Promise Program FAQs

To maintain eligibility in the Full-Time Promise Program, students must:

• Enroll in at least 12 units each semester. 
  • Students with DSPS accommodation must enroll in the minimum number set by their counselor each semester.
• Meet with a counselor each semester.
• Maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
• Complete 24 units in the first the first two semesters in the Promise Program.
• Renew their financial aid application for each new academic year.

To maintain eligibility in the Part-Time Promise Program, students must:

• Enroll in at least 6 units per semester and (optionally) 3 units during the summer.
• Maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
• Complete 6 units in the first two semesters.
• Renew their financial aid application for each new academic year.
• Continue to qualify for the California College Promise Grant.

Promise students can meet with any counselor from any of Saddleback College's counseling offices — including General Counseling, EOPS, DSPS, Transfer, Honors, or VETS — to satisfy your counseling requirement for the Promise Program.

Walk-in appointments do not fulfill the requirement. Students should make an hour-long appointment with a Saddleback counselor.

Students may be removed from the Promise Program when they:

• Do not maintain at least a 2.0 GPA
• Do not complete the minimum number of units in relation to their program (24 for Full-Time Promise and 12 for Part-Time Promise)
• Do not complete a financial aid application for each academic year

Students may regain eligibility for the Promise Program through counselor approval and/or successful completion of summer classes (at their own expense). 

You can use your bookstore voucher to purchase textbooks, access codes, small classroom electronics (such as calculators and flash drives) and school supplies. Vouchers cannot be used towards the purchase of clothing, gift cards, gifts, food, cosmetics, or consumer electronics (such as laptops or tablets). You can make purchases online or in-person. 

In-Person: Visit the Saddleback College Bookstore on the first floor of the College Center and use your student id number at checkout.

Online: Visit the Saddleback College Bookstore website to make your purchases. On the checkout page, select the "Book Voucher" checkbox and enter in your student ID number to access your voucher funds. If it's your first time purchasing online, you will need to create an account first.

Important Information

Tip for Success: Avoid waiting until the last minute to buy your textbooks. Shopping early helps you avoid long lines and ensures better availability of more affordable options, such as used or rental books to stretch out the voucher funds.

Reminder: Make sure to complete your purchases before your voucher expires to take full advantage of the funds available to you. Book voucher funds are not rolled over to future semesters.

Yes, students must upload a copy of their receipt and syllabus showing that the material is required for their class to the Promise Program Special Request form. The program cannot provide reimbursement for materials without a receipt or materials that are not required for the class. 

Please email the Saddleback Bookstore at 0296mgr@follett.com and let them know which book is needed, including the course you are enrolled in at IVC and the ISBN of the book. Please mention that you are a Saddleback College Promise student. They will request the book so that you can use the voucher funds.

Book voucher funds are not rolled over to future semesters. Make sure to complete your purchases before your voucher expires to take full advantage of the funds available to you. 

The Promise Program uses the Saddleback College application to verify your eligibility for our Program. If you have not already done so, make sure to also submit a Saddleback College application.

Please fill out our interest form to receive regular updates regarding your eligibility for the program. 

Students in the Part-Time and Full-Time Promise Program receive free tuition and assistance with the cost of textbooks. Both programs require students to be California Residents or AB 540 eligible and that students complete a financial aid application (FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application).

The Full-Time Promise Program requires students to be:

• Enrolled in at least 12 units (or have accommodation through DSPS for fewer units)
• Within their first two years of college

The Part-Time Promise Program requires students to be:

• Enrolled in at least 6 units (or have accommodation through DSPS for fewer units)
• California College Promise Grant (CCPG) eligible

Please view the chart below to compare the differences between the program’s requirements and benefits.

The Promise Program sends regular eligibility updates to prospective Promise students during the spring semester. Once a student meets all our acceptance requirements, they are sent a welcome email.

Official acceptance emails for the Full-Time Promise Program are typically sent out in May and June, following fall registration. This timing allows the program to confirm a student's full-time enrollment status and ensure they meet all eligibility requirements. 

To qualify as a Full-Time Promise student, students must be enrolled in a full-time course load, which means at least 12 units or a number approved by their DSPS counselor, and they must also meet all program requirements.

