Paying for College: Financial Aid
How do I pay for college?
- Apply for financial aid
- Colleges can offer financial aid/assistance to students depending on their GPA & family income
- Students can also apply for scholarships (free money; click to view our scholarship list)
How do I apply for financial aid & which financial aid application do I fill out?
There are 2 types of financial aid applications. You can only fill out either the FAFSA OR CA Dream Act, NOT BOTH
- FAFSA
- Student must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or have citizenship status
- Requires student to create a Student FSA ID (username & password)
- Highly recommended that one parent (must have SSN) create a Parent FSA ID (username & password)
- Can qualify for:
- Pell Grant (free money from the federal government)
- Cal Grant (free money from the state of CA)
- Federal Loans (optional to select loans; must pay back; lower interest rate)
- Scholarships & Institutional Aid
- CA DREAM ACT
- Student is undocumented or has DACA
- Requires student to create an account (username & password)
- Can qualify for:
- Cal Grant (free money from the state of CA)
- Student Dream Loan (optional to select loans; must pay back; lower interest rate)
- Scholarships & Institutional Aid
What do I need to fill out a financial aid application?
- Parent's 2020 Tax Return
- Parent's 2020 W2 Forms
- Parent's Date of Birth & Social Security Number(s) (if applicable)
- Your Date of Birth & Social Security Number (if applicable)
- Parent's marriage/divorce dates (if applicable)
- Your personal email address
*If there is an older sibling who previously filled out the FAFSA, please ask them for their parent's FSA ID username & password
Who do I contact to ask for help with my application?
Please see the College & Career Staff Contact page. Feel free to send an email to us if you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment. We'd be more than happy to help :)