California State Grants

Cal Grants

Cal Grants are awarded by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). Eligibility for receiving the Cal Grant is limited to the equivalent of four years of full-time attendance for first-time first-year student awardees and two years of full-time attendance for transfer awardees.

Applying for a new Cal Grant A or B is a two-part process. First, you must complete and submit the FAFSA or California Dream Application starting October 1 and no later than the state priority deadline which is typically March 2nd. Second, you must also submit a verified GPA to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) by the priority deadline. You can submit your verified GPA before you complete your FAFSA or California Dream Application, beginning in October. For information on GPA reporting, please visit CSAC's website.

Type A Fees and Type B Fees

Awarded to eligible students who are California residents or have AB540 status. Cal Grant A and B Fees recipients are not eligible for the SUG.

If a Cal Grant is included in a student's award offer, but eligibility must be confirmed by CSAC prior to disbursement. If the student does not meet all eligibility requirements, we will remove the Cal Grant from the award and send a modified award offer notification.

The amount of the Cal Grant generally equals the Undergraduate or Credential Program Tuition Fee in effect each semester for students enrolled in 12 or more units. For undergraduate students enrolled in less than 12 units, Cal Grant amounts are prorated as follows:

Cal Grant Fee Award

Credential program Cal Grant A/B TCP awards are prorated in the same way, based on the Credential Program Tuition Fee. Prorations for Spring semester are rounded down, so your award may be slightly less.

These limits also apply to eligible undergraduates enrolled in Extended Learning degree programs.

The actual amount of the Cal Grant each semester will be determined by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). Due to budgetary constraints, there is no guarantee that the Cal Grant will continue to equal the Tuition Fee.

Type B Access Award

Cal Grant B Access recipients may be eligible for a State University Grant during their first year when they typically only have the Access award. The Access award is a living allowance which is awarded with Cal Grant B. Recipients of Cal Grant B Access may request a direct refund of the Access award. Contact the Student Financial Services at sfs@csusm.edu make this request. Access amounts are as follows:

Cal Grant B Access Award

Renewing the Cal Grant A or B

The Financial Aid Office certifies the renewal of the award. Students may receive a Cal Grant A or B award for up to four years of full-time enrollment if they receive the award as an entering freshman. To activate the renewal of the Cal Grant, students must file the FAFSA each year and submit all requested documentation to CSUSM, meet CSAC's income and asset ceilings, have “unmet need” as defined by CSAC, and meet CSUSM Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.

Cal Grant TCP

Cal Grant A and B recipients who plan to enroll in a Teaching Credential Program (TCP) may be eligible to renew their Cal Grant award for one additional year.

• Funding is limited to coursework that applies toward the initial teaching credential and cannot be used for graduate-level study.
• Awards are prorated if enrolled in fewer than 12 units of credential coursework.

The School of Education determines which courses meet credential requirements after the add/drop period each semester. As a result, Cal Grant TCP disbursements are typically delayed until about four weeks after the first day of classes.

The request for Cal Grant Teaching Credential Program Benefits can be found on the California Student Aid Commissions website.

Golden State Teacher Grant (GSTG)

Awards up to $10,000 to students currently enrolled in a professional preparation program approved by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) and working towards earning their preliminary teaching or pupil personnel services credential.

Students must:

• Complete their program and obtain their credential within 3 years of the first distribution of GSTG funds.
• Commit to work at a priority school in California for 4 years within 8 years of completing their program.

For more information regarding this program, please visit California Student Aid Commission webpage.

Please Note: GSTG is contingent on fund availability and CSAC has implemented a first come, first-served basis until funding is exhausted. We recommend completing your application as early as reasonable.

Middle Class Scholarship (MCS)

The Middle Class Scholarship (MCS) is awarded to undergraduate students attending the California State University whose family income falls within the thresholds established each year byt the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC).  For current income thresholds, please visit the CSAC website.

To be eligible, students must:

• Be a California resident
• Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or have AB540 status
• Not be incarcerated
• Not be in default on a student loan
• Maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA
• Meet income and other financial aid eligibility requirements

The MCS award amount varies based on family income and the level of state funding available each year.

Estimated Award Information

MCS awards are initially offered as estimated amounts and assume full-time enrollment. This process is due to CSAC delaying awarding until July/August each year. We do our best to get the estimates as close as reasonable, but we do round the estimate down to make sure we’ve not added funding CSAC cannot support. Awards are considered estimated until funds are disbursed, which occurs after the semester census date.

Please note: Due to the legal structure of this program, even after disbursement, award amounts may be adjusted if a student receives additional federal, state, institutional, or external scholarship funding.

This policy is established by the California State Legislature and administered by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). Due to the volatile nature of this program, CSUSM will not release increased scholarship, grant or MCS funding to you until we have received a new CSAC roster. While this delays receipt of payment, the process reduces the risk of a balance due to the campus.

Enrollment-Based Proration

MCS awards are prorated based on enrollment as follows:

• 12 or more units: 100% of the award
• 9-11 units: 75% of the award
• 6-8 units: 50% of the award
• 1-5 units: Are not eligible for Middle Class Scholarship.

MCS funds disburse after the semester census date.  Awards may be reduced if enrollment changes or if a student becomes eligible for additional financial aid after the initial award is determined.