Hello,

I’m a prospective student considering to enroll in a 31-35 unit Certificate of Achievement. I have a question regarding Federal Student Loans.

The FAQ page on my college (http://smccd.edu/financialaid/loanworkshop.php#faqItem2) ; states: “students are only eligible to apply for a first-year (less than 30 units completed at SMCCCD) or second-year (30 units or more completed at SMCCCD) student loan.”

If I plan to attend half-time (6 units per semester) and take at least two years to complete the certificate, does it mean I could be eligible to receive loans for each year? Or only for one year? In other words, as an independent student I could potentially receive $9,500 the first year and another $9,500 the second year?

Could you clarify this for me, please?  Thank you.