<p>I've been searching but haven't found a clear answer: Does anyone know when they release the decisions for who's been awarded a competitive Cal Grant?</p>
<p>About 2 months after the deadline has passed (March 2nd). So you should know by early May.</p>
<p>Hrmm, that’s troubling… the whole reason I’m hoping to get a Cal Grant see if I can get my tuition covered if I get into a UC, otherwise it’s too expensive and I have to go to a CSU. But the CSU acceptance deadline is May 1st, so how exactly does that help to find out afterward?</p>
<p>^same boat.</p>
<p>they only give out 11,000 competitive grants, with 200,000 applicants. What I was told today. My 3.5 is not looking very good…</p>
<p>I have a 4.0 reported GPA, so I hope I’m in consideration for it. However, doesn’t Blue & Gold cover it if you don’t get the grant?</p>
<p>yeah i didnt understand that part. i hope so.</p>
<p>On this forum, I keep reading people saying that the deadline to accept admission to CSUs is May 1st, but both my letters and both websites of the two schools I applied say June 1st.</p>
<p>Do different CSUs have earlier intent to register deadlines? I applied to Fullerton and Long Beach.</p>
<p>dudes! if you have a low income and have filed both fafsa and for calgrant (like myself) you will get BLUE and GOLD if you get admitted to a UC school. i never get calgrant even with a perfect GPA because my parents both went to college. i just have to apply to calgrant in order to get BLUE and GOLD. i think it will probably cover all your tuition plus some additional money. it is cheaper for me to attend a UC than a CCC. have a look, hope this alleviates your worries. income cap is around 80k per year. Please note, this is for UC schools and I do not think it is available at CSU schools. that is why it is also so competitive to get into a UC, and also a cheaper to go to a UC than CSU if you are low income like me. Or no income as the case may be.</p>
<p>[University</a> of California - Blue + Gold Opportunity Plan](<a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/paying-for-uc/financial-aid/grants/blue-gold/index.html]University”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/paying-for-uc/financial-aid/grants/blue-gold/index.html)</p>
<p>What it takes to be eligible</p>
<p>Be a California resident
Demonstrate income below $80,000 with financial need, as determined for federal need-based aid program
Be in your first four years as a UC undergraduate (first two for transfer students)
Meet other campus basic requirements for UC grant aid (for example, be enrolled at least half-time during the academic year, meet campus academic progress standards, not be in default on student loans, etc.)
Submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 2 and provide any additional documentation campuses may request by the specified deadline.
Make sure your school submits a GPA verification form to the Cal Grant program, or download the form, have your school fill it out and send it to the California Student Aid Commission</p>
<p>How to apply? Read this from the UC site:</p>
<p>What you need to apply</p>
<p>You don’t need to fill out a separate application to qualify for the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan.</p>
<p>Simply file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and ensure that your Cal Grant GPA Verification has been submitted by the March 2 deadline of the year you plan to attend UC. Indicate each UC campus to which you would like to have information sent.</p>
<p>You will receive the benefits of the Blue and Gold plan automatically if you qualify.</p>
<p>so I’m probably not going to get al grant bc I have a 3.3 even though I really need it?? I don’t know it was competitive…</p>
<p>calgrant has a few different types of grants. some are competitive. some not.</p>
<p>i am competing for calgrants that go to older students. but for young high school graduates with a certain GPA it is not competitive, but automatic. and blue and gold should cover all the other cali residents who are low income. and i do not think it is based on GPA. but admission to a UC is partially based on GPA, and Blue and Gold is available through the UC system. </p>
<p>not sure if they have Blue and Gold at the CSU schools. that is why i did not even apply to any state schools, i need Blue and Gold or i cannot afford to complete my degree. if i am not mistaken, blue and gold started the year i returned to school in 2009. so lucky. i love california!</p>
<p>@northbreach how is it possible to not get a cal grant award just because your parents both attended college? isn’t cal grant for those with financial need? if you qualify then you’re qualified no? not sure what your parent’s education history has anything to do with your financial need to be honest.</p>
<p>@uchappytrain we all get cal grants if we have a 2.4 or higher. don’t worry</p>
<p>@chelz
after getting denied with a 4.0, i called calgrant. they told me it was unfortunate, but they had to take 8 points off of my score for EACH parent. that is 16 points. i said, ‘you mean if they had been drug addicts who dropped out of school then i would get calgrant?’ the guy at the calgrant office said, “yes, it is unfair, i am sorry.” this meant that i was held back one entire year because i could not attend the private schools that accepted me (schools eligible for calgrant). ultimately, i don’t feel bad about it. it is true that i have never had trouble in school and this is because my parents are both doctors. but my parents chose to teach and because they did that, they could not afford to pay for all of their kids to attend college. it is sad. but i am so lucky to get Blue and Gold. and i do believe that kids who are first generation college students have it a lot tougher. my vocabulary alone increased my GPA, and i never had trouble getting good grades. if my parents were not educated, i would have had a much harder time in school. i think this is why they decided to add “Blue and Gold” which is really for kids like me who do not qualify for the competitive calgrant. i might have qualified if i did not take a break in-between high school and college, but we were so poor because my parents were teachers that i had to go to work instead of college!</p>
<p>Sorry to hear northbeach but I don’t really get the whole 8 point crap. I mean if you have a 2.4 GPA minimum as a transfer students and meet other requirements such as being a US citizen etc aren’t you guaranteed cal grant money? I just think it’s unfair to be honest.</p>
<p>yeah, it is a bit goofy. but hey, i get blue and gold. phew. just set me back one year.
