California attempts to increase access to state financial aid for students as FAFSA problems persist

At the start of this year, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, underwent updates aimed at broadening its accessibility to students from low-income and undocumented backgrounds.

But the National College Attainment Network reported a 36% decrease in FAFSA applications in California following several technical difficulties with the online portal.

College financial aid applications are changing. Here’s what’s new for FAFSA and CADAA in California.

California legislators and public colleges have taken a multi-layered approach to secure financial aid for all students applying to college, both giving students more time and in some cases opening new ways to apply for aid. 

Last month, the state Legislature passed Assembly Bill 1887, authored by Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes, to extend the FAFSA deadline from April 2 to May 2. 

Soon after extending the FAFSA deadline, the California State University, University of California, and community colleges systems have also postponed their acceptance date from May 1 to May 15 due to ongoing issues with the FAFSA portal.

Shelveen Ratnam from the California Student Aid Commission — a state agency delivering financial aid — said the most impacted group was those with mixed-citizenship status where one parent may not have a social security number.

"Students from mixed-status families have encountered specific challenges, and this extension will provide them with the necessary time and resources to complete their financial aid applications," Ratnam explained.

This week, the California Student Aid Commission opened up the California Dream Act Application to students with mixed citizenship status and non-US citizenships. Previously, only undocumented students could fill out the application, also known as CADAA.

Noelia Gonzalez, director of financial aid programs at the CSU Chancellor’s office, underscored the collaborative effort to open up the California Dream Act Application to a wider array of students. 

"The California Student Aid Commission, together with the UC, the CSU and the governor's office worked on a plan to extend the California Dream Act Application for students who are from mixed-status families," Gonzalez said.

While the CADAA form does not substitute federal aid such as Pell Grants provided by FAFSA, it can serve as a bridge to state and institutional financial aid. This includes assistance for students with a parent lacking a social security number, asylum seekers, refugees, and permanent residents.

“It's money they would have been eligible for in the past,” said Gonzalez. “The problem we're having is that these students aren't able to submit a FAFSA due to their parents' situation.”

Officials are urging families to complete both the FAFSA for federal aid and the CADAA for state financial aid, making use of the extended deadline and available opportunity.

“Applying to CADAA will be super important for these families,” said Ratnam. “It allows them to receive a financial aid offer letter that will show them all the state and institutional aid they're eligible for so they'll be able to make a more well-informed enrollment decision.” 

The California Student Aid Commission is holding ‘Cash For College’ workshops in person throughout the state and online for any families struggling with the process. Six hundred workshops by the Student Aid Commission have already been accessed, according to Ratnam. 

“We know that a lot of students and families are dealing with a lot of stress and challenges filling out financial aid applications,” said Ratnam. “And we want to let them know that we're here to help.”

Srishti Prabha is an education reporter and Report For America corps member in collaboration with CapRadio and The Sacramento Observer. Their focus is K-12 education in Sacramento’s Black communities.