College Center » FINANCIAL AID- FAFSA & CADAA

FINANCIAL AID- FAFSA & CADAA

Financial Aid Videos- Click on the video you would want to watch to understand the  financial aid process better!
To better understand the financial aid process, watch the short videos below!
What is FAFSA?
Steps to Complete your FAFSA Application!
To begin working on your financial aid application, it is important to gather the correct information and documents.
Items needed to complete the FAFSA & CA Dream Act. Below is a list of the information that will be needed for FAFSA and CA Dream Act. 
 
FAFSA
 
FAFSA

FAFSA must be submitted between December 2023 - April 2, 2024 if you want to be eligible for financial aid next school year.

 

Who Completes FAFSA? 

Students who are citizens or are legal residents.

**note: Undocumented students should complete the California Dream Act application**

The financial aid process involves the following steps:

1. Gather all the documents you will need.

  • Your Social Security Number and your parents’ SS#
  • Your Driver’s License if you have one
  • Your Alien Registration Number if you are not a U.S. citizen
  • Your parents’ birth date(s)
  • Date of your parents’ marriage, divorce, legal separation, or widowhood
  • 2022 Federal tax forms. 
  • Records of untaxed income such as Supplemental Security, Welfare, Disability, Veterans benefits and child support information
  • Current business and investment mortgage information (business, stock, bonds)
  • Savings and Checking account statements

2. Go to FAFSA to complete the financial aid application.

  • You may print a FAFSA Worksheet on the web to write in your answers then transfer the data to FAFSA. The Worksheet is optional but recommended. The FAFSA is also available in Spanish. Make revisions as many times as needed.
  • The FSA ID will be needed to electronically sign the FAFSA to speed the process, check the status, and make corrections.
  • Students and parents must each have their own FSA ID number.

3.  The Cal Grant GPA Verification

          The district electronically submitted your financial GPA to the state.

           If there has been a mistake, please talk to Mrs. Corona.

4. Review your FAFSA Submission Summary sent to you by the federal government. This will provide you with the SAI (Student Aid Index). Click on the link to find out more abou the SAI: Student Aid Gov Apply

  • You should receive the SAI within 7-10 days after submitting the FAFSA  if all the information you provided was accurate. 
  • Review your SAI for accuracy and update FAFSA or CA Dream Act, if necessary.
  • Access a sample of an SAI

5.  Review your California Aid Report (CAR) sent by the state government.

  • Create an account with Web Grants 4 Students to check the status of your Cal Grant or to make corrections.
  • When will I know if I received a Cal Grant Award? CSAC          

6. If you are applying to private schools, find out if you need to complete the

7. Check your e-mail on a regular basis.
If you need assistance, please visit the College Center.

Steps to Complete the California Dream Act- CADAA Application

**If you meet the eligibility criteria for an AB-540 student, then complete The  CALIFORNIA DREAM ACT APPLICATION  to receive financial assistance from the state to attend an accredited university, community college, or vocational school.**

Click to access the California Dream Act Application

The deadlines, needed informations, the process is the same as for the FAFSA above. 

The only difference is that you complete a different form. 

See Mrs. Corona for assistance. 

Financial Aid Contact Information
FAFSA Issues Contact Number: (800) 433-3243
CAL GRANT (CSAC) Issues Contact Number: (888) 224-7268
 
 
Manage FSA ID
 
 
 
 
Cal. Grant Income Ceiling
Cal Grant Programs
Cal Grants are grants offered to students by the state of California. The grants can be distributed on the basis of financial need, parent/guardian income, program length, and/or GPA.
2024-2025 Cal. Grant Progams- PDF
https://www.csac.ca.gov/sites/main/files/file-attachments/g-30_2023_cal_grant_comparison.pdf?1689616889
 
Grant Programs
Grant Programs
Grant Requirements
Comparing Awards Letters
After submitting your financial aid award letters, colleges and universities will begin to release your award letters in the Spring. An award letter is a personalized financial aid offer that can include: state/federal grants, institutional scholarships, institutional grants, and/or loans. The award letter can vary from school to school and should be used with the school's cost of attendance to determine your financial responsibility for each school.
 
Below is a financial aid award letter for Cal State Long Beach.
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Below is a financial aid award letter for the UCLA
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Below is another example of a CSU financial aid award letter
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FSA ID
Below is a financial aid award letter for CSU Dominguez Hills
 
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Evaluating Financial Aid Options
To best understand your options financially, it is best to evaluate all of your financial aid options.  Doing this would compare all financial aid award packages and cost of attendance side by side.
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Financial Aid Offers
 
Financial Aid Awards Comparisons
 
Offers
 
 
Evaluate Offers
Work-Study Options and Loans
Aside from scholarship and grants, there are also work-study options and loans. When completing the FAFSA application, students can select whether or not they are interested in work-study. This option allows students to get paid for working on-campus. This can be anywhere from working at their college's library, bookstore, or other options. Work-study allows for a more flexible work option for students, as their employers are aware of their student status.
Loans 
Loans are come from the government, through the form of subsidized and unsubsidized loans, or through private loans. Unsubsidized loans are loans that begin to accrue interest the moment they are taken out, though payments do not have to be made until six months after graduating or six months after no longer attending classes. Subsidized loans do not accrue interests until six months after graduating and payments do not begin until six months after graduation. Private loans vary within the payments and interest. For more information on whether loans are the choice for you, please stop into the College Center. 
 
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Loans Available
 
FAFSA- Access platforms
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MyFAFSA (MYSTUDENTAID APP)

Download this application to complete your FAFSA, check your progress, monitor your loans and payments, and much more!!!

MyFAFSA

Accessible Resources
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Fund Your Future Booklet
CSS Profile
Make sure to create an account in order to apply to private universities: Financial Aid Profile 
Estimated Cost of Attendance- Cal State
Cost of Attendance
FINANCIAL AID BY SCHOOL TERM
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Income Ceilings for Cal Grants
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Check out these 36 top companies that pay for college with tuition reimbursement!
If your parents do not have a social security number and their identity needs to be verified to create an FSA ID, then must do the following:
1. Send an email to [email protected] requesting a case number to verify the identity.  You can also call (888) 224-7268 to get a case number, but sending an email is recommended. 
2. complete the attestation form below
3. email the attestation form along with required ID documents to
[email protected]