here is a list of grants via calgrant, for those who were wondering about it:</p>
<p>Cal Grant A Entitlement awards can be used for tuition and fees at public and private colleges as well as some private career colleges. At CSU and UC schools, this Cal Grant covers systemwide fees up to $5,472 and $12,192 respectively. If you are attending a private college, it pays up to $9,708 toward tuition and fees. To get this Cal Grant, you need to be working toward a two-year or four-year degree.</p>
<p>Cal Grant B Entitlement awards provides low-income students with a living allowance and assistance with tuition and fees. Most first-year students receive an allowance of up to $1,551 for books and living expenses. After the freshman year, Cal Grant B also helps pay tuition and fees in the same amount as a Cal Grant A. For a Cal Grant B, your coursework must be for at least one academic year.</p>
<p>Cal Grant C awards help pay for tuition and training costs at occupational or career technical schools. This $576 award is for books, tools and equipment. You may also receive up to an additional $2,592 for tuition at a school other than a California Community College. To qualify, you must enroll in a vocational program that is at least four months long at a California Community College, private college, or a career technical school. Funding is available for up to two years, depending on the length of your program.</p>
<p>Cal Grant A and B Competitive Awards are for students who aren’t eligible for the Entitlement awards. The main difference is that these awards are not guaranteed.</p>
<p>Cal Grant A Competitive Awards are for students with a minimum 3.0 GPA who are from low-and middle-income families. These awards help pay tuition and fees at qualifying schools with academic programs that are at least two years in length.</p>
<p>Cal Grant B Competitive Awards are for students with a minimum 2.0 GPA who are from disadvantaged and low-income families. These awards can be used for tuition, fees and access costs at qualifying schools whose programs are at least one year in length. If you get a Cal Grant B Competitive Award it can only be used for access costs in the first year. These costs include living expenses, transportation, supplies and books. Beginning with the second year, you can use your Cal Grant B Competitive Award to help pay tuition and fees at public or private four-year colleges or other qualifying schools.</p>
<p>yeah, I am hoping for the blue and gold. I’m older, out of high school longer than I like to admit, went to junior college in 2009. So i made <$20,000 last year and am single with no dependents. I really hope this translates to B&G. My mom never went to college and my father died when I was 6. My stepfather tossed me out at 15 and I worked most of my high school years. I am actually surprised I graduated, especially after getting my transcript to send out for transfer. I look at it, and look at my grades now and think to myself how great it would have been to have had a supporting family that stressed school and college. I can’t lay the blame on it though because I know it was my own fault, and plenty of youngsters have had it worse than I and still managed to be successful. I am so grateful for all the programs that have been at my disposal financially, even though I have still had to work two jobs through Community college. I absolutely am ready for the next chapter to begin…</p>
<p>@norcaltransfer
of course blue and gold will cover you if you get into a UC, and you are also eligible for the competitive calgrant. the salary cap is 80k for blue and gold. it will be 4k cheaper for me to attend a UC than it has been at CCC. can’t wait to get out of this CCC. so many more opportunities at a UC. good luck.</p>
<p>But Blue and Gold is NOT a Cal Grant or even close to one. From what I’ve read on their website, Blue and Gold applies all your grant money towards tuition then “helps” by covering the rest. So say you get a $5550 Pell grant and a $600 SEOG grant, etc, they take all that for tuition then cover the difference. A Cal Grant covers your tuition in full, so you get that covered AND you get all your grant money put toward the rest of your cost of attendance. That’s a big difference. Also, although I don’t know much about it, CSU’s also have a program called SUG (State University Grant) which covers your tuition like a Cal Grant (eg it doesn’t eat up your grants).</p>
<p>blue and gold is not just for tuition. blue and gold will cover a minimum of 20k for me. blue and gold is not a single grant it is a combination of sources and is called a “plan”</p>
<p>Blue and Gold IS dependent upon students applying for calgrant. it is very close to calgrant in that respect. calgrant does NOT automatically cover all tuition either, if you are accepted into the SF Art Institute for example the tuition is around 35-40k, calgrant covers around 11k. </p>
<p>but blue and gold does cover all the tuition plus many expenses because it is only good at UC schools. you can also get both blue and gold and calgrant at the same time as well.</p>
<p>you guys should also note that calgrant is getting hacked to bits every year. they are talking about cutting it down again this year. and blue and gold does not “eat up your grants” that is just silly. people are so negative on this site, i mean really now what are you so cranky about? haha</p>