In regard to the pause on federal aid

January 28, 2025

Dear Students,

You may have heard the news about a freeze on federal grants and loans, which was announced last night by the Trump administration.

We want to assure you that this freeze does not affect federal financial aid, scholarships or student loans. This means that you can still apply for the FAFSA or the California Dream Act, as well as Chaffey Foundation scholarships and receive financial support for your classes.

From the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office:

Q: Is this a freeze on all Federal financial assistance?  
A: No, the pause does not apply across-the-board. It is expressly limited to programs, projects and activities implicated by the President’s Executive Orders, such as ending DEI, the green new deal, and funding nongovernmental organizations that undermine the national interest.
  
Q: Is this a freeze on benefits to Americans like SNAP or student loans?  
A: No, any program that provides direct benefits to residents of the U.S. is explicitly excluded from the pause and exempted from this review process. In addition to Social Security and Medicare, already explicitly excluded in the guidance, mandatory programs like Medicaid and SNAP will continue without pause.  Funds for small businesses, farmers, Pell grants, Head Start, rental assistance and other similar programs will not be paused. If agencies are concerned that these programs may implicate the President’s Executive Orders, they should consult Office of Management and Budget to begin to unwind these objectionable policies without a pause in the payments.

Should you have any questions or need help applying for financial aid, we have in-person and Zoom support each day during our regular office hours. In addition, we also offer weekly workshops to walk you through the financial aid process.

Thank you for being a Chaffey College student.
 
Sincerely,

Patricia Bopko
Director of Financial Aid