• Award is primarily based on financial need
• Amount varies from student to student and is awarded once every academic school year
• Payment is based on number of units enrolled in and attending, and are paid via check or direct deposit generally twice per semester
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress to receive payment

• Award is primarily based on financial need
• Amount varies from student to student and is awarded once every academic school year
• Payment is based on number of units enrolled in and attending, and are paid via check or direct deposit generally twice per semester
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress to receive payment

• Awarded to student who indicate on their FAFSA that they are interested in student employment
• Offered on a first come/first served basis until all funds are exhausted
• Requires at least six units of enrollment and is paid via check or direct deposit on the 10th of each month
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress to receive payment

• Must be repaid
• Must be enrolled in at least six units of non-remedial/non-ESL coursework
• In addition to completed file, student must complete online entrance counseling and sign promissory note.
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress to receive payment

• You must be coded by Admissions and Records as a California Resident or AB-540 student (contact A&R for residency questions)
• Awarded automatically if you have an accepted FAFSA on file with FCC and you meet income requirements
• Also can be awarded by filling out a paper California College Promise Grant application in the main financial aid office if you meet one of the qualifications:
  • You meet certain income standards
  • or You or your family are receiving public assistance from the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or General Assistance 
  • or You have certification from the California Department of Veterans' Affairs or the national Guard Adjutant General for a dependent's fee waiver 

Regulations Effective Fall 2015

• Must sustain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher
• Must complete more than 50 percent of your cumulative coursework
• If you are below these standards for two consecutive terms (summer excluded), you may lose your grant eligibility

Cal Grants are offered by the State of California to students attending eligible California institutions of higher education.  The Cal Grant program is administered by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC).  Grants are funds that do not have to be repaid as long as you complete your courses successfully.

Cal Grant A & B generally cover up to 4 years of full time attendance (typically 2 years of that at a community college). In order to graduate within 4 years a student must take at least 15 units per semester. 

General Cal Grant Eligibility Requirements

• Be a California Resident or AB 540 eligible
• Be a U.S. Citizen or eligible non-citizen 
• Males must meet Selective Service requirements
• Attend a Cal Grant eligible school
• Not have earned a bachelor’s degree
• Not be in grant repayment or in default on a student loan
• Not be incarcerated
• Enroll at least half-time to receive payment
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress to receive payment

How To Apply

• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or CA Dream Act Application (DAA)  by March 2nd
• Submit a high school GPA to the California Student Aid Commission by March 2nd 
• California Community College students can be considered for a competitive award if they submit their GPA by September 2nd

Once you submit your completed FAFSA/DAA and one of the following: high school GPA, College GPA, ACT, SAT, GED, TASC or HISET exam, you will be considered for the appropriate Cal Grant award based on GPA, financial need and college of attendance.

Cal Grant Entitlement Award

Who is considered for a High School Entitlement award:

• Current high school seniors and last year’s high school graduates 
• Current GED recipients
• Students who meet the general Cal Grant eligibility requirements
• Students who complete a FAFSA or DAA

Cal Grant Competitive Awards

Who is considered for a Competitive Award:

• Students who are not awarded a Cal Grant Entitlement award
• Students who meet the general Cal Grant eligibility requirements
• Students who complete a FAFSA

Competitive awards are limited to 25,750 awards each academic year. These awards are not currently available to Dream Act applicants. Students who are awarded a competitive award must claim their awards electronically using WebGrants for Students. Students are scored and selected for this award based on information from their FAFSA and their GPA. Scoring components include: GPA, parent education level, access equalizer, student or parent household status, family income and household size. 12,875 competitive awards are offered to students who meet the March 2nd filing deadline. 12,875 additional competitive awards are offered to students who are enrolled at a California Community College for the fall term and have a GPA reported by the September 2nd filing deadline.

California Community College students with 12 units or more may qualify for an augmented Cal Grant B Access award. The amount will vary depending upon the number of qualifying students. Check with your college's financial aid office to see if you qualify for the increased Access award.

