Financial Aid and Scholarships

Processing and Disbursement Timelines

Processing Your Financial Aid

Verification

After completing your FAFSA or CADAA application, you may be randomly selected for verification and be required to submit additional forms to the Financial Aid office through MyVerify to complete your file. Once you are notified by email that Cabrillo has received your FAFSA, visit MyVerify to view required forms.

Only submit documents if requested.

Example of documents that may be required:

  • Federal Tax Return Transcript

  • W2s

  • Copy of High School Diploma or equivalent

  • Verification of Non-Tax Filer

  • Verification of household size

For assistance with MyVerify, please go to our MyVerify and Appeals page.

This process can take up to 4-6 weeks. Making unnecessary corrections to your FAFSA and/or submitting incorrect/incomplete forms will cause delays! If you do not submit requested documents, your financial aid will not be processed. Keep your email, phone number and mailing address current with the college.

Processing Timeline

  • Step One
    File Your Financial Aid Application

    Fill out a Financial Aid Application for the appropriate school year. You will be using tax information from two years prior. (Ex. for 2023-2024 applications, you will be asked for 2021 tax information.) It can take up to two weeks for the application to be processed and sent to Cabrillo. Be sure to add our school code to avoid delays.

  • Step Two
    MyVerify

    One of every three applications is flagged for verification. If selected for verification, you will need to create a MyVerify account, visit: https://cabrillo.studentforms.com/. Using MyVerify, you can complete the tasks listed, and submit documentation.

  • Step Three
    Parent MyVerify Account

    Parents will be able to create their own account to provide electronic signatures, if required. Parents can log in at: https://cabrillo.studentforms.com/login/parent

  • Step Four
    Tasks Completion / Processing

    Once all tasks are submitted and your file is "Finishe", you will be moved to the processing stage. Processing time for verification can take four to six weeks. If additional documents are needed, your financial aid advisor will reach out to you. Make sure your contact information is up to date with the college.

  • Step Five
    File Complete

    Your documents have been reviewed and your file is complete. If you are eligible for aid, you are ready to be PAID!! (Students will be notified by email when their file is complete and their offer letter is available.)

  • Step Six
    Select Your Refund Preference with BankMobile Disbursements

    Be sure to set up your BankMobile account with BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc. and select a preference on how to receive your refund. To select your preference, visit: https://bankmobiledisbursements.com/refundchoices/

Disbursement Timelines

Award Notification

An email will be sent to you once your file is completed and your offer letter is available. The award amounts on your offer letter are typically based on full-time enrollment (12+ units). The actual amount received will be different if your enrolment status changes. Students do not have to enroll full-time to receive financial aid. Pell awards will not be increased for special studies, short-term, or weekend classes added after the second week of the term. You can view your offer letter through Financial Aid Self Service. Please note that your financial aid credit will first be applied to any balance due on your student account and any difference will be refunded to you.

Note: Offer letters will not include estimates for the Pell Grant until after your file has been reviewed and eligibility has been determined. The initial offer letter will only indicate eligibility for the California College Promise Grant (CCPG).

Federal regulations require that all types of financial aid be coordinated. You must inform the Financial Aid Office if you receive any aid not listed on your Offer Letter such as scholarships, stipends, and vocational rehabilitation. You can only receive aid at one school per term. A revision to your financial aid may be necessary.

Disbursement Timeline

Disbursement dates depend on when your completed file is reviewed. Students awarded before the midpoint of the semester will be awarded in two disbursements. Students awarded after the midpoint of the term will be awarded in one disbursement.

  • The first half of the semester amount of Pell Grants are disbursed no earlier than ten days prior to the start of each term.

  • Cal Grants are disbursed after the add/drop period, around the fourth week of each semester.

  • SEOG and the second half of the semester amount of Pell Grants are disbursed approximately mid-way through the semester.

Summer Awarding

Summer is a non-standard term and is awarded differently than the Fall and Spring semesters. Summer funds will begin to be awarded after the 8 week summer term begins. During summer there is only one disbursement of aid and no adjustments are made once you have been awarded. Awards will be based on your enrollment status at the time of awarding.

Scholarship Awarding

If you have been awarded a scholarship, it will be disbursed the week before the start of the term unless enrollment verification is required. If you are enrolled at Cabrillo and enrollment is required to receive your scholarship we will check enrollment after census and release funds starting the third week of the term. If you are enrolled outside Cabrillo, scholarships will be disbursed within two weeks of the receipt of your enrollment verification. For more information visit our scholarships page.

Cabrillo Promise Program Awarding

For the Cabrillo Promise Program, students who meet ALL requirements of the program will be automatically awarded after the second week of the semester. Awards will be based on a students current enrollment status at the time of awarding. For more information regarding the eligibility requirements of program please visit the Types of Aid and Frequently Asked Questions webpage.

Disbursements Through BankMobile

Cabrillo College delivers your refund with BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc. The most common type of money BankMobile disburses to students are Federal Work Study earnings, funds left over from Financial Aid awards, and loans or grants after tuition has been paid. BankMobile also disburses money for students who have a credit balance. Visit this link for more information. 

-To view the contract, click here.