligible non-citizen. If you do not meet the citizenship qualification but meet the AB540  residency standards, please complete the California Dream Act Application to determine your eligibility. 

STUDENTS ENROLLED IN A BACHELOR'S PROGRAM MUST APPLY FOR THE CCPG FEE WAIVER THROUGH THE FAFSA OR CALIFORNIA DREAM ACT APPLICATION. 

School Codes

• FAFSA: 001286
• CA Dream Act: 00128600

 

Log in to your SMC Corsair Connect financial aid portal.

All communication from the Santa Monica College Financial Aid Office will be sent to you via email or posted on your financial aid portal. For example, your estimated award letter will include information about your eligibility for federal and state financial aid, the type of award (California College Promise Grant, Cal Grant, Pell, SEOG, Work Study, etc.) and dollar amounts awarded to you.

*An award is based on the number of units enrolled in each semester and subject to change based on academic standing. See the orientation page for the breakdown of enrollment.

Note: Students can only receive federal financial aid (grants and loans) from one college at a time.  If you plans to attend two colleges concurrently, you must decide which college you will receive your financial aid assistance from.

Submitting Documents

You can submit most documents through the new paperless system called Corsair eDocs!

Fall 2026

• August 3, 2026Fall SAP Appeal Available
• August 5, 2026Fall Payment Deadline
• August 17, 2026SMC Promise Book Vouchers available
• August 20, 2026Direct Loan Application Available
• August 31, 2026First Day of the Fall Semester
• September 1, 20261st Pell and SEOG Disbursement**
• September 16, 2026Parent Plus Loans Disbursement**
• September 29, 2026Cal Grant Disbursement**
• Week of October 19, 2026Direct Loans Disbursement**
• November 3, 2026Fall Census Date

** Full disbursement process may take 1-2 weeks from date listed above. Please check Financial Aid Portal on Corsair Connect for a more accurate date.

**Students please ensure that your Bank Mobile profile is set up and your mobile authentication is active to ensure that your refunds are not delayed.**

VERY IMPORTANT: Please review your account balance to ensure that you do not owe fees from previous semesters. Your account balance must be at $0.00 to ensure that there are no delays to your current financial aid disbursement. If you owe fees from a previous semester, your current financial aid disbursement will be delayed to allow the Cashier's office to collect payment and then redistribute your remaining refund via check.