Be aware of each term’s Freeze Date
The financial aid Freeze Date is used each semester to lock in a student's enrollment status for awarding
financial aid. Generally, the initial financial aid freeze date occurs approximately seven calendar days after the
start of the semester. All classes a student is enrolled in on the Freeze Date each semester determines the
maximum amount of federal aid the student is eligible to receive, this includes Federal Grants and Federal
Loans. If you enroll for regular full semester classes and late start part of term classes, your Freeze Date for the
entire term occurs on the initial Freeze Date.
It is in your best interest to make all of your add/drop changes for the entire semester by the Freeze Date. If you
add or drop classes before the Freeze date, the amount of financial aid you are eligible for will be affected. Your
Federal Grants will not change as long as you have attended all of the classes enrolled in on the Freeze Date and
you do not completely withdraw from all classes. However, students who withdraw from all classes or receive
a grade of F or U in all classes, will still be subject to an eligibility calculation (see Withdrawal Policy) that may
result in financial aid funds having to be repaid to Yavapai College and /or the Department of Education.
Students who never attend class will have a reduction of their Pell Grant Eligibility.
The Freeze Dates for 2016-2017 are:
Fall 2016 –
August 29, 2016
Spring 2017 - January 23, 2017
Summer 2017 - June 12, 2017
How the Freeze Date works
If you are eligible for a Pell Grant, the grant amount you will receive is based on enrolled credits and is prorated,
depending on the percentage of full-time enrollment you have on the Freeze Date. Your financial aid eligibility
for the term will be based on your enrollment status as recorded on the Freeze Date. The Pell Award amounts
and Percentage of eligibility by enrollment status is determined by the Department of Education and published
on a Pell Payment Schedule.
12+ credits
9-11.5 credits
6- 8.5 credits
Below 6 credits
Full time or 100% eligibility
Three-quarter time or approximately 75% eligibility
Half time or approximately 50% eligibility
Less than half-time or approximately 25% eligibility

If you have enrolled in full term classes and are planning to enroll in additional late start/part of term
classes, you must add the class prior to the Freeze Date to have those credits included in your financial
aid eligibility for that term.

Classes added after the Freeze Date will not be included in your financial aid enrollment status for that
term and will not increase your financial aid eligibility.

Classes dropped after this date will not be deducted from your financial aid credit load for financial aid
purposes for the term, unless you drop all your classes or unless the class is never attended. If you never
attend a class, the number of credits for that ‘No Show’ class will be removed from your total credits
and your Pell eligibility will be reduced based on your updated enrollment status.

Students who completely withdraw from classes or receive grades of F or U in all classes will still be
subject to an eligibility calculation that may result in financial aid funds having to be repaid to Yavapai
College and/or the Department of Education. Please click here for our Withdrawal policy.

This Freeze Date is ONLY for financial aid purposes – it does not affect any other eligibility, such as
Veterans’ benefits.

The enrollment status for students who have not been awarded financial aid by the Freeze Date will
be based on the units enrolled on the day the file is processed.

If a student enrolls ONLY in late start/part of term classes, the Freeze Date will be seven calendar days
after the start of the late start course.
Below are some examples of possible enrollment scenarios and the impact of the Freeze Date on your
financial aid eligibility. These examples use a Freeze Date of August 29th.
1. If you were enrolled in 12 credits on August 1st and dropped a 3 credit class on August 15th and never
added any more classes, you would be at 9 credits, which is considered three-quarter time.
2. If you were enrolled in 9 credits on August 1st and added a 3 credits class on August 26th, you would be
at 12 credits, which is considered full time.
3. If you were enrolled in 6 credits on August 1st and add two 3 credit courses on August 31st you will still
only be at 6 credits for financial aid purposes, since your additional credits were added after the Freeze
Date of August 29th.
4. If you were enrolled in 12 credits on August 1st and drop a 3 credit class on September 5th, you will still
be at 12 credits for financial aid purposes, since you dropped credits after the Freeze Date.
5. If you were enrolled in 12 credits on August 28th, drop to 9 credits on September 5th and then your file is
completed and financial aid is awarded on September 15th, your enrollment status for financial aid
purposes will be three-quarter time based on 9 credits.