Once you’ve submitted your FAFSA online, you will receive an email confirming your FAFSA has been processed. It takes about three days for the form to be processed and sent to the college(s) selected. Submitting your FAFSA electronically allows you to immediately check your FAFSA status. If you submit a paper FAFSA, you can check the status once it has been processed, which takes anywhere from seven to 10 days after the date you mailed the form.
This year, FAFSA processing times may be longer. That’s because the U.S. Department of Education introduced the new simplified form, Better FAFSA.
Important links and resources:
A helpful video about the next steps after submitting FAFSA can be found here.
You Might Be Selected for Verification
Verification is a process in which the federal government and colleges can request copies of specific documents to confirm the accuracy of the information reported on financial aid forms. Some students are randomly selected for verification while others are selected due to conflicting information that the colleges are seeing on the financial aid forms.
Examples of documents required for verification can include any of the following if applicable:
Official tax transcripts or tax returns
Proof of citizenship/residency
Documentation of legal guardianship
This process must be completed in a timely manner! If you receive a verification request from a college you need to respond as quickly as you can so you do not miss out on potential financial aid that is first-come, first-served. Note that these verification requests may come through email, the school portal, and/or the regular postal mail.
Institutional Documentation Service – CSS Profile Submissions Only
For students required to complete the CSS Profile, there is a follow-up step that is similar to verification which is called Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC). If required, this process will also require you to submit additional documentation.
Important Links and Resources:
Watch a helpful video that shows how to request a tax transcript via IRS.GOV to be mailed home here.
To find out you are required to complete IDOC, check out this website.
Created by the College Board, this is a series of slides and videos that reviews the IDOC process that can be found here.
Create a WebGrants 4 Students Account
California students also need to be aware of the steps to take to secure their Cal Grant, Middle-Class Scholarship (MCS), or Chafee Grant, if awarded. For general information about these financial aid programs, see our post “All About Cal Grants and Other CA Financial Aid”. After you submit your FAFSA or Dream Act, you will need to create a WebGrants 4 Students (WG4S) account. This is the online portal that allows you to track the status of your state financial aid, complete required To-Do items and manage their award, and review your state financial aid history and remaining eligibility.
It is crucial that students complete your required steps by the appropriate deadlines, such as:
Confirm your intended school of attendance or make a school change
Certify your high school graduation date, for current high school seniors
Complete the Transfer Entitlement Certification, for community college transfer students
Complete the Cal Grant C Supplement, if being considered for Cal Grant C
Keep in mind that the timelines for you to complete these steps may vary depending on if you are a first-time applicant or renewing your award, as well as what type of award you are being considered for. You should keep track of their deadlines to ensure that you do not miss out on any state financial aid you may be eligible for. Once you have completed all of the requirements on your WG4S account, your intended college will be able to confirm their eligibility and move forward with issuing payment of their award.
Important Links and Resources:
Watch a help video created by the California Student Aid Commission about how to create your WebGrants 4 Students account here
Check out a detailed description of how to complete certain steps on WG4S here.
Financial aid offers from the colleges oftentimes don’t cover the entire direct cost of college. This means that after financial aid has been applied, there is usually a balance leftover that the student must pay, which is billed by the college. The total amount due for the year is typically split into two or three bills, based on whether the college goes by the semester system, quarter system, or credit hours. The student will receive the fall bill via mail or via the student’s college portal. Bill due dates will vary by college, but typically must be paid before classes for the new term start.
There are several options for paying the college bill, and it all depends on what works for you and your family. When planning to pay the college bill, students and families should consider these options first:
Family/student savings from savings accounts, and/or college savings plans (such as 529 college savings accounts, if applicable)
Earnings from summer or part-time jobs may help cover part of the college bill or cover indirect expenses like transportation, books, or dorm room supplies.
Outside scholarships can be used at any college or university. Search for scholarships and pay close attention to deadlines.
Tuition Payment Plans may make the bill more manageable by enabling you to pay the estimated bill over the course of the school year instead of having to pay it all at once and with no interest accrual. You can look at your college’s website for payment plans available and see if there is one that fits your family’s budget.
