Financial Aid Information

How to pay for college is a consideration for most students, and choosing a college will often depend on how much they can afford. The following websites provide information on Federal and State financial aid options.

www.fafsa.ed.gov: Complete the FAFSA application on-line or download.
www.finaid.org: Federal financial aid & scholarship information
www.csac.ca.gov: Cal Grants and specialized programs available in California
www.edfund.org: A comprehensive site for financial aid options
www.maldef.org: Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
www.latinocollegedollars.org: scholarship opportunities for students with or without a social security number.
www.californiacolleges.edu: Federal & Cal Grant information

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

The official website for FAFSA is www.fafsa.ed.gov. View this site for information on financial aid options, calculators, and to apply January 1st -March 2nd.

Students have the following options to apply:

Fill out and submit the FAFSA application online.
Download a PDF version of the FAFSA application at www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov; fill it out then mail it.
Request a paper FAFSA by calling 800.4.FED.AID (800.433.3243).

FAFSA4caster will help you get an early start on the financial aid process by providing you with an early estimate of your eligibility for federal student aid.

In addition, FAFSA4caster will increase your knowledge of the financial aid process and provide information about other sources of aid.

CAL Grant GPA Verification Forms

2.0 GPA + FAFSA + GPA Verification Form = Cal Grant. For more information about CAL Grants, go to www.csac.ca.gov.

CAL Grant GPA Verification Forms are due March 2nd.

Download a Cal Grant GPA Verification Application.

CSS Financial Aid Profile (For Private Colleges/Universities)

The CSS Financial Aid Profile is a financial aid application service of the College Board -- a national, not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Many of the member colleges, universities, graduate and professional schools, and scholarship programs use the information collected on PROFILE to help them award nonfederal student aid funds.

Scholarship Opportunities

There Are Thousands of Dollars Available in Scholarship Opportunities!

For more information about any of these scholarships, go directly to the sponsor's website, or come to the College Center. The list is updated frequently, so check this site often.

To better serve students and their specific financial needs and qualifications, all seniors should fill out a Scholarship Application and return it to the College Center.

Free Scholarship Services

Students should never have to pay money to get money! Beware of scams which try to get students to pay money, even small amounts, to get information on scholarships. The following is a list of websites that provide FREE scholarship information and services. All students are encouraged to establish accounts with these websites to get direct, personalized scholarship information sent via e-mail.

Application Fee Waivers

Students who qualify for testing fee waivers may also qualify to apply to colleges and universities for free. This applies to UC's, CSU's, and some private/out of state colleges. Check the Directory of Colleges Cooperating with the SAT Fee-Waiver Service to see if a school offers a fee waiver to apply.

Students applying to UC or CSU do not need to fill out a fee waiver form. They can do this directly on the application when it is completed on line.