Where we foster excellence in education that challenges students of every background to develop their intellect, character, and abilities; to assist students in achieving their educational and career goals; and to be responsive to the greater community.
Each semester has a special date called a “freeze date.” On this date, the school looks at how many units you are officially enrolled in. This number is used to figure out how much financial aid you can get for the semester.
Only classes that are required for your program will count for federal aid. If you add or drop classes after the freeze date, it won’t change your financial aid for that semester.
But, if you drop all your classes or get grades like F, EW, W, or NP in all your classes, the school may have to do a special calculation called "Return to Title IV." This could mean you have to pay back some of your financial aid to Imperial Valley College or the U.S. Department of Education.
Also, if you never attend your classes, your financial aid may be reduced
The "freeze dates" for 2025-26 are:
| Semester | Date |
| Fall | September 5, 2025 |
| Winter | January 16, 2026 |
| Spring | March 13, 2026 |
| Summer | July 1, 2026 |
Your enrollment status is based on how many units you are taking on the "freeze date."
Only classes that are required for your program will count for federal financial aid.
| Enrollment Status | Units |
| Full Time | 12+ units |
| Three-quarter Time | 9 - 11.5 |
| Half Time | 6 - 8.5 |
| Less than Half Time | .5 - 5.5 |
If you plan to take a short-term class that starts later in the semester, you must add it or be on the waitlist by the "freeze date" for it to count toward your financial aid. Only classes you need for your program will count for federal aid.
If you add a class after the freeze date, it won’t count toward your financial aid
for that term.
If you drop a class after the freeze date, it will still count towards your enrollment
status, unless you never attend the class or are marked as a "no show."
The freeze date is only used for financial aid—it does not affect other benefits like Veterans’ services or EOPS.
The CCPG Fee Waiver is not affected by the freeze date.
Credit by Exam, non-credit, or audited classes do not count as enrolled units for financial aid.
Adding or dropping classes after the freeze date won’t change your financial aid for this semester, but it might affect your satisfactory academic progress.
If you haven’t received financial aid by the freeze date, your enrollment will be based on the classes you're taking when your aid is awarded. Late Cal Grant payments will be based on how many units you’re enrolled in at the time of disbursement.
If you weren’t enrolled on the freeze date but later sign up for short-term classes, your enrollment status will be based on those classes.
Make sure to check your enrollment status and DegreeWorks before the freeze date to be sure you’re enrolled in classes required for your major.
Payments for semesters that are already completed are only paid for classes you actually finish that are required for you major.
If you have questions about how the freeze date affects your financial aid, contact the Financial Aid Office by phone at 760-355-6266 or email contact.finaid@imperial.edu You can also stop by Building 1700 during business hours, Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM