May 2026

Financial Aid

Growth in Cal Grant Recipients Is Lowered Under May Revision but Remains High

Cal Grant Recipients, Percent Change From Prior Year

  Percent Change from
2024-25 to 2025-26
   Percent Change from
   2025-26 to 2026-27
   Governor's  Budget May
Revision
   Governor's Budget May
Revision
Total Increase 12.4% 11.9%   9.1% 7.9%
By Segment:          
California Community Colleges 12.4% 13.9%   7.2% 5.9%
California State University 17.1 13.6   14.0 12.3
University of California 5.5 4.2   5.8 5.2
Private nonprofit institutions 7.2 6.1   6.1 4.3
Private for-profit institutions 11.6 43.9   2.9 7.9
Other public institutions -7.3 -47.3   -55.2 15.5
By Program:          
High School Entitlement 10.6% 10.5%   8.6% 7.1%
CCC Expanded Entitlement 16.8 15.8   11.7 11.0
Competitive -6.4 -6.4   -0.8 -0.8
Transfer Entitlement 7.4 5.2   3.8 2.3
Cal Grant C 39.6 42.0   5.1 0.5
By Award Type:          
Cal Grant B 14.0% 14.0%   10.6% 9.0%
Cal Grant A 6.7 5.0   5.5 5.4
Cal Grant C 39.6 42.0   5.1 0.5
By Renewal or New:          
Renewal 14.5% 15.7%   13.3% 10.8%
New 10.1 7.9   4.5 4.4