Message from the Office of College and Career Readiness
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As students plan for college, career, and beyond, it is essential that steps are taken before applying for financial aid. It is the District’s mission to help students and their parents complete an accurate FAFSA or DREAM Act application to receive financial aid on time.
Most FUSD students who plan to attend college or vocational school depend a great deal on financial aid to cover their educational expenses. The application process can be cumbersome for families and they may need guidance and/or advice. We encourage students and parents to take advantage of the resources offered to prevent possible delays or jeopardizing their financial aid.
We encourage families to contact their high school counselor or use CCR’s website for financial aid resources and events on various financial aid topics. Throughout the academic school year, high school counselors, financial aid partners, and CCR host financial literacy workshops to help students and their parents complete an accurate FAFSA, answer questions, and learn about the financial aid available to students such as grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans.
If you need support with financial aid, please contact your high school counselor, or you can also email Yia Le at yia.le@fresnounified.org.
Financial Aid
Financial aid is money to help pay for college or career school. Grants, work-study, loans, and scholarships are all forms of financial aid to help make college or career school affordable.
What is a grant?
A grant is a form of financial aid that doesn’t have to be repaid (unless, for example, you withdraw from school and owe a refund, or you receive a TEACH Grant and don’t complete your service obligation). A variety of federal and state grants are available, including:
Federal Grants
- Pell Grants
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
- Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grants
- Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants
CA State Grants
- Cal Grant
- Middle Class Scholarship
- Golden State Teacher Grant Program
- Chafee Grant for Foster Youth
- Educational Opportunity Program Grant
- California Dream Act Service Incentive Grant Program (DSIG) for Dream students
- California College Promise Grant (Community Colleges)
- California Military Department GI Bill Award Program
What is work study?
The Federal Work-Study Program allows you to earn money to pay for school by working part-time. You’ll earn at least the current federal minimum wage. However, you may earn more depending on the type of work you do and the skills required for the position. Your total work-study award depends on
- when you apply,
- your level of financial need, and
- your school’s funding level
Please reach out to your college’s financial aid office for more information regarding work-study.
What is a loan?
A loan is money you borrow and must pay back with interest. If you apply for financial aid, you may be offered loans as part of your school’s financial aid offer. When you receive a student loan, you are borrowing money to attend a college or career school. You must repay the loan as well as interest that accrues. It is important to understand your repayment options so you can successfully repay your loan.
How to determine financial need?
To determine how much financial aid a student needs to attend a school, use the formula: Cost of Attendance (COA) – Expected Family Contribution (EFC) = Financial Need.
- Cost of Attendance (COA)
Cost varies by school. Each college estimates the COA by adding together the costs of tuition, fees, room and board, transportation, books, supplies, and other miscellaneous living expenses. Most colleges publish the COA on their website. - Student Aid Index (SAI)
The Student Aid Index (SAI) is an eligibility index number that a college’s or career school’s financial aid office uses to determine how much federal student aid the student would receive if the student attended the school. This number results from the information that the student provides in their FAFSA® form. - Financial Need
The difference between the COA at a school and your EFC. While COA varies from school to school, your EFC does not change based on the school you attend.
This tool from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) can help you:
- Understand your financial aid offer
- Plan to cover the remaining costs
- Estimate how much you’ll owe and if you can afford that debt
- Compare offers from different schools
- Decide what to do next
How do I apply for financial aid?
In California, there are two financial aid applications: Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and California Dream Act Application (CADAA). Students only need to fill out ONE of these applications, depending on their status. All students should apply regardless of their income as most scholarships may require students to have a FAFSA or CADAA on file.
Both applications collect student and parent(s) financial information (income & current assets) to determine a student’s Student Aid Index (SAI). Colleges use the SAI, along with other factors, to determine a student’s financial aid package.
If a student is unsure of which application to complete, please reach out to the student’s assigned counselor or to Yia Le in the College Readiness department.
Steps to apply for FAFSA
You are eligible to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid if you are a U.S. Citizen, permanent resident, eligible non-citizen, or T-Visa holder. If you are unsure about your status, please reach out to your high school counselor.
Step | Details | Resources to Help | Timeline |
---|---|---|---|
1. Create your FSA ID |
|
| August – September |
2. Complete and Submit FAFSA Application |
| October – April 2 | |
3. Create your WebGrants 4 Students account |
| October – April 2 | |
4. Review your Student Aid Report (SAR) |
| January – April | |
5. Verification |
|
| January – April |
6. Accepting your award letter |
|
| May – June |
Steps to apply for CADAA
You are eligible to complete the California Dream Act Application if you are undocumented, have a valid or expired DACA, U Visa holder, have TPS, and meet AB540/SB200/SB68 requirements. If you are unsure about your status, please reach out to your high school counselor.
Step | Details | Resources to Help | Timeline |
---|---|---|---|
1. Register your CADAA account |
|
| August – September |
2. Complete and Submit CADAA Application |
| October – April 2 | |
3. Create your WebGrants 4 Students account |
| October – April 2 | |
4. Review your Student Aid Report (SAR) |
| January – April | |
5. Verification |
|
| January – April |
6. Accepting your award letter |
|
| May – June |
Financial Aid Workshops
All FUSD high schools offer evening financial aid workshops to help students and parents complete their financial aid applications. Our local partners such as Fresno City, Fresno State, and Cal-SOAP also attend and support our students and families. Please reach out to your student’s high school counselor or financial aid lead for more information.
