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FINANCIAL AID & SCHOLARSHIPS FAS
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Middle Class Scholarship

 

The Middle Class Scholarship provides undergraduate students with a tuition award to attend the University of California or California State University. Families with incomes up to $201,000 and a maximum household asset amount of $201,000 may be eligible for the Middle Class Scholarship. In order to ensure consideration for the Middle Class Scholarship, students need to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California Dream Act Application by March 2nd each year.

The award is determined after you are awarded any Federal, State, Institutional or outside scholarship aid. If you are selected to receive a Middle Class Scholarship, you will be notified by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). You can also monitor your award by creating an account at https://mygrantinfo.csac.ca.gov/

Eligibility Requirements

When determining eligibility, CSAC takes into account the Student’s total cost of attendance and all available resources awarded to the student. The student’s “available resources” consist of three collective factors: other available gift aid that the student is eligible for (i.e. federal, state, institutional or scholarship aid), a self-help student contribution of $7,898 (applied to all students),and a parent contribution for dependent students with a household income of over $100,000. The student's “available resources” will be deducted from the student’s total cost of attendance to determine the MCS award. Under this formula, award amounts will vary widely among students. If the student’s combined grant funding from federal, state, institutional, and private sources is already greater than or equal to the amount of their Middle Class Scholarship eligibility, the student will be ineligible for the scholarship.

MCS award amounts may be reduced at any time during the academic year if a recipient receives any additional federal, state, institutional or private funding after the MCS has already been awarded.

Please note that if you receive Cal Grant, you may not be eligible for MCS funds, however, in some cases students may be able to receive both awards.