Just got SAI score but no FAFSA Cal Grant notification - check webgrants4students now!
Hey everyone! I've been stressed out about my financial aid package for weeks now. My FAFSA was processed back in November and I got my SAI score right away, but I've been waiting FOREVER to hear about my Cal Grant eligibility. I kept checking my school portal and email but nothing showed up. Turns out I needed to check my webgrants4students account directly! Just logged in there yesterday and found out my Cal Grant A award amount ($12,570) was actually posted THREE WEEKS AGO! The school never notified me and it wasn't included in my initial aid package. If you're waiting on Cal Grant info, don't rely on your school's portal - check webgrants4students directly! Has anyone else experienced this disconnect between FAFSA/school notifications and actual Cal Grant awards?
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Amara Adebayo
omg THANK YOU!! i just checked mine and my cal grant b was approved for $7,890 two weeks ago?!?! i had no idea and was freaking out thinking i wasnt getting anything. my cc financial aid office never mentioned I needed to check a separate website. you just saved me so much stress!!!
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PixelWarrior
•So glad it helped! It's crazy they don't communicate this better. Did your college financial aid package already include the Cal Grant amount or were they waiting for you to confirm it somewhere?
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Giovanni Rossi
This is unfortunately very common with Cal Grants. Unlike your federal aid which is communicated through studentaid.gov and your SAI score, Cal Grants are administered by CSAC (California Student Aid Commission) through the webgrants4students portal. Schools typically don't finalize aid packages until they receive confirmation from CSAC that you've been awarded a Cal Grant, which requires you to confirm your college of attendance in the webgrants system. A few tips for anyone dealing with this: 1. Log into webgrants4students at least once a month during aid season 2. Make sure your college of attendance is correctly listed 3. Check that your GPA verification was received (usually submitted by your high school) 4. Remember Cal Grant A helps with tuition while Cal Grant B includes an access award for books and living expenses 5. Your Cal Grant will only appear in your final financial aid package after CSAC confirms your eligibility AND you've confirmed your school
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PixelWarrior
•Thank you so much for this breakdown! I had no idea the process was so compartmentalized between federal and state systems. I wish they'd explain this better during the FAFSA application process instead of making it seem like everything comes through one channel.
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Fatima Al-Mansour
Same happened to me last year!!!! I literally found out about my Cal Grant B TWO DAYS before tuition was due because I randomly decided to check webgrants. The financial aid office acted like I should have known to check there but NOBODY TELLS YOU THIS STUFF!!! So frustrating. And then they had the nerve to say I was "late" confirming my school choice on webgrants when I had no idea I needed to do that. The whole system is designed to make students fail I swear.
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Dylan Evans
•This happened to me too lol. My community college actually dropped all my classes because they thought I wasn't going to pay, but then I showed them my Cal Grant award from webgrants and they had to reinstate everything. So embarrassing showing up to class and not being on the roster!!
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Sofia Gomez
Just to add some clarity here - the disconnect happens because there are three separate systems involved in your financial aid: 1. Federal system (studentaid.gov) - processes your FAFSA and calculates your SAI score 2. California system (webgrants4students) - determines Cal Grant eligibility based on your FAFSA data + GPA verification 3. Your college's system - combines all aid sources into your final package Your college won't include Cal Grant awards in your official package until they receive confirmation from CSAC. However, many schools will show an "estimated" Cal Grant in early packages. Always check all three systems regularly during aid season (October-August). Also worth noting that Cal Grants have different eligibility requirements than federal aid, and the award amounts are tied to the type of institution you attend (UC, CSU, private, etc.). The maximum Cal Grant A amount for 2025-26 is $12,570 for UCs, $5,742 for CSUs, and $9,358 for private non-profits.
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PixelWarrior
•This is so helpful, thank you! Quick question - do you know if students need to renew Cal Grants separately from FAFSA each year? Or is it automatic as long as you file your FAFSA?
