Grants are gifts or scholarships that do not have to be repaid. Loans have to be repaid, though payments are usually postponed until you finish school. Work-study employment enables a student to earn money toward the cost of education during enrollment. To receive federal or state student aid, certain criteria must be met. You must have a high school diploma or GED, have a valid Social Security number, be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen, be enrolled in a degree program, show satisfactory academic progress, be in compliance with U.S. Selective Service registration, and not be in default on a federal student loan.
Disabled individuals can usually have their student loans canceled with a letter from their doctor.
Federal Pell Grants, which do not have to be repaid, are the largest source of student aid. You can receive one Pell Grant per year and you must be an undergraduate in a degree program at an eligible school. Colleges award these grants to students with exceptional financial need. California offers a number of state grants called Cal Grants. Cal Grant B provides a living allowance and sometimes tuition and fees to very low income, first-time students.