7980 Student Aid Commission
Program Descriptions

15 - FINANCIAL AID GRANTS PROGRAM

This program provides grants and other specialized financial aid to help undergraduate and graduate students pay educational expenses. Awards are coordinated with other available award sources including federal Pell Grants. The financial aid grant programs are described below.

CAL GRANT A and B

The maximum award for Cal Grants A and B are equal to the mandatory systemwide fees at the University of California and the California State University and $9,708 at private institutions.

Entitlement Awards

The Cal Grant Entitlement Award Programs were established by Chapter 403 of the Statutes of 2000. The entitlement awards are guaranteed to students who graduate from high school in 2000-01, or beyond, and meet financial, academic, and general program eligibility requirements.


  • Cal Grant A provides tuition and fee funding to eligible lower income high school graduates who have at least a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) on a four-point scale.
  • Cal Grant B provides funds to eligible low-income disadvantaged high school graduates who have at least a 2.0 GPA on a four-point scale. The award provides up to $1,551 for book and living expenses for the first year and each year following for up to four years. After the first year, the award also provides for tuition and fees at qualifying postsecondary institutions.
  • The California Community College Transfer Award provides a Cal Grant A or B award to eligible high school graduates who have a community college GPA of at least 2.4 on a four-point scale.

Competitive Awards

The Cal Grant Competitive Award Program was established by Chapter 403 of the Statutes of 2000. There are 22,500 Cal Grant A and B competitive awards available to applicants who meet financial, academic, and general program eligibility requirements. Half of these awards (11,250) are offered to those applicants who did not receive an entitlement award and meet the March 2 deadline. The remaining 11,250 awards are offered to students who are enrolled at a California Community College and meet the September 2 deadline.

Existing Awards

The existing Cal Grant A and B Programs, prior to Chapter 403 of the Statutes of 2000, are being phased out. Funding is provided for renewal of awards made prior to the 2001-02 fiscal year.

  • Cal Grant A and B provide tuition and fee funding for financially and academically eligible students attending a California college or university of their choice. Recipients at private institutions will continue to receive their maximum grant awards depending on when they received their first award. Cal Grant B recipients also receive up to $1,551 for books and living expenses.

