<p>My daughter's roommate is currently at a California community college, she was awarded a Cal Grant but it was put into "Reserve" since she wasn't at a 4 year school. From what I understand, once she goes to a 4 year college she is awarded the money that was put into reserve...however, does her family need to qualify again for the year she goes to a 4 year college? I believe one of her parents were unemployed the year she qualified but now their income is above the Cal Grant limit. Will they still award her the amount that was put into reserve if this was the case? Thanks</p>
<p>You must meet the req’ts when you transfer…</p>
<p>That makes sense. If parents become millionaires, it wouldn’t be right to still get the Cal Grant in a following or later year.</p>
<p>So what is the point of this money being in ‘reserve’ then? If you qualify as a jr, you
would get cal grant money anyway. Do you get your normal cal grant money PLUS
the amount ‘in reserve’ (assuming you still qualify)? Or does it just stay in your
‘bank’ in case you need more than 2 more years to complete school? I guess
that’s probably it.</p>
<p>No, you don’t get more than 2 years. And, you don’t get reserve money PLUS Cal Grant money.</p>
<p>I don’t think actual money is set aside in some acct with a student’s name on it… I think it’s just all language based on how people qualify for Cal Grants who won’t be going to a 4 year right away.</p>
<p>However, everyone has to qualify each year. And, if a student’s family’s income suddenly rises sometime during college years, Cal Grant is lost.</p>
<p>So it seems that having the $$ in “reserve” is basically irrelevant if you don’t qualify during the 2 years you go to to a 4 year school. Now I have to e-mail her the bad news.</p>
<p>If you receive a Cal Grant A but attend a California Community College first, your award will be reserved for up to three years until you transfer to a four-year college, if you continue to qualify</p>
<p>the reserve is really just an “on hold” to qualify after leaving high school. Each year a student needs to actually qualify, income wise.</p>
<p>We really can’t expect (and shouldn’t want) Calif taxpayers to pay out Cal Grants to families whose incomes have significantly increased…right?</p>
<p>It’s not like the student got nothing…while at the CC, the student didn’t pay tuition there.</p>
<p>If the student HAD gone to a 4 year college right out of high school, s/he would have gotten the Cal Grant UNTIL the family no longer qualified because of the big income bump.</p>