Frequently Asked Questions

General Information

Q. What is the California College Promise Grant?

The California College Promise Grant is a statewide fee waiver program designed to waive the per-unit enrollment fee (tuition) for eligible students at any California community college throughout the state. (Assistance for the purchase of books and supplies must be applied for separately.)

Q. What is the CC Promise Grant Online Application?

The California College Promise Grant Online Application is the only secure, systemwide, online solution for determining fee waiver eligibility for the California Community Colleges. Formerly known as the Board of Governors (BOG) Fee Waiver Application, the California College Promise Grant Online Application is fully funded by the CCC Chancellor's Office and developed by the CCC Technology Center.

Q. What’s the difference between the California College Promise Grant program and the online application?

Many California community colleges provide an online option for students to apply for the California College Promise Grant through CCCApply. The benefit to colleges using the online application, allows the student’s data entered through CCCApply to be transferred automatically, making the student’s financial aid application much easier and faster to process.

Q. Is the online application available in multiple languages?

Yes. Currently the CC Promise Grant Online Application is available in English and Spanish. Applicants can toggle between these translations by clicking on the “Cambiar A Espanol” button, which appears on every page of the application. Below are examples of the Residency Status section on the CC Promise Grant Online Application in English and Spanish.

Open	Open
From the CC Promise Grant Online Application: English	From the CC Promise Grant Online Application: Spanish

Q: Is a paper application available if needed?

Yes. The CCC Chancellor’s Office publishes a paper version in PDF format each year. The paper applications in English and Spanish can be downloaded below: 

English: California College Promise Grant application (PDF).

Spanish: la Solicitud de Subvención Promesa Universitaria de California (PDF)

Q: Which colleges offer the online CC Promise Grant Application?

Currently over 40 California community colleges have implemented or are in the process of implementing the CC Promise Grant Online Application. For a list of the colleges that accept online applications, see the “California College Promise Grant” page on the CCCApply.org website.

Q. What if my college is not on the list of colleges offering the CC Promise Grant Online Application?

If your college is not listed here, please contact the college's Financial Aid office directly. Or download the California College Promise Grant application (PDF).

Q: Why do some colleges not offer the online CC Promise Grant Application? 

College Implementation Information

Q. How can California community colleges get started using the CC Promise Grant Online Application?

Colleges should contact the Enabling Services division at the CCC Technology Center to schedule a demo and get information on the technical implementation.

Q. What level of IT effort is involved in implementing the CC Promise Grant Online Application?

For colleges currently using the CCCApply Standard Application, much of the required setup and IT configuration is already in place for the other CCCApply applications, including the CC Promise Grant, International application, and the Noncredit application. The remaining implementation work for the Promise Grant is facilitating data delivery for the CCPG data fields. To learn more, email the Enabling Services team at the CCC Technology Center to schedule a demo.

Q. Who should our college call for technical support for the CC Promise Grant Online Application?

The Enabling Services division at the CCC Technology Center is responsible for providing systemwide technology implementation and post-production support for CCCTC-developed applications and services.

Q. What admin configuration settings are required for the CC Promise Grant Online Application?

Q. How is the Academic Year for financial aid set for our college’s CC Promise Grant Online Application?

The CCCApply standard application’s internal college table contains an academic_year field that is associated with the Promise Grant (BOGFW) application year. This field contains a value of 1 or 2 which indicates the following: 

1 = Fall through Summer
2 = Summer through Spring

The academic_year code is selected and set in the CCCApply Administrator for each individual college. The field is set after first selecting the college name from the Select a College menu, and then clicking on College Information from the “College & District Information” link in the main header. From the College Information page, click the Edit button. In the Add/Edit College Information modal, scroll down to find the Academic Year toggle. Set accordingly.

Getting to the Academic Year Setting

1. Using an authorized user account, a college staff member logs in to the CCCApply Administrator, selects their college from the Select A College menu.

   1. From any application page, select College Information from the Colleges & Districts link from the main header menu.
      
      

      
      
      

2. From the College Information summary page, click on the Edit button to display the Edit College Information modal.
   
   

Eligibility Information

Q. Where can students find more information about financial aid and fee waiver programs for the California community colleges?

Check out the I Can Afford College website to learn more about your options. We’re here to keep you out of debt while you’re in college.

Q. Who can apply for the CC Promise Grant?

The California College Promise Grant is available for students planning to or currently attending a California community college. More than 1 million students got this grant last year (2019-2020).

Q. Who qualifies for eligibility for the CC Promise Grant?

There are three eligibility requirements to qualify for the California College Promise Grant:

1. The student must be planning to attend or currently attending a California community college.

2. The student must be determined to be a resident OR exempt from non-resident fees under the California Dream Act.

3. The student must have financial need.

Millions of dollars of financial aid go unused every year because students don’t think they will qualify, which in many cases isn’t true.

Q. Does the CC Promise Grant cover other expenses in addition to tuition fees?

No. The CC Promise Grant fee waiver strictly covers/waives tuition fees at California community colleges. Assistance for the purchase of books, supplies, and living expenses are not covered by the CCPG grant and must be applied for separately.

Q. Can a student lose eligibility for the CC Promise Grant?

Yes, if the student is not careful, it IS possible to lose eligibility for the California College Promise Grant.  To maintain or regain eligibility for the CC Promise Grant, students must:

• Keep Up Your Grades
  Students must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher.
  If your cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 for two consecutive terms (not including summer), you may lose your eligibility for the California College Promise Grant.

• Complete Your Classes
  You must complete more than 50% of your coursework.
  You could also lose your eligibility for the grant if the overall number of units you complete is 50% or less for two consecutive terms (not including summer).

Q:  Do students need to be full-time students to be eligible for the CC Promise Grant?

Students do not have to be a full-time student to receive financial aid. At California community colleges, there is no minimum unit requirement for enrollment fee waivers through the California College Promise Grant. Nevertheless, students are encouraged to talk with an advisor or counselor, as well as staff in the financial aid office, to help develop an education plan that meets their needs and makes effective use of their financial aid.

Q. Can a student apply for a CC Promise Grant fee waiver at more than one college at a time?

Yes, eligible students may apply for and receive a California College Promise Grant fee waiver to cover fees at more than one college or center.

Q. What is the difference between the CCPG and the FAFSA?

A.