2026-27 Cal Grant Application Process for California Community College Students

The additional Cal Grant deadline for California community college students for the 2026-27 academic year is September 2, 2026. By this date, you must submit the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) that applies to you and confirm that the GPA required for Cal Grant consideration was transmitted successfully.

This deadline provides an additional opportunity to apply; it does not guarantee that you will receive aid. Actual award eligibility is determined by whether you meet each requirement, including competitive selection criteria, financial need, academic record, and your school and program of enrollment.

Pre-Application Overview

Your school’s own scholarships or financial aid may have separate, earlier deadlines. Be careful not to miss the financial aid office’s schedule by focusing only on the September 2 Cal Grant deadline.

Step 1: Choose the Correct Application—FAFSA or CADAA

The two applications are not alternative forms that the same person should submit in duplicate. You must select one based on the student’s own eligibility.

When to Submit the FAFSA

Generally, use the FAFSA if you are:

• A U.S. citizen or U.S. national
• A permanent resident
• An eligible noncitizen under federal student aid rules

A student should not submit the CADAA solely because a parent does not have a Social Security number. If the student is eligible for the FAFSA, required contributors, including parents, may create StudentAid.gov accounts and participate in the FAFSA by following the provided process even if they do not have an SSN.

The FAFSA is used to determine eligibility not only for the federal Pell Grant, federal student loans, and work-study, but also for California state aid.

When to Submit the CADAA

The CADAA is generally used by undocumented students and others who are not eligible for the federal FAFSA but may apply for state financial aid under the California Dream Act. Even if you were issued an SSN under DACA, that number alone does not make you eligible for federal student aid, so you must choose an application based on your immigration status.

Submitting the CADAA alone does not automatically establish eligibility for a nonresident tuition exemption such as AB 540. If applicable, you may need to submit a separate exemption form or affidavit to the college you will attend.

If You Are Unsure Which Application to Use

Check in the following order:

1. Review the FAFSA criteria for eligible noncitizens.
2. If you do not meet those criteria, review CSAC’s CADAA eligibility guidance.
3. If it is difficult to determine, ask your school’s financial aid office “which application you should submit,” rather than asking it to determine your immigration status.
4. Instead of submitting both applications incorrectly, obtain guidance from the responsible agency and then complete one application.

Step 2: Gather the Information Needed to Apply

The 2026-27 application generally uses 2024 income and tax information. Additional information may be required depending on the applicant’s circumstances.

FAFSA Preparation Checklist

• The student’s StudentAid.gov account
• Separate accounts for contributors designated by the application, such as a spouse or parents
• The student’s and contributors’ names, dates of birth, contact details, and requested identity information
• 2024 federal tax and income information
• Current asset information required by the application
• Information about the community college you attend or plan to attend
• Consent required for electronic signatures and the transfer of tax information

Contributors vary depending on the student’s dependency status and family circumstances. Being designated as a contributor on the FAFSA does not by itself obligate that person to pay tuition or make that person a borrower on a federal loan.

CADAA Preparation Checklist

• The student’s CADAA account
• Household and contact information for the student and parents or spouse
• 2024 income and tax filing information
• Asset information required by the application
• Information about the California community college you attend or plan to attend
• Electronic signature methods for the student and any required parent or spouse

Matching may be delayed if the student’s or parents’ names, dates of birth, or school records differ from the application. Use legal names and ask the financial aid office about any discrepancies with school records.

Step 3: Submit the FAFSA or CADAA

FAFSA Submission Process

1. Start the 2026-27 FAFSA at StudentAid.gov.
2. Enter the student’s information and the school the student plans to attend.
3. Invite the contributors designated by the application.
4. Have each contributor provide the required information and complete the necessary consent.
5. Confirm that all required signatures have been entered and submit the application.
6. Keep the submission confirmation screen and email.
7. After processing, check the FAFSA Submission Summary for errors and requests for additional action.

CADAA Submission Process

1. Start the 2026-27 application in CSAC’s official CADAA system.
2. Enter the student’s personal details, household information, and income information.
3. Accurately add the community college the student attends or plans to attend.
4. Complete the required student, parent, or spouse signatures.
5. Submit the application by September 2, 2026.
6. Save the submission confirmation and check the processing status again.

