Understanding Cal Grant A, B, & C

Cal Grants
To qualify for Cal Grants, a student must be a California resident, be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, obtain a social security number and be attending (or plan to attend) an eligible institution in California.

A student may receive only one Cal Grant, either Cal Grant A, B or C. The three grants are targeted to assist three distinct groups of applicants and are mutually exclusive. In short, Cal Grant A provides tuition assistance for a student attending a four-year institution, Cal Grant B is subsistence assistance for entering community college students and Cal Grant C is awarded to community college students majoring in vocational programs.

The enrollment status of the student i.e. full time, three-quarter time or half-time will proportionately affect the amount of money received by eligible students.

REMEMBER!! Be sure to submit your FAFSA application in order to meet the MARCH 2nd deadline for the Cal Grant. FAFSA is the vehicle for the Pell Grant, Cal Grant, FSEOG, Work Study and Student Loans.

1st of the 2nd Ten Commandments

" Thou shall not worry, for worry is the most unproductive of all human activities. You can't saw sawdust. A day of worry is more exhausting than a day of work. People get so busy worrying about yesterday or tomorrow, they forget about today. And today is what you have to work with."

My Class

The Scholarship Class will meet today in the Career/Tranfer Center.

What is a Cal Grant?

A Cal Grant is money for college you don't have to pay back. To qulaify, you must meet the eligibility and financial requirements as well as any minimum GPA requirements. Cal Grants can be used at any University of California, California State University or Community College, as well as qualifying independent and career/vocational colleges or technical schools located in California.

Cal Grant Deadline

March 2nd is a week away. Have you submitted your 2009--2010 FAFSA application?

Cal Grants are a free way to get money to help you pay for college! As a college student, you have the opportunity to benefit if you meet the qualifications. Make completing the applic ation a priority.

FAFSA 2008/2009

If you didn't apply for FAFSA for the 2008/09 year, it is not too late. Do it. It may mean money in your pocket.

Remember, March 2nd is the deadline for the CAL Grant and that FAFSA is the vehicle for applying. Now is the time to submit your FAFSA application for the 2009/2010. If you have not filed your 2008 tax returns, you can estimate. By the end of January, all employers should have mailed out the W-2 forms.

FAFSA is very important in helping you stay in college. FILE even if you don't think you qualify.

Letters of Recommendation and Perserverance

If you don't have your three letters of recommendation, you need to start sending gentle reminders. Counselors and professors are very busy--a call or an email might do the trick.

Perserverance:
"Life isn't just about winning. Much of life is about losing. It's something we all do, over and over again. That's where the virtue of perserverance comes in. We fail and we fail and we fail until, finally, we succeed. There are always going to be discouraging times when we want to walk away from a task. But perseverance is that voice inside your head that says, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." Listening to that voice is an important part of growing up.
The Book of Virtues edited by William J. Bennett

As you apply for scholarships, you'll find that it may take a while to be awarded a grant or scholarship. Just keep perfecting your personal statement and updating your letters of recommendation. Once you receive that first scholarship, you will open the door for more.

Believe that you are deserving, but make your application packet really shine. You want to stand out--keep striving.