OTHER AWARDS

  • The Cal Grant C Program provides funding for financially eligible lower income students preparing for occupational or technical training. The authorized number of new awards is 7,761. For new and renewal recipients, the current tuition and fee award is up to $2,592 and the allowance for training-related costs is $576.
  • The Assumption Program of Loans for Education (APLE) allows the State to issue agreements for loan assumptions annually to students and district interns who are pursuing careers in teaching and credentialed teachers teaching at schools ranked in the lowest 20 percentile of the Academic Performance Index (API). Through APLE, a participant who teaches a total of four years can receive up to $11,000 toward outstanding student loans. APLE participants who provide the designated teaching service in the areas of math, science, or education specialist instruction in a school ranked in the lowest 60 percentile of the API may be eligible to receive an additional $1,000 per year in loan assumption benefits. Participants meeting this requirement who provide teaching service in a California public school that is ranked in the lowest 20 percentile of the API may be eligible to receive an additional $1,000 per year for a possible total loan assumption benefit of up to $19,000.
  • The Graduate Assumption Program of Loans for Education (Graduate APLE) allows the State to issue loan assumption agreements to Californians pursuing graduate degrees at postsecondary institutions. A participant who teaches for three years at a regionally accredited California college or university can receive up to $6,000 toward outstanding student loans. Since 2003-04, no new warrants have been issued; only renewals will continue to be funded.
  • The National Guard Assumption Program of Loans for Education (Chapter 345 of the Statutes of 2003) was established for qualifying members of the National Guard, the State Military Reserve, or the Naval Militia who seek, or who have completed, baccalaureate degrees at institutions of higher education within the State of California. Participants who provide additional service for four years can receive up to $11,000 toward outstanding student loans. Since 2006-07, no new awards have been issued; only renewals will continue to receive loan assumption benefits.
  • The State Nursing Assumption Program of Loans for Education (SNAPLE NF), for nursing faculty, allows the State to issue agreements for loan assumptions to persons who have completed at least a baccalaureate degree in nursing or a field related to nursing and agreed to teach at one or more regionally accredited, eligible California colleges or universities. Through SNAPLE NF, a participant can receive up to $8,333 annually for three years toward outstanding student loans for a total loan assumption of up to $25,000.
  • The State Nursing Assumption Program of Loans for Education (SNAPLE NSF), for nurses in state facilities, allows the State to issue agreements for loan assumptions to persons who fulfill agreements to work full-time for at least 4 consecutive years as a clinical registered nurse in a state-operated 24-hour facility that employs registered nurses and that has a clinical registered vacancy rate of greater than 10 percent. A participant can receive up to $5,000 annually for four consecutive years toward outstanding student loans for a total loan assumption of up to $20,000.
  • The Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program provides a $1,500 federal scholarship to students of exceptional academic merit who show promise of continued academic excellence. Scholarships may be renewed for up to four years. This program is funded from federal funds through an agreement with the State Department of Education.
  • The Child Development Teacher and Supervisor Grant Program provides grants to recipients who intend to teach or supervise in the field of child care and development in a licensed children's center. Recipients attending a California Community College may receive up to $1,000 annually and recipients attending a four-year college may receive up to $2,000 annually for a total of $6,000. This program is funded from federal funds through an agreement with the State Department of Education.
  • The California Chafee Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 to eligible foster youth who are enrolled in college or vocational school at least half-time. New and renewal awards are assigned based on available funding. This program is funded from federal funds and the General Fund through an agreement with the State Department of Social Services.
  • The California National Guard Education Assistance Award Program provides funding for active members of the California National Guard, the State Military Reserve, or the Naval Militia who seek a certificate, degree, or diploma. Recipients attending the University of California or California State University may receive up to the amount of a Cal Grant A award. Recipients attending a community college may receive up to the amount of a Cal Grant B award. Recipients attending a private institution may receive up to the amount of a Cal Grant A award for a student attending the University of California. An award used for graduate studies may not exceed the maximum amount of a Cal Grant A award plus $500 for books and supplies. This program is funded from the General Fund through an agreement with the California Military Department.
  • The Law Enforcement Personnel Dependents (LEPD) Scholarship Program provides college grants equivalent to Cal Grant amounts to dependents of: California law enforcement officers, officers and employees of the Department of Corrections and Department of Youth Authority, and firefighters killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. This program is funded from the General Fund.

OTHER PROGRAMS

  • The California Student Opportunity and Access Program (Cal-SOAP), through intersegmental consortia, provides financial aid outreach and tutoring services to disadvantaged K-12 students, increases their access to postsecondary education, and informs students about opportunities for Career Technical Education. Cal-SOAP also assists the matriculation of community college students to four-year institutions. There are 15 Cal-SOAP consortia operating in 17 locations throughout California.
  • Cash for College provides financial aid workshops to assist low-income students with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the Cal Grant GPA Verification Form, as well as providing other financial aid information.

50 - CALIFORNIA LOAN PROGRAM

The Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) was created by the federal government in 1965 as a means of making loans available to students attending college. The United States Department of Education (USED) has administrative responsibility over the FFEL program and designates guaranty agencies to perform the daily operational and oversight functions. Chapter 961 of the Statutes of 1996 authorized the Commission to establish an auxiliary organization, EdFund, as a nonprofit public benefit corporation to provide operational and administrative services for the Commission's participation in the FFEL program, effective January 1, 1997. The Federal Student Loan Reserve Fund and Student Loan Operating Fund are continuously appropriated for this purpose.

The FFELP consists of Federal Subsidized Stafford loans, Federal Unsubsidized Stafford loans, Federal Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS), Graduate and Professional PLUS, and the Federal Loan Consolidation Program. Loans are made available to students through private lenders, such as banks or credit unions, and the Commission guarantees the loan. If a student or parent defaults, the lender files a claim with the Commission, which pays the lender a portion of the outstanding balance. The USED reimburses the Commission for the default. The cost of default claims, collection expenses, and administration of FFELP are funded by: USED, a federal default fee, collections and fees from defaulted borrowers, and interest on investments.

Passage of the federal Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 terminated the FFEL program in July 2010 in favor of the Direct Loan Program where all loans originate from the United States Treasury. Also, the USED terminated its designation of the Commission as the guaranty agency and transferred that designation to a private entity on November 1, 2010.