FAFSA, Cal Grant, and Middle Class Scholarship: What's the difference?

lol they're totally different things! my older brother got Cal Grant but not middle class scholarship last year. good luck figuring it out, financial aid is a nightmare 😩

They are three separate programs, but they work together. FAFSA is the federal application that determines your eligibility for federal aid like Pell Grants and federal loans. Cal Grant is a California state grant program for California residents attending California colleges. The Middle Class Scholarship is also a California program specifically for middle-income families attending UC or CSU schools. The good news is you don't need separate applications for all three. Completing your FAFSA and submitting your GPA verification form through your high school (by March 2) automatically puts you in consideration for Cal Grant and Middle Class Scholarship. Make sure your FAFSA lists at least one California school to be considered for the state programs.

Their all different!!!!! FASFA gets u pell grants and loans. Cal grants r for CA schools. Middle class is only if ur not poor enough for cal grant but not rich either. My counselor said do all of them but I think the Cal Grant automatic with FASFA if your in CA

I went through this last year and it was SUPER confusing. With your parents' income at $95k, you'll likely qualify for the Middle Class Scholarship but probably not for a full Cal Grant (though you might get partial). Here's what I learned the hard way: 1) FAFSA is federal - covers Pell Grants (probably won't qualify with your income), federal loans, work-study 2) Cal Grant is state-based, has income and GPA minimums 3) Middle Class Scholarship is for families making between ~$80k-$201k attending UC/CSU Filling out FAFSA puts you in consideration for all of them as long as you include California schools in your FAFSA, BUT you MUST make sure your high school submits your GPA verification for Cal Grant!!! My school missed this and I almost lost out on thousands.

To clarify some of the information already shared: FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): This is the application that determines your eligibility for federal financial aid programs including grants, loans, and work-study. It's also used by many states and colleges to determine eligibility for their aid programs. Cal Grant: These are California state grants specifically for California residents attending eligible California colleges. There are different types (A, B, and C) with different eligibility requirements. Cal Grant eligibility is determined using your FAFSA data AND your GPA verification form. Middle Class Scholarship (MCS): This is a newer California program specifically for middle-income students attending UC or CSU schools whose families earn between approximately $80,000-$201,000 annually. The award amount varies and is designed to cover a percentage of your tuition and fees that isn't covered by other public financial aid. Important: You do NOT need separate applications. You need to: 1. Submit your FAFSA by the March 2 priority deadline 2. Ensure your school submits your GPA verification form by March 2 3. List at least one California college on your FAFSA With your family income, you'll likely qualify for the Middle Class Scholarship, though the amount will depend on other factors in your FAFSA. You might also qualify for institutional aid directly from your UC school.

Im in a similar situation with parents making just over 100k. I was told by counselor to also submit CSS Profile for some UCs that use it for their institutional scholarships. Anyone know if thats still required?

This whole financial aid system is ridiculous! My daughter went through this last year and spent HOURS trying to figure out all these different programs. Then when she called to ask questions, she couldn't get through to anyone at the financial aid office for THREE WEEKS. What a joke. The Cal Grant website is useless and the Middle Class Scholarship information is buried in PDFs. Why can't they make this simpler?!

One more important thing no one mentioned - your Cal Grant/Middle Class Scholarship eligibility for UC schools is usually finalized much later than your federal aid. When you get your financial aid package from the UC in March/April, it might not include your Cal Grant or MCS yet. You might not see those finalized until July or August. Don't panic if they're not in your initial package!

Just wanted to add one more tip that helped me last year - make sure to keep copies of EVERYTHING you submit! I had to resubmit my FAFSA verification documents twice because they claimed they never received them. Having digital copies saved me so much stress. Also, if you're applying to multiple UCs, each campus might have slightly different aid packages even with the same FAFSA info, so don't be surprised if the amounts vary between schools. Good luck with your applications!

As someone who just went through this process myself, I can share what worked for me! The key thing that helped was creating a checklist and timeline. Here's what I recommend: 1. Submit your FAFSA as early as possible (ideally by February) - don't wait until the March 2 deadline 2. Contact your school counselor IMMEDIATELY to confirm they'll submit your GPA verification form - this is where most students miss out on Cal Grant 3. Create accounts on both studentaid.gov and webgrants4students.org to track everything 4. Set calendar reminders to check your application status weekly For your family income of $95k, you're in a good position for the Middle Class Scholarship at UC schools. I had similar family income and received about $3,000 per year, which definitely helped with tuition costs. The Cal Grant might be partial at your income level, but every bit helps! Also, don't forget that each UC campus has their own institutional aid too - so you might qualify for additional grants or scholarships directly from the school. Make sure to check if any of your target schools require the CSS Profile for their scholarships. The whole process seems overwhelming at first, but once you get the FAFSA and GPA verification submitted, you're pretty much done with the hard part!