The Promise DOES NOT HAVE AN APPLICATION process and there are no forms to submit!

First time college students who are CA residents or AB540 eligible just need to complete the FOUR (4) requirements by the semester deadline.

1. New Student Orientation - Complete in WebAdvisor How-to video 
2. Education Plan - Complete in WebAdvisor How-to video  or Meet with a Counselor - Visit the Counseling websites for more information:

Grossmont Counseling | Cuyamaca Counseling

3. Financial Aid Application (do not have to be eligible for Financial Aid to qualify for The Promise)

FAFSA (U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens)  How-To Video

or

CA Dream Act (Eligible undocumented students)  How-To Video

4. Enroll in at least 12 units - How-to Video

Note: Students with disabilities may contact Disability Services at Grossmont College or Cuyamaca College regarding potentially receiving a unit accommodation for a reduced course load.

Two (2) weeks after the first day of the semester. Please review semester deadlines here.

Full-time students who are CA residents or AB540 are eligible. The Grossmont-Cuyamaca College Promise is not just for recent high school graduates. There is no age limitation.

Yes, if Spring is their first semester attending college.

If eligibility requirements are maintained, they would be eligible for the following Fall and Spring semesters (2nd year).

No. The Promise only pays for the Fall and Spring semesters.

Note: Enrollment in summer classes does not impact the “first-time” eligibility requirement for The Promise in the subsequent Fall semester.

Please review the payment details here.

Students will receive notification of award (acceptance or denial) approximately four (4) weeks after the beginning of the semester, via email.

Yes! Students who took college courses on their high school campus must complete a High School Change of Status Form.
(Grossmont | Cuyamaca) and submit it to the Admissions & Records Department.

No. Students must complete a FAFSA or CADAA for each award year but do not have to qualify for Financial Aid to be eligible to receive The Promise.

The new 2022-2023 Basic Needs Grant is only for students awarded The Promise the first semester in Fall 2022 or Spring 2023. It is a one-time grant for eligible Promise students in the 1st semester of their 1st year.

Students who were full-time in their first semester, but were not awarded the Promise due to missing other requirements can be eligible for the Spring semester. View details here.

Students also receive details of a further review of the determination, via submission of a General Petition Form.

Grossmont General Petition Form | grossmont.petitions@gcccd.edu Cuyamaca General Petition Form | cuyamaca.admissions@gcccd.edu

Yes! The Promise covers ALL students in ALL courses.

A cumulative 2.0 GPA is one of the eligibility requirements to persist to the second year of The Promise. Students are evaluated at the end of the Spring semester of their first year. Grades from courses taken at Grossmont and Cuyamaca in the Fall, previous Summer, Spring, and any dual enrollment/concurrent enrollment courses are included in the cumulative 2.0 GPA requirement.

Students with disabilities may contact Disability Services at Grossmont College or Cuyamaca College regarding potentially receiving a unit accommodation for a reduced course load.

Yes. Units from both Grossmont and Cuyamaca are combined to meet the 12-unit requirement.

Yes. Intersession units are included in the 12-unit requirement for the Spring.

This second 8-week course unit will be included and count towards the 12-unit requirement. However, if the student is enrolled in less than 12 units on the date of The Promise semester deadline, the student will initially receive a denial letter.

Note: A regular review of the full-time unit requirement is completed after the deadline. Students who have enrolled in additional courses, reaching 12 units, will be awarded The Promise, and notified via email. 

All courses enrolled in at the deadline will be included to meet the 12-unit requirement, regardless of the start date. However, if the student is not yet enrolled in courses that start after the deadline, and less than 12 units on the date of The Promise semester deadline, the student will initially receive a denial letter.

Note: A regular review of the full-time unit requirement is completed after the deadline. Students who have enrolled in additional courses, reaching 12 units, will be awarded The Promise, and notified via email.

Starting semester:

• Not a CA resident or AB540
• Did not complete the four (4) requirements by the semester deadline

Continued eligibility:

• Dropped below 12 units (semester persistence)
• Did not enroll in at least 12 units in the following (semester persistence)
• Less than a 2.0 cumulative GPA at the end of the Spring semester (1^st Year to 2^nd Year persistence)
• Did not complete a FAFSA or CADAA for the new academic year Fall deadline (1^st Year to 2^nd Year persistence)

Tuition and mandatory fees.

All other expenses are the responsibility of the student (books, parking, course fees, etc.).

The Promise will pay for up to 4 consecutive semesters (3 semesters for students who begin in the Spring) within the first 2 years if students maintain continued eligibility requirements.

