The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be completed to apply for federal and state financial aid. Many colleges and universities, especially public institutions, require the FAFSA. The FAFSA must be submitted every year to obtain financial aid for college.
Information regarding FAFSA eligibility is available in English and in Spanish. General resources from the Department of Education about FAFSA are available here.
The application is available online as well as via paper. Students and families will have to start the application by creating an FSA ID - instructions in English and Spanish (include steps for applying without a Social Security Number).
Paper versions of the application are available for review in English and in Spanish. Please note, these paper forms are for the 25-26 school year. 26-27 applications will be available soon.
You can watch videos covering the application process provided by the Department of Education here. And keep an eye out for upcoming workshops hosted here at Westlake!
The California Student Aid Commission also hosts free workshops about FAFSA and CADAA with Q+A sessions throughout the year. You can view and sign up for coming workshops here. You can take a look at their FAFSA and CADAA application preparation checklists here (English and Spanish).
Summer workshops from CSAC will be July: 1st, 15th, 28th and August: 13th, 21st, and 27th.
Spanish translations will be available during the July 28th and August 13th and 21st events.
The state of California requires students submit the FAFSA or CADAA to graduate high school. If you do not wish to submit the FAFSA/CADAA, you must fill out a FAFSA Opt-Out form and return it to the CCC. Keep an eye out for further details about the Opt-Out form in the fall.
The state of California also offers the California Dream Act Application (CADAA). The CADAA is California’s state financial aid application operated by CSAC that allows undocumented and other eligible students to qualify for state and institutional financial aid. If you have concerns about the protection of student and family information submitted via CADAA, you can review California Department of Education communication here
You are eligible to complete the CADAA if you:
Have a U-Visa or Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
Meet the CA non-resident exemption requirements
New: Students from Mixed-Status Families
You can take a look at a video summary of the CADAA application here.
Paper versions of the application are available for review in English and in Spanish. Please note, these paper forms are for the 25-26 school year. 26-27 applications will be available soon.
The California Student Aid Commission also hosts free workshops about FAFSA and CADAA with Q+A sessions throughout the year. You can view and sign up for coming workshops here. You can take a look at their FAFSA and CADAA application preparation checklists here (English and Spanish).
Summer workshops from CSAC will be July: 1st, 15th, 28th and August: 13th, 21st, and 27th.
Spanish translations will be available during the July 28th and August 13th and 21st events.
The state of California requires students submit the FAFSA or CADAA to graduate high school. If you do not wish to submit the FAFSA/CADAA, you must fill out a FAFSA Opt-Out form and return it to the CCC. Keep an eye out for further details about the Opt-Out form in the fall.
The CSS Profile is a separate financial aid application that a number of colleges and universities (nearly all private) use to determine eligibility for their own institutional financial aid. You can take a look at schools that require the application here. If you have questions about the CSS Profile requirement, take a look at the individual institution website or reach out to their Financial Aid office.
Instructions on the application process are available in English here, in Spanish here, and in a video format here.
The initial application costs $25 and costs $16 for every additional institution you send it to. You can review eligibility for fee waivers here.
Cal Grants are California specific financial aid awards. Students are automatically considered for Cal Grants by submitting the FAFSA or CADAA application. Students are only eligible if they will be attending a UC, CSU, California Community College, or qualifying independent, career, and technical schools in California.
You can keep track of your award status by making a WebGrants account here.
The Western Undergraduate Exchange is a unique opportunity for students in the western US. Through WUE, California students have access to in-state tuition costs at hundreds of schools across the western US. Take a look at the list of participating schools here and use the Tuition Savings Finder to see how much you could save! Be sure to reach out to the individual schools of interest to confirm your WUE eligibility and apply through their process.