Financial Aid for Community College Students
General Financial Aid Information
Federal, State, and UC Financial Aid Resources
California Residency Information
Information for AB 540 Students
General Financial Aid Information
There are endless resources online to help you find money for college. Just beware of places that ask you to pay for information and/or places that ask for your social security number up front. California Student Aid Commission has some resources on how to avoid scholarship scams: Is it a free scholarship? Or a scam? You should also try your local library; many online resources are published in book form (and staying offline when you first get started might be a good idea until you learn how to spot a scam). For libraries on the Dewey Decimal System, look for call number 378 for financial aid books.
Books on money for college tend to fall into two categories: scholarship or federal financial aid. I recently looked into books on saving money for college while remaining eligible for financial aid and found couple books that addressed this issue: 529 & Other College Savings Plans for Dummies and College Financial Aid - How To Get Your Fair Share.
For an overview of tax credits and college savings plans, see Paying for College: Tax Benefits and Savings Options from National Association of College and University Business Officers.
I highly recommend reading 20 Insider Strategies to Save Money on College NOW from MeritAid. The e-book offers some very good advice in between quite a bit of not-so-subtle advertisement about the MeritAid website. The one excellent point the e-book makes that I want you to consider is the fact that there are a lot of misconceptions about how much colleges charge for tuition; public colleges (like the UCs) are not necessarily cheaper than private colleges. Find out what you can about what a college charges before you decide not to apply.
The Project on Student Debt, an initiative of the Institute for College Access and Success, has compiled a list of colleges that have "developed financial aid policies that limit or eliminate student loans from financial aid packages, reducing costs for students and families." Take a look at all your options (over 50 colleges listed), but be cautious of other potential shortfalls.
Confused about your financial aid award? Visit Financial Aid Letter to learn how to decode your financial aid package, translate financial aid jargons, and get tips on making college more affordable.
Federal, State, and UC Financial Aid Resources
FAFSA4caster
Federal Student Aid (the people who brought you the ever confusing FAFSA form) has launched FAFSA4caster to help students and parents get an early start on the financial aid process:
FAFSA4caster will help you get an early start on the financial aid process by providing you with an early estimate of your eligibility for federal student aid. In addition, FAFSA4caster will increase your knowledge of the financial aid process and provide information about other sources of aid
Need help with filling out FAFSA? Sign up for one of the FREE California Cash for College workshops near you to get assistance on filling out your FAFSA and Cal Grant GPA Verification Form. Workshops are available from January to the March 2 priority deadline.
UC Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan
The UC system implemented the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan in 2009. Under this plan, students whose family income is below $70,000 will receive enough scholarships and grants to fully cover their UC fees for the first 2 years at the UC (for transfers). But keep in mind that the expensive part of an UC education is not the fees but the housing and everything else. See the UC press release about the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan or visit the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan student portal for more information.
UC, State, and Federal Financial Aid Publications
Below is a list of financial aid publications from the UC system, the state of California, and the federal government that will walk you through the basics:
- UC Financing Guide for Transfer Students
- UC Financial Aid Tips for Transfer Students
- Fund your Future: Free Money for College (from EdFund and California Student Aid Commission)
- Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid (from Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education)
- Fact Sheet - More Ways to Pay for College (from California Student Aid Commission)
California Residency Information
Review the general residency information provided by the UCs if you have any questions about whether you can be classfied as a California resident for tuition purposes.
Information for AB 540 Students
Undocumented students may qualify for in-state tuition under AB 540; see the AB 540 Student Manual or speak to the UC AB 540 contact person at the UC campus you are interested in attending for more information.
Futuros Educational Services (a nonprofit) has a pretty comprehensive list of scholarships for AB 540 students. The IDEAS group at UCLA offers a scholarship handout for AB 540 student that covers all the basic scholarship questions.
¡Adelante! California offers The Luisa Moreno Undergraduate Scholarship, amounts range from $500 to $2000. Deadline is at the beginning of January.
Navigating the financial aid process can be a daunting task. Sometimes it may be better to get the experts involved. Campus Strategy, a leading provider of college financing solutions, specializes in 1) strategic financial reorganization to help maximize your eligibility for financial aid, 2) financial planning to help you cash flow college expenses, 3) strategic college placement to maximize scholarship opportunities, and 4) complete and accurate filing of FAFSA and Profile (for private colleges) forms. Campus Strategy offers special pricing if you sign up through me. For details and pricing, send me an email at
The search sites below have been vetted by high school and/or independent counselors I know (unless noted otherwise). Keep in mind that no matter how legitimate the search sites are, they cannot keep out fraudsters 100% of the time. Take caution when you apply for scholarships and look around online to verify the legitimacy of the organizations before you submit your personal information. For tips on avoiding scams, see the General Financial Aid Information above.
- BrokeScholar
- College Board Scholarship Search
- College Scholarships.org
- CollegeNET
- FastWeb
- FinAid!
- GradeFund
- Kaarme.com
- MeritAid
- Monster Learning
- NextStudent
- Pacific Northwest Scholarship Guide from College Planning Network
- ScholarshipExperts
- SuperCollege
- IEFA.org - for international students (NOT vetted)
Coca-Cola All-State Community College Academic Team offers $1,000 to $2,000 stipends to community college students in all 50 states. Interested students need to contact the designated community college nominator to be nominated for consideration.
Southern California Monte Jade Science Technology Foundation offers scholarships to help foster leadership and entrepreneurship among students. Deadline is at the end of January.
The Point Foundation provides financial support through multi-year scholarships, leadership training, mentoring and hope to LGBT students who are marginalized because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Deadline is early February.
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