These are the best options to pay the college bill because they do not need to be repaid in the future. However, studentloans are also another option. If you are considering taking out student loans to cover the college bill, it is advisable to maximize your eligibility for Federal Direct Student Loans or campus-based loans first before looking at private student loans. There are several reasons why federal student loans and campus-based loans may be more beneficial than those you may find on the private market:
Favorable interest rates and terms
Eligibility doesn’t depend on credit history
More flexibility during repayment
May be eligible for loan forgiveness if you work in a certain field
In addition to Federal Direct Loans offered to you, the student, there is also a federal loan option for parent(s) who would like to help their children cover the college bill. The Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) allows parents to borrow up to the cost of attendance (after existing financial aid has been taken into account) every year of college, with no long-term cumulative limit. In addition, they may postpone monthly payments on the loan until after their child graduates (although interest will continue to accrue on the loan balance regardless). Also important to note, if your parent(s) apply for the PLUS but are denied, you become eligible for an additional $4,000 in Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans for the school year. If you find yourself in this situation you should contact your financial aid office for the next steps in having the extra loan amount credited to your account.
It’s normal to have questions about Financial aid, especially if you have never applied for it before. One of the most common questions is, “Do I qualify for financial aid?” There are many myths and misconceptions about who is eligible to receive financial aid, so it’s important to have all the facts when going through this process.
Why This Matters
In this context, financial aid refers to money for college provided by the federal government in the form of federal student loans, grants, and work-study jobs. Other types of financial aid include scholarships from your college or outside sources, and private student loans from banks or other institutions. These types of funding have their own eligibility requirements, which may or may not be connected to your eligibility for federal student aid.
The only way to know exactly what type of financial aid you qualify for is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). When you (or your parent, if you are a dependent) complete the FAFSA, you will enter personal financial information that is used to calculate an Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Your school’s financial aid office will use this number, along with the cost of attendance at the college or university, to determine what types of aid and how much money you are eligible to receive.
Even if you or your parents think that you are not eligible for any federal financial aid, it is important to complete the FAFSA each year. Individual schools and states use this information to determine eligibility for scholarships, grants, and other types of non-federal student aid. Sometimes things change, and where you didn’t qualify for financial aid last year, you qualify this year. Thanks to the online application process, and the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, completing the FAFSA is simpler and faster than ever.
Do I Qualify for Financial Aid?
To determine if you meet basic eligibility requirements for financial aid, ask yourself the following questions. Please note, these questions apply to the student, not the person completing the FAFSA, such as a parent or guardian.
Am I a U.S. citizen, or an eligible noncitizen?
You are considered an eligible noncitizen if you meet any of the following criteria:
U.S. national (including natives of American Samoa or Swains Island)
U.S. permanent resident with a Permanent Resident Card
An individual who has an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services showing one of the following designations:
Refugee
Asylum Granted
Cuban-Haitian Entrant (Status Pending)
Conditional Entrant (valid only if issued prior to April 1, 1980)
Victim of human trafficking
Parolee (must be paroled into the United States for at least one year and you must be able to provide evidence from the USCIS that you are in the United States for other than a temporary purpose and that you intend to become a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.)
“Battered immigrant-qualified alien” who is a victim of abuse by your citizen or permanent resident spouse, or you are the child of a person designated as such under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
A citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau. If this is the case, you may be eligible for only certain types of federal student aid:
Citizens of the Federal States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands are eligible for Federal Pell Grants only.
Do I demonstrate financial need?
In this case, “financial need” is defined as the difference between the cost of attendance at a school, and your Student Aid Index (SAI). Your SAI is calculated based on your FAFSA, and remains the same regardless of the cost of attendance at the school you choose.
The SAI is a measure of you or your family’s financial strength. It’s based on taxed and untaxed income, assets, and benefits such as unemployment or Social Security. Due to changes implemented as part of the FAFSA Simplification Act, the SAI will no longer include the number of students a family currently has in college as part of its calculations, as the EFC did.
