SBCC students walking on campus

How to Apply for Financial Aid

Applying for state and federal financial aid is free. Simply complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). A Spanish FAFSA is also available. A student needs to file the FAFSA once each year. Santa Barbara City College's FAFSA school code is 001285. SBCC will only receive your information if we are listed on the FAFSA.  Be sure you select the correct FAFSA for the semester you plan to attend:

Fall 2024, Spring 2025 and Summer 2025 = 2024 - 2025 FAFSA

To be eligible to receive federal student aid, you must be pursuing an Associate Degree or be in a certificate program designated to be eligible for federal financial aid.

The FAFSA is the application for Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), Federal Work Study (FWS), Federal Subsidized Direct Loans, Federal Unsubsidized, and Federal PLUS Loans (for contributor's).  While no other application is needed, students may be asked to provide additional documentation to complete their applications.  The Financial Aid Office will notify you via your campus account if more documentation is required.

If you provided your e-mail address on your FAFSA, you'll receive an e-mail with a link to your FAFSA Submission Summary on the Web in no more than 5 days. You'll receive an FAFSA Submission Summary Acknowledgment in the mail about 2 weeks after submitting your online FAFSA.  The report contains a summary of information provided on the FAFSA and lists the student's "Student Aid Index" (SAI).

Once your FAFSA is received by SBCC you will receive an email from finaid@sbcc.edu.  You will be instructed to login to your SBCC account to see what additional steps you need to move your financial aid application forward.

The FAFSA can also be used to determine eligibility for California College Promise Grant (CCPG). If eligible for the CCPG using your FAFSA, the CCPG will be reflected in your Award Letter. You can view this in your SBCC account. Students can view their Award Letter once all outstanding financial aid requirements have been completed. 

The FAFSA is required for Cal Grants A, B, and C, but you must also submit the California Student Aid Commission's GPA Verification by March 2 (or the second cycle of September 2 if attending a community college). Many colleges (including SBCC) and high schools submit the GPA on a student's behalf. Please check with your college or high school to see if that is the case.  

Undocumented students who qualify for AB-540 residency classification should complete the CA Dream Act Application. The California Dream Act allows AB-540 students to apply for and receive several types of financial aid, including;

Apply Now!