Financial Aid & Scholarship Opportnunities
FEDERAL STUDENT AID
The office of Federal Student Aid provides grants, loans, and work-study funds for college and career school. They offer more than $150 billion each year to help missions of students pay for higher education. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and let the government help pay for your education. Visit www.fafsa.ed.gov to complete your application now! Priority filing deadline is March 2, 2014.
Major Types of Financial Aid Programs:
Grants. Think of a grant as the ultimate graduation gift, because you don't have to pay it back.
Pell Grants (federal aid) are awarded to low-income students and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG) are for low-income students with exceptional financial need.
Cal Grants (state aid) are free money guaranteed to every high school senior that applies on time and meets income, eligibility and GPA requirements.
Work-Study. Work at a part-time job that may help you with a career, and use the earnings to help finance your education.
Scholarships. Free money for college, usually based on your area of study or merit, such as good grades, high test scores, athletic, musical or other special talents, community service and sometimes financial need.
Loans. Federal loans are low-interest loans that come in all shapes and sizes.
Perkins Loans are administered by the college and are for students with exceptional financial need.
Subsidized Stafford Loans are available to students who meet financial requirements and are attending school at least half-time. With this loan, the government pays the interest from when you get the loan money until you leave school. An unsubsidized Stafford Loan is available to any student regardless of financial need, but the student pays the interest.
PLUS Loans are available for the parents of students attending college.
CALIFORNIA STUDENT AID COMMISSION
The California Student Aid Commission is the state agency responsible for administrating financial aid programs for students attending public and private universities, colleges, and vocational schools in California.
To apply for a Cal Grant, you must complete and submit two forms: the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Cal Grant GPA Verification Form between January 1 and March 2* of the year immediately before the fall term in which you would like to use your Cal Grant.
The school will electronically submit students' GPA if a Cal Grant GPA Information Release Form (available in the main office) is completed and turned in to their counselors by January 31, 2014.
For more information go to www.csac.ca.gov
CALIFORNIA DREAM ACT
The California Dream Act, authored by Assembly Member Gil Cedillo (Los Angeles), became law through the passage of two Assembly Bills, AB 130 and AB 131.
AB 130 allows students who meet AB 540 criteria (California Education Code 68130.5(a)) to apply for and receive non-state funded scholarships for public colleges and universities.
AB 131 allows students who meet AB 540 criteria to apply for and receive state-funded financial aid such as institutional grants, community college fee waivers, Cal Grant and Chafee Grant.
To complete a California Dream Act application go to www.csac.ca.gov/dream_act.asp