As with most grants, to apply for one of the CAL grants for students you must fill out a FASFA form. There is a deadline of March 2nd each year in order to be considered. They will also need a verified GPA filed with the FASFA and received by the same deadline.
The largest amount of financial aid for the state of California comes from Cal grants. The grant is based on GPA and the parent’s income. There are certain high schools and college that automatically report your GPA to the education commission. It is up to you to verify whether the school you are attending does this or not, if not you will need to obtain a verified (signed) copy of your GPA in order to apply for this grant. Students that were home-schooled, or received their GED may submit their ACT, SAT, or GED scores in place of the GPA.
The following requirements need to be met in order to qualify for the CAL grants; the student must also be a senior, recently graduated, or earned their GED in the state of California in order to be eligible for the CAL grant. The student cannot have a bachelor’s degree in order to qualify. They must not owe back taxes to the state, or have defaulted on a previous student loan. Also must be a US citizen (the parent’s do not need to be US citizens). They must have a valid Social Security number and have the financial need according to the college they are going to be attending.
There are 3 different CAL grants available. Cal Grant A is available to help pay books, fees and tuition for someone who is seeking their bachelor’s degree. Cal Grant B is a living allowance and part of the tuition given to low income students. Cal Grant C is for students that are going to a vocational school, and must be no longer than 2 years.
CAL grants also have 2 different Competitive Award categories also. The first one is available for all those that meet the basic eligibility requirements, a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and from a middle or lower income family. To qualify for the second one, you must have a GPA of 2.0 or higher and be disadvantaged due to a low income family.