<p>So I just went to check my Cal Grant status and it looks like I was not awarded one. </p>
<p>My page looks something like this :</p>
<p>Cal Grant A: Not Awarded Competitive (C1)<br>
Cal Grant B: Not Awarded Competitive (C1)<br>
Cal Grant C: Not Awarded Competitive (C1)</p>
<p>I have a 3.78 GPA and will be transferring CSU this fall. Shouldn't this be a good enough GPA for a cal grant?</p>
<p>Does this also mean that I will also not be awarded a need based cal grant as well? I don't see anything about need based awards on my page. My income was under 15k and I am an independent student with a family of 3. </p>
<p>Competitive Cal Grants are limited and not guaranteed. They are doled out based on a point system based on those who applied. Those who applied for the same competitive Cal Grant you did had a higher score than you. That’s why you were not awarded a competitive Cal Grant despite having a GPA that met the minimum requirements for entitlement Cal Grants.</p>
<p>*My income was under 15k and I am an independent student with a family of 3. *</p>
<p>Do you meet the other req’ts? Are there req’ts that you had to have graduated from a Calif high school within a certain number of years? If so, do you meet that req’t? Did you meet all deadlines? </p>
<p>You need to call the school to find out if you qualify for the regular Cal Grant. If you’re going to a CSU, then it sounds like you’ll get a full or near-full Pell Grant, a student loan of about $11k, and if you do get a regular Cal Grant, the amount will be equal to the fees for a CSU. </p>
<p>What is your EFC? When did you graduate from a Calif high school?</p>
<p>No, this isn’t correct. By “regular” Cal Grant, I assume you mean “entitlement” grant . . . but if Chicobandito were eligible for an entitlement grant, then he or she would not have been considered for a competitive grant. The competitive grants are only for certain students who do NOT meet the qualifications for an entitlement grant.</p>
<p>Really, the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) isn’t in the business of playing games with people. Students who are eligible for entitlement grants are considered for them, and any entitlement grant would be listed on the award notice.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. I guess I should have written that the student can call his school to find out why he didn’t qualify for any Cal Grants - since he doesn’t seem to know why. At least then he’d know why.</p>
<p>I suspect that the student didn’t do what was needed right out of high school to maintain eligibilty or something like that.</p>
<p>That’s entirely possible. The grants are generous, but the requirements for obtaining them are quite stringent . . . and not at all self-evident. Miss a critical deadline and you can be permanently out of luck.</p>
<p>Sorry I’m a little late getting back. Thank you to everyone for the info. I will try calling my financial aid office and see if they can get me some more info.</p>
<p>For those wondering my EFC was 0. I am a transfer student and graduated high school. I also was sure that I met all the deadlines well ahead of schedule. </p>
<p>I still don’t understand how I could have an EFC of 0 and still not get an entitlement CAL grant, but hopefully I can find out now.</p>
<p>If you are a transfer student, then I assume that you have been at a community college for two years? I, also, did not get the Cal Grant and I am a CC student and when I called them he told me this which was on their website " apply by March 2 either of the year they graduate from high school or the following year are guaranteed a Cal Grant A". That is for the entitlement Cal Grant</p>
<p>Which CSU campus are you transferring too? I’m going to CSULB and was offered a SUG Grant + Pell Grant, combined both completely cover my tuition with $1400 extra. Might be worth asking about, just to see if you possibly qualify; I fill out the FAFSA application and was offered it so accepted.</p>
<p>I’m in the same situation as OP. I was awarded the Blue and Gold scholarship at UCI and my UCSD estimate includes a Cal Grant.
I’m going to Cal Poly Pomona so the Blue and Gold and the estimate won’t matter. I’m not sure if I wasn’t awarded a Cal Grant because in my application status at webgrants4students.org, they had UCI as the school I will be attending next fall. </p>
<p>I called the financial aid office at Cal Poly Pomona and I described my situation. They told me they haven’t “packaged me yet.” I’m not sure if that means they determine if I will be getting a Cal Grant/CSU Grant or it’s up to the California Student Aid Commission. </p>
<p>So when you guys get a response, please let us know!! I will do the same as soon as I get any feedback from the FAO. </p>
<p>Well it looks like it was due to what Kender posted. :(</p>
<p>I just turned 28 this year so I am no longer eligible for a Cal grant. I do still get a Uni grant, but it doesn’t cover all of my tuition. Even with full federal loans, uni grant and a pell grant I am going to have to work quite a bit, which is something I really want to avoid so that I could prepare for grad school. </p>
<p>What really sucks is that the only reason I didn’t transfer last year (when I would have still be eligible) is because they eliminated to major I had originally planned on taking. Oh well.</p>
<p>A huge thanks for everyones help. Not knowing was driving me crazy and I’m glad that at least I know what’s going on now.</p>