Hey guys, do you and should you turn in a Cal Grant if you don’t qualify for financial aid? Didn’t file the FAFSA or the CSS Profile or anything like that. Thanks!
http://www.csac.ca.gov/doc.asp?id=48
http://www.csac.ca.gov/doc.asp?id=905
If you want to be considered for Cal grant I think you need to file a FAFSA and I think the high school has to report GPA before March 2.
If you have questions about if your family income would qualify, there is a phone number on the bottom of first link.
You don’t have much time left to apply, so hurry.
@mommdc My family did not qualify for financial aid using the fafsa so I think I won’t qualify for this also?
So we didn’t file one
Why don’t you file the FAFSA?
My family didn’t qualify for anything but loans through the FAFSA and my school of choice, but I still got Cal Grant A, free tuition to any CSU or UC. Just file and see what happens, unless your parents are being really stubborn about filling out the FAFSA.
Check this: http://www.csac.ca.gov/facts/2017-18_income_and_asset_ceilings.pdf
And how do you know that your family doesn’t qualify for aid through the FAFSA if you did not file one?
The fafsa determines your eligibility for federally funded need based grants. To get a full Pell Grant, your FAFSA EFC needs to be less than $5000.
However, the calgrant has an income threshold which I believe is $80,000 a year. You could qualify for a calgrant and NOT qualify for a Pell.
Can your family pay the full cost of you attending your CA public university? If not, what harm is there in filing the forms?
Good point, if your parents ever come up short paying tuition, rent, etc. you will have the option of getting government loans to help cover the gaps if you filed the FAFSA.
http://www.csac.ca.gov/doc.asp?id=48
follow the instructions in this link, it says you can file FAFSA or CA dream act application. Make sure your school submitted certified GPA.
It would be worse to miss the deadline of March 2 for applying for Calgrant, only to find out you might have
qualified.
@Russug @thumper1 @mommdc thanks for all of your responses. my family is really stubborn about filing the fafsa, I have tried to persuade them but to no avail. We have used the online calculators from fafsa.gov and college board, typed in our income assets, and essentially got under $500. We know that if everything adds up we would not qualify and also my family is fortunate enough to pay a four-year education without loans or borrowing. I just want to see if I could save them some cash. But if I fill out the Cal grant form without my parents, would the worst case scenario is that I just get nothing?
@Russug I see that for a family of four the income ceiling is around 95k, so if mine is 105 k (not actual just an example) would I not qualify for any sort of aid on the cal grant form at all?
For the FAFSA you just need to link your parents’ 2015 tax return, and yours if you filed a return, and provide asset information as of the day you submit. You and one parent needs a FSA ID so sign up for that today!
@mike8888 If your parents don’t want to file and they are promising you that they will cover everything, then maybe the FAFSA is not worth the drama/grief. Sounds a lot like my struggle to get my parents to file the blasted thing, lol.
I think that you can only get the Cal Grant by filing the FAFSA by the deadline, not by filling out a specific form for Cal Grant. You cannot file the FAFSA on your own, without your parents’ tax information, unless you will either be 24 by December 31 or are in one of these other categories: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/sites/default/files/dependency-status.png
Long story short, if you are the typical traditional college hopeful - 17/18/19, living with biological parents in their home, no children of your own - you will not be able to file the FAFSA without your parents’ help.
Ack, I said “traditional” but I should have said “stereotypical,” lol…
About the income ceiling, an income higher than the ceiling will probably not get the Cal Grant, but keep in mind:
“Even though the Commission uses absolute family income ceilings when selecting Cal Grant recipients, all students are encouraged to apply, even if their family income and assets are above the ceilings. Many things can happen between the time the FAFSA is submitted and the start of school that can dramatically change a family’s situation. Also, the Commission annually adjusts the income ceilings.”
Source: http://www.csac.ca.gov/doc.asp?id=916
Cal Grant is not the only state aid out there. Have you heard of the Middle Class Scholarship (MCS)? The income ceiling for that is $156,000 income and assets. You will need to complete FAFSA (or CADAA if you’re Dream Act eligible). Deadline is March 2nd! Information: http://www.csac.ca.gov/mcs.asp https://middleclassscholarships.org/
Thanks for the wealth of info for me and future people who want to save cash for their parents lol @russug but if you didn’t submit the fafsa and don’t plan to for my family is it worth even submitting the cal grant since they seem to be connected in a similar way?
Free money is good, free money is best!
Hate to say it, but if getting the FAFSA filed will be a huge drama fest, then I’d just let it go. After the huge kerfuffle to file it for freshman year, my parents flat out refused to file it again. Thankfully I was in a position to not need to rely on the money that FAFSA helps with, like you. It may be the same for your family situation.
Submitting the FAFSA in and of itself is always worth it IMO. You have to weigh the possible perks of free money (or loans) through the FAFSA against the cons of possibly fighting for your parents’ cooperation.
@Russug i know right! if it was my child I’d be down for free money!
http://www.csac.ca.gov/mcs.asp
It is worth it to file the FAFSA to qualify for Calgrant! Even if you don’t think you qualify now, what if the financial situation changes in the future?
If you miss the deadline of March 2, I don’t think you can get it later.
The middle income scholarship also requires the FAFSA.
@mike8888 You cannot get the Cal Grant without filing the FAFSA. I don’t know of any separate Cal Grant application that you can submit in lieu of the FAFSA.