IMPORTANT CHANGES EFFECTIVE SUMMER 2012

FEE INCREASES

Effective Summer 2012, the following fees are being increased:

Enrollment Fee $46.00 per unit
Non-Resident Tuition Fees $214.00 per unit
Health Services Fee $16.00 for summer / $19.00 For fall
Transcript Fees $5.00 per copy (the first 2 are free)

All other fees are as printed in the catalog and schedule of classes.

Change in the No-Penalty Withdrawal Deadline

Effective summer 2012, the No-Penalty Withdrawal Deadline will be shortened to coincide with the new State regulations. This means that the period to withdraw without penalty (no transcript notation, not counted in repeatability and/or progress probation or disqualification) will be shortened from 30% of the length of class to the first to 20%. For full-term classes, no transcript notation will be made for official withdrawals made during the first two weeks of the semester. For specific dates, refer to your Student Class Program (Web Schedule Bill) or download the free app from the app stores and find it on your Smartphone!

Official withdrawals made after the 2nd week and before the end of the 12th week of the term (75% of the term) will be counted toward repeatability limits as well as be counted toward progress probation and disqualification. W’s are not used in grade point average calculation.

Withdrawals are not permissible after the 12th week for full-term courses or 75% for short-term courses. After that deadline, student must be assigned a grade (A, B, C, D, F, P or NP).

We recommend students consult with a counselor regarding the consequences of withdrawing from courses.

Course Repeats and Withdrawals

Effective summer of 2012, the regulations on how many times a student can repeat (attempt) a course will change. Now the rule is “Three Strikes.” You only get three chances to pass a course. That is the same as saying that you can only attempt to successfully repeat a course twice after receiving a D, F, NP, or W. There are two differences between the current regulations and the new ones that are important to note.

A W will count as having attempted a course. W’s count as a strike.
These changes are retroactive. Classes taken anytime within the Coast District (Golden West, Orange Coast or Coastline) before summer 2012 will be counted. For example, if you took a course before summer 2012 and got a substandard grade, enrolled again and withdrew, enrolled again and received a substandard grade (D, F, and NP) OR withdrew again, that is three strikes and you are done. You can no longer enroll in that course again within the Coast District. (GWC, OCC or CCC)Another example is if you took a course twice and withdrew twice, you can only enroll in that course one more time. Remember you only get three strikes..

IMPORTANT FINANCIAL AID CHANGES

Ability to Benefit (ATB).Students without a high school diploma or its equivalent are ineligible for Title IV funds.
Minimum Pell Grant. Students will need to qualify for the minimum of 10% of the maximum amount of Pell Grant to receive any 2012-2013 Pell Grant funds. Those who qualify for less than 10% will not receive Pell Grant funds.
Lifetime Pell Grant Limit.12 semesters of full time equivalent semesters from the date that the student began receiving Pell Grant.
Federal Work Study (FWS) and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). FWS FY2012 reduced by $1.8 million and FSEOG reduced by $1.4 million.
Federal Stafford/Direct Loan Program. Beginning July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2014, subsidized loans originated during this period will not have a subsidized grace period. The grace period will begin to accrue interest from the date that the student has left a college/university.
Automatic-Zero EFC. Adjusted gross income will be set at $23,000 versus the current $30,000. Fewer students will meet the automatic-zero Expected Family Contribution threshold. These students will be eligible for fewer Title IV dollars; especially the need-based student financial assistance which is the primary student financial aid for the Coast District.
Board of Governors Fee Waiver (BOGFW). The Board of Governors Fee Waiver will be available for those AB540 students who qualify under the specific guidelines for the waiver. AB540 students will have access to the BOGFW beginning January 1, 2013, to waive enrollment fees for the Spring 2013 Semester. The California Community College Chancellor’s Office is working on application and implementation guidelines.
Cal Grant. AB540 students will be eligible to apply for the various Cal Grant programs beginning January 1, 2013. The California Student Aid Commission is working on a California application for those students who are undocumented for release and testing on or about April 2, 2012.

REDUCTION OF FALL CLASS OFFERINGS

Due to the dramatic reduction of state funding available to California Community Colleges, Golden West College has had to reduce the fall schedule by over 100 sections. Given this, it is important for you to register on or as soon as possible after your assigned registration appointment in insure you have the best opportunity to secure classes. IMPORTANT: PAY ALL YOUR FEES to avoid being dropped from your classes.

GRADE OPTION SELECTION DEADLINE HAS CHANGED EFFECTIVE FALL 2012

The deadline for the selection of the Pass/No Pass option in courses designated with an optional grading method has changed. In accordance with Title 5 of the Education Code and the policy of the Coast District Colleges, students must select the pass/no-pass option no later than the end of the second week of a semester length course or before the completion of the first 20% of other length courses.