Grants

Grants are free money that you do not need to repay. Amounts vary with your family's financial resources and with the college or university you choose to attend.

Grants are typically awarded to students on the basis of their "financial need," a measure of the help they need to meet the costs of attending the college of their choice. In general, the amount of grant for which you qualify will be greater at colleges that are more expensive.

The State of California has a strong grant program for qualifying students called the Cal Grant Program. Awards vary from $1,551 up to $9,708.

In addition, the federal government provides substantial assistance through the Pell Grant program.

You don't need to know the details of the various grant programs now to take advantage of them when you go to school. However, if you want to know more, you can learn about grant programs here.

Many colleges have calculators available to help you estimate your grant eligibility. In addition, this site provides you with some sample students, many of whom qualify for grant assistance.

In order to qualify for grant assistance, you need to apply on time. For more information, see How to Get Help.