2023-2024 Saddleback College Promise Program Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, please email Georgina Martinez, the Success Coach for the fall 2023 cohort, with your questions about the Promise Program.
The Promise Program uses the Saddleback College application to verify your eligibility for our Program. If you have not already done so, you can submit a fall 2023 Saddleback College application (opens 10/01/2022).
One of the main requirements for the Promise Program is to be enrolled as a full-time student for the fall 2023 semester. Official email notices accepting students to the program will not be sent until after fall 2022 registration opens (Mid-May 2023), when the program can confirm a student's full-time enrollment.
Prior to fall 2023 registration, students who meet all of the eligibility requirements, except for fall 2023 full-time enrollment, will receive a payment deferral (early May 2023). This payment deferral allows prospective Promise Program students to enroll into fall 2023 classes without submitting payment.
If accepted to our Saddleback Promise program, Saddleback College will cover:
- Enrollment fees (currently $46 per unit)
- Required Material Fees (if any)
- Required Field Study Fees (if any)
- Required Student Health Fee ($20 per semester)
- Textbook costs (up to $300 - Students are issued a textbook voucher that can only be used at the Saddleback Bookstore for rental or purchase of used or new required textbooks)
- Incidental costs (up to $100)
- ASB Stamp ($10 per semester)
- SC Student Representation Fee ($2)
Students in the Promise Program get better grades than students who are not in the program. Also, due to the criteria of the program, Promise Program students successfully complete more courses, take more units, and are closer to graduating and/or transferring after one year in the program than other students population on campus.
"First-time college student" refers to any student who has never before attended any college, including Saddleback, as a college student. If you have attended college after leaving/graduating high school, you would not be eligible for the Promise Program.
If you took classes at Saddleback or any other college while you were still attending high school, you were considered a "Special K-12" student, meaning you were still primarily a high school student. Students who took college classes while still in high school (including Dual and Concurrent enrollment) are eligible for the Promise Program.
Please make sure one of the four following Educational Goals is selected in your application.
- Obtaining a 2-year degree without transfer
- Earn a career technical certificate without transfer
- Obtain an associate degree and transfer to a 4-year institution
- Transfer to a 4-year institution without an associate degree
No, you do not need to submit a new fall 2022 Saddleback College application. Please submit an Interest Form to make sure that you receive Promise Program email reminders for fall 2022.
Yes, as long as you don't take college classes at any college prior to the fall 2023 semester. You must still meet the "first-time college student requirement" to be a part of the Promise Program. If you begin taking classes at Saddleback or any other college in spring 2023 after you graduate from high school or complete the CHSPE, you are no longer considered a first-time college student.
Yes, the Promise Program does accept students who are undocumented. Additionally, undocumented students do not need to qualify for DACA. After submitting the college application, undocumented students should apply for AB 540 Resident Status Exception in order to meet the Promise Program residency requirements.
It is also recommended that undocumented students complete the CA Dream Act Application for financial aid before March 2, 2022. Although the Promise Program requires students to complete a financial aid application before April 1, 2022, completing the CA Dream Act Application before March 2, 2022 increases a student's chances of receiving other financial aid from the state.
Yes. Our Promise Program does not have income requirements at this time. To be eligible, students must submit the 2023-2024 FAFSA or the Dream Act application. Both of these applications are available on October 1, 2022.
After the Financial Aid Office receives a student's financial aid application from the FAFSA or the CA Dream Act program, the office notifies students via email if additional documents are required to complete that student's financial aid file. Official notices from the Financial Aid Office are sent to students' Saddleback email addresses, which is accessible through MySite.
Students are able to view and submit their required additional documents to the Financial Aid Office via My Financial Aid Portal.
Not necessarily. Although the California College Promise Grant and the Saddleback College Promise Program have similar names, they are two different things.
