Cal Grants are the largest source of free money for California residents (and AB540 eligible students) and are intended for undergraduate students who have financial need. New and renewal amounts are estimates only; final grant amounts will not be known until the state budget is approved. Students must be enrolled in 6 units or more in order to be eligible for this fund. If a Cal Grant is included in a student's initial award, our office must still confirm eligibility prior to disbursement. If the student does not meet eligibility requirements, we will cancel the award and send a notification regarding the award revision.

Cal Grant A & B (fees):: This award is only applied towards tuition and does not cover campus based fees. If a student is initially awarded a State University Grant, receipt of the CGA requires that we cancel the SUG since both of these grants provide tuition coverage.

Cal Grant B (subsistence): This award provides a living allowance that can be used for living expenses, transportation costs, books and supplies. Recipients may request that their access funds (CGBS) be paid in a separate check, not subject to crediting the student’s account, however, manual preparation will delay payment. Please contact our office for more information.

Cal Grant Access Awards:  Cal Grant students with dependent children attending a University of California, California State University, or California Community College campus may be eligible for an access award for qualifying Cal Grant A and B recipients more information to come later this year. Please make sure you check your emails for updates.

New Recipients

All new applicants must submit their Financial Aid application by March 2 (priority deadline) in order to be considered for the Cal Grant or MCS. CSAC also requires a GPA Verification for firt-time applicants; however, public high schools and charter schools are mandated in legislation to automatically submit their current senior year students’ certified GPAs to the Commission, unless the parent or student has opted out. Additionally, some colleges automatically submit their students’ certified GPAs, however, it is your responsibility to confirm whether your school will file your GPA for you before the deadline.

If your high school or college won’t be automatically submitting your Cal Grant GPA to CSAC, obtain a Cal Grant GPA Verification Form, get it certified by a school official, and mail it yourself before the deadline. If you will be mailing in a paper GPA Verification Form, be sure to make a copy for your records and obtain a Certificate of Mailing from the Post Office so that you can verify the date you mailed your form.

Create a Web Grants 4 Students account in order to review your eligibility. By creating an account, the student will be able to manage their account online, make school changes, address changes, corrections, and post leave of absence requests. It is important for you to understand that you must still submit a Financial Aid application in order to receive aid.

Students will receive an award notice directly from the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). Students must select the campus they plan to attend in order for those funds to be awarded by the institution. Log-in to your WebGrants 4 Students account and be sure to complete the following:

• Review your eligibility and your contact information
• Confirm the school you plan to attend (Cal Poly Humboldt)
• Or complete a School Change Form if you have changed your mind

By confirming and selecting Humboldt as the institution you plan to attend, allows the Financial Aid Office to award and disburse your Cal Grant funds. Although you may be notified well in advance from CSAC that you are eligible to receive these funds, our office still needs to verify your eligibility and the awarding of these funds may not be immediate.

Renewal Recipients

In order to be eligible for a Cal Grant Renewal Award, students must submit their Financial Aid Application, meet the California Student Aid Commission's (CSAC) income and asset ceilings and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). If you withdraw from the university, take a leave of absence, or drop in enrollment (less than 6 units), please inform us by submitting a CHANGE FORM. Student may also need to submit a leave of absence to "reserve" their Cal Grant award at csac.ca.gov. Students may go online csac.ca.gov to review their Cal Grant eligibility.

Notice to Dreamers

Please make sure your first and last name on your Dream Act Application matches the name on your Admissions application. If your names do not match, your award may be delayed. If you need to update your name or any other personal data on either application, please contact:
1. Admissions Application Updates: contact Humboldt's Office of Admissions to correct your names/DOB/Application ID to match that of what was submitted in the CA Dream Act application.
2. Dream Application Updates: contact CSAC (California Student Aid Commission) to correct your names to match that of what was submitted to the university.

The California Chafee Grant for Foster Youth gives free money to current or former foster youth to use for college. If you are or were in foster care between the ages of 16 and 18 as a dependent or ward of the court and have financial need, you may qualify for up to $5,000 a year for college assistance. You do not have to pay this money back. You may also be able to use your grant to help pay for child care, transportation and rent while you’re in school. This grant is administered through the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). First-time applicants must submit a Financial Aid Application and a California Chafee Grant Application.

California’s Middle Class Scholarship is a program that provides undergraduate and credential students, whose family income and assets are up to $191,000, a tuition discount to attend a California State University (CSU) campus. MCS scholarships are not set amounts and may vary by student and institution. The award amount is determined after you are awarded any federal, state, and institutional need-based grants for which you are eligible. The final award amount will be based on the number of students eligible for the MCS statewide and the funding allocated by the State Budget. If you are selected to receive a MCS, you will be notified directly by CSAC and although you may be notified well in advance that you are eligible to receive these funds, our office still needs to verify your eligibility and the awarding of these funds may not be immediate.