Each individual school will calculate your aid eligibility by subtracting your SAI from the school’s cost of attendance (COA). This is why it’s important to send your completed FAFSA to all the schools you are considering attending, as your financial aid eligibility will vary from school to school.
Based on your demonstrated financial need, the school will create a financial aid package informing you of how much and what types of aid you can receive.
Am I enrolling in a degree or certificate program at an eligible school?
The institution and type of program in which you are enrolling also affects whether you qualify for financial aid.
In accordance with the Higher Education Act, which established federal financial aid programs, there are certain guidelines institutions must meet in order to receive financial aid benefits for students. Institutions must have accreditation from a nationally recognized accrediting agency, or approval from a recognized state approval agency, in the case of certain vocational schools. Schools must also be authorized by the state in which they are located, and receive approval from the U.S. Department of Education through a program participation agreement.
The individual program in which you are enrolling matters, too. Degree and certificate programs must be approved by the U.S. Department of Education, be longer than one year in length, and lead to gainful employment in order for students to receive financial aid to pay for those programs. During your college search process, you should confirm that the school and program you are interested in attending is eligible for financial aid.
Additional Qualifications for Financial Aid
In addition to the basic eligibility criteria, students must also meet the following qualifications:
Have a valid Social Security Number (if you are a U.S. citizen) – Students from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau are exempt from this requirement.
Demonstrated eligibility to obtain a college or career school education – This means students must have a high school diploma, or a recognized equivalent, such as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate, or have completed high school in an approved homeschool setting. Students who were enrolled in college or career school prior to July 1, 2012, or are currently enrolled in an eligible career pathway program may show they’re qualified to obtain a higher education by passing an approved ability-to-benefit test (if you don’t have a diploma or GED, a college can administer a test to determine whether you can benefit from the education offered at that school) or completing six credit hours, 225 clock hours, or equivalent course work toward a degree or certificate.
Sign the certification statement on the FAFSA – This confirms that you are not currently in default on any federal student loans, that you do not currently owe money on a federal student grant, and that you will use your federal student aid for educational purposes only.
Maintain satisfactory academic progress – Once you are enrolled in college or career school, you must remain in good academic standing and meet your school’s standards for satisfactory academic progress to continue receiving financial aid.
Submit a new FAFSA each year – Your financial aid eligibility, as determined by your FAFSA, is only valid for one academic year. Students or their parents must submit a new, updated FAFSA for each year that they want to receive financial aid. FAFSA deadlines vary by college and state, so it’s important to be aware of any FAFSA deadlines that apply to you.
Special Circumstances
Students in the following special circumstances may or may not qualify for financial aid, or may need to meet additional eligibility requirements:
Financial aid is broken down into three categories: gift aid, loans, and work-study.
Gift aid is broken down into grants and scholarships. Grants and scholarships are free money to the student, meaning they do not have to be repaid. Grants and scholarships can be awarded by the federal government, states, colleges, and private funders or organizations.
Grants are awarded to students based on financial need
Some examples of grants include:
The Pell Grant is awarded by the U.S. federal government to eligible students based on their family’s income, assets, family size, and other factors. The maximum Pell Grant amount was $7,395 for the 2023-2024 school year.
The Cal Grant is need-based and requires a minimum of a 2.0 GPA, with additional funds for students with a 3.0 or higher.
Scholarships can be awarded to students based on many factors, including financial need, academic achievement, athletic achievement, community involvement, ethnic or cultural background, etc.
Loans are a type of financial aid that students and parents can borrow to help pay for college. Loans must be repaid, typically with interest. Loans can be offered by the federal government, the college itself, and private lenders.
Federal Direct Subsidized Loans
Available to undergraduate students with financial need
Interest is paid by the government while borrowers are enrolled at least half time
4.99% fixed interest rate as of July 1, 2023 (resets each July 1st)
Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans
Available to any undergraduate and graduate student, regardless of need
Borrowers are responsible for all interest that accrues
4.99% fixed interest rate as of July 1, 2023 (resets each July 1st)
Federal PLUS Loan
The Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS Loan) is a loan for the parent(s) of undergraduate students.
