The deadline for the Cal Grant Recalculation Date is drawing near for the fall semester for students to receive financial aid depending on the number of units they’re taking for the semester.
The deadline is Aug. 31, and no adjustments will be made after the date has passed. Any students who add classes after the deadline will not receive a Cal Grant to pay for them.
“It is basically the date in which we kind of freeze everything,” said Financial Aid Supervisor Angela Brady. “Our system takes a snapshot of student enrollment, and that enrollment will be used to prorate the Cal Grant and disburse those rewards.”
Students must apply first to see if they’re eligible for any grants.
“The enrollment is the most critical thing for that deadline, so if a student applies for Cal Grant and is eligible for Cal Grant after the deadline, we can still pay them, but it’s based on the units that they were in as of the Cal Grant Recalculation Date,” Brady said.
Dayed Amituanai, temporary clerk at the financial aid office, explained how important the deadline is for students.
“I would say it’d be pretty crucial because after that point, depending on all units that you’re currently enrolled in for that are eligible wouldn’t be recalculated after the date,” Amituanai said. “If you went and added classes and enrolled afterward, those wouldn’t be counted as well, so it’s pretty important to keep an eye on those deadlines.”
Brady said there is a six-unit minimum and twelve-unit maximum for students to qualify for Cal Grant eligibility.
“So if a student is only in nine units, for example, on that date at the end of the business day, then you’ll get a prorated amount of the cal grant award, but if they’re in 12 units, then they’ll get the full amount,” Brady said.
Brady spoke about what would happen if students receive a grant for a class prior to the CRD and then later drop it.
“They may be required to repay based on their enrollment,” Brady said.
“So like let’s say a student drops that class and then withdraws, they might be subject to a process called ‘Return of Title IV Funds,’” Brady said. “That’s a whole calculation that we have to take into consideration.”
Brady said if any students are considering dropping any classes, they have the option to check in with the financial aid office for help.
“They might want to check in with the financial aid office to determine what kind of impact that would have on their financial aid so that they can make an educated decision,” Brady said.
To learn more about grants and how to apply, click here.