Pace+ Financial Aid

Financial Aid Information for Competency-Based Education

Coastline’s Direct Assessment Competency-Based Education (CBE) programs, known as PACE+ programs, will be offered as standard term subscription-based programs. The financial aid application process for CBE students is the same as that for students in traditional programs. The key difference for the CBE program is how your aid is packaged, monitored for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), and disbursed. Download the complete document.

Academic Calendar

The Pace+ academic year is comprised of three terms; each term (which is the subscription period) is 14 weeks of instructional time, excluding breaks or non-instructional periods when faculty are not available. Therefore, each academic year is 42 weeks of instructional time.

Students can enter the Pace+ program at 12 points during the calendar year, referred to as “starts.” Each start is the beginning of a new PACE+ academic year. Therefore, the program will, at any given time, have up to 10 concurrent academic years running.

Below is a sample of the PACE+ academic calendar, showing the first three academic years. Each square is a week; the grey squares are periods when faculty is not available (e.g., winter break) and are not included in instructional time.

Program Registration and Competency Enrollment

Students can register for the program up to the first day of a term. When a student initially registers for the program, they are registering for one, 14-week term. They can then register for subsequent terms.

Students cannot be simultaneously enrolled in multiple learning modalities; if a student is enrolled in a PACE+ program they cannot also be enrolled in traditional courses at the College.

Enrollment Status

The College will offer two versions of the program: full-time and half-time. Full-time students are expected to complete the equivalent of 12 credits per term, while half-time must complete the equivalent of at least 6 credits per term. Students must select either the full-time or half-time track before beginning the program.

Because Coastline College uses a subscription model for both tuition and financial aid, students may complete as many or as few credits in a term as they wish, regardless of their enrollment status. However, failing to complete the minimum number of units associated with their enrollment status may impact financial aid eligibility in future terms. To support

student success, Coastline College will work with each student to establish an academic plan that outlines the number of competency courses they are expected to complete in the academic year based on their enrollment status.

Students may change their enrollment status (that is, transfer from the full-time version of the program to the part-time version, or vice versa) no more than once per academic year. If a student requests to change their enrollment status mid-term, the change will apply at the start of the following term.

Cost of Attendance

Tuition will be a flat fee (subscription fee) based on the student’s enrollment status, determined using existing per-unit tuition rates set by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

The flat fee for students is as follows:

• Resident: $317 per term
• Non-Resident: $2,717 per term
• Military Contact Education Rate for Residents: $276 per term
• Military Contact Education Rate for non-residents: $1,500 per term

Below is the estimated Cost of Attendance (COA) for the 2025-2026 academic year (3 terms) for a full-time student enrolled in a PACE+ program:

Academic Year Definition

The academic year definition for the program, for Title IV purposes, is 36 credits and 42 weeks.

Disbursements

Coastline College disburses financial aid in accordance with the regulations governing subscription-based financial aid.

• First two payment periods (terms): Financial aid payments will be disbursed based solely on the student’s enrollment status.
• Subsequent payment periods: To receive aid, students must demonstrate academic progress by completing a cumulative number of credit unit equivalencies equal to the total number of units they were expected to complete in all prior terms, excluding the most recent term. Students who have not met this completion requirement will not receive financial aid at the start of the term.

When a student qualifies for financial aid disbursement for a term, the aid will be disbursed in two installments: 50% in the first week of the term, and 50% at the midpoint of the term

If a student has not met the units completion requirement to receive aid at the beginning of the term, no aid will be disbursed in the first week of the term. The first installment will be disbursed the week after the student meets the requirement, and the second installment will be disbursed in the eighth week of the term. If the requirement is met at or after the eighth week of the term, 100% of the aid amount will be disbursed the week after the student meets the requirement.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

The purpose of this Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy is to establish guidelines and standards for students enrolled in the Competency-Based Education (CBE) subscription-based programs to ensure their academic success and maintain eligibility for continued enrollment. Students must be enrolled in a CBE program and cannot be simultaneously enrolled in multiple learning modalities.

SAP is determined at the end of every term or subscription period once grades are posted. Competencies begun in one term and completed in a subsequent term will be factored into the SAP evaluation for the term in which the competency is completed. Students are required to make satisfactory academic progress toward the completion of an associate degree, an eligible vocational certificate, and/or transfer to a four-year college/university.