Even if you clicked the submit button, the application status may not be complete if a required signature is missing. Be sure to check the confirmation number, submission date, and processing status.

Step 4: Confirm Submission of the Cal Grant GPA

Submitting only the FAFSA or CADAA does not complete the entire Cal Grant process. A GPA that can be used for Cal Grant consideration must be provided to CSAC.

Many California high schools and community colleges electronically submit GPAs for eligible students, but you cannot assume that every student’s record is transmitted automatically. Separate verification may be needed if you transferred schools, changed your name, have insufficient credits, have an older graduation record, or have discrepancies in your school records.

Questions to Ask Your School

• Was my 2026-27 Cal Grant GPA electronically submitted to CSAC?
• Which school’s GPA was used?
• Is a consent form or separate form required to transmit my GPA?
• If I do not have enough current college credits, is another record, such as my high school GPA, required?
• Do the name and date of birth in my school records match the application information?

Do not assume that sending a transcript on your own can substitute for GPA certification. Confirm the applicable type of GPA and submission method with your school’s financial aid office or CSAC.

Step 5: Check the Results in WebGrants 4 Students

Once the FAFSA or CADAA has been processed, create or log in to your CSAC WebGrants 4 Students account and check the following:

• Whether the application year is shown as 2026-27
• Whether the FAFSA or CADAA record has been linked
• Whether the Cal Grant GPA has been received
• Whether the school you will attend is designated correctly
• Award eligibility or non-selection status
• Any holds or verification requests that still need to be resolved

If you changed schools, check your school-of-attendance information in WebGrants 4 Students in addition to adding the school to your FAFSA or CADAA. Even if award eligibility is displayed, final disbursement is processed only after the school confirms enrollment status and other eligibility requirements.

Why the Federal FAFSA and California Deadlines Differ

The FAFSA is a common financial aid application administered by the federal government. However, each state government and college that uses information entered in the FAFSA may establish earlier deadlines based on its own budget, selection cycle, and disbursement schedule.

The federal submission deadline for the 2026-27 FAFSA is generally June 30, 2027, but this date does not extend California’s September 2, 2026 Cal Grant deadline. Even if you submit the FAFSA after September 2 and may still be considered for federal aid, you could miss that Cal Grant selection opportunity.

The distinctions are as follows:

Therefore, you should act based not on the latest of the various deadlines, but on the earliest date that applies to the aid for which you are applying.

Limitations to Note for the September 2 Additional Deadline

September 2 provides an additional application opportunity for community college students who missed the general priority deadline, but you should note the following:

• Competitive awards may be affected by the budget and the number of available awards.
• Even if you submit the application by the deadline, you must meet all requirements, including income, assets, GPA, and enrollment status.
• The specific type and coverage of the Cal Grant vary depending on the student’s eligibility, school, and educational program.
• Students in career and technical education programs may be considered for Cal Grant C, but not every short-term program is automatically recognized.
• The California College Promise Grant and Cal Grant are different programs, so applying for one does not automatically substitute for applying for the other.

Managing Easily Overlooked Information Matches and Proof of Submission

In addition to application eligibility, you should prepare for possible processing delays caused by information that does not match across different systems. Keep the following records in one folder:

• FAFSA or CADAA submission confirmation
• The list of schools entered on the application
• An email or school response confirming GPA transmission
• WebGrants 4 Students status screen
• The date and details of any error corrections
• Records of inquiries to the school’s financial aid office

Confirm that the student’s name, date of birth, and school identification information are the same in the application, school, and CSAC records. Keep records showing that you submitted before the deadline, but do not assume that a screenshot alone will be accepted as proof of receipt; also verify the processing status in the official system.

Final Pre-Submission Checklist

• I selected the one application, either the FAFSA or CADAA, that applies to me.
• I selected 2026-27 as the application year.
• I prepared 2024 income and tax information.
• I completed the accounts and signatures for the student and required contributors.
• I entered the community college I attend or plan to attend.
• I submitted the application by September 2, 2026.
• I kept the submission confirmation number or confirmation email.
• I confirmed with the school whether the Cal Grant GPA was transmitted.
• I checked the school and award eligibility status in WebGrants 4 Students.