Cal Grant 2027-28: Income Limits, Award Amounts, and the March 2 Deadline Explained

Cal Grant is California's main state grant for college: up to $15,588 a year at a University of California campus, $6,838 at a California State University campus, and up to $9,358 at a private college, based on the California Student Aid Commission's (CSAC) latest published amounts for 2026-27. There's no separate application. You file the FAFSA -- or the CA Dream Act Application (CADAA) if you can't file the FAFSA -- by March 2, and CSAC matches it with your GPA. For students starting in fall 2027, that means March 2, 2027.

CSAC has already published the 2027-28 income and asset ceilings, so families filing this fall can check eligibility now. The 2027-28 award amounts aren't out yet; the amounts below are 2026-27's.

How Cal Grant works

You don't choose a Cal Grant type. CSAC considers you for the right one based on four things: your FAFSA or CADAA, a verified GPA, financial need, and the kind of college you'll attend.

See Cal Grant A vs. B vs. C for the full breakdown.

Cal Grant award amounts (2026-27)

Every student at a given type of school receives the same Cal Grant amount if their need is high enough to use it all. UC is the exception that's locked in: under UC's tuition stability plan, each entering cohort has its own Cal Grant amount that stays the same for up to six years. (For what each UC campus charges in total, see UC tuition by campus for 2026-27.) Cal Grant A for a student who starts at a community college is held in reserve for up to two years until they transfer.

Who's eligible

Per CSAC, you must:

• file the FAFSA or CADAA by the deadline;
• have a verified GPA (high school or college) or a qualifying test score (SAT, ACT, GED, TASC, HiSET) on file with CSAC;
• be a California resident attending an eligible California college, and a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, eligible non-citizen, or AB 540 student;
• show financial need and fall under the income and asset ceilings -- see the 2027-28 Cal Grant income limits;
• be working toward a first undergraduate degree or certificate, enrolled at least half-time.

Deadlines and the guaranteed vs. competitive split

• March 2: high school seniors, last year's graduates, transfer students, and anyone going to a UC, CSU, or eligible private college. Meeting it puts you in line for a guaranteed entitlement award if you qualify.
• September 2: students attending a California Community College in the fall.

Missing the entitlement path doesn't end your chances, but the fallback, the Competitive Award, is limited in number and not open to community college students. See how GPA verification and the entitlement and competitive awards work. The March 2 date is a good example of why state aid deadlines differ from the FAFSA's own.

How to renew

Cal Grant lasts up to four years of full-time attendance. To renew, you must receive at least one Cal Grant payment in your first award year, file a new FAFSA or CADAA each year, and have eligibility left.

What this means for you

• File the 2027-28 FAFSA or CADAA before March 2, 2027. That one filing is your Cal Grant application.
• Check your GPA is on file in a WebGrants 4 Students account about a week after you file.
• Compare your family's income to the 2027-28 ceilings now -- and if you're above Cal Grant's, look at the Middle Class Scholarship, which reaches families earning up to $262,000.
• Undocumented students eligible under AB 540 use the CADAA instead of the FAFSA -- see how state aid works for undocumented and DACA students.
• Choosing between UC and CSU? Cal Grant pays both systems' full tuition at its maximum; see how UC and CSU differ.

Sources

• Cal Grant Programs — California Student Aid Commission
• Cal Grant Award Types — CSAC
• Cal Grant Award Cycles (Entitlement & Competitive) — CSAC
• Cal Grant FAQ — CSAC
• 2027-28 Cal Grant Program Income and Asset Ceilings (June 24, 2026) — CSAC