Cal Grants and the California
Dream Act of 2011
Presented by the
First…..
An Overview of the California
Dream Act of 2011 which was
made law by the passage of 2
bills
AB 130 Dream Act, Part I
Signed into law on July 25, 2011
Becomes effective January 1, 2012
Allows students who meet AB 540 criteria to apply for &
receive non state-funded scholarships at the public
colleges and universities, including
scholarships funded through private donors,
alumni contributions, or
individual departmental efforts
For information about how and when to apply, AB 540
students must contact their financial aid offices
AB 131 Dream Act, Part II
Signed into law on October 8, 2011 Becomes effective January 1, 2013
Allows students who meet AB 540 criteria to
Apply for & receive institutional grants like UC Grant, State
University Grant, Educational Opportunity Program and Educational Opportunity Program & Services fee waivers
Apply for & receive Board of Governors fee waivers at the
California Community Colleges
Apply for & receive state financial aid, including Cal Grants and
Chafee Foster Youth Grants for use at eligible public and private institutions
AB 131 Dream Act
Cal Grant online application (Dream App) will be
activated January 1, 2013 to gather financial & other information
Dream Act Cal Grants may be first used in the 2013-2014
school year
Dream applicants must meet all other Cal Grant
requirements
For information about how and when to apply for
institutional grants and fee waivers, AB 540 students must contact their financial aid offices
Next…..
A Look at Those Cal Grant
Eligibility Requirements
Types of Cal Grants for which Dream
Act Students May Now Qualify
Cal Grant A
• High School Entitlement
• CCC Transfer Entitlement
Cal Grant B
• High School Entitlement
• CCC Transfer Entitlement
General Cal Grant Eligibility
Requirements
Be a California resident* Be a U.S. citizen or
eligible non-citizen*
Meet Selective Service
requirements
Attend an eligible
California School
Not be in default on a
Federal student loan
Not have earned a BA/BS
degree
Maintain Satisfactory
Academic Progress
Not be incarcerated
Be enrolled at least half-time
These are required of all Cal Grant participants whether they are Dream Act or non-Dream Act students.
*The California Dream Act of 2011 essentially substitutes the AB 540 provisions for these requirements.
Cal Grant A
Low to middle income students (Average family income of new Cal Grant A recipients is $44,100)
Associate and Bachelor degree programs only
Can be used for tuition and fees only
Maximum annual award amounts
CCC - Not paid, but held in reserve CSU - up to $5,472
UC - up to $12,192
Independent, private for-profit - up to $9,708
(Current policy provides that Cal Grant awards are
Types of Cal Grant A Awards
High School Entitlement Cal A Students applying in their senior year of HS or in the year after they
graduate or
Students applying within one year of passing the GED Uses HS GPA only (minimum 3.00)
CCC Transfer Entitlement Cal A
Students transferring from a CCC into a bachelor’s degree program
Must have graduated from a CA high school after 7/1/00 and
not yet be age 28
Uses CCC GPA only (minimum 2.40)
Cal Grant B
Very low income students (Average family income of new Cal Grant B recipients is $17,200)
AA, BA and Certificate programs of at least 1 year
Can be used for any school expenses including tuition and
fees*
All students at all schools get a $1,551 “Access” payment each
academic year
Students beyond their first year also get a tuition benefit equal
to the Cal Grant A tuition and fee amount if attending a school other than a community college
Types of Cal Grant B Awards
High School Entitlement Cal B
Students applying in their senior year of HS or in the year after they
graduate or
Students applying within one year of passing the GED Uses HS GPA only (minimum 2.00)
CCC Transfer Entitlement Cal B
Students transferring from a CCC into a bachelor’s degree program
Must have graduated from a CA High school after 7/1/00 and
not yet be age 28
Uses CCC GPA only (minimum 2.40)
Cal Grant C
Low income students (Average family income of new Cal Grant C recipients is $18,700)
Can be used for tuition & fees and books & supplies AA and certificate career technical programs only Maximum annual award amounts
Tuition and Fees - $2,592
At private vocational schools
Books and Supplies - $576
At private vocational schools and Community colleges
Scored based on occupational factors and educational
history
The Applications
FAFSA or CA Dream App (establishes financial need)
FAFSA submitted online at fafsa.gov or by mail
CA Dream App submitted online at calgrants.org (starting Jan 1, 2013)
GPA Verification (establishes merit)
Submitted by school to CSAC electronically or
Submitted by student via mail (Cal Grant Verification Form to be
available through the Dream App)
Transfer Entitlement Verification Form
CSAC will send this to all students who meet Transfer Entitlement
requirements
Cal Grant C Supplemental Form
CSAC will send this to all students who meet Cal Grant C
For 2011 -12, CSAC has successfully implemented a pilot
program for the submission of Cal Grant GPAs without SSNs
Matching of GPAs to FAFSAs can now be done using
other application elements for high schools that don’t collect SSNs
This will also prove beneficial when we begin collecting
Dream Apps without SSNs
Now…..
Let’s talk about designing the
CA Dream App and Outreach
Consultation
CSAC staff has begun meeting with various groups and
plans more meetings throughout the year
Current AB 540 students
Immigrant advocacy groups
High school counselors, college counselors, and college
financial aid officers
Representatives from higher education segmental offices
Outreach is beginning now through our Cash for College
