Federal and State Grants

The CCPG is a state program that assists in paying the enrollment fees for eligible students who are California residents (formally known as the BOG Waiver).

CCPG-A: Covers the per-unit tuition costs and additional enrollment fee of approximately $5. Apply by submitting a CCPG application as well as an Agency Certification form to the Financial Aid Office.

CCPG-B: Covers the $46/unit tuition costs only and is awarded based on household size and low income thresholds. Apply by submitting a CCPG application to the Financial Aid Office or by filing a FAFSA.

CCPG-C: Covers the $46/unit tuition costs only and is awarded based on financial need which varies between colleges based on their costs of attendance. Apply by submitting a FAFSA. You will be informed about eligibility via email at your student email account.

Designed to assist students with financial need to continue their education beyond high school and attempts to provide students with financial assistance to help defray their educational costs. Award amounts are based on the number of units a student is enrolled in. The minimum number of units required to receive the Pell grant varies based on the individual student's financial need, but many students qualify at as few as 0.5 units.

Intended to assist students who demonstrate exceptional financial need ($0 Estimated Family Contribution, i.e. EFC). Supplemental grants at Columbia College range from $250-$500 per year and are coupled with the Pell grant. Each institution is allotted a certain amount of FSEOG funds to distribute; therefore, it is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. This means that those eligible students who have their financial aid file completed first will be awarded these limited funds. This usually occurs in June prior to the award year. At the end of each spring term these funds are re-evaluated to see if the award offer was not accepted. Those unaccepted funds will be re-distributed to other students who are in good standing with financial aid standards and who have the earliest financial aid file completion dates.

The Cal Grant program is a state-funded program administered by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). Students may apply for the Cal Grant by filing their FAFSA and submitting their GPA prior to March 2nd, GPA filing requirements and forms. Your past or current school may submit your verified GPA for you, but in some cases you are responsible for submitting your verified GPA (ask your Financial Aid Technician before March 2nd or check your connectColumbia account, under "Cal Grant GPA" to see whether Columbia College submitted your verified GPA for you). Students may access or update information regarding their Cal Grant award, including change of school or request to put an award on reserve, online at WebGrants 4 Students. The types of Cal Grants are described by CSAC as well as below. While students must maintain a certain GPA for Cal Grant awards, the awards are ultimately granted based on a point system that assigns values to each question on the FAFSA. Details of the point values are not disclosed by CSAC but a student may view their score on WebGrants 4 Students, linked above.

Cal Grant A: Awarded on the basis of academic achievement and financial need. This award is for UC and CSU students so may be held on reserve while the student is enrolled in a community college. More information can be found on the CSAC website.

Cal Grant B - Entitlement: This award is for newly entering students and those who have completed no more than 16 semester units who come from low income families and are not able to gain access to college without financial support. Cal Grant B is also available to students transferring to four-year institutions from community colleges. More information is available at all California high school counseling offices, college financial aid offices, and on the CSAC website.

Cal Grant B - Competitive: Additional Cal Grant B awards are awarded on a competitive basis, half of which are specifically for eligible California Community College students who meet the later deadline of September 2nd. More information is available on the CSAC website.

Cal Grant C: This award assists with training costs for occupational, technical, and vocational programs. The award is for books, tools and equipment for California community college students. More information is available on the CSAC website.

We are pleased to announce the consolidation of funding for the new Student Success Completion Grant (SSCG) program, formerly FTSSG (Full-Time Student Success Grant) and CCCG (California College Completion Grant) for full-time Cal Grant B and C recipients at California Community Colleges. Each institution is allotted a certain amount of SSCG funds to distribute; therefore, it is awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Refunds are calculated based on enrollment status per semester:

Enrollment Status per Semester	Refund Amount
15 or more units	$4000.00
12-14.5 units	$1298.00
0-11.5 units	$0.00

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:                        

• Repeated courses may not be counted as part of your enrollment status.  Click on Terms of Agreement for more information on re-taking coursework.                        
• You must be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to be eligible for this award each semester. 

The Chafee program is designed for students who are current or former foster youth. Students may qualify for up to $5,000 a year for college training. In addition to submitting a FAFSA, students must complete the California Chafee Grant for Foster Youth application to apply. The program is administered by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), and students may access or update information regarding their Chafee Grant award online at WebGrants 4 Students.