Cal Grant FAQ

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Students with Dependents

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.