Click here for Additional FAFSA Help Videos

A grant is a form of financial aid that doesn’t have to be repaid (unless, for example, you withdraw from school and owe a refund, or you receive a TEACH Grant and don’t complete your service obligation). A variety of federal and state grants are available, including:

Federal Grants

• Pell Grants
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
• Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH)
• Grants
• Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants

CA State Grants

• Cal Grant
• Middle Class Scholarship
• Golden State Teacher Grant Program
• Chafee Grant for Foster Youth
• Educational Opportunity Program Grant
• California Dream Act Service Incentive Grant Program (DSIG) for Dream students
• California College Promise Grant (Community Colleges)

The Federal Work-Study Program allows you to earn money to pay for school by working part-time. You’ll earn at least the current federal minimum wage. However, you may earn more depending on the type of work you do and the skills required for the position. Your total work-study award depends on

• when you apply,
• your level of financial need, and
• your school’s funding level

Please reach out to your college’s financial aid office for more information regarding work-study.

A loan is money you borrow and must pay back with interest. If you apply for financial aid, you may be offered loans as part of your school’s financial aid offer. When you receive a student loan, you are borrowing money to attend a college or career school. You must repay the loan as well as interest that accrues. It is important to understand your repayment options so you can successfully repay your loan.

Student Loan and Borrower Resources

To determine how much financial aid a student needs to attend a school, use the formula: Cost of Attendance (COA) – Expected Family Contribution (EFC) = Financial Need.

• Cost of Attendance (COA)

Cost varies by school. Each college estimates the COA by adding together the costs of tuition, fees, room and board, transportation, books, supplies, and other miscellaneous living expenses. Most colleges publish the COA on their website.

• Student Aid Index (SAI) 

The Student Aid Index (SAI) is an eligibility index number that a college’s or career school’s financial aid office uses to determine how much federal student aid the student would receive if the student attended the school. This number results from the information that the student provides in their FAFSA® form.

Financial Need

• The difference between the COA at a school and your EFC. While COA varies from school to school, your EFC does not change based on the school you attend.

This tool from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) can help you:

• Understand your financial aid offer
• Plan to cover the remaining costs
• Estimate how much you’ll owe and if you can afford that debt
• Compare offers from different schools
• Decide what to do next

In California, there are two financial aid applications: Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and California Dream Act Application (CADAA). Students only need to fill out ONE of these applications, depending on their status. All students should apply regardless of their income as most scholarships may require students to have a FAFSA or CADAA on file.

Both applications collect student and parent(s) financial information (income & current assets) to determine a student’s Student Aid Index (SAI). Colleges use the SAI, along with other factors, to determine a student’s financial aid package.

If a student is unsure of which application to complete, please reach out to the student’s assigned counselor.

You are eligible to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid if you are a U.S. Citizen, permanent resident, eligible non-citizen, or T-Visa holder. If you are unsure about your status, please reach out to your high school counselor.

Step 1:Create your FSA ID

• Student and required parent contributor(s) create their own studentaid.gov accounts (FSA ID)
• System takes 1-3 days to verify/match identity.
• Recommend that all contributors accounts are verified/matched before completing and submitting application.
• Resources: FCC Financial Aid TV and High School Counselor

Step 2: Complete and Submit FAFSA Application
Students should launch their FAFSA application through California Colleges (accessible through student Clever accounts).

• Student use verified studentaid.gov account (FSA ID) to log in and apply by completing student section, invite parent contributor(s), and sign (this is not a submission).
• Parent contributor(s) gets the invite through email and use the link to take parent to studentaid.gov account to log in with parent’s verified FSA ID and complete parent section and sign and submit. (parent may have different experiences based on marital or tax filing status)
• The application usually takes 1-5 days to process. Student will need to monitor emails from Federal Student Aid regarding application status (processed successfully or action required) and emails from college’s financial aid office regarding additional required documentations or verification forms.

