Financial Aid

First-time, full-time students are eligible to have the cost of tuition, fees and *textbooks waived for their first TWO years through the Foothill College Promise. (*Note: starting fall 2021, free textbooks will ONLY be available to students participating in eligible learning communities.)

To get started, apply for financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application.

Then learn more about other types of financial aid available for Foothill College students!

Note: Foothill Promise is offered for the Fall, Winter and Spring quarters only. It is not applicable for Summer quarter classes.

GREAT NEWS STARTING FALL 2020! - If you drop below full-time status, you will not lose Foothill Promise eligibility for the following quarters you are eligible.

If you’ve been awarded a Pell Grant at Foothill, you are eligible to use it as a payment type to buy your books at the Foothill College Bookstore website for each quarter.

Students may charge up to $500 of their available Pell Grant award for the quarter for required books and designated class materials. The program cannot be used, however, to purchase technology items or basic school supplies.

Your student ID number will be required to make a financial aid purchase on the website during the final checkout.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• If you receive textbook and/or course material coverage through other campus programs, such as EOPS, Puente, Umoja, VRC or DRC, make sure to use those "vouchers" first so that you can get the maximum amount of Pell Grant money refunded directly to you each quarter.
• Summer Pell Grant Book Charging Program - If you are eligible for and choose to use the Pell Grant Book Charging Program for Summer quarter, you will need to use the Pell Grant refund you receive for the quarter to pay the book charge when it gets added to your student account. The reason for this is, due to the length of most summer classes being only 6 weeks, students get the full amount of their eligible Pell Grant award at the beginning of the quarter, which is before the summer book charges can be added to students' accounts. 
• It is your responsibility to:
  • Only use the Pell Grant Book Charging Program if you know you will be eligible for Pell Grant for the quarter.
  • Use money from your financial aid refund or pay out of pocket for any book charges that are not covered by your mid-quarter Pell Grant disbursement (Fall, Winter, and Spring). 

The Foothill Library has many textbooks available for checkout for the whole quarter. If they do not have the textbook that is required for your class, they will look into acquiring it. 

• To find out if the Library already has the book you need, click HERE and follow the instructions in the "How to Look for Reserve Textbooks" section.
• If the Library does not already have the book you need, click HERE and fill out a Course Reserves Request in the "Can't Find The Book You Need?" section.

*Note: The Library is unable to purchase electronic books and books that have an access code attached to them.

What can you find on our IG profile?

Foothill_Financial Aid

Monday Themes - You can learn more about financial aid programs, important dates and deadlines, and much more.

Q&A Thursday (10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.) - Ask us anything about financial aid. Answers are given in REAL TIME!

In addition, we organize financial aid games for PRIZES and stay in contact with students through direct messaging.

See what's happening on our Instagram this month

About the Emergency Broadband Benefit

The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program that will provide a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.

The Emergency Broadband Benefit is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.

Who is Eligible for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program?

A household is eligible if a member of the household meets one of the criteria below:

• Has an income that is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, or Lifeline;
• Approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision in the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year;
• Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
• Experienced a substantial loss of income due to job loss or furlough since February 29, 2020 and the household had a total income in 2020 at or below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers; or
• Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's existing low-income or COVID-19 program.

When Can I Sign Up for the Benefit?

As of May 12, 2021, eligible households will be able to enroll in the program to receive a monthly discount off the cost of broadband service from an approved provider. Eligible households can enroll through an approved provider or by visiting https://getemergencybroadband.org.

Check out the Broadband Benefit Consumer FAQ for more information about the benefit.

Which Broadband Providers Are Participating in the Emergency Broadband Benefit?

Various broadband providers, including those offering landline and wireless broadband, are participating in the Emergency Broadband Benefit. Find broadband service providers offering the Emergency Broadband Benefit in your state or territory. 

Check back here often for announcements, news and workshop dates. We look forward to helping you!