Parents can borrow up to the full Cost of Attendance, minus any financial aid the student has received. PLUS loans have a fixed interest rate of 7.54% as of July 1, 2023
Eligibility is based on a credit check, which determines whether a parent has an adverse credit history
Work-study is the third main type of financial aid. It provides students with a part-time job either on or off-campus, to earn money to help pay for college or personal expenses. work-study is usually funded by the federal government, but some states and colleges sponsor work-study programs as well.
How do I apply for financial aid?
Here is the breakdown of how to apply for financial aid:
The Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID is a self-selected username and password that is unique for each user. The FSA ID serves as a legal signature in order to submit the FAFSA. Both the student and one parent (dependent students only) will need to create unique and separate FSA IDs.
FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA is required by all colleges and many technical programs and is available in December. The FAFSA is an application for financial aid from the government and is required in order to be considered for any federal or state-issued financial aid, in addition to some institutional funds.
For students who cannot complete the FAFSA due to their citizenship status, they can complete the CA Dream Act Application.
The CSS Profile (College Scholarship Service Profile) is an additional financial aid form required by a large number of private colleges and a few public institutions to determine eligibility for institutional funds only – money from the college.
The Student Aid Report (SAR) is a summary of all information reported on the FAFSA and is usually available to view a few days after a student submits the FAFSA. It provides important information about potential issues with a student’s FAFSA, the Expected Family Contribution, and other important information.
Complete Verification & Other Follow-up Tasks
Verification is a process in which the federal government and colleges can request copies of specific documents from a student to confirm the accuracy of the information reported on financial aid forms. Some students are randomly selected for verification while others are selected due to conflicting information that the colleges are seeing on the financial aid forms.
Review and Compare Financial Aid Offers
Financial aid offers typically arrive from February through May, after notification of admissions acceptance. Financial aid offers to show the amount and type of aid that has been offered to a student at a particular college – a combination of federal, state, and institutional aid. These offers can arrive in many ways such as: regular postal mail, email, or more commonly via the college’s online portal.
Use the College Cost Calculator, a free online tool that helps students compare financial aid offers and the total costs of attending different colleges. Find it at uAspire.org/Calculator.
Pay Tuition Deposit
Once the student has decided which college they will attend they will likely need to pay a tuition deposit which holds their spot in the first-year class and for housing (if applicable). The tuition deposit amounts can range from $200 – $1000 and vary from college to college.
Note that in most cases, tuition deposits are NOT refundable. Students should compare all financial aid offers and only send a deposit to the college that they plan to attend.
For low-income students, choosing the right college or university is often decided by how much money they will give us. We do not have the luxury of choosing a university in a favorable location or by enrollment size. Some of us can’t even choose the one that offers the best program for our major because it doesn’t grant us enough funding. We, low-income students, are faced with limitations when it comes to going to college.
And yes, scholarships are available, and their abundance does inspire us to apply to as many as possible. However, their competitive nature means not all students will receive a scholarship and therefore we cannot rely just on them. In other words, we need our government to keep funding education access for low-income students. Opportunities that come with programs like the Pell Grant.
What is the Pell Grant exactly?
The Pell Grant is a need-based grant awarded to undergraduate students who have not obtained a degree and demonstrate exceptional financial need. It has provided support for about 7 million students each year across 5,000 institutions in the U.S. However, its purchasing power has declined significantly over time. According to the Institute for College Access and Success, the Pell Grant only covers 30% of a college education when it covered about 80% in 1980.
As a Oaxacan low-income student raised in South Central LA and a personal recipient of the Pell Grant, I can vouch that receiving this aid was a significant help for covering my tuition at UC Berkeley during my first two years of college. I felt supported by this assistance and received an additional refund to cover my basic needs like food and housing. However, after my sophomore year, I noticed that my Pell Grant amount was declining as I reached senior year.
