The Cal Grant A Competitive award and the Cal Grant B Competitive award are for students who are not graduating high school seniors or recent graduates. These awards are not guaranteed and only a limited number are available each year—half are set aside for students who apply by the March 2 deadline, and the other half are for California Community College students who meet the September 2 application deadline. Eligibility is geared toward nontraditional students—those who didn’t go to college right after high school, don’t depend on their family for financial support or are returning to college for career training— and takes into account not only GPA, but also time out of high school, family income, parents’ education levels, high school performance standards and other factors, such as whether the student comes from a single-parent household or was a foster youth.
If you fall into this category, you’ll need to submit the FAFSA and your verified Cal Grant GPA by the March 2 Cal Grant application deadline. In addition, you must:
