California College Grants

California is a large state with an even larger population and hundreds of institutes of higher learning. With so much competition, you are probably wondering if you should even bother looking for grants, scholarships, and other financial resources to help pay for your college education in California. If you think there isn't enough money out there to help you out or that you won't qualify for any type of grant, you are wrong. You simply have to know where to obtain your funding.

The Cal Grants program put together through the California state government provides an entire line of state-funded grant options, each with different criteria to be met and awarded in various sums, so that any individual seeking a higher learning experience in the state can receive some form of financial aid. Grants are available to graduates of high school for an entire year after graduation, letting them decide if they really want to pursue college before tying themselves into a scholarship contract. Even those without a traditional high school diploma can qualify by providing ACT or SAT records. In fact, even non-traditional adult learners who have been out of school for years may qualify.

Cal Grant A offers grants of up to $8000 for tuition to students enrolling in a California State University or University of California bachelor degree program. Cal Grant B is arranged to be disbursed incrementally to cover the cost of some tuition and book fees, as well as other college expenses, for financially disadvantaged students. Success returns greater rewards in following years. Cal Grant C is for vocational and community college degrees and certificates and awards a minimum of $575 for books and expenses and possibly another $2500 for tuition. The Cal Grants program also has Competitive Awards based on need and merit.

List of California College Grants

• Cal Grant C — $576 to $3168 awarded each year to up to 7761 undergraduate students attending California technical college.


• Child Development Teacher and Supervisor Grant Program — $1000 to $2000 awarded each year to up to 300 undergraduate students attending California college.


• Competitive Cal Grant A — $2046 to $9708 awarded each year to up to 22500 undergraduate students attending California college.


• Competitive Cal Grant B — $700 to $11259 awarded each year to up to 22500 undergraduate students attending California college.


• Entitlement Cal Grant A — $2046 to $9708 awarded each year to varied number of undergraduate students attending California college.


• Entitlement Cal Grant B — $700 to $11259 awarded each year to up to 22500 undergraduate students attending California college.

Paying for school is not easy, but we are here to help. OEDb's student finance section will help you find the money you need to pay your tuition and other college expenses. We cover scholarships, college grants, and student loans. Scholarships and grants are both forms of "free money", meaning they don't need to be paid back. Scholarships are typically awarded by businesses or individuals, with the money being earmarked specifically for tuition. They can be awarded based on a student's location or by religious affiliation, such as Catholicism or Islam. Grants are typically awarded by governments or non-profit organizations and the money often can be applied to several different expenses a student may incur, not solely tuition. They can be awarded based on location or ethnicity, for instance African American or Hispanic. Loans are not considered "free money", because unlike scholarships and grants, they do need to be paid back after graduation. Common federal loans include Perkins and Stafford. Loans are also available by location.