While completing The Promise requirements, students have two (2) payment choices:

Option 1: Do NOT PAY at the time of registration. 

Tuition and mandatory fees will be paid by The Promise, after the deadline, and once eligibility is verified.   

Although students view a Payment Notification that says, “Full balance due at the time of registration” and will have an outstanding account balance, they do not need to pay at the time of registration. Students will not be dropped for nonpayment and can attend classes.  

Option 2: PAY at the time of registration. 

Tuition and mandatory fees will be automatically reimbursed, after the deadline, and once eligibility is verified.  

*Note: Ineligible students will receive a denial email and you will be responsible to pay your account balance at that time. 

No. Please note that enrollment in summer classes does not impact first-time eligibility for The Promise in the subsequent Fall semester.

Yes. Promise students who have met the eligibility requirements in the previous Fall semester qualify to have their Intersession tuition and mandatory fees paid.

*Note: Intersession units count toward the 12-unit requirement for the Spring semester.

Promise students who met the requirements in the current semester, and who register for the following semester, will NOT show a balance for their tuition and mandatory fees. The costs will be paid by The Promise, after the deadline once requirements have been met has been verified.

If, at the end of the current semester, a student becomes ineligible (loss of full-time status, less than 2.0 GPA at the end of the 1^st year Spring semester) they will receive a denial email at the end of the semester. They will be notified that they will be responsible for tuition and mandatory fees for the following semester.

A free application for financial aid for U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens.

Note:   Students who are U.S citizens U.S. citizens or residents with parent/guardian(s) who are undocumented will complete the FAFSA. Please reach out to the Financial Aid Department regarding questions about parent/guardian information.

Resource: The Difference between The Promise and Financial Aid document.

CA College Promise Grant (CCPG), formerly known as the Board of Governors' Fee Waiver (BOGFW), is a state program that waives enrollment fees for qualifying students at California Community Colleges who meet the specific income eligibility requirements. To apply, students complete the online application at the California College Promise Grant page or submit a FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application. Students can enroll part-time or full-time.

Grossmont-Cuyamaca College Promise (GCCP) pays tuition and mandatory fees for Grossmont and Cuyamaca students who complete the four (4) eligibility requirements by the semester deadline. Completion of the FAFSA or CA Dream Act is a requirement, but eligibility is NOT based on income. Students must enroll full-time.

This is a free application for state financial aid for eligible undocumented students.

Note: Undocumented refers to people who are not U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents of the United States, who     do not hold a current visa to reside in the U.S. and have not been approved for documented residency in the U.S.

The DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program is a federal executive order that allows some undocumented individuals who meet certain criteria to work in the U.S. and be deferred action from deportation. The DACA program is not related to the CA Dream Act Application. The GCCCD (Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District) does not manage DACA applications and DACA has no effect on eligibility for financial aid.

Not all undocumented students are currently eligible to apply for the CA Dream Act. Please visit the CA Dream Act website and start a new application to verify your eligibility. If you are eligible, please complete a CADAA application and set up Contact information:

Grossmont College | Cuyamaca College

Iliana Garcia @ iliana.garcia@gcccd.edu
Pam Fleming @ pam.fleming@gcccd.edu        

Yes! The Grossmont-Cuyamaca College Promise will pay the cost of mandatory fees not covered by the CA College Promise Grant (CCPG). We encourage all students to complete The Promise requirements for their first semester with us as a student’s financial circumstances may change and Promise eligibility must begin the first semester of attending college.

Students can check the status of the Financial Aid Application in WebAdvisor (How-To Video).

Financial Aid Help Desks:  Grossmont | Cuyamaca

Financial Aid Advisors (assigned by students Last Name):  Grossmont | Cuyamaca

Advisors for U.S. citizens or resident students who have undocumented parents/guardian(s):

Grossmont:  iliana.garcia@gcccd.edu                  

Cuyamaca:  pam.fleming@gcccd.edu

Students will receive a notification of denial, listing the incomplete requirements,  approximately four (4) weeks after the beginning of the semester, via email. 
Students who wish to contest the determination and submit a General Petition Form to Admissions and Records. 

Grossmont General Petition Form | grossmont.petitions@gcccd.edu Cuyamaca General Petition Form | cuyamaca.admissions@gcccd.edu

The General Petition Forms are found on the college Admissions and Records web pages. Student can access the forms below and submit it via email to the Admissions Department:

Grossmont General Petition Form | grossmont.petitions@gcccd.edu Cuyamaca General Petition Form | cuyamaca.admissions@gcccd.edu

Please allow 2-3 weeks for review. The General Petition Review Committee at the colleges will notify students of the determination.