Frequently Asked Questions
Governor Newsom and the Legislature approved new funding to
increase the Cal Grant award beginning in the 2019-20 academic
year for students attending a University of CA (UC), California
State University (CSU), or California Community College (CCC) who
have dependent children that are under 18 years of age, and for
whom they provide more than half of their financial support for
during the academic year. These students are now eligible to
receive an access award of up to $6,000 in addition to the base
Cal Grant award amount. Students attending a private institution
do not qualify for an increased award amount but may still
qualify for the base Cal Grant award amounts.
1. How much will I receive? The amounts listed
here are a maximum award amount. Your actual award amount will be
determined by your institution based on attendance status and
unmet financial need:
Cal Grant A – annual access award up to $6,000 plus:
- CA Community College: $0 for Tuition and Fees*
- California State University (CSU): Up to $5,742 for Tuition
and Fees
- University of CA (UC): Up to $12,570 for Tuition and Fees
Cal Grant B – annual access award up to $6,008 plus:
- CA Community College: $0 for Tuition and Fees*
- California State University (CSU): Up to $5,742 for Tuition
and Fees
- University of CA (UC): Up to $12,570 for Tuition and Fees
Cal Grant C (Technical/Vocational Programs only) – annual access
award up to $4,000
- CA Community College: $0 for Tuition and Fees.
- California State University (CSU): not applicable
- University of CA (UC): not applicable
* Students who are attending a Baccalaureate program offered
through a CA Community college may qualify for additional
Cal Grant funds for Tuition and Fees on a per unit
basis. Please contact your institution’s financial aid
office for more details.
2. How am I considered eligible for this
program?
To be processed for this type of award, you must attend a CSU, UC
or CCC and indicate that you have a dependent child on your
Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or CA Dream Act Application (CADAA)
The dependent child must be under the age of 18 by July 1,
2020 and you must provide more than half of their financial
support during the academic year.
3. How is a “dependent child” defined?
According to Article 9. Awards for Students with Dependent
Children, section 69465, in Chapter 1.7 of Part 42 of Division 5
of Title 3 of the Education Code, a “dependent child” or
“dependent children” means a child or children, as applicable,
under 18 years of age whose parent or legal guardian is the
student and if the child or all the children collectively receive
more than 50 percent of their support from the student.
A parent is defined as someone who has a biological and/or
legally adopted child.
A legal guardian is defined as someone other than the child’s
biological parent who accepts legal responsibility for the child.
4. How can I certify through the California Student Aid
Commission that I have a dependent child?
To certify, create a WebGrants 4 Students (WG4S) account and sign
in at
mygrantinfo.csac.ca.gov.
Once signed in, you should see a pop up notification asking you
to certify your eligibility if you have been selected for the
award. If you make an error during this certification process,
you must contact your financial aid office at your institution to
submit a correction.
5. What do I need to do after I certify my
eligibility?
Once you have completed your certification form, allow 5-7
business days for your institution to receive an updated status
of your award. Your school needs time to process your award. You
may contact the financial aid office at the campus for any
additional steps you need to take with the school, and/or for an
estimated disbursement date.
6. When will the funds for the award be
available?
Please keep in mind that it may take additional time for the
institution to process these increased amounts. Please contact
your financial aid office at your institution for estimated
payment dates. You must complete your certification of
eligibility and you must be enrolled at least half time to
receive a Cal Grant award payment.