cadaa-msf

Overview

New CADAA for Students from Mixed-Status Families

CA Dream Act Mixed Status Families Toolkit

The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) has opened the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) to students experiencing difficulties with the 2024-25 FAFSA and who meet all of the following criteria: 

  • First-time financial aid applicants who have never applied for financial aid / submitted a FAFSA 
    • *CSAC is working towards a solution to allow renewal students (students who have completed a FAFSA or CADAA in previous years) to submit a CADAA if they are facing similar challenges with the FAFSA. Once the CADAA is made available to renewal students, CSAC will follow up with students immediately through email or a phone call. 
  • Have at least one FAFSA contributor (parent(s)/spouse) without a Social Security Number (“non-SSN contributor”)

  • Unable to submit a complete FAFSA due to challenges with processing non-SSN contributors’ section(s)

Students intending to go to a four-year university have until May 2, 2024, to complete the CADAA in order to meet the state priority deadline for state financial aid programs, such as the Cal Grant and Middle Class Scholarship. Students attending a community college have until September 2 to complete a financial aid application and be eligible for state aid.

It is important to note that completing a CADAA will only make the student eligible for state and campus-based financial aid, not federal financial aid. Students who are FAFSA-eligible but complete the CADAA due to meeting the requirements listed above, must complete a FAFSA once all FAFSA issues are resolved in order to access all the aid available to them, including the Pell Grant, work study, and federal subsidized student loans. Students and their non-SSN contributors should continue to pursue the StudentAid.gov account creation and identity verification process even if they choose to complete the CADAA. 

The California Dream Act Application is available online through our website. 

Students and families can receive help completing their financial aid applications at free Cash for College Workshops, where there are trained experts who can help guide and answer any questions. Students can either attend one of these in-person workshops or register for our Statewide Cash for College Webinars. Here are upcoming dates for our Statewide Webinars specifically for non-SSN support:  

For students who have completed a CADAA and a FAFSA, there may be additional steps to consolidate their student records. We will update this page with next steps and reach out to students as more information becomes available.

Additional resources for students and families: