If you were not eligible for a Cal Grant and you feel this was in error, you may be able to submit an appeal, depending on the reason.

Please review the Common Disqualification Reasons below. After reviewing the Common Disqualification Reasons, if you believe that you have a valid reason for an appeal, please mark the appropriate boxes identifying both the action you are requesting and the reason for your appeal on the below form. Also, provide a detailed, written explanation along with any supporting documentation you may have. Be sure to submit photocopies (please do not send originals) of all supporting documentation.

Common Disqualification Reasons

The following are common Cal Grant disqualification reasons. These reasons are not eligible for appeals through the California Student Aid Commission but in some cases may be appealable through your school of attendance as indicated below.

Disqualification due to late FAFSA/CADAA

• You may view your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)/California Dream Act Application (CADAA) submission date by logging into your WebGrants 4 Students account at mygrantinfo.csac.ca.gov > Opening the Cal Grant Panel > clicking “Show details” under the Award Status Card > and looking under the Application Information section.
• The deadline for submitting the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and California Dream Act Application (CADAA) was May 2, 2023 for most Cal Grant programs.  Unfortunately, if your application was submitted after the May 2 deadline you are not eligible to be considered for a Cal Grant award, unless you are attending a California Community College (CCC). If you are attending a CCC you had until September 2 to apply. State law is very specific regarding the inability to accept a late application and does not allow for exceptions.

Disqualification due to Income/Assets over Ceiling & Unmet Financial Need

• You may view our Cal Grant Income and Asset Ceilings at https://www.csac.ca.gov/post/cal-grant-income-and-asset-ceilings
• The income and asset information is determined based on the information that was provided on your FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application at the time of your award consideration.
• If you have been denied for a Cal Grant due to your income and/or asset ceilings being over the ceiling limits, and you feel your income was reported incorrectly, or you have had a change in circumstances, we advise you to contact your financial aid office at your college of attendance to inquire about submitting a Professional Judgement (income appeal) to have your application reconsidered.  Please note, the financial aid office has the authority to approve or deny your request for reconsideration.

Disqualification due to Unmet Financial Need

• To qualify for a Cal Grant award, you need to have a high enough financial need at your college of attendance.
• Your financial need is determined by using the federal methodology formula: Cost of Attendance (COA) minus Expected Family Contribution equals (EFC) Unmet Financial Need.
  • Cal Grant A: Must have a minimum financial need of at least the maximum Cal Grant A award amount plus $1500  (for the maximum award amounts, please see our Cal Grant Award Amounts FAQ).
  • Cal Grant B: Must have a minimum financial need of at least $700.
  • Cal Grant C: Must have a minimum financial need of at least the maximum Cal Grant C award amount plus $1500 (for the maximum award amounts, please see our Cal Grant Award Amounts FAQ).
• If you have been denied for a Cal Grant due to not meeting the financial need requirements, and you feel your expected family contribution or the cost of attendance were reported incorrectly, we advise you to contact your financial aid office at your college of attendance to inquire about submitting a Professional Judgement (income appeal) to have your application reconsidered.  Please note, the financial aid office has the authority to approve or deny your request for reconsideration.  

Disqualification due to not being a Cal Grant Eligible Student

• To be considered for a Cal Grant Award, you must meet each of the Cal Grant Eligibility Requirements.  
• You may find our Cal Grant Requirements listed at https://www.csac.ca.gov/cal-grants.
• If you meet all specified requirements, and you were not awarded a Cal Grant Award, please log into your account at https://mygrantinfo.csac.ca.gov to see the reason listed under the “Not Awarded” status.  
• If you feel you were disqualified in error, please contact our student support unit at 1-888-224-7268 to review your account status.   Hours of Operation are 8:30am-4:00pm Mon-Thurs and 8:30am -3:00pm Fri.

Disqualification due to Low Score for Competitive Award

• If we received a copy of your 2023-24 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) along with a school certified Grade Point Average (GPA) by the March 2 deadline and you were not eligible for the entitlement program, then you were considered for the competitive program. The competitive program scores each student based on the following criteria:
  • Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
  • Family Income/Household Size
  • GPA
  • Household Status (Single Independent Only)
  • Parents’ Educational Level
  • Family/Environment Indicators
  • Designated High School OR Late/Re-entry
• This is a highly competitive Cal Grant due to a large number of students competing for a limited number of awards. Students that score below the cutoff are NOT awarded a Cal Grant. State law does not allow us to make exceptions.
• It is the student’s responsibility to ensure accurate information was provided prior to the filing deadline. We are unable to reconsider the Cal Grant based on corrections made to the FAFSA or CADAA after the filing deadline.

Disqualification due to incorrect, late, and/or incomplete GPA

• High School GPA: The Cal Grant GPA is calculated by high schools according to specific regulations and likely does not mirror the cumulative GPA used for college admissions. For students applying for a Cal Grant during their senior year of high school, the Cal Grant GPA is calculated using all academic coursework for the sophomore year, the summer following the sophomore year, the junior year, and the summer following the junior year except physical education courses, reserve officer training corps (ROTC), and remedial courses. It is unweighted and reported on a 4.00 scale. Only the most recent grade of any retaken course is used. For those applying for a Cal Grant after they have already graduated from high school, the senior year grades are included according to the same rules.
• Standard College GPA: Students who have completed at least 24 semester units or 36 quarter college units, GPAs are calculated on all college coursework completed.
• Re-established Community College GPA: Students who have completed 16 to 23 community college units may submit a re-established GPA.  A re-established GPA is applicable to the Competitive Cal Grant B only.
• For students to be eligible for a Cal Grant, they must meet several criteria depending on which Cal Grant award type they may be eligible for. To view information about each award type including minimum GPA requirements, please click the links below:
  • High school Entitlement
  • Transfer Entitlement
  • Competitive
• If you feel your GPA was reported incorrectly a change in Cal Grant GPA must be certified by the school’s financial aid office on school letterhead and must list the corrected GPA. We cannot accept a letter from school’s academic department or college transcripts as official Cal Grant GPA verification. You may contact your school’s financial aid office to have them submit an appeal on your behalf for Cal Grant GPA correction. Please note, after the Competitive Cal Grant deadline an applicant cannot be reconsidered for a competitive award.

Test Score disputes

• Cal Grant program regulations regarding the submission of test scores in lieu of a certified GPA is accepted in the following conditions:
  • The applicant does not have a valid GPA; or
  • The applicant’s GPA was earned at a high school that does not meet the Commission’s GPA standards (not WASC accredited, not regionally accredited, or does not have an approved a-g course list); or
  • The applicant attended high school outside of the United States and cannot get their GPA converted to a 4.0 scale; or
  • The applicant’s GPA is more than 5 years old at the time of the application deadline. A student who has a valid GPA may not submit a test score unless the GPA is more than five years old.
• The student must submit the results of their test score on or before the March 2 or September 2 postmark deadlines required by California law.
• The GED, the ACT, the SAT, the HiSet, and the TASC are recognized as an acceptable standardized test by the Cal Grant program. Upon receipt of a student’s GED, ACT, SAT, HiSet, or TASC test score CSAC converts the scores to a Cal Grant GPA equivalent.

Out of State/Country GPA

• The high school that verifies your GPA must be accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) or another regional accrediting agency. Other regional accrediting agencies are: Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC), North Central Association (NCACS), Southern Association of College and Schools (SACS), Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSACS) and New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

Cal Grant Appeals Form

Cal Grant Appeals Form