Federal Pell Grants
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The Federal Pell Grant provides gift aid assistance to undergraduates who have not yet earned a baccalaureate or first professional degree and who demonstrate financial need. Awards are based on your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and enrollment status. The maximum annual award is $6,495 (for the 2022-2023 academic year). Due to the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), students have a maximum lifetime Pell eligibility of 600% (12 full-time semesters).
What does the term EFC stand for?
What is the Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) for Pell Grants?
HOW TO APPLY
We encourage all students to apply for financial aid online at StudentAid.gov or at www.caldreamact.org (for AB 540 students). Processing is fastest and most accurate when completing your application online. If you want to request a paper application, you may print one from the websites above or you may contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 800-433-3243 (for the FAFSA) or the California Student Aid Commission at 888-224-7268 (for the California Dream Act Application).
Can I file the California Dream Act Application and the FAFSA?
Students applying for Federal Direct Loans, Federal PLUS Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, Emergency Loans, or scholarships must complete additional applications. Not all colleges participate in all of these programs.
Campus priority dates are established to encourage early application for financial aid. Also, some federal and state aid programs have limited funding and are awarded on a first come, first served basis to eligible students. Students who miss the priority date may still apply for the remaining funds available. Contact the Financial Aid Office at the college that you plan to attend for other priority funding deadlines. Staff members are available to answer your questions and help you complete any of the financial aid forms.
March 2nd
You must have a submitted FAFSA (or California Dream Act Application for AB 540 students) and a verified grade point average (GPA) for Cal Grant consideration.
May 1st
Complete and submit all required documents to your Financial Aid Office. This will ensure that we are able to process your financial aid file in time for the start of the Fall semester.
September 2nd
Second chance deadline for community college students to apply for a Cal Grant B. Since the number of awards available in September is limited, it is best to apply by March 2.
June 30th
Deadline for submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (for AB 540 students). For Federal Pell Grants, a valid electronically processed FAFSA must be received by the college from the U.S. Department of Education before the last day of the semester for which you are enrolled of June 30th of the academic year, whichever comes first. Do not wait until the last minute to apply for financial aid.
Federal Direct Loans: Please check with your college Financial Aid Office for campus specific deadlines.
What does it mean to be selected for Verification?
If your application has been selected for verification, you will be required to provide additional documentation. Refer to your campus Financial Aid Office for pertinent deadlines. Failure to meet deadlines may result in the denial of financial aid.
Students can check their financial aid file status (and complete the verification process or download the appropriate forms) from the LACCD Student Information System (SIS).
The Financial Aid Office may request additional documentation based on the information submitted on your financial aid application such as:
- Federal tax transcripts, wage and income (W-2) transcripts, and/or proof of non-filing
- Verification of untaxed income and benefits
- Verification Worksheet
- Other documents as needed to verify your application or situation
Verification requirements apply to all federal aid programs and the state Cal Grant program.