This is why we need to build awareness to #DoublePell because it can close the affordability gap for low-income students, leading to higher enrollment and an increase in retention rates. Education Policy Advisor Shelbe Klebs argues that the COVID-19 pandemic has made many students “rethink their post-secondary plans for fall; some may forgo college temporarily or permanently to work to support their families while others may choose to attend a more affordable community college close to home instead of a pricier four-year school farther away.”
Doubling the Pell Grant is the most effective way to make college affordable and available for all students. It can lead to more enrollment of low-income students of color, increase graduate school enrollments with more students pursuing higher education, decrease dropout rates, and restore its purchasing power.
Having this grant available made my college selection process easier because I could choose a good school with the financial aid package that was right for me. I am #ThankfulForPell because I was able to graduate from a 4-year university. By doubling the Pell Grant, I believe more students like me can have greater access to higher education, reach their potential and empower their communities.
Scholarships = free money! There are several scholarships to choose from: local, state, or nationwide scholarships. It is important to ensure that you are applying for all the scholarships available to you. Scholarships are a great way to pay for your turion or tuition related expenses. Books, technology, and even doing laundry on campus can get expensive. You should never pay for scholarship opportunities, be careful that you are not being scammed.
Applying for scholarships is tricky! Every scholarship is unique and asks for its own set of requirements. Not to mention, there are different types of scholarships! One thing to always remember is that scholarships are free money. You do not need to pay back a scholarship, it is not a loan! If you have questions about loans, click our previous post here. So let’s get started, how should we apply for scholarships?
SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH TIPS
Ask for Recommendation Letters
Have transcripts ready
Search for local scholarships
Find scholarships that fit you
Use the ‘About Me’ Sheet in the PDF below to help brainstorm your characteristics
Keep a ‘Progress Checklist’ which can also be found in the PDF
FREE MONEY: Outside Scholarship FAQs
What are “outside scholarships?” Private sources of financial aid.
How can I get one? Most require an application – separate from FAFSA – and essay(s).
Who gives them? Offered by national corporations/institutions, local businesses, community-based organizations, and private foundations.
When are they due? Deadlines vary by scholarship – check early and often during your college search process.
Where can I use them? Most can be applied to any school, but some can only be used for college(s) in a specific location (e.g. region, state)
Why should I care? Scholarships are an excellent supplemental source of aid to cover the remaining costs after financial aid from your school.
Now that we have the basics out of the way, let’s start preparing to apply!
Scholarships are free money that you do not have to pay back. Scholarships are awarded based on grades, community service, major, class level, where you live, and more. The money that you are awarded can be used to pay for college tuition and other expenses.
Investing in yourself
Most scholarships have similar prompts, so you have the advantage of reworking the same essay for each application you submit. If a scholarship is worth $1,000 and you spend 10 hours writing an essay and submitting your scholarship application, it results in $100 per hour invested! Use the Scholarship Essay Worksheet to improve your essays and ability to receive multiple awards.
Getting started
Use Immigrant Rising’s Scholarship Lists and additional scholarship databases to identify scholarships you are eligible to apply. Use the Scholarship Search Chart to list the ones you are eligible for, including deadlines, and create an action plan. Remember the more scholarships you apply for, the greater your chances to be awarded.
According to Feeding America, food insecurity is “a federal measure of a household’s ability to provide enough food for every person in the household to have an active, healthy life.” Food insecurity is such a big issue for students because it can affect your test scores, concentration, energy, academic standing, and lowers your chances of graduating. In addition, food insecurity affects the most vulnerable students ex. students who receive financial aid, students who are parents/ caretakers, students with disabilities, LGBTQ+ students, first-generation students, BIPOC, and more.
Unfortunately, students who are facing food insecurity are not accessing all the public benefits they could. The food insecurity among college students can get worse because families are losing income, medical bills are piling up, and folks are being forced to tap-in to their savings. However there are college, local, state and federal resources for you as a student.
Below is a list of food banks/ pantries that are accessible to you and your family at no cost, because no student should go upon not knowing when their next meal will be.
