The FAFSA and California Dream Act applications opened on Oct. 1, for the 2023-2024 academic year.
These forms are what help students get financial aid, such as grants, scholarships, and other financial awards.
Both applications work for similar purposes, however, their requirements/eligibility are different.
The Free Application For Student Aid (FAFSA) is for those born in the United States. According to the National Immigration Law Center, the Dream Act is for non-residents who have entered the U.S. at 16 years old or younger and have been here for five years or more.
“We offer a wide range of grants and loans for students and these applications assist us in determining what financial aid programs a student may qualify for,” said Tina Lent, Delta’s FInancial Aid director. “Some of our scholarships also require a student to have a FAFSA or Dream Act application on file to determine eligibility.”
According to Delta’s website, the applications help the institution decide how much financial help a student will get based on Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and Cost of Attendance (COA), among other factors, as a way to calculate the amount of the financial aid rewards.
Lent recommends students that plan to transfer to a four-year university fill out these forms.
“Students that are planning to transfer to a 4-year university should plan on completing the FAFSA or Dream Act application as soon as the application comes out to ensure they are considered for all financial aid programs they may qualify for,” said Lent.
Delta College provides support for these applications through the Delta Connect Center, which is located on the first floor of DeRicco. The center is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Appointments can also be scheduled through Delta’s website with the Live Chat feature, which is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.