Yes, undocumented students who submit the CA Dream Act Application and are eligible for AB 540 Resident Status Exception can join the Promise Program. An undocumented student Promise Program must still meet the other eligibility requirements for the Full-Time Promise Program to join, i.e. be a first-time college student, enroll full-time, etc.

Yes, students with verified accommodations, specifically reduced course load accommodations can participate in the Full-Time Promise Program. Please get in contact with the DSPS office to create educational accommodation so that you can participate in the Promise Program.

The Full-Time Promise Program does not cover summer school tuition and fees, nor does it require students to attend summer classes. Students who enroll in summer classes must pay their summer fees to remain eligible for fall and spring.

No, the Promise Program does not pay for the college parking permit. Students must purchase a parking permit to be able to park on campus.

Some students may receive different forms of financial aid that make the parking pass free. 

Yes, a "first-time college student" is someone who hasn't attended college after leaving high school. If you took college classes while in high school, you're classified as a "Special K-12" student. These students, including those in Dual and Concurrent enrollment programs, are eligible for the Full-Time Promise Program.

Students can qualify for both the California College Promise Grant (CCPG) and the Saddleback College Promise Program. Although similar in name, the California College Promise Grant (CCPG) and the Saddleback College Promise Program are two distinct programs that require a Financial Aid Application.

The CCPG, previously known as the Board of Governor's (BOG) Fee Waiver, is financial aid granted upon completion of a financial aid application. It covers enrollment fees (currently $46/unit) and parking fees, but does not cover textbook vouchers, health fees, or student activities fees.

To join the Full-Time Promise Program, students must complete a financial aid application (FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application) and fulfill other eligibility/acceptance criteria.

Yes, the Full-Time Promise Program accepts students regardless of financial aid eligibility. To join, students need to submit either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application and have it received by Saddleback College (school code: 008918).

For the Part-Time Saddleback College Promise Program, eligibility hinges on qualifying for the California College Promise Grant (CCPG), determined solely by submitting a financial aid application.

To be eligible for the Full-Time Promise Program, you must be enrolled in 12 units or more to be eligible. Only students who receive accommodations through DSPS are eligible to enroll in less than 12 units and receive Full-Time Promise Program benefits.

The Part-Time Promise Program may be an option for you. Please complete a financial aid application to see if you qualify for the CCPG waiver and view the Part-Time Promise Program FAQs below. 

Students in the Part-Time and Full-Time Promise Program receive free tuition and assistance with the cost of textbooks. Both programs require students to be California Residents or AB 540 eligible and that students complete a financial aid application (FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application).

The Full-Time Promise Program requires students to be:

• Enrolled in at least 12 units (or have accommodation through DSPS for fewer units)
• Within their first two years of college

The Part-Time Promise Program requires students to be:

• Enrolled in at least 6 units (or have accommodation through DSPS for fewer units)
• California College Promise Grant (CCPG) eligible

Please view the chart below to compare the differences between the program’s requirements and benefits.

The Part-Time Promise Program is currently accepting students through the Spring 2025 semester. Please complete the Promise Program interest form so that we can review your eligibility for the program.

Once a student's FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application is processed by the Financial Aid Office and shows they are eligible for the California College Promise Grant, students are sent a welcome email to their Saddleback email accounts.

Part-Time Promise Program students will have their summer registration fees covered by the CCPG waiver. The Part-Time Promise Program will cover any remaining registration fees and up to $100 during the summer term if the student enrolls in at least 3 units.

Yes, the Part-Time Promise Program does not require eligible CCPG students to be in their first year of college. The Part-Time Promise Program can help all eligible CCPG students regardless of their prior education experience or academic achievements.

If a student in the Part-Time Promise Program loses eligibility for the CCPG waiver due to academic or progress probation, they will remain covered by the program for the semester the waiver was removed. 

However, to remain eligible beyond this extension, the student must demonstrate academic improvement during the semester the waiver was removed and submit a petition for Loss of CCPG through the Admissions and Records office.

This depends on whether a student meets the Full-Time Promise Program eligibility criteria, including first-time freshman status and enrolling in at least 12 units per semester. 

Part-time Promise students can enroll in 12 or more units per semester, but the minimum number of units required to be eligible for the Program is 6 units per semester.