Cal Grant
The Cal Grant is a state grant given to California residents who are attending a California college and it does not need to be repaid. The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) administers the Cal Grant and determines the requirements each year. A student's family income and assets must be below the and a student's GPA must meet the .
The Cal Grant Deadline is March 2nd of every year
At CBU, a student can receive either the Cal Grant A or the Cal Grant B. Each award has different income and GPA requirements, but the application process is the same. More information on the differences between the two grants can be found .
Depending on your current school and if you have completed college units, the steps for getting everything submitted for the Cal Grant can vary from student to student. Use the drop-down tabs below for more details on the steps you need to take to ensure you receive the Cal Grant!
If you have questions regarding what type of high school you are attending, or questions about the process, please contact CSAC at (888) 224-7268. For further questions regarding the Cal Grant at CBU, please contact CBU鈥檚 Financial Aid Office at (951) 343-4236 or email us at finaid@calbaptist.edu.
If you are coming to CBU with 24 or more college units completed, you are considered a Cal Grant transfer student. (If you have less than 24 units, you will need to go back to your high school and have them complete the GPA Verification Form (even if you鈥檝e been out of high school for a few years). They will not do this automatically. Transfer students need to complete the or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) and turn in the to CSAC by the deadline, March 2. The FAFSA opens up each year on October 1, which gives plenty of time for it to be completed by the March 2 Cal Grant deadline. Students will need to go to their college鈥檚 registrar's office to have their GPA Verification Form completed and submitted. Most schools submit it electronically, but you should bring the form just in case. (It is also a good idea to get a copy for your records.)
Once it has been determined that you qualify for the Cal Grant, it will be added to your financial aid offer, sometimes with a hold. You will need to create an account on to complete and submit the , 鈥淐al Grant Transfer Entitlement Certification Form.鈥� Please email the completed G-6 Form to studentsupport@csac.ca.gov. Once this has been completed, the hold on your Cal Grant will be removed.
Students attending a public school must complete the or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) and turn in the to CSAC by the deadline, March 2. The student鈥檚 high school registrar鈥檚 office should automatically send the GPA Verification Form to CSAC, but it is always a good idea to verify with them. The student is responsible for submitting their FAFSA and ensuring their GPA is submitted on time. The FAFSA opens up each year on October 1, which gives plenty of time for it to be completed by the March 2 Cal Grant deadline.
Once it has been determined that you qualify for the Cal Grant, it will be added to your financial aid offer, usually with a hold. You will need to create an account on and verify your high school graduation date. This cannot be completed until after you have graduated high school. Once this has been completed, the hold on your Cal Grant will be removed.
Students attending a private school must complete the or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) and turn in the to CSAC by the March 2 Cal Grant deadline. For private schools, the school may not automatically send in the GPA Verification Form, so students will need to check with their high school鈥檚 registrar鈥檚 office and make sure it is submitted by the deadline. The student is also responsible for submitting their FAFSA in time. The FAFSA opens up each year on October 1, which gives plenty of time for it to be completed by March 2.
Once it has been determined that you qualify for the Cal Grant, it will be added to your financial aid offer, usually with a hold. You will need to create an account on and verify your high school graduation date. This cannot be completed until after you have graduated high school. Once this has been completed, the hold on your Cal Grant will be removed.
Students who are homeschooled must complete the or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) and turn in the to CSAC by the March 2 Cal Grant deadline. The FAFSA opens up on October 1, which gives the student plenty of time to have it submitted by the deadline. The process for submitting the GPA Verification Form can vary depending on your homeschool structure:
- For students who have a base or charter school: Check in with your school to see if they send in the GPA Verification Form automatically. If not, bring the to them to complete and send it to CSAC at the address listed on the form.
- For students that do not have a base or charter school, you will need to submit the GPA Verification Form with your parent, but you will be submitting test scores instead of a GPA. You can submit scores from the ACT, SAT, GED, TASC or HiSET. Please read the carefully for directions on how to complete and submit it.
Late FAFSA or CADAA Appeal Process for Cal Grant
If you missed the March 2nd, Cal Grant FAFSA and CADAA deadline, CSAC has an appeal process for you. The , accessible on CSAC's website, is for students who couldn't submit their FAFSA or CADAA on time due to circumstances beyond their control or those who were disqualified in error.
Late GPA Appeal Process for Cal Grant
Students who missed the March 2 Cal Grant GPA priority deadline due to circumstances
beyond their control may still request consideration by submitting a Late GPA Appeal. Students can complete the and provide an explanation in Question 8 describing why the GPA was submitted late.
Students who:
- Graduated high school in 2025 or 2026, OR
- Are transferring from a California Community College to CBU
may submit a late GPA Verification Form through May 18 for consideration.
To confirm your GPA is submitted to CSAC, log in to your account .
- Go to the Cal Grant panel and click on the current year (2026-2027) tab.
- If your Award Status says "Awarded", your GPA is on file.
- If it says "Pending", click the "To Do" button and check the Submit GPA row:
- If it says "Submitted", no further action is needed.
- If it does not say "Submitted", you need to submit your GPA.
If your GPA is not listed on your Webgrants account, you will need to complete and submit a
- Complete the form, filling out the first page, then bring it to your:
- Community college if you have 24 completed units on your community college transcript.
- High School if you do not have 24 or more units on your community college transcript or have never attended college.
- Your High School or community college will complete/submit the second page of the form. For more details, see or call 1-888-224-7268.
CSAC Help Line: (888) 224-7268
Webgrants Portal: