State grants for California students, verified on the official agency site, plus the federal grants every eligible student can get. Start with the FAFSA.
Who qualifies: California residents (or AB540 students) meeting GPA, income and asset limits, attending a qualifying California college.
How to apply: File the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) and make sure your GPA is submitted. No separate application.
Deadline: March 2 priority deadline (September 2 for California Community College students).
Who qualifies: Undergraduates with exceptional financial need who have not earned a bachelor's degree. Amount depends on your Student Aid Index, cost of attendance and enrollment status. Does not have to be repaid.
How to apply: File the FAFSA each year; no separate application.
Deadline: Rolling — file the FAFSA as early as possible each year; schools and states set earlier priority dates.
Who qualifies: Undergraduates with exceptional financial need (priority to Pell recipients). Not every college participates, and funds run out — apply early.
How to apply: File the FAFSA early and check your college's financial aid deadlines.
Deadline: First-come at each college — each school sets its own deadline for campus-based aid.
Always confirm on the official site. Grant amounts, deadlines and rules change every year and depend on state funding. We list only grants we confirmed on the administering agency's official page and show the date we last checked. We are not affiliated with any government agency.
Our verified list for California includes: Cal Grant. Eligible California students can also get the federal Pell Grant and FSEOG.
File the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) and make sure your GPA is submitted. No separate application. Deadline: March 2 priority deadline (September 2 for California Community College students).
For almost every grant on this site, the first step is the free FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Many states use the FAFSA alone; some add a short state application. File as early as you can — many state grants are first-come, first-served.
As soon as it opens for the year. Federal Pell has a late federal deadline, but state grants and college aid often have early priority dates or run out of money.
Generally no. A grant may have to be repaid if you withdraw early, and the TEACH Grant becomes a loan if you don't complete its teaching service requirement.
Every week our checker re-opens each official grant page and flags changes for review. Each grant shows its last verified date. Last site update: Oct 15, 2026.