Financial Aid

Financial Aid applications open on October 1st every year.  The priority filing deadline for California students is March 2nd, which will allow you to qualify for Cal Grants.  There are two different applications, FAFSA and CA Dream Act.  Students will fill out only one of these applications, as follows:

FAFSA - To be completed by US citizens, green card holders, and students holding eligible visas.  This application will make students eligible for federal aid and Cal Grants.

CA Dream Act - To be completed by undocumented students residing in California who meet AB-540 eligibility requirements, and will qualify for Cal Grants to help with colleges within California. 

Students looking at some private schools and certain out of state public schools may be asked by their schools to complete a CSS Profile application as well.  This is not in lieu of FAFSA or CA Dream Act, but would be in addition to that application.  The CSS Profile is how certain schools determine their institutional scholarships.  A full list of CSS Profile schools can be found on their website.

Please be aware that some individual colleges may have a priority financial aid deadline that is before March 2nd, so always check the information on the financial aid pages for the colleges you’re applying to.