South Bay Promise Grant

First-time, full-time college students:

Regardless of high school / GED completion year

No financial need is necessary to qualify

Students who complete ALL of the eligibility requirements:

• Complete the New Student Orientation
• Complete the English and Mathematics Assessment Survey
• Meet with a Counselor to complete an Educational Plan
• Register for 12 or more units

To stay on board with the South Bay Promise program, you must:

Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress

• Cumulative Grade Point Average - Maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA). 
• Cumulative Pace of Unit Completion - Complete at least 67% of the total number of units they attempt (passed hours divided by attempted hours). 
• Maximum Timeframe - Exceeded the 150% maximum timeframe allowed for the completion of your educational program. 

Submit or renew a valid  FAFSA or CADAA each academic year. The FAFSA is available for the next year starting on October 1st. 
_{Please note, any corrections or updates to the student’s FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application, need to be made before the start of the spring or fall semester (whichever is your 1st semester of college), to ensure that verifiable financial aid information is available at El Camino College. If the we cannot verify the student's financial aid information, the student's enrollment fees will not be paid for by the South Bay Promise Grant and the student will no longer be eligible for the program.}

Register for a minimum of 12 units for both fall and spring semesters. (If you are registered with the Special Resource Center on campus and have been approved, then you are only required to take 9 units for both fall and spring semesters).

Students who meet the eligibility criteria will be notified by email to complete the path to enroll.  Once your financial aid application is processed you will receive an offer letter and additional communications regarding your status within four weeks notice.

To be eligible for the South Bay Promise Grant, you must: 

• Enroll at El Camino after graduating high school (gap years are okay if you waited to attend college)
• Complete a financial aid application by submitting your  FAFSA or CADAA
• Complete the path to enroll -  New Student Orientation,  English and Mathematics Assessment Survey, and meet with a Counselor to complete an Educational Plan
• Register in a minimum of 12 units for the fall and spring semesters ( or 9 units for students registered with the Special Resource  Center)
• MaintainSatisfactory Academic Progress

Please note: If you qualify for the California College Promise Grant (CCPG) your enrollment fees are covered and you are not eligible for the South Bay Promise Grant. Unlike the SBP, the CCPG covers tuition for all semesters and terms.

Participation is limited to California residents and students eligible for the non-resident tuition exemption (AB 540)

Once your file is reviewed, you will get an email from the South Bay Promise inviting you to complete an Interest Form. The process can take two to four weeks. Remember that you must have a current FAFSA/CADAA on file. 

Yes, if you took dual enrollment/college level courses while in high school, you are still eligible to have your tuition fees waived because you were not considered a First-Time College student.  

First-time, full-time college students can qualify regardless of high school/GED completion year. 

No, students must be (First Time College Students) starting the semester you applied for. This means you will not be eligible if you have already taken college courses.

Yes, for financial aid purposes, winter classes are combined with spring semester classes. Students taking winter classes will be paid after the spring semester census date.

• Your student file reflects that you are still in High School.
• You are not registered as a full time student. Wait-listed classes do not count.
• You are missing some or all of the Path to Enroll requirements.
• You did not submit or renewed your FAFSA  or CADAA on time.
• *SBP cannot backdate once the semester has ended*

The South  Bay Promise grant pays for your classes at the end of April for the Spring semester & at the end of October for the Fall semester. It only pays for tuition fees. Students are responsible to pay for their school fees in a timely manner.

No, El Camino College students who qualify for the South Bay Promise are required to register full time at ECC in order to be eligible for this grant. 

You can possibly continue to be eligible if: 

• You were registered full-time for the semester and it was too late to add more classes 
• Complete at least 24 units with a minimum GPA of 2.0 at the end of the academic year. (18 units for SRC students) 
• Note that the South Bay Promise grant can cover the fall, winter & spring terms giving you the opportunity to add more units.

You may be able to pause your South Bay Promise eligibility if you are able to provide proof of extenuating circumstances that are out of your control. The pause can only be for one semester. Please email your inquiry to: [email protected]