- College And Career
FAFSA/CADAA
The 2022-2023 FAFSA and California Dream Act Application (CADAA) become available on October 1, 2022 and must be completed by March 2, 2023 (in order to be eligible for a Cal Grant). Be sure to check the financial aid page of each college where you are aopplying to see if they have any earlier financial aid deadlines of their own. The website to complete your FAFSA is www.fafsa.gov. The "FA" is FAFSA stands for "Free Application" so if you are asked to pay a fee to submit your FAFSA, you are not on the official government site. The website to complete yoru California Dream Act Application is www.dream.csac.ca.gov. The CADAA application is for immigrant students who do not qualify for federal student aid. If you are unsure which application is for you, check out this document.
To complete your FAFSA, you will need the following:
An FSA ID.
Your Social Security Number
Your Alien Registration Number (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
Your most recent federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned. (Note: You may be able to transfer your federal tax return information into your FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.)
Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
There are many ways to get assistance with completing your FAFSA/CADAA
Here are some documents that you may also find helpful:
CADAA Resources - Make sure you are utilizing respources dated for the school year in which you are seeking aid (your first full schoolyear of college)
FAFSA Worksheet - Complete this worksheet before logging in to be sure you have all needed information.
Getting Started - This presentation will take you through the FAFSA page by page, highlighting the areas that create the most common questions from students and parents.
FAFSA Dependent or Independent? - Most high school students will be considered dependents regardless of whether or not parents are willing to help pay for college. If you are unsure of your status, check out this form.
FAFSA Who Is My Parent? - Help in identifying whose financial information to use.
What does completing the FAFSA/CADAA do for me?
In addition to qualifying you for federal and/or state financial aid, many schools also use your FAFSA/CADAA information to qualify you for their institutional aid. The FAFSA can also provide a safety net of available loans or the ability to reconsider aid packages if a family's financial situation changes during the school year. It is recommended that ALL college bound students complete a FAFSA. Completing the application does not commit you to accepting any type of aid. Explore the links below to learn more.