Financial Aid & Scholarship Information
Applying for financial aid and scholarships is a vital part of the transfer process! A great place to start is Mt. SAC's Financial Aid website. At this site you will find a lot of great resources to help you in pursuing funding for your college career. In addition, below are some transfer financial aid basics:
How do I apply? All California community colleges, UCs, CSUs and most private and out-of-state institutions use the FAFSA—Free Application for Federal Student Aidto determine if you qualify for state and federal grants and loans. You should apply on-line at FAFSA. Applying on-line saves time and helps catch errors early.
If you are applying to a private or out-of-state institution, contact that school's financial aid office to find out if any other forms are required. For example, in addition to the FAFSA, the University of Southern California (USC) also requires students to complete the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE to see if you qualify for nonfederal student aid and see a list of all universities that require this particular application.
When do I apply? The best time to complete your FAFSA is January 1 – March 2 for the upcoming school year. (For example, apply in January 1-March 2, 2018 for the 2018-19 school year.) Applications are accepted after March 2, but you may qualify for more aid if you apply by March 2. Some universities may require that you complete the FAFSA earlier to be considered for other types of aid so be sure to connect with the universities you plan to transfer to early to find out specific deadlines.
What other items do I need to apply for financial aid? The FAFSA uses information from your previous year income tax returns and may require information from your parents' income tax returns if you are considered a dependent student. In addition, the colleges and universities you apply to may ask you to submit additional documentation once you have completed the FAFSA. Be sure to stay in contact with each college's financial aid office once you have applied to ensure that you submit any supplemental documentation required in a timely fashion. Failure to do so may jeopardize your financial aid package.
AB540 & California Dream Act
The California Dream Act allows students who meet AB540 criteria to apply for and
receive
non-state funded scholarships for public colleges/universities and state-funded financial
aid such as institutional grants, community college fee waivers, Cal Grant, and Chafee
Grant.
For more information and Dream Act applications visit: www.caldreamact.org.
Where can I find scholarships?
In addition to grants and loans, there are thousands and thousands of dollars awarded
each year in scholarships. However, some scholarships go unawarded each year because
students do not apply! So Mt. SAC's Transfer Services encourages you to apply for
scholarships as scholarship requirements vary and you might be that one student that
that scholarship committee is looking for. Here are some places you can find scholarships
to apply for:
- Mt. San Antonio College: The Mt. SAC Scholarship Program has scholarships for continuing, graduating, and transferring Mt. SAC students. Applications are typically accepted from late January through late March. Learn more about the program and application process by visiting the Scholarship Program website.
- The institution you are transferring to: Contact the Financial Aid Office at the colleges you are considering transferring to in order to find out their scholarship application procedure and deadlines.
- Private companies and organizations: Many private companies, organizations, churches, etc. provide scholarships. To find these, check out some free scholarship search sites such as:
www.fastweb.com
www.scholarships.com
www.collegeboard.com/pay
Notice: Mt. San Antonio College assumes no liability for any information provided by the websites to which links are provided. They are included on this page as additional resources for our students to explore. No endorsement of these websites is made or implied.
