Starting October 1, 2021, for seniors in the Class of 2022
FAFSA - Go to www.fafsa.ed.gov and complete the FAFSA. You will get an EFC (Estimated Family Contribution) which government aid and colleges will use to determine the amount of free money you can receive for college.
CAL GRANT - Create an account one week after you complete the FAFSA. See if you qualify for State of California free grants.
DREAM ACT - If you are an AB-540 student, this application is to apply for State of California free money to help you pay for college.
All students: If you have an overall high school GPA of 3.0 or above, you will receive more financial aid than if you have a 2.0 or above. No free money is available for college if you graduated high school with a GPA of less than 2.0.
Also apply for scholarships at the college to which you have applied.
This application is for California Student Aid for Dreamers. File this application your senior year in high school.
Look into various ways to pay for college! Here is one possibility described in an article in The Washington Post, where you pay as you go, instead of waiting until college completion to begin repaying your loans.