The California College Promise Grant or CCPG, formerly known as the Board of Governor's (BOG) Fee Waiver, is a type of financial aid that students qualify for through completion of their financial aid application. The CCPG waives the enrollment fees (currently $46/unit) that a student would usually pay during registration. The CCPG does not include the textbook voucher or other Promise Program benefits. Some student may qualify for the CCPG, but if they do not complete all other Promise eligibility requirements will not qualify for the Promise Program.
To be part of the Promise Program, students are required to complete a financial aid application, in addition to meeting the other Promise eligibility requirements. Students do not have to qualify for any form of financial aid to be part of the Promise Program. A student can qualify for both the CCPG and the Saddleback College Program.
Space in the program is limited. Students who have met all eligibility requirements by the posted deadlines will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.
Conditional acceptance means students are guaranteed the benefits of the Promise program as long as they register for at least 12 units before the registration deadline. Conditionally accepted Promise Program students will receive a payment deferral. This will allow them to register for classes without paying out-of-pocket. Failure to register in at least 12 units by the registration deadline will result in revocation of acceptance to the program. Registration deadline will be published in your conditional acceptance email.
To be eligible for the Promise Program, you must be enrolled in 12 units or more to be eligible. Keep in mind that it typically takes 15 units/semester to finish within two years.
You are still eligible to apply for the Promise Program, however, you should be aware that to continue in the Promise Program during your second year of college, you will need to maintain a 2.0 GPA.
The Saddleback College Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS) office supports all students who have verified disabilities to access the accommodations they need to succeed at the college. To learn how to qualify for DSPS accommodations please visit the DSPS page.
Yes, the Promise Program does admit students with verified accommodations, including reduced course loads. Please get in contact with the DSPS office to learn more about the accommodations that you may be eligible for at Saddleback College.
Students must have a high school diploma or the equivalent to be able to complete the 2023-2024 FAFSA or Dream Act application which is a requirement for the Promise Program. If you do not complete your High School Diploma or the equivalent by the end of the summer, you will not qualify for the Promise Program.
No, with the exception of the EOPS/CARE program*. A requirement of the program is that the Promise students must access all other financial assistance for which they are eligible before accessing Promise benefits. If all of your textbook costs are covered by book vouchers from other Saddleback College programs, then you will not receive an additional textbook voucher for books from the Promise Program.
*If you are a student who is in the College Promise program and EOPS/CARE Program you are required to completely spend your College Promise Book Voucher prior to utilizing your EOPS/CARE Book Voucher.
The Promise program will not cover the cost of these automotive tools. Students enrolled in our Automotive Technology program are not required to purchase automotive tools as a condition of enrollment. Some students qualify for financial support to purchase tools via industry-supported scholarships or professional tools from industry suppliers.
No, the Promise Program can no longer pay for the Cosmetology Program offered through Saddleback College. Please contact a counselor at (949) 582-4572 for further questions.
Yes. The Financial Aid Office offers students support through Zoom Monday - Friday during their posted business hours. The Financial Aid Office also offers a series of workshops to assist students with their FAFSA or CA Dream Act applications.
Eligibility requirements were established with the student’s success in mind. If you would like your case and specific circumstances taken into account, please complete our Promise Program Special Request Form. While your situation will be given full consideration, there are no guarantees that exceptions will be made. Decisions will be made on a case by case basis.
Saddleback College will start sending out official notifications beginning in late May 2023 to applicants that have met eligibility requirements regarding their acceptance into our 2023-2024 Promise Program. The program will continue to accept students through the spring and summer as program capacity allows.
Yes. Please contact our office at (949) 348-6882 if you need additional assistance or need more information.
The Promise Program does not require students to attend summer classes nor does it cover summer school. Promise students wishing to attend summer school should contact the Financial Aid Office to see if they qualify for the California College Promise Grant or CCPG. The CCPG is a need-based form of financial aid that can cover summer tuition. See questions 13 for the difference between the CCPG and the Promise Program.