FINANCIAL AID for COLLEGE Or… Show Me the Money!!!!

The 4 Types of Financial Aid www. fafsa. ed. gov & www. csac. ca The 4 Types of Financial Aid www.fafsa.ed.gov & www.csac.ca.gov (Dream Act) 1 GRANTS 2 WORKSTUDY Free Money for educational expenses based on financial need Main Types: Cal-Grant Pell Grant Jobs to help pay for school Employment at the Campus Up to 15 hours per week 3 LOANS 4 SCHOLARSHIPS Free money based on specific requirements or criteria Main Types: 1. On Campus 2. National 3. Local Money on loan which must be paid back with interest Subsidized: Government pays down interest while in school Unsubsidized: Automatic monthly payments

FAFSA Free Application for Federal Student Aid https://fafsa.ed.gov Baseline application for all student aid Determines eligibility for grants, work study, parent and student loans Required also for Cal Grant application processing Make sure address on FAFSA matches PS address. Starts October 1 this year!!!! Use 2016 tax information. Complete by March 2, 2018!

FAFSA SPECIFICS Start by creating an FSA ID for both you and one parent. Collect tax information for your parents and for you if you held a job: there is a student income section and a parent income section. IRS Data Retrieval Tool List all of the colleges you are applying to—if >10, then go back in a few days later and delete the first group and add the next group of up to 10. Both you and one parent will sign electronically. If you make any changes, you and one parent will need to re-sign to submit. If you do not have a “birth” social security number of other legal documentation (Visa, etc.), then you will not submit a FAFSA but you may submit the California Dream Act. See your counselor!

Cal Grants (covers much of tuition for UC/CSU) Cal Grant A GPA of at least 3.0 with financial need. Cal Grant B GPA of at least 2.0 with financial need. Cal Grant C Awards - for students from low income families pursuing vocational programs of study. CVCHS electronically uploads your GPA to the California Student Aid Commission by December. This is your application! Make sure PowerSchool address is current and what you put on your FAFSA. Set up a Webgrants account to check status: www.webgrants4students.org Cal Grants Let’s talk about Cal Grants – an important source of grant funds provided by the State of California for California students. Students planning to attend a California college or university may be eligible to receive one of the following Cal Grants. High school Grade Point Average (usually referred to as the GPA) is an important eligibility criterion for these grants. The Cal Grant GPA is calculated using grades from sophomore and junior years of high school and any summer grades after each of those years. Awarded grants may be renewed if students and their families continue meet to all eligibility requirements. Please note: for purposes of the Cal Grant A and B Entitlement Awards, a “recent high school graduate” is defined as a student who is applying for a Cal Grant within 18 months of high school graduation. Cal Grant A - To be eligible, students need a minimum 3.0 GPA - that is a B average on a 4.0 scale - and must demonstrate financial need of at least $1,500 at the college they plan to attend. Their families must also have income and assets that are lower than the state-established ceilings. This grant currently covers system-wide fees at the California State University and University of California campuses and up to $9,084 of tuition and fees at independent California colleges and universities. Cal Grant B - This grant is for students who have a minimum 2.0 GPA - that is a C average, financial need of at least $700, and who come from very low income families. Students must also meet the other criteria mentioned already. This grant provides a small stipend of about $1,473 per year for up to four years to help with living expenses at all schools. In addition, the grant covers system-wide fees at California public 4-year institutions and up to $9,084 of tuition and fees at independent 4-year California schools. In most cases, the tuition and fee portion of the Cal Grant B is available to students in their 2nd through 4th years only. Cal Grant C - This grant is for students from low income families attending occupational or vocational schools including community college programs of less than 24 months in length. The Cal Grant C may renewable for one additional year if student and family continue to meet state-established income and asset ceilings. Priority for Cal Grant C is now given based on Occupational Goals that meet two of the following: high employment need: high employment growth; and high wages. .

Check Your Cal Grant Create a WebGrants account at: By opening a WebGrants Account a student can: Check Cal Grant award status Confirm student’s high school graduation as required Make changes to Cal Grant school choices Create a WebGrants account at: www.webgrants4students.org Check Your Cal Grant Students are encouraged to open a WebGrants account to manage their Cal Grant. After doing so, they can - Check their Cal Grant application and award status 24/7 - Confirm their high school graduation as is required to receive Cal Grant payment - Make changes to their Cal Grant school choices - View how much their Cal Grant may be worth at different California colleges and universities as well as - View their Cal Grant payment history In addition, they can click on links to other financial aid information and web sites. Students can create a WebGrants account at: webgrants4students.org

How Does Financial Aid Work? Colleges determine and offer their students financial aid based on the following equation. EFC is generated from your FAFSA. Cost of Attendance (COA) Expected Family Contribution (EFC) Financial NEED (Financial Aid Eligibility)

Estimating College Net Cost

Western Undergraduate Exchange Program (WUE) Eligible to request a reduced tuition rate of 150% of resident tuition at participating two- and four-year college programs outside of their home state. Colleges have different criteria to be eligible, such as GPA/test scores The WUE reduced tuition rate is not automatically awarded to all eligible candidates; many institutions limit the number of awards each year, so apply early! Member states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

What do I need to do next? Submit your FAFSA starting as early as October 1st—baseline application. The feds will give you an EFC on your FAFSA. Your FAFSA info goes to the colleges you list on your FAFSA. Cal Grant GPAs are uploaded by us and matched to your FAFSA. Set up your WebGrants account anytime after you have submitted your FAFSA. Colleges give you a financial aid award letter (shopping sheet) listing all college expenses and all of your financial aid. These will be on your college portal, sent via email or U.S. mail. Compare the true costs to help you determine affordability.

Resources FAFSA-Free Application for Federal Student Aid Scholarships www.fafsa.ed.gov (starts October 1) CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE www.collegeboard (go to “Pay for College”) Scholarships www.claytonvalley.org Access your NAVIANCE account-Colleges Tab, Scholarship Search www.fastweb.com www.tuitionfundingsources.com See Ms. Edwards in the College Center for more local scholarships

IMPORTANT REMINDERS Meet DEADLINES Apply for financial aid as early as October 1st: FAFSA Set up your WebGrants account for Cal Grant status Apply for scholarships: College & Career Center; Naviance Remember to check your emails and college portals regularly for important communication from the college!