Financial Aid
The One-Stop Shop
The best place to go for financial aid information is directly to the source, and CaliforniaColleges.edu gathers all the information you need in one place!
All students have an account already so register and get started!
Local Organizations for 1 on 1 Appointments
Cal-SOAP Components
Through a network of trained staff members and college students, Cal- SOAP offers support and assistance to college and academic counselors, and middle and high school students and their families. While services are typically delivered to nearly 10,000 students per year, the personal attention that has become Cal- SOAP's hallmark is never sacrificed. The program is built around the following components:
College Advising
College Fair
Test Preparation
SWAG (Students With Academic Goals)
YouSeeYou Mentoring
Presentations
Special Events
Who Benefits from SWOL’s Programs?
Underserved, low-income youth
Minority and immigrant students
Teens who will be first-generation college students
Students requiring intervention
Foreign-born/Undocumented students
U.S. citizen students with undocumented parents
AB 540 students
Homeless and unaccompanied minors whose parents have been deported
Teens victims of cross-border human trafficking
Immigrant youth who are victims of domestic violence
Students without access to information and resources
Teens who arrived in the U.S. as young children
How Do I Prepare to Apply for Financial Aid?
Applying for financial aid has a lot of steps. It’s easier if you plan ahead. Make sure you know when applications are due. Take some time to gather important information. Use this checklist and your CaliforniaColleges.edu account to stay on track.
Getting started.
▢ Review the different kinds of financial aid. Learn about federal and state financial aid and scholarships.
▢ Find your net price for each college on your list. Net price is how much your college will cost after grants and scholarships. In other words, it’s the price you’ll really have to pay.
▢ Talk to your family about how you plan to pay for college.
Know your deadlines.
▢ Apply for federal and/or state financial aid starting October 1 and no later than March 2.
U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Undocumented students use the California Dream Act Application (CADAA).
▢ If you’re a current or former foster youth, complete the Chafee Grant application by March 2.
▢ Get help filling out your FAFSA, CADAA, or Chafee Grant application. Attend a Cash for College workshop between October and March.
▢ Make sure your high school submits your Cal Grant GPA by March 2. Check the Cal Grant tab in My Financial Aid Plan. You can also log in to WebGrants 4 Students.
▢ Apply for a California College Promise Grant through CCCApply. Learn how to launch your application from your account. Check with your college for deadlines.
▢ Complete the CSS Profile for some private colleges starting October 1. Deadlines are usually in spring, but sometimes earlier. Plan to apply at least two weeks before the earliest deadline.
▢ Look into private scholarships. Ask your counselor which scholarships might be a good fit, check out Mira Mesa scholarships page. Add them to your Scholarship List in My Financial Aid Plan.
▢ Keep track of your federal and state financial aid applications in My Financial Aid Plan.
Gather information.
▢ Make sure you have these numbers or documents handy for both you and your parents.
Social Security number (SSN) or Alien Registration number.
Driver’s license number.
Federal tax information or tax returns (W-2 and IRS 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ).
Cash, savings, and checking account balances.
Details about investments, like stocks, bonds, business or farm assets, or real estate (except the home you live in).
Records of some untaxed income, including child support, interest income (also known as dividends), and veterans noneducation benefits.
Use the post-application checklist for steps to follow after you apply for financial aid.
Overview Videos of Federal and State Aid
Overview of the financial aid process
Creating your Federal Student Aid ID
How to fill out the FAFSA
Types of Federal Aid
Cal Grant Overview
Completing the CADA
After the FAFSA - What Next
As a veteran, there are education programs available which you may use for a wide variety of approved education and training programs including: apprenticeship and on-the-job training, college degree and certificate programs, flight training, and correspondence courses.
Miramar & San Diego Community College District Videos
Videos on all aspects of financial aid arranged into series by topic and type. Please email miraaid@sdccd.edu if you have any questions.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA
Use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form to apply for financial aid for college.
This is the application you will use if you, the student, are a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or an eligible non-citizen (meaning you have Documentation) and you may be eligible for both Federal and California State Aid.
Click here to access the FAFSA.
CALIFORNIA DREAM ACT
The California Dream Act Application allows students interested in attending eligible California Colleges, Universities and Career Education Programs to apply for state financial aid. This application is unrelated to the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
This is the application you will use if you, the student, are an undocumented non-U.S. citizen, who is NOT eligible for Federal Aid, but may be eligible for California State Aid.
Click here to access the CA Dream Act Application.
California Dream Act Application for Undocumented Students
Click here to see Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the California Dream Act Application.
Changes to Your Family’s Financial Situation
If your or your family’s financial situation has changed significantly from what is reflected on your federal income tax return (for example, if you’ve lost a job or otherwise experienced a drop in income), you may be eligible to have your financial aid adjusted. Complete the FAFSA questions as instructed on the application (including the transfer of tax return and income information), submit your FAFSA form, then contact the school you plan to attend to discuss how your current financial situation has changed. Note that the school's decision is final and cannot be appealed to the U.S. Department of Education.
The San Diego Foundation Community Scholarship
Thinking about a Private College or going Out of State
You should absolutely contact the financial aid office as the first step (use Xello to find contact info), to ask about opportunities you may be eligible for.
Founded in 1955, the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU) is comprised of 85 independent, nonprofit colleges and universities in California. Together, these institutions make up the Independent California Colleges and Universities sector (ICCU).
The Western Association for College Admission Counseling supports and advances the work of counseling and enrollment professionals from California and Nevada as they help all students realize their full potential, with emphasis on freshman and transfer transitions to higher education and attention to access and equity for all students.
The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), founded in 1937, is an organization of more than 15,000 professionals from around the world dedicated to serving students as they make choices about pursuing postsecondary education. NACAC is committed to maintaining high standards that foster ethical and social responsibility among those involved in the transition process, as outlined in NACAC's Code of Ethics and Professional Practices (CEPP).
America’s largest regional interstate tuition savings program
The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) is an agreement among WICHE’s 16 member states and territories, through which 160+ participating public colleges and universities provide steep nonresident tuition savings for Western students.
Through WUE, eligible students can choose from hundreds of undergraduate programs outside their home state, and pay no more than 150 percent of that institution’s resident tuition rate.
Since full nonresident college-tuition rates may exceed 300 percent of resident rates, WUE increases affordable higher-education choices for students, and minimizes the adverse impacts of student loan debt.
Myth 1: Private colleges are not affordable
Myth 2: Federal student aid drives up college costs
Myth 3: Private colleges lack diversity and only enroll, wealthy, traditional students
Myth 4: Many college graduates leave school with more than $100,000 in debt
Myth 5: A college degree is no longer a good investment
Myth 6: Fewer students are choosing to attend private colleges
Myth 7: All private colleges have billion-dollar endowments
Myth 8: Private colleges are not innovative or flexible
Myth 9: Private colleges are not transparent or accountable
Learn about the costs
The College Scorecard is an online tool, created by the United States government, for consumers to compare the cost and value of higher education institutions in the United States. It displays data in five areas: cost, graduation rate, employment rate, average amount borrowed, and loan default rate
Extended Webinar Series:
Completing CADA - Line by Line - Spanish
