Grants

• Need-based grant only available at California community colleges, provided by the State of California
• Must be a California resident or an AB540 eligible student to qualify
• Full or part-time enrollment
• Waives the $46 per unit tuition fees. Students are still required to pay $1 per unit for student union fees (max $10 per year) and $5 per semester for student activity fees. The $1 per unit fees may be waived if you are receiving TANF, CalWORKs, SSI, or General Assistance. Supplemental documentation dated within 60 days will be requested to validate eligibility.
• Apply via the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA), or the CA College Promise Grant Application.
• Deadline to apply is June 30, 2026 (for summer 2025, fall 2025, and spring 2026 fees). No refunds will be processed after June 30, 2026.
• Deadline to appeal:
  • Summer 2025: July 25, 2025
  • Fall 2025: December 5, 2025
  • Spring 2026: May 1, 2026

• The CA College Promise Grant must be awarded no later than June 30 of the award year in order for you to qualify for tuition refund if you paid your tuition for summer, fall, and/or spring. Refunds after June 30 are prohibited by law under this program.
• You will receive a discount for parking passes.
• There is no limit to the number of units that are covered by the CA College Promise Grant.
• If you are eligible for the CA College Promise Grant, you may also qualify for the EOPS Program.
• If you applied through the CA College Promise Grant Application and are not eligible based on the income standards, you are strongly encouraged to complete the FAFSA since it has a higher income ceiling for fee waiver eligibility.

In order for you to keep your CA College Promise Grant status you must:

• Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0
• Successfully complete at least 50 percent of all units attempted

If you are not able to meet these standards for two consecutive primary terms (fall and spring), it will result in loss of fee waiver eligibility. You will receive a notice that you have been placed on probation and will have one semester to meet both standards. If these standards are not met, you will lose your CA College Promise Grant.

If you meet one of the following criteria, you may appeal your loss of the CA College Promise Grant.

• Extenuating circumstances (accident, illness, or change in economic situation).
• Significant academic improvement (2.0 GPA and 50 percent completion rate in the last term).
• Verified disability with accommodation not received in a timely manner.
• Unable to obtain essential disability support services.
• Are a participant in the CalWORKs, EOPS, DSS, or Veterans Services. 

To appeal, please complete the CA College Promise Grant Appeal Form, available via the Financial Aid tile on InSite, no later than:

• Summer 2025: July 25, 2025
• Fall 2025: December 5, 2025
• Spring 2026: May 1, 2026

• Free tuition.
• Awarded to eligible veteran dependents.

• Must be a California resident or qualify for an in-state residency exemption
• Must enroll in a minimum of 12 units per semester, or 9 units if you are an approved DSS student
• Up to two years eligibility, fall and spring semesters only. Summer term is excluded.

• Need-based grant provided by the Federal Government
• Must be a U.S. Citizen or eligible noncitizen
• Award is up to $7,395 per year for full time enrollment (2023-2024 academic year). The amount awarded depends on financial needed, and is prorated based on enrollment status.
• Apply via the FAFSA
• Deadline to apply is June 30, 2026 (for 2025-2026 academic year).
• Eligible for annual renewal

• Pell Grants are free money for college that does not have to be repaid.
• You must be enrolled in at least 12 units to receive your full Pell Grant eligibility for a term.
• The 2025-2026 application covers summer 2025, fall 2025, and spring 2026. Note that students will not be paid for summer from both application years.
• Pell Grants are available for summer. For more information, visit special circumstances.
• You may receive the Pell Grant for no more than 12 semesters or the equivalent (calculate your Pell Grant eligibility).
• To continue receiving the Pell Grant, you must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress.
• If you have already earned a bachelor's degree or higher, you are not eligible for the Pell Grant.
• More detailed information about the Pell Grant.

All Pell Grant recipients are subject to Lifetime Eligibility Limits. The amount of Federal Pell Grant you may receive during your entire undergraduate career is limited to 12 full time semesters (equivalent to 6 years). Since the maximum amount of Pell Grant funding you can receive each year is equal to 100 percent, the six-year equivalent is 600 percent.

Once you have reached the Pell Lifetime Eligibility Limit, you will no longer be eligible for Federal Pell Grant. You may check the status of your Pell Lifetime Eligibility online by logging into InSite and reviewing the Financial Aid menu or signing into the Federal Student Aid website. Follow this link to learn more about the Pell Lifetime Eligibility Limits.

