Thus, a student who qualifies for financial aid will receive more
money if he or she attends a private college with high tuition costs than if he or she
attends a state college.
The first step in determining NEED is for the student to submit the Free Application
for Financial Aid (FAFSA) to the College Scholarship Service (CSS) during the designated
time period (generally sometime in February of the senior year.) The CSS is a non-profit
agency used for need analysis processing. CSS will send back to the student the amount the
student and family are expected to contribute toward college costs. The college Financial
Aid Office will then utilize this expected contribution to determine if NEED exists and,
if so, how much. Some private and out-of-state colleges require a form called the PROFILE
to be filed in addition to the FAFSA. You must check with the Financial Aid Office of the
college(s) to which you are applying to determine if this is a requirement. If you are
planning to attend a California college you should file the GPA Verification Form to apply
for CAL Grants.
TYPES OF FINANCIAL AID
1. GRANTS: These awards are
made to students by state and federal governments on the basis of demonstrated financial
need.
CAL GRANT A:
Award Description:
- Provide grant funds to help pay tuition/fees for California residents at qualifying
institutions offering undergraduate academic programs of not less than two academic years.
- Awards are guaranteed for those who meet the program eligibility criteria.
- If a student receives a Cal Grant A award but decides to attend a California Community
College first, the student may choose to hold his or her award in reserve for up to two
years.
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CAL
GRANT B:
Award Description:
- Provide grant funds for access costs for low-income students in an amount not to exceed
$1,551. This grant is to be used for living expenses and expenses related to
transportation, supplies and books. Beginning with the second year of Cal Grant B
benefits, Cal Grant B also helps pay for tuition/fees for California residents attending
qualifying institutions offering undergraduate academic programs of not less than one
academic year.
- Awards are guaranteed for those who meet the program eligibility criteria.
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CAL GRANT C:
Award Description:
- Assist students with tuition/fee and training costs for occupational or vocational
programs.
- Awards are for vocationally oriented students from low- and middle-income families.
- Recipients are selected based on financial need and vocational aptitude and must be
enrolled in a vocational program at a California Community College, independent college,
or vocational school, in a course of study lasting from four months to two years.
- The number of new Cal Grant C awards to be issued each year is 7,761.
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CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRANSFER
ENTITLEMENT AWARD:
Award Description:
- Beginning in 2002-03, these awards will be offered to California Community College
students who were not awarded Cal Grant As or Cal Grant Bs within a year of graduating
from high school but meet certain requirements at the time of transfer from California
Community Colleges to qualifying institutions offering baccalaureate degree programs.
- Awards are guaranteed for those who meet the program eligibility criteria.
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PELL (basic) GRANT:
The awards are based on a federal formula
and may be used in all states for college or vocational programs. This grant is
known as the "basic" grant
since it is the base for all other aids in the college financial
package. The awards have ranged from $200 to
$2,300 per year.
Nellie Mae Information
Educaid
eStudent Loans
A. FFEL
Stafford Loan:
1. $100-$2,625 per year up to $17,250.
2. low fixed interest rate (approximately 8%), first payment due 6-9
months after graduation, maximum term is 10 years.
3. eligibility depends upon family size, income, etc.; easier to
qualify
for loans than for grants.
4. obtained through banks and savings and loan institutions (e.g.,
Valley Federal, Wells Fargo)
5. must get application from college Financial Aid Office
B. Supplemental Loans for Students and Parent Loans (SLS and PLUS)
1. $500-$4,000 per year up to $20,000.
2. Variable interest rate loan that is adjusted annually not to
exceed
12 percent. REPAYMENT BEGINS IMMEDIATELY.
3. Eligibility depends upon credit standards, which will be
determined after all financial aid forms have been received (due March 2). Some
colleges may have earlier deadlines.
3. SCHOLARSHIPS Click
Here for Applications
AREA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS-The list includes some of the scholarship
programs for which information and/or applications are available at the SHS Counseling
Office. The amount, requirements, and deadline were accurate when this list was printed,
but are subject to change. These scholarships are announced in the daily bulletin as
they are received from the scholarship program.
Note: If you have received a scholarship and
you feel that the scholarship was not reported to the school, inform Mr. Schutz or Mrs.
Zwissig so the scholarship can be announced at graduation.
Students searching for scholarship opportunities need to consider the following
sources:
1. Must fill out for any Financial Aid
Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA) The FAFSA is a single
application for Federal, State, and College aid. Students must submit the FAFSA between
January 1 and March 2. FAFSA is usually available in December. Need help filling out the FAFSA?
2. College Search Programs
- www.college-scholarships.com/california.htm
- http://free-4u.com/ca.htm
- The college scholarship service recommends "Need A Lift?" published annually
by the American Legion Education Program. The Counseling Office has a current copy to
check out or you may order your own from the American Legion, National Emblem Sales, P.O.
Box 1050, Indianapolis, Indiana 46206.
- Also, the American Legion has a free scholarship service on the internet, Cashe For Your Education
3. Religious scholarship programs
4. Employee scholarship programs
5. Union trade group scholarship programs
6. Military service/scholarship/aid programs
7. Patriotic/civic/fraternal scholarship programs
8. Nationality/ancestry scholarship programs
9. Special talent scholarship programs
10. Regional (local area) Scholarships — see
list above
11. Governor's Scholars Program
-- STAR testing incentive scholarships
