Financial Aid & Scholarship Office

Cal Grants

The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) awards Cal Grants to qualified California residents who meet minimum GPA requirements and demonstrate financial eligibility as determined by the FAFSA or CADAA. Authorization to disburse Cal Grants is dependent on the governor signing the state budget and payment being sent by CSAC to Chico State.

Students Application Process

High School Seniors:

  1. Apply for Cal Grants by filing a 2024-25 FAFSA or CADAA between December and May 2 of your senior year. Next year the deadline will return to March 2. 
  2. GPA verification - March 2 is the GPA verification deadline for new Cal Grant applicants. Students, who are new to Chico State and have fewer than 24 college units, must contact their previous school (high school or former college) to have GPA verification sent to CSAC (see below).
  3. Confirmation of high school graduation required. Cal Grant Entitlement participants must confirm their high school graduation before being awarded. Students may use WebGrants for Students(opens in new window) (WGS) to do this (see below).

Continuing Students:

  • Chico State continuing students and Fall transfers who have completed a minimum of 24 units, GPA verifications will be sent automatically by our office.
  • Spring transfer students must contact their previous college to request the GPA verification be sent to CSAC.
  • Students with less than 24 units must request the GPA verification from their high school.

Once a student has been awarded a Cal Grant, students do not need to request a GPA verification to be sent to CSAC. Cal Grants will be renewed routinely each year for students who meet the basic requirements and who maintain financial aid eligibility based on their FAFSA or CADAA information. A FAFSA or CADAA renewal must be filed for each year.

Updating Your Information

CSAC requires notification of the following changes:

  • Name
  • Social security number
  • Address
  • School change
  • Leave of absence

Use WebGrants 4 Students(opens in new window) (WGS) to update your information and monitor and manage your Cal Grant. The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) contacts students via email so it is critical that you keep this information current on your WGS account. School changes, address changes, and leave of absence requests can all be made online at WebGrants. To confirm graduation status, access the High School Graduation screen which is accessible from the WebGrants menu. For instructions on accessing and navigating Webgrants 4 Students, including how to change your school to Chico State, view the CSAC help page(opens in new window)

Paper form required for the following:

Name and Social Security number changes must be made on a Grant Record Change Form(opens in new window), which may be downloaded and returned to CSAC.

Types of Cal Grants

Cal Grant A

Cal Grant A is awarded to undergraduates with verified GPA eligibility whose family income and assets fall within the ceilings established by CSAC(opens in new window). At public colleges such as Chico State, Cal Grant A provides assistance with the state university fee and is available for up to eight semesters for a bachelor’s degree. Cal Grant A may be extended for an additional year for students pursuing a teaching credential or who are in a designated five-year program.

Cal Grant B

Cal Grant B provides low-income students with assistance with the state university fee and is available for up to eight semesters for a bachelor's degree. Cal Grant B may be extended for an additional year for students pursuing a teaching credential or who are in a designated five-year program. Cal Grant B also provides a living allowance of up to $1656 for books and living expenses.

Students with Dependents Access Grant

Cal Grant students who have dependent children may be eligible for a Students with Dependent Children (SWD) access grant of up to $6,000 per year. 

To qualify, the student must have dependent children that are under 18 years of age for whom they provide more than half of their financial support during the academic year, and certify SWD eligibility through their WebGrants 4 Students Account.

Additional Information

To learn more about the Cal Grant Program, visit the CSAC website(opens in new window).

CSAC Contact Information 888-224-7268, option 2.