Waivers and Grants
Waivers and grants do not have to be repaid; a waiver offsets a fee that you would normally have to pay and a grant is gift aid that you receive to pay for your college-related expenses, including cost of living needs.
Types of grants
Students who have not attained a Bachelor’s Degree or its equivalent are automatically considered for a Federal Pell Grant when they file the FAFSA. Pell Grant eligibility will be based on your Student Aid Index (SAI) and cost of attendance. The Pell Grant award will be calculated based on enrollment intensity percentage, which represents how many units a student is taking compared to a full-time course load.
Pell Grant Enrollment Intensity
Units Enrolled | Enrollment Intensity - % of Pell | Enrollment Level Equivalent |
12 or more | 100% | Full Time |
11 | 92% | Three-Quarter Time |
10 | 83% | Three-Quarter Time |
9 | 75% | Three-Quarter Time |
8 | 67% | Half Time |
7 | 58% | Half Time |
6 | 50% | Half Time |
5 | 42% | Less-than-Half-Time |
4 | 33% | Less-than-Half-Time |
3 | 25% | Less-than-Half-Time |
2 | 17% | Less-than-Half-Time |
1 | 8% | Less-than-Half-Time |
FSEOG is a grant award made to students with exceptional need. Because funds are limited, students who apply early and are eligible for the Pell Grant receive first priority consideration for FSEOG. Students are automatically considered for FSEOG when they complete the FAFSA by the March 2 priority date. Awards for less than full-time (12 units) are prorated based on enrollment level.
Awards range from: $400 to $800
The Children of Fallen Hero’s act was established by Congress to award Pell-eligible students whose parents died in the line of duty while serving as a public safety officer will be eligible under this scholarship to receive a maximum Pell grant award and minimum Student Aid Index (SAI) for the purpose of financial aid awards.
Criteria:
To qualify for the scholarship, the student must be:
- Pell-eligible
- Have a Pell-eligible SAI
- Must be less than 24 years of age
- Or enrolled at an institution of higher education at the time of his or her parents or guardians death.
For purposes of the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship, a “public safety officer” is:
- An individual serving a public agency in an official capacity, with or without compensation, as a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or chaplain;
- An employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) who is performing official duties of the agency, if those official duties—
- are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act; and
- are determined by FEMA to be hazardous duties;
For more information regarding this scholarship and to view definitions, please visit:
https://www.nasfaa.org/news-item/16809/11-19_Children_of_Fallen_Heroes_Scholarship_Act
If you think you may be eligible please contact the Financial Aid Office at (650) 306-3308.
Deadline to apply is March 2 of each year.
Cal Grants are for California residents only. They are awarded by the California Student Aid Commission for attendance in schools in California only. Awards are based on financial need and academic performance.
If eligible for a Cal Grant A, this grant is put on reserve while attending a California community college, as a Cal Grant eligible resident of this State is not charged tuition. Cal Grant A will pay for tuition charges only.
The Cal Grant B is awarded to college students who have limited income and meet the State defined standards of disadvantageness.
Cal Grant C is awarded to students enrolled in vocational programs. Students who appear to be
eligible to receive a Cal Grant C will receive a supplemental form to complete. You
must file the FAFSA or Dream Application AND submit a Cal Grant GPA Verification Form to the California Student Aid Commission
by March 2. Many schools submit the Cal Grant GPA Verification for their students
– please check and make sure or file the form yourself after having your school complete
the GPA verification section. New Entitlement recipients must create a Webgrants account and verify their high school completion AND claim their award by selecting the college they'll be attending.
There is a second award deadline for California Community College students on September 2, each year. If awarded a Cal Grant, you must be enrolled at least half-time (6 units) to receive your grant. Awards for less than full-time (12 units) are prorated based on enrollment level.
Maximum awards for students attending community college are:
Cal Grant B $1,648
Cal Grant C $1,094
** The Cal Grant A and Cal Grant T are for students attending 4-year colleges and universities. For additional information about these programs, please go to the https://www.csac.ca.gov/cal-grants.
SSCG is a grant award available to Cal Grant recipients that are enrolled full-time (at least 12 units, semeter). This is NOT an entitlement award, so awards will vary depending on funding availability.
Awards range was from $1,298 to $4,000 per semester.
The Chafee Grant provides up to $5,000 per year to current or former foster youth to use for career and technical training or college courses. The Chafee Grant does not have to be paid back and you can use it for your cost of living or school expenses. (The Chafee Grant Program, also known as the Education and Training Voucher (ETV), is a federally funded program and is subject to availability of federal funds each year.) To be eligible for a Chafee, you must have been in foster care for at least one day between your 16th and 18th birthday, be enrolled in at least 6.0 units (half time) and have not yet reached your 26 th birthday by July 1st of the award year.
Maximum Annual Award: $5,000
- See more at: https://www.chafee.csac.ca.gov/
What is the difference between a Grant and a Loan?
California College Promise Grant (CCPG)
The State of California offers a CCPG for students who are residents of the State of California and who are eligible for need-based financial aid. The CCPG pays your enrollment fee for the academic year once eligibility has been determined. Other fees, such as the health, materials, parking, student body, and student representation fees must be paid by you.
It is strongly recommended that you complete the FAFSA or Dream Application for the CCPG program to see if you are eligible for additional financial assistance. CCPG-only applications are available on-line through WebSMART. You must be admitted to Cañada College before you can access WebSMART. Eligibility for a CCPG may be determined under less strict dependency criteria than federal funding requires (example: a 19 year old student who is unmarried and does not support anyone may be considered independent for the CCPG if s/he was not claimed on the parent’s federal income tax during the previous year and no longer lives with a parent).
There are four types of CCPG:
CCPG-A
If you are independent, to be eligible you must be currently receiving TANF, CALWORKS, General Assistance, or SSI/SSP, or if you are dependent, your parent(s)must be currently receiving any of these types of assistance.
CCPG-B
To be eligible you must meet the State defined Income Limits OR have a Student Aid Index (SAI) of 0 on your Student Aid Report. The 2024-25 income standards listed below are based on income for the 2022 tax year. The 2023-24 income standards listed below are based on income for the 2021 tax year. If you are independent, use your income (and spouse’s) only. If you are dependent, use your parents' income only:
Each Additional |
$7,080 | $7,710 |
Family Size |
2023-2024 Total 2021 Income |
2024-2025 Total 2022 Income |
---|---|---|
1 |
$20,385 or less | $21,870 or less |
2 |
$27,465 or less | $29,580 or less |
3 |
$34,545 or less | $37,290 or less |
4 |
$41,625 or less | $45,000 or less |
5 |
$48,705 or less | $52,710 or less |
6 |
$55,785 or less | $60,420 or less |
7 |
$62,865 or less | $68,130 or less |
8 |
$69,945 or less | $75,840 or less |
CCPG-C
Qualify based on at least $1,104 of need based on the FAFSA or Dream Application.
Note: EOP&S require either CCPG A or B eligibility or an Student Aid Index (SAI) of
0 to receive their services.
CCPG – Special Classification
If you meet any of the following criteria, you may be eligible for a fee waiver under the Special Classification guidelines. Certification is provided by various agencies. Please contact the Cañada College Financial Aid Office for assistance.
- Eligible dependent of deceased or disabled veteran
- Recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor or dependent
- Dependent of California National Guard
- Dependent of victim of September 11, 2001 terrorist attack
- Dependent of deceased California law enforcement/fire suppression personnel killed in the line of duty
- Students who have been exonerated
Apply for the on-line CCPG (WebSMART >> Apply for a Fee Waiver)