Going to college in the fall of 2025? Now you’ve got a little more time to apply for financial aid. The state priority deadline in California was just extended to April 2, 2025. Don’t miss out on grants and scholarships! Complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) today. We’ve got all the information you need at csac.ca.gov/apply
¿Comenzarás la universidad en otoño de 2025? ¡Tienes más tiempo para solicitar ayuda financiera! La fecha límite prioritaria en California se ha extendido hasta el 2 de abril de 2025. No pierdas la oportunidad de acceder a becas y subvenciones. Completa tu FAFSA (Solicitud Gratuita de Ayuda Federal para Estudiantes) o la CADAA (Solicitud de la Ley Dream Act de California) hoy mismo. Encuentra toda la información en csac.ca.gov/apply....
Are you a Southern California community college student impacted by the recent fires? 🎓📚The Student Senate for California Community Colleges is offering the Disaster Relief Fund Scholarship to help students access the resources needed to keep moving forward.
Eligibility Requirements
✅Student enrolled in any Southern California
community college
✅Taking at least 6 units
Apply bit.ly/ssccc-disaster-relief-scholarship or link in bio!
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¿Eres un estudiante de un colegio comunitario del sur de California afectado por los recientes incendios? 🎓📚 El Student Senate for California Community Colleges ofrece la beca Disaster Relief Fund Scholarship para ayudar a los estudiantes a acceder a los recursos necesarios para seguir adelante.
Requisitos
✅Estudiante matriculado en cualquier colegio comunitario de California del Sur
✅Cursar como mínimo 6 unidades
We know there is a lot of uncertainty and anxiety floating around right now, but with your ideas and perspective you can help us make a difference and fight for equity in the next two years. @socalcan centers and leads with student voices. By taking this SHORT STUDENT SURVEY you will help us identify what barriers students face in higher-education and what are the most pressing issues that need to be addressed through policy & advocacy.
You MUST be a current student in a California college or university (CCC, CSU, UC or private) or have graduated in the year 2022 or after to take this survey. Everyone who is eligible and submits a survey before it closes on November 6th will be entered to a raffle for a chance to win one of multiple $50 gift cards.
Click the link in bio to learn more and to take the survey or visit bit.ly/24psurvey
#Advocacy #PolicyAgenda #TogetherWeCAN #SoCalCAN...
That feeling when you and your best friends just voted! 🎉🗳️✨
Today is Election Day! Remember you can drop off your completed mail ballot at a Ballot Box or a participating Vote Center. If you were not able to register by the deadline you can still vote! Same-Day Voting is available at select locations.
Esa sensación cuando tú y tus mejores amigos acaban de votar! 🎉🗳️✨
¡Hoy es el día de las elecciones! Recuerde que puede dejar su boleta por correo en un Buzón de Entrega de Boleta Electoral
o en un Centro de Votación participante. Si no pudiste registrarte antes de la fecha límite, ¡aún puedes votar! La Votación El Mismo Día está disponible en ubicaciones selectas.
Do you know what makes people powerful? Voting! 🗳️✨ Tomorrow is Election Day. Let’s make our voices heard and take action together! 💪🎉
For more voter information, click the link in our bio. 🔗
¿Sabes qué hace a las personas poderosas? ¡Votar! 🗳️✨Mañana es el Día de Elección. ¡Hagamos oír nuestras voces y actuemos juntos! 💪🎉
Para más información sobre votación, haz clic en el enlace en nuestra biografía. 🔗
Early in-person voting started on October 26th! Over 4 million Californians have already cast their vote. Get ready to make your voice count! 🙌🗳️💥
For more on early voting and Vote-by-Mail Ballot drop-off locations click the link in our bio 🔗
La votación anticipada en persona comienza mañana, 26 de octubre. Más de 4 millones de Californianos ya han enviado su voto.¡Prepárate para hacer oír tu voz! 🙌🗳️💥
Para más información sobre lugares para la votación temprana y la entrega de boletas de voto por correo haz clic en el enlace de nuestra biografía.🔗
