Financial Aid

Our Career Center hosts a financial aid parent//guardian night every year. Please see this page for information and additional resources:

Career Center Financial Aid and Funding Resources 

Financial Aid Information

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid):

CA Dream Act

  • Application: https://dream.csac.ca.gov/
  •  Application opens October 1st. Complete early!
  • Application must be complete by March 2nd to be eligible for Cal Grants
  • Allows undocumented and nonresident students (U.S. Citizens and eligible non-citizens) who qualify for a non-resident exemption under Assembly Bill 540 (AB 540) to receive certain types of financial aid such as: private scholarships funded through public universities, state administered financial aid, university grants, community college fee waivers, and Cal Grants. In addition, the California Dream Act allows eligible students to pay in-state tuition at any public college in California.
  • Students who live in California and meet the eligibility requirements for a non-resident exemption, as well as students who have a U Visa or TPS status, can use the California Dream Act application (CADAA). Students without Social Security Numbers or students who have lost DACA status (or never applied for DACA) may still be eligible.

FAFSA vs. CA Dream Act Application: Students should only complete one of these applications (not both), according to the citizenship requirements below:

1. You are eligible to complete the FAFSA if you are a:

  • U.S Citizen
  • Permanent Resident
  • Eligible non-citizen
  • T Visa holder

2. You are eligible to complete the CA Dream Act application if you are:

  • Undocumented
  • Have a valid or expired DACA
  • U Visa holders
  • Have Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
  • Meet the non-resident exemption requirements under AB 540

AB19/AB2: California Community College Promise Free Tuition and Book Grant Program

  • Available for first-time, full-time students for the first two academic years of their academic program
  • Covers enrollment fees and mandatory fees for the fall and spring semesters for up to 30 credits ($1440) per academic year; and $250/semester for book grant

Cal Grant: 

  • A Cal Grant is money for college you don’t have to pay back.
  • To qualify, you must apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) by the March 2nd and meet the eligibility and financial requirements as well as any minimum GPA requirements.
  • Cal Grants can be used at any University of California, California State University or California Community College, as well as qualifying independent and career colleges or technical schools in California.

Scholarships:

Scholarships are independent of FAFSA, California Dream Act, and Cal Grant.  Students can apply for scholarships throughout the school year, but are mostly completed in senior year. Scholarships can be found  here on the Career Center Website. Please check back frequently for updates and new scholarships.

REMEMBER:  You should never have to pay money to get financial aid or scholarship information.

Last Updated: June 4, 2023