Chafee Grant Program

The California Chafee Grant Program provides awards to current or former foster youth. Administered by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), students may qualify for up to $5,000 per year to help cover costs for career and technical training or college.

To qualify for the California Chafee Grant, students must be current or former foster youth and not have turned 26 by July 1 of the award year. The court must have established the student's dependency between the ages of 16 and 18. KinGap youth, adopted youth, those in guardian placement, and voluntary placement may not be eligible unless their court dependency was established during that time. The California Department of Social Services will verify the student's foster youth eligibility status.

The Chafee Educational and Training Voucher (ETV) is federal and state funded with a current minimum amount of $4,500 per academic year. The final award amount will be determined based on the college of attendance and enrollment status.

Chafee Grant Application & Eligibility Requirements

In addition to the California Department of Social Services verification of qualifying foster status, the following must also be submitted:

1. Chafee Grant Application must be completed – Apply here: https://chafee.csac.ca.gov/
2. Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA) must be completed – Apply here: www.studentaid.gov
   
   OR California Dream Act Application (CADAA) must be complete – Apply here: https://dream.csac.ca.gov/landing

Additional Requirements for Chafee Grant, students must:

• Be enrolled in at least half-time (6+ Units) status
• Must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards
• Be a current or former foster youth who was a ward of the court, living in foster care for at least one day between the ages of 16 and 18. 
• Not have reached their 26th birthday as of July 1st of the award year. 

California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) Selection Criteria and Priority Order

Student completed applications are sorted by application date, and awards are offered in order of priority. Selection criteria priority order is as follows as determined by the Chafee Program at CSAC:

1.  Paid renewal students under age 25 as of July 1st of the award year. 
    These are students who have received at least one payment in a prior year. 
2.  New and non-paid renewal students who will be age 25 as of July 1st of the award year. 
3. Non-paid renewal students. These are students who have had active Chafee applications in a prior year but have not been paid. 
4.  New students. 

• The WebGrants System automatically prioritizes students
• Students are typically wait-listed for the academic year in which they apply

 Academic Standards and Flexibilities for SB 150

If you are a recipient of the California Chafee Grant, you must meet all the requirements in SCC's SAP Policy. Students who do not meet SAP standards then must follow criteria laid out in SB 150.

• If a student fails to demonstrate SAP for two consecutive semesters, the student may continue to receive a Chafee grant but MUST meet with an eligible staff/faculty member to develop a Student Success Plan for improving academic progress. Disqualified students who complete the SCC SAP Appeal and are approved, will subsequently be approved for the Chafee Grant, and will not need to complete the Chafee Success Plan but will be required to follow the conditions of the SAP Appeal Approval. Students who complete the SAP Appeal must provide a written explanation of why they dropped or failed classes, how they will make progress and what resources they will use to be successful.
• If a student fails to demonstrate SAP for three consecutive semesters, the student may continue to receive a Chafee grant but MUST meet with an academic counselor for an updated Student Success Plan to ensure the student is able to make academic progress going forward.
• If a student subsequently fails to meet SAP for a fourth consecutive semester, the student loses eligibility for the Chafee grant but may appeal by completing the Chafee Reinstatement Appeal Process.

Chafee Student Success Plan

Chafee Reinstatement Appeal Process

You may appeal the loss of your Chafee Grant eligibility by doing one of the following:

1. Achieve either a 2.0 GPA during the previous term or a cumulative GPA of 2.0.
2. Complete the Chafee Reinstatement Appeal. The appeal must demonstrate extenuating circumstances that prevented you from successfully completing your courses in the past but have since changed making it likely you will successfully meet satisfactory academic progress in the future. It is recommended that you provide any supporting documentation.

 Chafee Reinstatement Appeal Form​

 Once the student's financial aid file is complete and the FNAR has been submitted to CSAC, the SCC FAO will add the Chafee Award as “Estimated" and mail a revised award letter to the student. The award will remain estimated until we receive notification from CSAC that the student's Chafee Grant was funded. Once the Chafee Award has been funded by CSAC, we will notify the student regarding the disbursement process as long as the student has remained eligible. (Eligibility requirements are described above)

 Please be advised that not all students who apply for the Chafee Grant are guaranteed to receive payment during the academic year for which the award has been “estimated." The funds will be distributed by CSAC in the priority order described above. Students are encouraged to renew their FAFSA early each academic year, in order to be considered for the award until they age out of the program. The FAFSA becomes available every October 1 of the year prior to the new academic year.

Additional Support Services

In addition to applying for the California Chafee Grant, we want you to know there are other resources available to you at Santiago Canyon College:

• Guardian Scholars: This SCC program is committed to supporting students exiting the foster care system. Guardian Scholars provides assistance with:
  • New student orientation
  • Academic advising
  • Workshops for college success and careers
  • Completing college and university applications
  • Friendship and support

• Hawk Support Center: SCC's one-stop-shop for incoming, new and current students. Here, students receive assistance on anything related to Santiago Canyon College. You can access resources like homework support and printers; and get connected with opportunities for interaction with other SCC students.

• EOPS: Extended Opportunities, Programs & Services is offered to eligible full-time students who have educational and financial challenges. They can provide priority registration, book services, school supplies, counseling services (academic, career, and personal).

• TRiO: Offers assistance with math and writing, priority registration, academic coaching, guidance through the transfer to university process, and provides personal and professional development workshops.