After a lot of thinking, I decided that attending community college and transferring to UC afterwards was best for my family and I. After doing a bit of research and looking at my Cal Grant A award, it is basically stated that my Cal Grant (about $12,000) will not be awarded to me until I transfer to a 4-year university. It also says on their FAQ that since I’m a cal grant recipient, my community college fees would be waived and I won’t be charged tuition at my local community college? Is this actually true, or am I missing an important understanding? From my understanding as of now, I don’t have to pay for my two years at my community college and will receive that $12k when I transfer to a university. Is this correct?
Yes, you’re correct! 
If you qualify for a Cal Grant, then you’d also qualify for the Board of Governors (BOG) fee waiver, which covers the fees for attending community college:
[I Can Afford College](http://www.icanaffordcollege.com/) - financial aid info for community college students
[Board of Governors fee waiver](http://www.icanaffordcollege.com/en-us/financialaidinfo/typesofaid.aspx#bog) - specific info on the BOG
You may also want to take a look at this publication, which covers all the different types of California aid, and gives you instructions on getting your Cal Grant when you’re ready to transfer in two years:
[Fund Your Future](http://www.fundyourfuture.org/)
The grant for CC students transferring to a CSU or UC is call a [Cal Grant Transfer Entitlement Award](http://www.csac.ca.gov/doc.asp?id=920), and it provides the same funding as a Cal Grant. Just remember that you’ll need to submit your FAFSA by March 2 of the year that you plan to transfer to a 4-year university in order to qualify. Don’t miss that deadline!