The SAP Policy covers all federal programs, including the Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work-Study, and Direct Loans. SAP also applies to the state Cal Grants, Full Time Student Success Grant, and Completion Grant programs. A separate academic progress policy applies to the California College Promise Grant (formerly BOG Fee Waiver).

To remain in good standing and maintain eligibility for financial aid in the subscription-based program, students must meet the following academic standards:

1. Cumulative Grade Point Average

Must maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.00 or higher. Credit earned for competencies will be translated into letter grades in order to calculate GPA:

• Grade of Mastery (M) is equivalent to a B, 3.0
• Grade of Mastery with Distinction (M+) is equivalent to an A, 4.0
• W (withdrawal) is equivalent to an F, 0.0
• PW (progress withdrawal, per California Title V requirements) is equivalent to an F, 0.0

The IP (in progress) transcript notation does not impact GPA.

2. Maximum Timeframe

Must complete the program within the Maximum Timeframe requirement, which is no more than 150% of the published length of the educational program. For example, if a program normally requires 60 units to complete, students must finish within 90 attempted units to remain eligible for financial aid.

The GPA calculation for SAP will encompass all courses on the student’s transcript that are relevant to the CBE program, including those transferred into the CBE program from another program at Coastline, those transferring into the program from another institution, and those outside the program. This calculation includes units within the Coast Community College District and those from other regionally accredited colleges and universities that have been evaluated by the Admissions and Records Office at Coastline and applied to the student's academic record. Academic renewal is not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and will not remove such grades from this calculation.

Repeating Coursework

Students do not repeat competency coursework; they remain enrolled in a competency until it is completed, at which time it is included in the SAP calculation.

Incomplete Competencies and Withdrawals

Students who have competencies they have begun but not finished at the end of the term will receive an IP (in progress) for those competencies.

A student will be considered withdrawn and receive a W grade under the following circumstances:

• If the student requests to withdraw from the CBE program in which they are enrolled, they will receive a W for all competencies in which they are currently enrolled.
• If the student has no academic activity, across all competencies in which they are enrolled, for more than 21 days, they will receive a W for all enrolled competencies.
• If the student has been enrolled in a competency for three terms without completing it, they will receive a W in that competency.

When a student is withdrawn, under any of the above circumstances, they will receive a W grade. This grade will be factored into the SAP calculation at the end of the term.

Remedial Coursework and English as a Second Language (ESL)

Students are not permitted to simultaneously enroll in ESL or remedial coursework while participating in the CBE program. Any prior completion of ESL or remedial coursework will not be factored into SAP calculations.

Transcripts from Other Colleges

If transcripts are on file with the Admissions and Records Office, only courses that are being transferred in to substitute for coursework in the CBE program will be included in the GPA calculation.

Unusual Enrollment History (UEH): If the student is selected for Unusual Enrollment History (UEH) by the U.S. Department of Education, and transcripts from the other colleges are reviewed by the Financial Aid Office for this purpose without having been evaluated by Admissions and Records, the Financial Aid Office may choose to evaluate the transcripts for satisfactory academic progress determination at that time- prior to the transcripts being reviewed by the Admissions and Records Office. If the student is new to the Coast Community College District, and official transcripts have been evaluated upon or soon after entry, and if those transcripts show that the student was not making satisfactory academic progress, then the student will be placed on Warning.

Study Abroad

Courses completed in an approved study abroad program recognized by the Coast Community College District for academic credit toward a student's vocational certificate, degree, or transfer will be factored into the SAP calculations, only if those courses are awarding academic credit toward the CBE program.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy Statuses

Satisfactory Academic Progress is determined at the end of each term or subscription period.

All courses that are being transferred in to substitute for coursework in the CBE program will be included in the GPA calculation, even if the student did not receive financial aid in the past. There are four outcomes once SAP has been determined at the end of each term or subscription period. They are as follows:

• Good = Student has met all the requirements of satisfactory academic progress and will continue to be eligible for federal and state financial aid grants and loans, as long as all other financial aid requirements are met.
• Warning = Student did not meet all the requirements of satisfactory academic progress and is now placed on "Warning". The student will receive financial aid even if they are in "Warning", as long as all other financial aid requirements are met. Students have the current term in which they have been placed on "Warning" to meet all the cumulative conditions of satisfactory academic progress or they will be disqualified from financial aid for the next term.
• Disqualified = Students who have not met all cumulative conditions of satisfactory academic progress after their term on "Warning”, or those who have transferred into our district and their official transcripts have disqualified them per this SAP policy.
• Probation/Ed Plan = When a student has not met all conditions of SAP and has been disqualified, he/she may appeal to receive further aid. An appeal committee will review the appeal and render a decision.