Scholarships
Scholarships are free money or gift aid that does not need to be repaid. There are thousands of scholarships available for students to apply for to help pay for college or career school. Please see list of scholarships below offered by different institutions, organizations, companies, and many more!
Click here to see a list of some currently available scholarships, or use the list below to start your search.
Search for Scholarships
- College Readiness List
- ACS Chemistry for Life – ACS Scholars
- ACS Chemistry for Life – Project SEED
- AES Engineering
- Airport Minority Advisory Council
- American Indian College Fund
- American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers
- American Welding Society
- APIA Scholars
- Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA)
- Automotive Hall of Fame
- BigFuture Scholarship Directory
- BigFuture Scholarships
- BigFuture Student Search Service
- Black Student Scholarships
- Bold.org
- Cappex
- CareerOneStop
- CCNMA: Latino Journalists of California
- Central Valley Scholars
- Chamber of Commerce
- Cirkled In
- Coca-Cola Scholarship Foundation
- College Board Scholarship Partners
- CollegeData
- CSU Scholarships
- Education Employees Credit Union Student Grant Program
- Education Employees Credit Union scholarship list
- Fastweb
- Fresno State Scholarships
- FUSD Scholarship Fund
- FCC Scholarships
- Gates Millennium Scholars
- Global Scholarships
- Golden 1 Credit Union
- Grapes from California
- Great Minds in STEM
- HBCU Scholarships
- Hispanic Scholarship Fund
- Japanese American Citizens League
- LGBTQ+ Scholarships
- LULAC National Educational Service Centers, Inc. (LNESC)
- MALDEF Scholarship Resource Guide
- NAACP Scholarships
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) Undergraduate Scholarship Program
- National Merit Scholarship Corp
- National Space Club and Foundation
- NCRF Scholarship List
- Nursing Scholarships
- PFLAG
- Prudential Emerging Visionaries
- QuestBridge
- RaiseMe (Learn how RaiseMe works)
- Scholarships.com
- SME Education Foundation
- Society for Science
- Society of Women Engineers
- SPIE
- Study.com
- Tuition Funding Sources
- UC Scholarships
- UNCF
- US Institute of Peace National High School Essay Contest
High School Directory
If you need support with financial aid, please contact your high school counselor.
School | Financial Aid Lead | |
---|---|---|
Bullard | Cesar Heras | Cesar.Heras@fresnounified.org |
Cambridge | Jose Perez | jose.perez@fresnounified.org |
Design Science | Sandra Cloney | Sandra.Cloney@fresnounified.org |
DeWolf | Jose Perez | jose.perez2@fresnounified.org |
Duncan | Thomas Yang | Thomas.Yang@fresnounified.org |
Edison | Crystal King | Gloria.King@fresnounified.org |
eLearn | Olga Lopez | olga.lopez@fresnounified.org |
Fresno | Gina Sandoval | gina.rios-sandoval@fresnounified.org |
Hoover | Amy Gonzales | Amy.Gonzalez@fresnounified.org |
JE Young | Jessica Silva | Jessica.Silva@fresnounified.org |
McLane | Fabiola Garcia | Fabiola.Garcia@fresnounified.org |
Patino | Oscar Barragan | Oscar.Barragan@fresnounified.org |
Roosevelt | Ariel Mena | Ariel.Mena@fresnounified.org |
Sunnyside | Jesus Mercado | Jesus.Mercado@fresnounified.org |
Resources
General Financial Aid Resources
- How Financial Aid Works – For most students planning to attend college or career school, financial aid is essential. At studentaid.gov they walk you through how financial aid works, resources to pay for college, and loan repayment options.
- Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan – UC’s Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan will ensure that you will not have to pay UC’s systemwide tuition and fees out of your own pocket if you are a California resident whose total family income is less than $80,000 a year and you qualify for financial aid.
- California Community Colleges – Information on different types of financial aid and how to apply.
- Alphabet Soup – Acronyms and definitions of financial aid terms.
- Student Aid Glossary – Definitions of terms related to college and financial aid.
- English-Spanish Glossary of Student Financial Aid and Postsecondary Education – Look up the Spanish definitions of commonly used financial aid and postsecondary education terms.
- California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) – The state’s college access and financial aid agency provides financial aid resources and information about California-specific opportunities.
- Financial Aid Information for Undocumented Students – Admission policies, financial aid, and scholarship opportunities at colleges and universities throughout the nation and abroad for undocumented students and DREAMers.
- Immigration Resources on Financial Aid
- College is For Everyone! A California Financial Aid Guide for Youth with Juvenile Justice Involvement
- Net Price Calculator – Search for net price calculators by college or university. Calculators allow prospective students to enter information about themselves to find out what students like them paid to attend the institution in the previous year, after taking grants and scholarship aid into account.
- College Costs – Learn about college costs and get tips on how to lower costs when you go to school.
- Jobs and Work Study – Having a job while pursuing your education is one way to meet your student contribution and reduce the amount you’ll have to borrow.
- Federal Work Study Programs at CSU Campuses – If you participate in a Federal Work-Study program you’ll work part-time while you’re going to school. Search for the Federal Work-Study programs and requirements at your CSU campus.
Foster Youth Links and Resources
Students who are current or former foster youth are eligible for a wide variety of financial supports when attending college or vocational school. After foster youth complete the FAFSA they will also need to complete the Chafee application to receive an additional grant. We recommend exploring the links below.