Financial Aid
College funding options
There are four types of college funding available to students.
Federal Aid
Grants (no repayment), low-interest loans (repaid), and work-study. All students should apply for FAFSA to be considered for federal and California state aid. Non-citizens with DACA or another work authorization should file the California Dream Act Application instead.
More on Federal Aid →State Aid
Cal Grants don't need to be repaid and can be used at any UC, CSU, or qualifying career/technical college in California. The process starts with the FAFSA. Students can create a WebGrants4Students account to check their status.
Scholarships/Aid from Colleges
Colleges often have their own need- and merit-based aid — check each school's website. Some (mostly private universities) also require the CSS Profile ($25 fee, more detailed than FAFSA). Apply regardless of your financial situation — high-cost private colleges often have more aid to offer.
Scholarships from Non-Profits & Private Orgs
Naviance is updated weekly with local scholarships sent directly to Leigh (Colleges tab > Scholarships and Money) and also has a National Scholarship search tool. You can also search scholarships.com, fastweb.com, and finaid.org. Be cautious of any search service that charges a fee.
FAFSA
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is required by public and private colleges before any aid is awarded. You'll fill it out during senior year, and the earlier the better — most colleges have a May 1 deadline to commit, so knowing your aid picture early helps you decide.
After filing, you'll receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) showing your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), calculated from your FAFSA answers. Colleges you listed will also receive it and use it to determine your grants, loans, and work-study offers. All aid decisions are ultimately made by each college, so work directly with the financial aid office at every school you apply to — and be sure to apply on time.
Note: non-citizens with DACA or other work authorization should file the California Dream Act Application instead.
What you'll need to fill it out
- Your Social Security number
- Your parents' Social Security numbers
- Your driver's license number, if you have one
- Your Alien Registration number, if you're not a U.S. citizen
- Your parents' federal tax info or returns (IRS 1040, foreign tax return, or a Puerto Rico/Guam/territory return), including W-2 info
- Records of untaxed income (child support received, interest income, veterans' non-education benefits) for you and your parents (if a dependent)
- Cash, savings/checking balances, investments, and business or farm assets for you and your parents (not including the home you live in)
Resources
CSS Profile
Many colleges, universities, and private scholarship programs — especially private colleges — require the CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA, and some require their own forms as well. If a college you're applying to is on the CSS Code List (included in PROFILE registration materials), complete both the FAFSA and the PROFILE. Check with each college for its own deadlines.
WUE — Western Undergraduate Exchange
WUE is a program coordinated by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). Through it, students in Western states can enroll in participating two- and four-year public college programs at a reduced tuition rate — up to 150% of the school's regular resident tuition, considerably less than standard nonresident tuition. (Source: wiche.edu/wue.)
Learn More at wiche.edu/wue →