Reestablishing Aid Eligibility

Students who have been disqualified due to not meeting the minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA requirement may reestablish their eligibility by going through the appeal process.

The allowable circumstances under which the student may submit an appeal include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Illness or accident of the student or immediate family member (documentation is required)
• Death of an immediate family member (documentation is required)
• U.S. Military service orders (documentation is required)
• Diagnosed temporary disability which contributed to poor academic performance and is no longer an issue (supporting documentation is required)
• Economic hardship

The SAP Appeal Form must be completed and accompanied by supporting documentation.

Once the appeal is submitted, depending on the number of appeals received, it may take between two to four weeks for the Appeal Committee to review and render a decision. All appeals are decided on a case-by-case basis. Filing an appeal does not mean that the student will be allowed to receive financial aid, only that the appeal will be reviewed with the possibility of approval. If approved, the student will be bound by the terms of the approval. The Appeal Committee will notify the student via email of the outcome.

If the appeal committee decides to grant the student's appeal for a GPA disqualification, the student will be approved for one additional semester of financial aid and placed on "Probation" status. If the student can meet all cumulative SAP measures after the grades from the probationary term are posted, the student will move to "Good". If the student is unable to meet all cumulative SAP measures after the grades from the probationary term are posted, the student will lose financial aid eligibility and move to "Disqualified" status.

Withdrawal Policies and Procedures

The program is designed such that academic activity will occur on at least a weekly basis, depending on the student’s pace in moving through the content. Coastline will proactively monitor and track PACE+ students’ academic activity as well as their engagement with faculty. At the 7-day, 10-day, and 14-day points of no student activity or engagement, the College will proactively reach out to the student by phone and/or email, as indicated below:

• 7 days with no activity or engagement: Ask the student about their status, whether they need assistance to maintain progress.
• 10 days with no activity or engagement: Remind the student of the withdrawal policy.
• 14 days with no activity or engagement: Withdraw the student from the program.

Withdrawal Policy

Upon entering Coastline College’s PACE+ program, the student assumes the responsibility of completing each competency course in which they are registered. Below is Coastline’s Withdrawal Policy for PACE+ programs:

Circumstances

• If the student requests to withdraw from the PACE+ program in which they are enrolled, they will receive a W for all competencies in which they are currently enrolled. 
• If the student has no academic activity, across all competencies in which they are enrolled, for more than 14 days, they will receive a W for all enrolled competencies.
• If the student has been enrolled in a competency for three terms without completing it, they will receive a W in that competency.

        Students should be aware that “W”s are used to determine academic status.

        We recommend students consult with the Financial Aid Office before withdrawing from courses as it may impact their financial aid eligibility.

Drop Deadlines

For PACE+ competency courses, no transcript notation will be made for official withdrawals made within 10 days of the first date of instruction in the term, if no competencies have been completed during that time.

When a student drops a competency course, any work completed since the start of the term will not be saved and must be completed again if the student returns at a later time.

Excused Withdrawal

Students who need to withdraw from a PACE+ course due to extenuating circumstances beyond their control may be eligible to petition for an Excused Withdrawal (EW). If approved, an "EW" will appear on the student’s transcript. For financial aid purposes, an EW is generally treated as a withdrawal and is counted as an attempted unit when evaluating Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

Progress Withdrawal

Students may attempt the summative assessment(s) in a competency course a maximum of three times. If mastery of the competency is not demonstrated after three attempts, a grade of PW (Progress Withdrawal) will be assigned for that competency.

Return to Title IV (R2T4)

The PACE+ program is considered to be attendance-taking for Title IV purposes. Therefore, if a student is non-attending for 14 days the student will be considered withdrawn per the withdrawal policy and the R2T4 calculation will use the last date of attendance (the last date on which there was academic engagement).

If a student ceases attendance prior to the second disbursement of the funds intended for the term, the undisbursed funds are considered aid that could have been disbursed and are treated as such in the R2T4 calculation.