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Funding Your College Future

Higher education means greater opportunity—the knowledge and skills you gain through education, as well as career and technical training, can be used for the rest of your life.

Finding ways to pay for college can be intimidating, but the state of California is here to help. The Cal Grant and Middle Class Scholarship are two state programs to help California students and their families.

Cal Grant is a need-based state financial aid program and has been a big part of making college affordable for many California families. Qualified students can receive up to $12,240 in funding to attend almost any college in California. Awards vary depending on economic need, grades, and the college you attend.

The Middle Class Scholarship Act is a new program for students who do not qualify for Cal Grants but are still priced out of college. It offers sliding-scale discounts of up to 40 percent for families who earn $150,000 or less and don’t qualify for Cal Grants, which support lower-income students.

College and career schools use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine how much financial aid you are eligible to receive including grants, scholarships and loans. Learn More

The California Dream Act Application (CADAA) allows Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and those with a non-resident exemption to receive certain types of financial aid such as private scholarships funded through public universities, state administered financial aid, university grants, community college fee waivers, and Cal Grants. Learn More

The priority deadline for California students is April 2, 2024!

The California Student Aid Commission offers free virtual workshops where you can get all your questions answered. Register for a webinar 

Additional Resources:

Financial Aid Checklists - these checklists can help you plan and pay for college.

California Public Higher Education Institutions:

  • California Community Colleges
    1102 Q Street Sacramento, CA 95811
    www.cccco.edu
     
  • University of California System
    1111 Franklin Street
    Oakland, CA 94607
    www.ucop.edu
     
  • Association of Independent California Colleges
    1100 11th Street
    Suite 10
    Sacramento, CA 95814
    www.aiccu.edu
     
  • California State University System
    401 Golden Shore
    Long Beach, CA 90802
    www.calstate.edu

 

Scholarship Information: