FAFSA/CADAA or Opt-Out Requirement for ALL SENIORS

California state law requires every senior to submit a FAFSA or CADAA (CA Dream Act Application), or to have an opt-out form on file. 

Submitting financial aid forms does not commit your student to anything. Applications determine whether your student is eligible for financial aid for four-year colleges, community colleges, and many career and trade programs. If your family chooses not to file FAFSA or CADAA, please make a copy of the opt-out form (English and Spanish), save it, sign it, and email it back to me. A parent or guardian must sign, or the student if 18 or older.

Which form should you complete? (File the FAFSA or the CADAA, not both.)

• FAFSA: for U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens. It covers federal, state, and college-specific aid.

• CADAA: for students who are not eligible for the FAFSA, including undocumented and AB 540 students. It covers California state and college aid.

• CSS Profile: an additional form some private colleges require for distribution of their own aid funds. Check each college's financial aid page, or click here to see if your private schools require the CSS Profile.

Deadlines

• College financial aid deadlines are often earlier than the final deadline. Early Decision and Early Action applicants should check now, since some CSS Profile deadlines fall in early November.

• March 2, 2027: California priority deadline for Cal Grants and other state aid.

Before you start

• The student and each parent contributor need their own StudentAid.gov account. Create these first.

• Have 2025 tax returns and W-2s on hand.

• Have the list of colleges and programs the student is considering. Students need to list all colleges they're applying to in FAFSA.

• For the state of CA to know we're in compliance with this law, students MUST first log into californiacolleges.edu, then click on "Financial Aid" at the top, then click on "Launch from CaliforniaColleges.Edu" and choose either FAFSA or CADAA. (See image below.)