Policies
Welcome to our comprehensive guide to financial aid policies at Pitzer College. Here, visitors will find everything they need to navigate the intricacies of financial aid, ensuring eligibility and understanding financial aid throughout their time here.
General Policies
The Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prohibits the Office of Financial Aid from discussing financial aid matters with anyone other than the student without the student’s written consent.
While most students authorize parental access to financial and income information through the completion of the FAFSA and CSS Profile application, which typically includes parental data, authorization to discuss financial aid matters with other parties (such as relatives or academic advisors) requires completion of a Financial Information Release form with the Office of Financial Aid.
The financial aid office does not disclose Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) information with parents without specific consent by the student.
Please note, this Financial Information Release form is distinct from the FERPA Release form required by the Registrar's Office.
Aid Eligibility Policies
Most Pitzer financial aid packages include self-help components such as a subsidized loan and work-study. These options provide students with the opportunity to gain employment, establish good credit, and invest in their education.
Each year, as students progress toward their degree, they become eligible for increased loan funds from the Federal Direct Loan program. Pitzer believes that as students advance toward their degree, their personal investment in their education should grow. Therefore, loan eligibility increases each year. Additionally, work-study allocations increase from $2,500 to $3,000 as students move into their second year.
Below are the subsidized loan and work-study limits for the 2024-25 academic year.
Loan | Work-Study | |
---|---|---|
First-year | $3,500 | $2,500 |
Second-year | $4,500 | $3,000 |
Third-year | $5,500 | $3,000 |
Fourth-year | $5,500 | $3,000 |
Federal Verification
The U.S. Department of Education randomly selects FAFSA submissions for a process called Verification. Verification is a routine part of the financial aid process and is in place to ensure the accuracy of the information submitted on the FAFSA. For the 2024-25 academic year, there are three verification statuses.
Most students are selected for verification during their first FAFSA submission, however, verification can happy at any during the school year. Students selected for verification will receive an email from the Office of Financial Aid outlining additional documents required for verification. Any additional documents will also be posted to MyCampus2 Portal.
Professional Judgement & Appeal Policy
We understand that the information provided on the FAFSA and CSS Profile may not always reflect a family’s ability to contribute. Federal regulations allow financial aid counselors to use Professional Judgement to adjust certain components of a student’s information through an appeal. There are two categories of appeals: Special Circumstances and Unusual Circumstances.
A student may have both a special circumstance and an unusual circumstance. Through an appeal process, financial aid counselors have the ability to review a student’s situation.
Leave of Absence & Withdrawal Policy
- Leave of Absence – leaving the College by dropping all classes for the semester with the Registrar’s Office and providing an intended date of return to Pitzer.
- Official Withdrawal – leaving the College by dropping all classes for the semester with the Registrar’s Office with no intent to return to Pitzer.
- Unofficial Withdrawal – receiving all unearned grades for the semester and not notifying the Registrar’s Office of the intent to withdraw.
If a student intends to withdraw from all courses during a semester, they must contact the Registrar’s Office. The Registrar will provide either a Leave of Absence Form or a Withdrawal Form. Both forms require the student to contact the Office of Financial Aid as part of the Leave/Withdrawal process.
Students who take a leave of absence or withdraw from the College and have borrowed a Federal Direct Loan, Federal Perkins Loan or a Pitzer College Loan must complete an Exit Counseling session prior to leaving campus.
Return of Title IV Policy
Students who receive Title IV federal student aid are subject to federal Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) regulations. Title IV federal student aid is awarded with the expectation that the student will attend classes for the entire semester and “earn” the award. When a student stops attending classes prior to the end of the semester, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of federal funds the student was originally scheduled to receive.
Students who withdraw from all classes on or before the semester is 60% complete, must have any “unearned” Title IV federal student aid be returned to the U.S. Treasury, even if the student is not entitled to a refund of tuition. Students who withdraw from all classes at the 60% period, earn all financial aid awarded for the term.