• Need-based grant provided by the Federal Government
• Must be a U.S. Citizen or eligible noncitizen
• Award is up to $500 per year for full time enrollment. The amount awarded depends on financial needed, and is prorated based on enrollment status.
• If you have the lowest student aid index (SAI) and highest need, you will be given priority for FSEOG.
• Apply via the FAFSA
• Deadline to apply is March 2 every year
• Eligible for annual renewal
• You must be enrolled in a minimum of six units and meet Satisfactory Academic Progress to continue receiving the FSEOG. 

• FSEOG funding is limited and you are encouraged to apply early to increase your chances of receiving the grant.
• Once the full amount of the school’s FSEOG funds has been awarded, no more awards can be made for that year. This system works differently from the Pell Grant, which provides funds to every eligible student.

• Cal Grants are need-based, provided by the State of California
• There are three different types of Cal Grants - A, B and C.
  • Cal Grant A recipients who attend community college will have their award held in reserve for up to two academic years until they transfer to a tuition-charging institution. Cal Grant A recipients with dependents will receive up to $6000 per year.
  • Cal Grant B recipients will receive up to $1648 per year, or up to $6024 per year with dependents.
  • Cal Grant C recipients will receive up to $1094 per year, or up to $4000 per year if they have dependents.
• To apply, submit the FAFSA or CADAA as well as the GPA Verification.
• Deadline to apply  for community college students is September 2.
• Eligible for annual renewal

• The number of Cal Grant awards is limited. Apply early to increase your chances of receiving a Cal Grant.
• The FAFSA or CADAA as well as the GPA Verification are required to complete your application.
• If you are an undocumented AB540 student, you are eligible to apply for Cal Grants by completing both the CADAA and GPA Verification by September 2.
• There are several types of Cal Grant awards available and the amount received varies. Learn more about the differences between Cal Grant A, B, C.
• You must maintain at least a half-time enrollment status (six units) in order to receive the Cal Grant.
• To continue receiving the Cal Grant, you must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress.
• Cal Grant eligibility is determined by the California Student Aid Commission and then verified by your college.
• All Cal Grant recipients must create an account online through Web Grants for Students.
• Learn more about the Cal Grant Program.

Per California Assembly Bill (AB) 2086, the following information is made available to provide access to California license examination passage rates for graduates of Diablo Valley College programs that require California licensure. Data will continue to be updated as California licensing and/or regulatory agencies make the data electronically available.

Below are the licensing exam passage rates for DVC students graduating in the following programs:

Dental Assisting (Associate Degree and Certificate)

• DVC graduate passage rate for 21-22: TBD%

For dental assisting, the latest published written and practical exam results are available on the Dental Board of California's Examination Statistics website. *As of 8/15/2022, students enrolled in the Dental Assisting 2022 cohort are waiting to take the California Dental Assisting Exam.

Dental Hygiene (Associate Degree)

• DVC graduate passage rate for 21-22: 90%

Pass rate data by school for dental hygiene is not available by the licensing agency. However, aggregate data is available through the Dental Hygiene Board of California by reviewing the DHCC 2018 Sunset Review Report to the Legislature.

• The SSC Grant is need-based, provided by the State of California
• You must be a Cal Grant B or C recipient and enrolled full time to be eligible for the SSC Grant
• Awards for students enrolled in 12 to 14.99 units is $1298 per term, up to $2596 annually.
• Awards for students enrolled in 15+ units is $4000 per term, up to $8000 annually
• To apply, submit the FAFSA or CADAA as well as the GPA Verification
• Priority deadline is March 2; community college deadline is September 2
• Eligible for annual renewal

• The FAFSA and the GPA Verification are required to complete your application OR if you are an undocumented AB540 student, you are eligible to apply for the SSC Grant by completing both the California DREAM Application and GPA Verification by March 2.
• To continue receiving the SSCG Grant you must meet the standards outlined in the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.

• The Chafee Grant is need-based, provided by the State of California
• Award is up to $5,000 per year
• To apply, submit the FAFSA or CADAA as well as the Chafee Grant Application
• Deadline to apply is September 2 every year
• Eligible for annual renewal

• To qualify, you must be a current or former foster youth and not have reached your 26th birthday as of July 1 of the award year. The court must have established your dependency when you were between the ages of 16 and 18.
• The California Department of Social Services will verify your foster youth eligibility status.
• If you are an undocumented AB540 student, you are eligible for apply for Chafee Grants by completing both the California DREAM Application AND Chafee Grant Application by September 2.
• To continue receiving the Chafee Grant, you must be enrolled in at least six units and meet Satisfactory Academic Progress. 
• All Chafee Grant recipients must create an account online through Web Grants for Students.
• To check your Chafee Grant status online, go to Web Grants for Students.
• More information about the Chafee Grant.