Financial aid is a crucial tool for students, even more so during this economically tremulous time. The U.S. is currently facing a pandemic, which has launched the country into a recession, leaving millions financially vulnerable. Students need to know what financial aid they may be entitled to and how to get it. Due to the pandemic, the Los Medanos College Financial Aid Office is offering remote services to students.

    In an email sent out by Financial Aid Supervisor Jennifer Ma, she goes over the ways in which students can receive financial aid remotely. 

“Students may ask general financial aid questions through our Chatbot, available 24/7 on our website. If the chatbot is unable to provide an answer, she will forward the inquiry to a financial aid representative to follow up with the student,” wrote Ma.

Students can check their financial aid status through InSite at any time, which will let students know about required documents, financial aid reward packages, and their satisfactory academic progress status.

“Students may submit documents to [email protected]. Students must send the email using their InSite email and include student ID number in all communication,” wrote Ma. 

She encouraged students to try to get in touch with their financial aid coordinator, which is determined based on the first letter of a student’s last name. Students can schedule a phone or Zoom appointment by contacting their respective financial aid coordinator. Accommodations have been made for students who lack certain utilities. 

“No access to a scanner? Students can scan and email documents without a scanner using the free Adobe Scan App,” wrote Ma. 

    If any students are concerned about there being a lack of financial aid funds due to the recession, fear not. 

“The pandemic has not impacted the availability of federal and state financial aid grants. We continue to process applications and process grant disbursements as usual. We encourage all students to apply for financial aid,” wrote Ma.

The Financial Aid Office’s remote hours for the fall semester are Monday through Thursday 9 a.m.- 6 p.m., the office is closed on Fridays. Students can call the office at (925) 473-7525, or by emailing [email protected] as mentioned earlier. When calling, students will first need to verify the last four digits of their social security number, date of birth and student ID number.

If you need to fax a document to the Financial Aid Office, please send them to (925) 473-1651, or if you choose to mail a document, please send it with attention to the Office of Financial Aid.

     For more information regarding financial aid, please visit the LMC website.