What exactly is Financial Aid?

Financial Aid is the money you and your family can get for educational expenses. It’s designed to supplement the amount you and your family contribute. There are four basic types of financial aid: Grants, Scholarships, Work Study and Loans.

Students only need to complete one financial aid application. Information regarding which application a student will qualify for can be found below. 

Apply for federal student aid—grants, work-study, and loans—using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form.

• This is the official FAFSA website. Do not go to a .com website. If you go to a .com site, you may be asked to pay to submit the FAFSA. Remember, the first F in "FAFSA" stands for "free" – Use the official government site to submit your application.

• The FAFSA form you fill out should correspond with the school year you’re planning to seek aid for. For example, if you’re applying for financial aid for the 2023‒24 school year, fill out the 2023‒24 FAFSA form. If you plan to take summer classes, contact your school's financial aid office to determine which FAFSA form you should fill out.

• File a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) in October or November of the Senior year. This establishes eligibility for grants and loans from the federal and state government such as Cal-Grants. Eligibility for this money is based primarily on parents’ income and assets in the year prior to the student’s freshman year in college.

  • You have nothing to lose by filing the FAFSA – it’s free!

    • Even if your family has middle to high income, don’t rule yourself out. Factors other than income are weighed when calculating need. For instance, an applicant may have siblings who are also in college, parents who are older, or the family may have had a recent financial setback. Also, most colleges use FAFSA information to award their financial aid.

  • The FAFSA is completed using parent tax information from TWO years prior. 

• The due date for the FAFSA, if you want to be eligible for Cal Grant, is March 2nd each year. BUSD electronically files GPA verifications for ALL current Seniors and last year's Seniors.

The FSA ID gives you access to the Federal Student Aid online systems and serves as your legal signature. Parents and students each create FSA IDs. Only create an FSA ID using your own personal information and for your own exclusive use. You are not authorized to create an FSA ID on behalf of someone else, including a family member. 

Your FAFSA and Cal Grant will need to be renewed every year. Save your FSA ID!

• Step 1: Visit - https://www.californiacolleges.edu

• Step 2: Sign in.

• Step 3: Hover Over Financial Aid – and select the Proper Application.

• Step 4: You will be redirected to FAFSA or Dream Act Website.

• Step 5: Use your FSA ID information to Log in for FAFSA.

• Step 6: Read disclaimer and click accept.

• Step 7: Be sure to select “START 2023-2024 FAFSA”

• Step 8: Create a Save Key (Write it down, this is your PIN/Password to submit).

Cal Grants

• Two things are required for students to be considered for a Cal Grant: 1) Student submits his/her FAFSA and 2) Student submits GPA to California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). Roseville Joint Union High School District electronically submits GPAs for ALL Seniors. Therefore, once a student submits his/her FAFSA, they will be automatically considered for a Cal Grant. Please do not try to submit GPA Verification Forms.

• Once your FAFSA is complete, wait a couple of weeks, and then go to www.webgrants4students.org to check the status of a potential Cal Grant award.

There are many FREE resources available to students. As students search for outside scholarships or grants, please be advised that students should never pay for scholarship or grant information.