Cal Grant Award Types

Cal Grant A:

• For low to middle-income students
• 3.00 high school or 2.40 college GPA minimum
• May be used for an academic program that is 2-4 years in length
• Can only be used for tuition and fees
• If awarded at a California Community College, it will be held in reserve up to two years until the student transfers to a 4-year school

Cal Grant B:

• For low-income students
• 2.00 high school or 2.40 college GPA minimum
• May be used for an academic program that is at least 1 year in length
• Includes an additional annual Access award amount (living expenses)

Cal Grant C:

• For low to middle-income students
• Must be used for an occupational or technical program that is at least 4 months in length
• Covers up to 2 years of full time attendance
• Cal Grant A and B eligibility is determined before Cal Grant C eligibility
• Eligible students must complete the Cal Grant Supplement form in the late spring if required by CSAC

Webgrants for Students

Applicants and current Cal Grant awardees should check their Cal Grant status on the web using Webgrants.

Go to My Grant Info. Students will need to create an account. All students are encouraged to use the Webgrants for Students website to track their application status online. Students may use Webgrants to:

• Check if your application data has been received by CSAC
• Check your award status and view your payment history
• Check your address on file and update it online
• See how your Cal Grant might change if you attend a different school
• Report a Leave of Absence if you were awarded but will not be attending

Additional Cal Grant Information:

CSAC Student Support Services

(888) 224-7268 

studentsupport@csac.ca.gov

https://mygrantinfo.csac.ca.gov/logon.asp

• Provides students with additional financial aid to help offset the cost of California Community College attendance and encourages completion at a faster pace
• Award is based on student financial need
• To qualify a student must be a recipient of a Cal Grant B or C award
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress
• Be a California resident or exempt from paying nonresident tuition
• Be enrolled in at least 12 units per term

Not a US Citizen or Permanent resident? Want to apply for financial aid, but cannot apply for federal aid due to your immigration status? Have you attended a California High School for three full years and graduated from a California High School or received your GED or passed the high school equivalency exam in California? You may be eligible for state financial aid under the California Dream Act. Read on!

Current FCC Students

Did you graduate in 2016, but were not awarded a Cal Grant? Complete a 2017-2018 Dream Act Application and check with your high school to verify your GPA was submitted. Both should be submitted by March 2nd to be considered for your high school entitlement Cal Grant.

Current High School Seniors

Complete a 2018 – 2019 Dream Act Application for a California College Promise Grant (formerly known as the Board of Governor’s Fee Waiver) and for Cal Grant competitive awards. For more information, read on and visit www.caldreamact.org.

Until the passage of the Dream Act, undocumented students were not eligible for federal, state or university funded financial aid. Under this new law, undocumented students who qualify under AB 540 criteria may now be eligible for certain types of financial aid. The California Dream Act Application is used to determine a student's eligibility for need-based financial aid. For detailed information on the California Dream Act, please visit csac.ca.gov/dream_act.asp. Additional information is also available in UC Santa Barbara's California Dream Application Tutorial.

What is the California Dream Act?

The Dream Act is really two laws that were passed in 2011 and allow AB 540 students to apply for and receive several types of financial aid, including:

• California College Promise Grant (formerly known as the Board of Governors Fee Waiver)
• State financial aid like Cal Grants and Chafee Grants
• Assistance from EOPS, CARE or CalWORKs
• Privately-funded scholarships

Check with your college financial aid, scholarship, EOPS/CARE and CalWORKs offices to see what is available.

• The new Scholarship Listing, which includes all FCC scholarships and their criteria, is available each January on our website under Scholarship Opportunities
• Scholarship applications must be submitted by March 2 of each year to be considered for scholarships the following academic year
• You must have a Social Security number or a Fresno City College ID number to apply
• Most scholarships require at least 12 units of enrollment, unless otherwise stated (Registered Nursing, Dental Hygiene, and Radiologic Technology scholarships require at least nine units)
• The application will require you to type a one-page, single-spaced personal statement or essay. You will also need two recommendations provided by people in professional positions (teacher, counselor, employer, doctor, social worker, etc.)