Understanding My Cal Grant Fact Sheet
This Cal Grant fact sheet provides important information
about maintaining your Cal Grant award. Failure to
follow these procedures could result in your award being
cancelled and/or the repayment of funds you have
received.
This Cal Grant award offer may be reduced or
withdrawn based on the final State Budget. Schools
must determine final eligibility and award amounts
before disbursing Cal Grants.

General Cal Grant Requirements
As a Cal Grant recipient you MUST:
• The Cal Grant award process is not complete
until you receive your first payment! In some
circumstances, if you do not receive payment
the first year you are awarded a Cal Grant, your
award offer will be withdrawn.
• File a Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (Dream
Application) every year.
• Meet income and asset ceilings, and minimum
need criteria every year.
• Meet the eligibility requirements to receive a Cal
Grant award every year.
• Attend school at least half time (6 or more units).
6-8 units = 50% or ½ time
9-11 units = 75% or ¾ time
12 or more units = full time
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress.
• Attend a Cal Grant Eligible School. If the school you
plan on attending is not listed as a Cal Grant eligible
school, you may submit a school change by
1. Going to WGS at www.webgrants4students.org,
2. Creating an account (if you have not already
done so),
3. Selecting “submit school change” option.

To Manage Your Cal Grant
To successfully manage your Cal Grant, you MUST:
• Log on to www.webgrants4students.org and create
your online WebGrants for Students (WGS) account
to
 Understand and manage your Cal Grant award.
 Update your address or school of attendance. The
California Student Aid Commission communicates
with students using their e-mail address on file so it
is critical that you keep this information updated.
 Post a leave of absence.
 Allow a third party (such as a parent or guardian)
access to your Cal Grant information.
 Satisfy outstanding requirements.
• Make sure your school financial aid award letter
reflects your Cal Grant award. If it does not, contact
the financial aid office at your school and notify them
of your Cal Grant award status.
• Contact your financial aid office if your financial

circumstances have changed since you filed your
FAFSA or Dream Application. CSAC does not make any
updates to financial information reported on the
FAFSA or by the student.
• To be eligible for a Cal Grant renewal award, you
must
 Have remaining Cal Grant Program eligibility.
 Have received Cal Grant payments or requested a
leave of absence for all prior terms.
• If you have a Cal Grant and plan on transferring
from a CCC to a 4-year college, you should manage
your Cal Grant to ensure you have remaining Cal
Grant eligibility when you transfer.
• If you do not have a Cal Grant award and plan on
transferring from a CCC to a 4 year college, you
should apply for a Cal Grant the January prior to the
academic year you plan on transferring. If awarded,
you must transfer to the 4 year college and receive
payment or you will be withdrawn from the
program.

 Cal Grant Program Information
Cal Grant A
• Provides grant funds to help pay tuition and
fees at qualifying institutions offering degree
programs of at least two years in length.
• Does not pay at a California Community College
(CCC). The awards are held in CCC Reserve
status and are renewed for up to two
consecutive years while attending a CCC. Your
Cal Grant funds may become available to you
when you transfer to a Cal Grant eligible 4year college if you meet all the renewal
requirements at the time of transfer.

Cal Grant B
• Provides grant funds to help pay for your
tuition, student fees and other educational
costs in a for- credit instructional program of
not less than one academic year in length.
• Pays up to $1,656 per academic year for access
costs such as living expenses, transportation,
supplies and books.
• Pays tuition and fees for students attending a Cal
Grant eligible 4-year college, beginning in their
second year.
• Pays access costs of up to $1,656 at a CCC until you
transfer to a tuition/fee-charging school and become
eligible for both tuition/fees and access costs.

Summer School Payments
• Consult with the financial aid office at your school to
discuss your payment options for summer school.
• Amounts are based on the regular school year grant
and may not be sufficient to meet all of your
summer tuition/fee charges.
• Summer school payments will reduce your total
program eligibility for Cal Grant benefits, so monitor
your remaining program eligibility each year.

Disbursement and Payment Information
• Your school is responsible for verifying that you
meet certain Cal Grant Program eligibility
requirements and may require you to provide
documentation before disbursing funds to you.

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School of attendance
Financial need
Cost of attendance
Enrollment status

• CSAC disburses Cal Grant funds directly to your
school and does not pay funds directly to the
student.
• CSAC will never request your bank or credit card
information to process Cal Grant funds.
• You will never have to pay to receive your Cal

Grant award and we never call students to
request personal identifying information. Never
send money to anyone claiming to require money
to disburse your financial aid.
• Check with your school financial aid office to find out
about their financial disbursement schedule and
procedures.
• As a Cal Grant recipient, you may receive up to the
equivalent of four years of full-time grant
payments. The duration of your eligibility will be
based on your educational level at the time you
receive your first Cal Grant payment. Your
eligibility will be reduced by each term that you
receive payment.
• There are different ways your school can pay you
and you have choices in the disbursement method
of your Cal Grant award and your other financial
aid. Make sure you make the best choice to get
the full amount of your awards.

Contact Information
If you have any questions about the Cal Grant, please
contact the California Student Aid Commission.
By e-mail: studentsupport@csac.ca.gov
By phone: (888) 224-7268
By mail:
California Student Aid Commission
Cal Grant Program
PO Box 419028
Rancho Cordova, CA 95741-9028
For technical assistance, please call: (888) 294-0148

• Your school will determine your actual Cal Grant
award amount based on
Rev 7/2015