Incentives of a Full-Time Student: Cal Grant
The fall semester is almost upon us and students are beginning to plan their schedule for the upcoming academic year. For those students who may be considering taking on a fuller load of classes, the state of California is giving students more incentives to do so. As an effort to get students to earn degrees in two or four years, California (Cal Grant) will offer up to $4,000 in grants to community college students who take a complete 15-hour course load beginning this fall.
FTSSG versus CCCG
Originally, the Full-Time Student Success Grant (FTSSG) was created by California Senate Bill 93, as part of the 2015 Budget Act, and was signed by Governor Brown on June 24, 2015. This newly re-named grant, the Community College Completion Grant (CCCG) is an expansion of the previous program that gave students up to $2,500 per year. This new grant is for recipients who have already received a FTSSG and therefore a Cal Grant B or C award payment. This grant will now pay up to $2,000 per semester for students enrolled in 15 or more units. To receive this new $4,000 grant, a student must successfully complete a minimum of a full 15-units per term and conclude their education program in the time-frame established in their mandatory student education plan. The minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA is required.
Most community college students are enrolled part-time, thus these students must coordinate managing their academic studies with work to support themselves and/or their families. The purpose of the expansion of this Cal Grant is to help enable students to work less and concentrate more on their studies. The grant is to help support student persistence, retention and success by providing students additional financial assistance to complete their education. In California, the minimum wage is $11 an hour and a grant of $4,000 is equivalent to almost 400 hours of work a year. If a student is working a part-time 20-hour week, these grant monies are equivalent to almost 20 weeks of work a year. Cal Grants is for students pursuing an undergraduate degree, vocational study, or career training.
More information
For those you may have missed the Cal Grant March 2 application deadline, you have a second opportunity to apply for a Cal Grant by September 2, 2018. Please contact the Coastline College Financial Aid Office for further information.