Financial Aid for College

Getting financial aid can help students pay for college or certain trade programs. By filling out the FAFSA or CADAA, students can get federal aid (for FAFSA applicants only), state aid, institutional aid, and student loans, unless they formally opt out.

Students will get an estimate of most of the financial aid they can receive, this helps students decide on a college, university, or vocational school.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a form that lets students apply for financial aid, including federal, state, and institutional aid.

The FAFSA is very important for college and should be filled out every year. It helps determine how much financial aid you can get for college, university, or vocational school.

Find out more about the FAFSA form.

The California Dream Act Application (CADAA) helps undocumented students, DACA recipients, U Visa holders, and students with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) get financial aid.

By completing the CADAA form, students can get private scholarships, state financial aid, university grants, community college fee waivers, and Cal Grants. It also allows eligible students to pay in-state tuition at any public college in California.

Find out more about the CADAA form.

Students should complete either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA), according to the following requirements:

Complete the FAFSA if you are a: 

• U.S. Citizen 
• Permanent Resident 
• Eligible non-citizen 
• T Visa holder 

Complete the CADAA if you: 

• Are undocumented 
• Have a valid or expired DACA 
• Hold a U Visa 
• Have Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
• Meet the non-resident exemption requirements under AB 540, SB 2000, SB 68

The Federal Student Aid ID (StudentAid.gov account (formerly FSA ID)) is a free account at StudentAid.gov that is used by contributors to access and electronically sign their portion of the FAFSA. 

All student and parent contributors will need to create a StudentAid.gov account (formerly FSA ID). The StudentAid.gov account (formerly FSA ID) uses a social security number to verify identity. There is also a process for parents without a social security number to obtain a StudentAid.gov account (formerly FSA ID) that will be available. Those who already have a StudentAid.gov account (formerly FSA ID) will not need to create a new one.

Learn more on the California Student Aid Commission's website.

After you submit your application, review the Confirmation Page to identify and fix any errors that need correction. After the initial successful submission of your application, the California Student Aid Commission will send you an email with your nine-digit Dream ID number.

Log into your WebGrants 4 Students account to fix any errors. Also contact the financial aid office of the college/university that you will attend to inform them of the mistakes and ask for guidance on how to fix them.

Filling out and submitting your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA^®) form is an important step in the journey to paying for college or career/trade school. Follow these steps from the US Department of Education to stay on track toward accepting and receiving your aid.