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Sofia Gomez
For renewal, you need to: 1. File your FAFSA or CADAA (California Dream Act Application) each year by the deadline 2. Maintain satisfactory academic progress (typically 2.0 GPA for Cal Grant B, 3.0 GPA for Cal Grant A) 3. Not exceed the income/asset ceilings for renewals (which are higher than initial eligibility limits) 4. Not exceed your eligibility duration (4 years for Cal Grant A, 1 year for Cal Grant B access award + 3 years tuition) You don't need to reapply separately, but you do need to confirm your school of attendance in webgrants4students each year, usually in early summer.
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StormChaser
•wait the cal grant B access award is ONLY for 1 year?? i thought it was for all 4 years of college. i just got cal grant B with a $7,894 award - does that mean next year I'll only get the tuition part and not the access award money??? thats gonna be a huge problem for me
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Sofia Gomez
I apologize for the confusion. You're right to question this. Cal Grant B typically provides the access award (for books, supplies, and living expenses) for all years of eligibility. In the first year, some students receive only the access award without the tuition portion. Then in subsequent years (2-4), eligible students receive both the access award AND tuition assistance. So if you've been awarded Cal Grant B with the $7,894 figure, that likely includes both components, and you should continue receiving a similar amount in future years as long as you maintain eligibility requirements.
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StormChaser
•omg thank you for clarifying!! i was having a mini heart attack lol. financial aid is so confusing sometimes
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Dmitry Petrov
Has anyone here had trouble actually REACHING someone at CSAC when there are problems with your Cal Grant? I've been trying to call their support line for over a week about an error on my account. It either disconnects me or puts me on hold for 3+ hours and then disconnects. The webgrants system shows an "incomplete GPA verification" but my high school swears they submitted it. I'm about to lose my mind!!
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Ava Williams
•I had this exact same problem! Kept getting disconnected when calling CSAC. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Got my GPA verification issue fixed in one call after the callback.
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Dmitry Petrov
That sounds amazing, I'll definitely check it out! Did they need a bunch of personal info or was it easy to use? I just need to talk to a human being who can tell me where my GPA verification went!
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Ava Williams
•It was super simple to use - basically just enters the CSAC phone system for you and navigates the menus, then calls you when a real person is about to answer. Saved me from listening to that hold music for hours. My issue was that my high school submitted my GPA to the wrong student ID, and the agent was able to match it up correctly while I was on the phone.
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Amara Adebayo
does anyone know if the cal grant amount ever changes?? mine says $7,890 but my friend got $12,570 for the same school (UC Davis). we both have similar family incomes so idk why theres such a big difference??
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Giovanni Rossi
•The difference is likely because you have different Cal Grant types. Cal Grant A provides up to $12,570 for UC tuition, while Cal Grant B initially focuses on the access award portion (around $1,600-1,700) plus potential tuition assistance. The other possibility is that your friend is receiving Cal Grant A, and you're receiving Cal Grant B with partial tuition coverage. Cal Grant awards also adjust based on your other aid - if you received significant federal grants or scholarships that already cover part of your tuition, your Cal Grant might be reduced accordingly. I'd recommend checking which specific Cal Grant type you were awarded in webgrants4students, and then speaking with your financial aid office about why there's a difference if you're still confused.
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Amara Adebayo
ok that makes sense, i think i got cal grant B and she probably got cal grant A. but we have like almost identical family incomes so idk why she would get more money than me? is it based on grades or something?
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Sofia Gomez
•Yes, Cal Grant eligibility types are determined by both financial need AND academic performance. Cal Grant A requires a minimum 3.0 high school GPA, while Cal Grant B requires a minimum 2.0 GPA. Cal Grant B is designed for students with higher financial need and perhaps slightly lower academic metrics. Even with similar family incomes, other factors in your FAFSA could have affected your eligibility determination - things like family size, number of family members in college, specific types of income, or assets reported. Also, the timing of when your GPA verification was received can sometimes affect which award you receive if funds are limited. If you believe there's been an error, you can request a review of your Cal Grant eligibility through your webgrants4students account or by contacting CSAC directly.
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