<p>So I got this email saying that the cal grant info was updated and so I checked and it showed one school (a safety I'm hoping I dont have to go to) but it has it as the school of attendance does that mean they're the only college that has so far gotten the fasfa info?
Also it says cal grant a is qualified but not awarded and cal grant b is awarded but on hold?
Can someone explain this process? I'm the first in my family to go to college so I'm learning this</p>
<p>You can change the listed to school to whichever one you end up choosing to go to. CSAC just lists whichever was first on your FAFSA.</p>
<p>Cal Grant B is better than A. It is the one meant for low income students, not lower quality students (as some seem to think due to the lower GPA requirement), and therefore offers more help.</p>
<p>Cal Grant A gives:
tuition/fee assistance for four years (note this is reduced if your standing is different upon entering a qualifying institution… example: entering as a junior will only give you two years).</p>
<p>Cal Grant B gives:
Tuition/fee assistance for three years (none is given frosh year and same rules apply if you enter at a different standing… junior gets two years).
Living allowance of $1,551.</p>
<p>While that seems like you’re receiving more with Cal Grant A, what you are not told is qualified California institutions will tend to “pick up the tab,” so to speak, for your frosh year. This is easiest to spot as a guarantee with the UCs due to the Blue&Gold opportunity plan. The CSUs appear to be on the ball with this. The privates will likely do the same as well.</p>
<p>Sometimes you might run into some universities that try to give you A because it costs them less money. B is the best you can get due to the extra amount. Not that it seems to matter for you, but note that A cannot be used at a CCC, but B can (the access/living assistance portion is able to be used, not tuition/fee assistance).</p>
<p>As for the notes (qualified, not awarded and awarded, on hold), the former just means you qualified, but did not receive it (you can only receive one) and the latter means you did receive it, but it is on hold while your information is being verified.</p>
<p>Do you know if the living allowance in Cal Grant B is given directly to the student or to the university?</p>
<p>From my personal experience:
It was given to me directly via refund from my school almost every quarter (exceptions mentioned in next paragraph). This meant I paid some money out of pocket to cover my remaining balance that I was using the assess for.</p>
<p>However, the last couple quarters (fall 2011 and spring 2011, my last two quarters of receiving Cal Grant), it has been used to cover some of my expenses before the remaining being given to me. I do not know if they changed something with this, but it originally was that the assess amount was disbursed directly to the student when a refund was issued even if there was a remaining balance on the student’s account. My last quarter was fall so I cannot answer from current personal experience anymore on this.</p>
<p>No matter what, your school does receive it first because they are the ones who have to authorize it from CSAC (you can see the withdrawals on your account there as time goes on) to give to you even if it is not being used to satisfy any direct school bills.</p>