CalGrant DUE TODAY 3/2 @ 11:59 PM!

This includes:

• CalGrant (free money from the state)
• Federal Grants (free money from the federal government)
• Loans (borrow money)
• Scholarships (free money)

Cal Grants are the foundation of state-funded financial aid for California students who attend college in the state. Aimed at low-to-moderate-income families, they are thought to be among the most generous in the nation and can cover big chunks of the cost of attending a community college, a California State University or University of California campus, an eligible private campus or a vocational program.

Cal Grants come in different varieties and sizes depending on the school, the students’ income and their Grade Point Average (GPA). The amounts usually rise with tuition at California’s public colleges and universities. So the maximum award in 2017-18 will be $12,630 at a UC, $9,084 at a private non-profit college, $5,742 at a CSU and $1,672 at a community college. (In some cases, for very low-income students at UC and CSU, an additional $1,672 may be available for living expenses and books.) The overall average Cal Grant was about $5,700 last year, according to the Student Aid Commission, which administers the program.

As the name implies, they are outright grants and do not have to be repaid — even if a student never graduates.

How can I apply for one?

Most students do not have to file a separate application for Cal Grants. By completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), they are automatically given a review for Cal Grant eligibility, as long as the commission receives a school-verified GPA record. The FAFSA needs to be submitted every year, for entering freshmen, returning students and transfers. Undocumented students, however, are not allowed to use FAFSA but are eligible for Cal Grants through a separate “California Dream Act” application.

Mr. Palacios will be offering extra credit for Economics for completing your Financial Aid application! Be sure to send him your confirmation email upon completion. Also, IHS will be sending a reward to the first 10 students who email Ms. Tran (tran_lucy@ausd.us) their completed confirmation as well!

Ms. Tran - IHS Counselor

https://counselortran.youcanbook.me

tran_lucy@ausd.us

Mrs. An - College Counselor
https://msanappt.youcanbook.me

an_elizabeth@ausd.us

Website: https://alhambraunified.wixsite.com/ihs-collegecareer

Got More Questions?

• Visit studentaid.gov
• Email studentaid@ed.gov
• Call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) toll free
• TTY for the deaf or hard of hearing: 1-800-730-8913
  

Financial Aid Application

https://studentaid.gov/

https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/sign-in/landing- Create an FSA ID for parent and student

Dream Act Application

https://dream.csac.ca.gov/landing

(Tip: Not sure whether to use FAFSA or Dream Act? Go to dream.csac.ca.gov)

ELIGIBILITY:
This scholarship is open to Alhambra Unified School District seniors who
identify (in any way) as Latinx and plan to enroll in post-secondary
education in the fall of 2022. Winners will be selected from each high
school within our district: Alhambra HS, Independence HS (including
Eagles SOAR Virtual Learning Program), Mark Keppel HS, & San Gabriel
HS.

DEADLINE:
Application, Essay, Transcripts and Letter of Recommendation must be submitted by:
Friday, March 11, 2022 at 3 p.m. NO EXCEPTIONS!

ALA Arts Scholarships (new this year)
ALA is proud to offer two additional scholarships for students interested in the arts. These scholarships define the arts broadly as performance (music, dance, theater), literary efforts (writing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, podcasts) and the visual (painting, sculpture, video, film). Applicants do not have to have plans to pursue careers in the arts. Candidates have to write an additional essay to apply.

Dora S. Padilla Memorial Arts Scholarship
Dora Padilla, an ALA founder and longtime district board member, was a strong supporter of the arts, and this scholarship recognizes students who have excelled in the performing, literary or visual arts.


Brian Nobuo Tatsuno Memorial Arts Scholarship

Brian Tatsuno loved the art of the lowrider cars, he was a very creative person. The winner of the scholarship could be a fine artist but also someone interested in the commercial art world.

Scholarship Homepage: http://www.alhambralatinoassociation.com/how-to-apply.html
Questions? E-mail: alhambralatinoassociation@gmail.com

Watch the Cash for College Videos:

https://tinyurl.com/AUSDC4C21vids

FAFSA (English)
FAFSA (Spanish)
FAFSA (Cantonese/Mandarin/Vietnamese)
Dream Act (English/Spanish/Mandarin)

“Federal student aid is just ‘free money’ like grants.”

Reality: Federal student aid includes three different kinds of financial help: grants, low-interest loans, and work-study funds (a part-time job on or near campus). To learn more about the different types of federal student aid, visit StudentAid.gov/types.

“The FAFSA® form takes forever to fill out, and it’s really hard to do.”

Reality: If you’ve got 30 minutes to spare, you’re good. Because that’s about how long it takes to fill out the FAFSA form. It’s also not nearly as hard as you might think.

“Only students with good grades get financial aid.”

Reality: While a high grade point average will help a student get into a good school and may help with academic scholarships, most of the federal student aid programs do not take a student’s grades into consideration. Provided a student maintains satisfactory academic progress in his or her program of study, federal student aid will help a student with an average academic record complete his or her education. State aid, like Cal Grant, is a different story -- Cal Grant RELIES on your household income AND your grades. Cal Grant A is a minimum of a 3.0 GPA and Cal Grant B is a minimum of a 2.0 GPA.

“My siblings didn't qualify for financial aid so filling out the FAFSA® form again is just a waste of time.”

Reality: It’s super important to fill out a FAFSA form every year you’re in college or career school even if other siblings didn't get financial aid. Why? Because things can change. For instance, your school or state might create a new grant or scholarship, or the factors used to calculate your aid could change from one year to the next. Either way, if you don’t submit a new FAFSA form, you’re out of luck.