Cal Grant C is a California state grant that pays up to $3,009 a year toward vocational, occupational, or technical training. It’s separate from Cal Grants A and B, which fund traditional degree programs, and it’s competitive: only 7,761 awards are handed out each year, so the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) ranks applicants and funds those above a cutoff score.
Who Qualifies
You need to be a California resident or qualify under Assembly Bill 540, which extends state financial aid to certain undocumented students, DACA recipients, and people with Temporary Protected Status or U visas. You have to be enrolled in an approved California institution in a qualifying occupational or technical program. If you already hold a bachelor’s degree, you’re out.
There is no minimum GPA to get Cal Grant C, which sets it apart from Cal Grants A and B. Your school still submits a GPA verification to CSAC as part of the general Cal Grant application.
Income and Asset Ceilings for 2026–27
Cal Grant C has its own income limits, separate from Cal Grant A. For 2026–27, dependent students face these ceilings by family size:
- Two: $60,700
- Three: $68,400
- Four: $76,100
- Five: $85,100
- Six or more: $91,900
Independent students without dependents face a $53,000 income ceiling, or $60,700 if married with no other dependents. The asset ceiling is $111,900 for dependent students and independent students with dependents, and $53,300 for independent students without dependents.1California Student Aid Commission. 2026-27 Cal Grant Income and Asset Ceilings These figures adjust yearly for cost of living, so check the current year if you’re reading later.
Which Programs Count
The program has to be occupational, technical, or vocational and last at least four months. Standard four-year degree programs, graduate programs, and stand-alone general education coursework don’t qualify. Neither do prerequisite courses you’re taking to prepare for a vocational program later.2California Student Aid Commission. Cal Grant C Award Nursing is the notable exception: nursing students can qualify even when the program leads to a bachelor’s degree.3California Student Aid Commission. 2025-26 Cal Grant Handbook
Common qualifying fields include healthcare roles like dental hygiene, respiratory therapy, and licensed vocational nursing; skilled trades like plumbing, HVAC, and welding; and technical fields like web development, computer support, and CNC machine programming.
How Much It Pays
Award amounts depend on where you attend. At a California community college, Cal Grant C pays up to $1,094 for tuition and fees plus $547 for books, tools, and equipment, for $1,641 a year. At a private for-profit or nonprofit vocational school, the tuition and fees portion rises to $2,462, with the same $547 for books, totaling $3,009 a year.4California Student Aid Commission. What Are the Cal Grant Award Amounts
How Applications Are Scored
Because Cal Grant C is competitive, CSAC ranks every applicant on a 50-point scale and sets a cutoff each cycle based on the applicant pool.2California Student Aid Commission. Cal Grant C Award Three inputs decide your score.
Priority Occupational List
Selecting an occupation on the Cal Grant C Priority Occupational List earns 25 points; anything else earns zero. The list is built from state labor data and covers careers with high employer demand and strong wages.5California Student Aid Commission. Cal Grant C Priority Occupational List Current entries include registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, respiratory therapists, dental hygienists, plumbers, HVAC technicians, web developers, computer support specialists, paralegals, and aerospace engineering technicians. This one factor is half the maximum score, so field selection largely decides who wins.
Work Experience
Total months of employment convert to points:
- 0–5 months: 0 points
- 6–10 months: 2 points
- 11–15 months: 4 points
- 16–20 months: 6 points
- 21–25 months: 8 points
- 26–30 months: 10 points
- 31–39 months: 12 points
- 40+ months: 15 points
Education History
Courses already completed in your chosen field add up to 10 more points:
- 0–1 courses: 0 points
- 2 courses: 3 points
- 3 courses: 5 points
- 4 courses: 8 points
- 5 or more courses: 10 points
Maximum possible score: 50 points, made up of 25 for a priority occupation, 15 for work experience, and 10 for education history.6California Student Aid Commission. 2025-26 Cal Grant C Scoring Chart
How to Apply
You don’t apply for Cal Grant C by name. CSAC decides which grant type (A, B, or C) fits you based on your materials and the schools you list.7California Student Aid Commission. Cal Grant Three pieces have to arrive on time.
FAFSA or California Dream Act Application
Every applicant files either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or, if you qualify under AB 540, the California Dream Act Application (CADAA). This provides the income and asset data CSAC uses to check eligibility.
GPA Verification
Your high school or college submits your GPA to CSAC. Most schools do this automatically, but confirm with your counseling or financial aid office that it went through.7California Student Aid Commission. Cal Grant
Cal Grant C Supplement
If CSAC identifies you as potentially eligible for Cal Grant C, you’ll complete the Cal Grant C Supplement inside your WebGrants for Students account.2California Student Aid Commission. Cal Grant C Award It asks about your work experience, courses completed in the field, and your occupational goal. These answers feed the scoring system, so be thorough. Your school can’t draw down payment from CSAC until the supplement is on file.3California Student Aid Commission. 2025-26 Cal Grant Handbook
Deadlines
The main deadline is March 2 each year for both the FAFSA or CADAA and your GPA verification. Students headed to a California community college get a second deadline of September 2.8California Student Aid Commission. How to Apply for Financial Aid Some colleges set earlier internal deadlines, so ask. CSAC emails award notifications around April.9California Student Aid Commission. Things You Need to Know About Cal Grant C
Renewing, Transferring, and Withdrawing
Cal Grant C can be renewed for up to two years of full-time attendance in a qualifying program, as long as you continue to meet the financial eligibility rules.10California Student Aid Commission. Ten Things You Need to Know About Cal Grant C You also have to maintain satisfactory academic progress. CSAC doesn’t set a statewide GPA floor for renewal; your school’s own policy applies, and that policy will spell out a minimum GPA, a completion pace, and a maximum timeframe.3California Student Aid Commission. 2025-26 Cal Grant Handbook
Changing schools? Update your school of attendance through WebGrants for Students, or email CSAC a G-10 Grant Record Change form with the new school’s name and city, the effective date, and the term the change applies to. A move can affect eligibility if the new school doesn’t offer a qualifying vocational program.11California Student Aid Commission. Grant Record Change for Students
If you withdraw from all classes after funds have been disbursed, your school may recalculate your eligibility and require you to repay some or all of the money.