Resources:

• Registering your CA Colleges account (video)
• What is the California Chafee Grant? (video playlist)
• How to complete your Dream Act application (video)
• FAFSA “How To” Videos

Step 3: Create your WebGrants 4 Students account

• Students are REQUIRED to create a WebGrants 4 Students account
• 7 days after submitting an accurate FAFSA
• 24 hours after submitting an accurate Dream Act application
• Your FAFSA must match your WebGrants account name to be able to create a WebGrants account
• Resource: Creating a WebGrants 4 Students account (video)

Step 4: Review your Student Aid Report (SAR)

• You will receive the SAR within 1-5 days after submitting the FAFSA electronically
• Your SAR is a summary of the FAFSA data you submitted
• Review your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number. Your EFC listed on your SAR will determine the amount of aid you will receive according to a formula established by law
• Resource: Understanding your Student Aid Report (video)

Step 5: Verification

• Students who have an incomplete or inaccurate FAFSA or Dream Act application will be required to complete numerous forms, which can be challenging and delay your financial aid award
• The Department of Education has a verification selection process that sometimes makes it necessary for a student’s information to be verified even if you completed an accurate FAFSA
• The school will follow up with you to request forms/documentation to be completed
• When verification is completed and processed, the financial aid office has the ability to submit the SAR electronically
• Resources: Contact your counselor for assistance to prevent any delay in your financial aid award and What happens if I’m selected for Verification? (video)

Step 6: Accept your Award Letter

• In May and June, you will receive your award letters from all of the schools you applied to
• Read your letter in detail!
• You have to either accept or decline the award and send it back to your prospective school. It is important that you carefully read your award letter and follow the instructions on the letter. Never assume you’ve been awarded financial aid without signing your award letter
• It is critical that you understand that you can jeopardize your spot at a school you’ve been accepted to waiting on a wait list for another school. If you wait too long, you can potentially lose both.
• Click here for tips on how to read your award letter

You are eligible to complete the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) if you are undocumented, have a valid or expired DACA, U Visa holder, have TPS, and meet AB540/SB200/SB68 requirements. If you are unsure about your status, please reach out to your high school counselor.

Step 1: Register your CADAA account

• If student is a first time user, student will need to register his or her California Dream Act Application account and follow the steps to create the account.

Step 2: Complete and Submit CADAA Application
Students should launch their CADAA application through California Colleges (accessible through student Clever accounts).

Once a student’s account is registered and created, the student will start and complete the application. Both student and parent will need to sign the application (if student is dependent). If the parent is not present, parent has the option to sign at a later time. Once the application is signed and submitted, the student will need to save the Dream Act ID number for reference.

Resources:

• How to complete your Dream Act application (video)
• Launching Your FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (video)
• Resources for Undocumented Students

Step 3: Create your WebGrants 4 Students ​​​​​​​account

• Students are REQUIRED to create a WebGrants 4 Students account
• 7 days after submitting an accurate FAFSA
• 24 hours after submitting an accurate Dream Act application
• Your FAFSA must match your WebGrants account name to be able to create a WebGrants account
• Resource: Creating a WebGrants 4 Students account (video)

Step 4: Review your Student Aid Report (SAR)
You will receive the SAR within 1-5 days after submitting the FAFSA electronically

Your SAR is a summary of the FAFSA data you submitted

Review your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number. Your EFC listed on your SAR will determine the amount of aid you will receive according to a formula established by law

Resource: Understanding your Student Aid Report (video)

Step 5: Verification

• Students who have an incomplete or inaccurate FAFSA or Dream Act application will be required to complete numerous forms, which can be challenging and delay your financial aid award
• The Department of Education has a verification selection process that sometimes makes it necessary for a student’s information to be verified even if you completed an accurate FAFSA
• The school will follow up with you to request forms/documentation to be completed
• When verification is completed and processed, the financial aid office has the ability to submit the SAR electronically
• Resources: Contact your counselor for assistance to prevent any delay in your financial aid award and What happens if I’m selected for Verification? (video)

Step 6: Accept your Award Letter

• In May and June, you will receive your award letters from all of the schools you applied to
• Read your letter in detail!
• You have to either accept or decline the award and send it back to your prospective school. It is important that you carefully read your award letter and follow the instructions on the letter. Never assume you’ve been awarded financial aid without signing your award letter
• It is critical that you understand that you can jeopardize your spot at a school you’ve been accepted to waiting on a wait list for another school. If you wait too long, you can potentially lose both.

Additional Resources

• FAFSA Help
• Preparing for the FAFSA form
• FAFSA Checklist and Timeline for Students and Families
• FAFSA Checklist and Timeline for Students and Families (Spanish)
• Pro Tips for Filling out the 2024-2025 FAFSA