Financial Aid

The Financial Aid Office offers a variety of financial aid programs funded by federal, state, institutional, and local sources. Whether you're sure you'll need assistance or just exploring your options, we encourage ALL students to apply or reach out - you might qualify for more than you think! 

We're here to help make college more affordable and to support you and your family every step of the way through the financial aid process! 

Need help outside of office hours? No problem! Our Financial Aid Chatbot and FaTV (Financial Aid TV) are available 24/7/365 to give you quick, easy-to-understand answers whenever it's convenient for you.

Apply for Financial Aid

The Financial Aid Office will receive your financial aid application approximately 10 business days from when you submit your financial aid application (FAFSA or CA Dream Act). If more information is required, the Financial Aid Office will send you a missing information email notification to your MyCOD email. You will be able to find any missing documents and/or information via your financial aid self-service portal.

Please review our Disbursement Deadlines and ensure your file is complete as soon as possible.

You are encouraged to regularly check the Financial Aid Self-Service and MyCOD email for updates.

Need Additional Help?

Our office encourages students to stop by our Virtual or In-person (Palm Desert & Indio Campus) Workshops. Review the latest Workshop Dates/Times.

For immediate assistance, check out the FATV portal, which has short-video tutorial clips on the whole financial aid application process (FAFSA & CA Dream Act).

Financial Aid Programs

Visit the financial aid webpage, Type of Awards, for information on awards offered at College of the Desert. 

  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
  • Cal Grants
  • Chafee Grant
  • California College Promise Grant (CCPG)
  • Student Success Completion Grant (SSCG)
  • Federal Work-Study (FWS) 
  • Federal Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
  • Scholarships (Internal & External)

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress

To maintain eligibility for most forms of financial aid, a student must meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standard. College of the Desert is required to determine whether students are making Satisfactory Academic Progress toward their educational goals (AA, AS, certificate, or transfer). This policy applies to all students, whether or not they were previous recipients of financial aid. All students receiving financial aid are required to meet the following standards:

  • Be enrolled in an eligible program.
  • Maintain a minimum cumulative 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA).
  • Complete at least 67% of all coursework attempted.
  • Complete their educational goal within the maximum time frame (150%) of the published unit requirement.

For more information on College of the Desert’s SAP policy, please visit the Financial Aid Office webpage.  

Minimum Requirements for the California College Promise Grant 

Once a student is qualified for the California College Promise Grant, it is essential to ensure that academic and progress standards are met to avoid losing it. Any combination of two consecutive terms of cumulative GPA below 2.0 and/or cumulative unit completion of not more than 50% may result in the California College Promise Grant eligibility loss. 

Scholarships

COD’s scholarship program provides scholarship opportunities to new, current, and transfer students. The COD Scholarship application is available online at the Financial Aid Office webpage in December of each year. External scholarships are posted on the Financial Aid website under scholarships. 

The College is fortunate to assist in coordinating and delivering many external or private scholarship awards from various civic groups, clubs, and agencies. Potential donors or scholarship committee chairpersons are encouraged to contact the COD Foundation Office if assistance is needed in establishing or implementing a private scholarship program. For more information, please call 760.773.2532.

Repayment of Funds

Per federal regulations, students who receive federal financial aid and withdraw from or receive FW grades in their classes for the semester may be required to repay any unearned grant funds they have received. Students who drop or withdraw from a portion of their classes may have an adjustment made to their subsequent disbursement(s) or be required to repay a part of the entire grant. All forms of Federal Grants or Loans monies are subject to repayment requirements. Funds are returned to the appropriate federal program based on the percentage of unearned aid using the Federal formula. For additional information, please visit the Drops, Withdrawals, and Repayment of Funds page.