The Student Success Completion Grant is a California state award that pays community college students up to $4,000 per semester for carrying 15 or more units, or $1,298 per semester for 12 to 14 units. It only goes to students already receiving a Cal Grant B or Cal Grant C for the same term, and it sits on top of your other financial aid to help cover living costs while you move toward a degree, certificate, or transfer.1California Legislative Information. California Education Code 88931
Who Qualifies
Every requirement in Education Code 88931 has to be met at the same time, and the Cal Grant piece is the one that catches most people. If you haven’t applied for or been awarded a Cal Grant B or Cal Grant C, you cannot receive the SSCG, no matter how many units you take.1California Legislative Information. California Education Code 88931 Cal Grant B targets low-income students and includes a living-expense stipend; Cal Grant C is for students in vocational or technical programs. Both require filing either a FAFSA or a California Dream Act Application.2California Student Aid Commission. 2025-26 Cal Grant Programs
You also have to be a California resident or qualify for the nonresident tuition exemption under Education Code 68130.5, known as AB 540. AB 540 generally covers students who attended California high schools, adult schools, or community colleges for at least three years and then graduated or completed equivalent credentials in California. Students on most nonimmigrant visas don’t qualify, though those with Temporary Protected Status or a U visa may.3California Student Aid Commission. California Nonresident Tuition Exemption
On top of that, you need to be enrolled at a participating California community college, making satisfactory academic progress, and carrying at least 12 units in a program that leads to an associate degree, a credit certificate of at least 24 semester units, or transfer to a four-year school. Noncredit coursework doesn’t count toward the unit requirement.
How Much the Grant Pays
The award depends entirely on your enrolled units at a semester-system college:4California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. Student Success Completion Grant Q&A
- 12 to 14.99 units: $1,298 per semester, up to $2,596 for the year.
- 15 or more units: $4,000 per semester, up to $8,000 for the year.
- Former foster youth at 12 or more units: $5,250 per semester, up to $10,500 for the year.
- Students with a Disabled Student Programs accommodation plan at 9 or more units: $1,298 per semester, up to $2,596 for the year. This category started in 2025–26.
The jump from 12 to 15 units more than triples the award. That’s deliberate. The state wants students completing 30 units a year, which keeps you on pace to finish an associate degree in two years or transfer on time. If you can handle the course load, 15 is where the money is.
Below 12 units, you get nothing (unless you’re in the DSPS 9-unit category). The SSCG is not paid as a standalone summer or intersession award, but units you complete in summer or winter can push your fall or spring award into the higher tier.5Fullerton College Financial Aid. Student Success Completion Grant
One ceiling applies to everyone: the SSCG cannot exceed your calculated financial need, and your total aid package cannot exceed your cost of attendance.1California Legislative Information. California Education Code 88931 For most Cal Grant B recipients, housing, transportation, and personal expenses leave plenty of room to collect the full SSCG, since community college enrollment fees are only $46 per unit.
How the SSCG Fits with Your Other Aid
The SSCG is a supplemental grant. It cannot replace aid you’re already receiving, and in your college’s packaging order it comes in after other grants and scholarships but before work-study and loans.4California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. Student Success Completion Grant Q&A It stacks on top of Pell Grant, Cal Grant, and institutional scholarships.
Because the SSCG depends on your Cal Grant, anything that costs you the Cal Grant costs you the SSCG. Cal Grant B requires a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 and has income and asset limits. Cal Grant C requires enrollment in an eligible vocational or technical program.2California Student Aid Commission. 2025-26 Cal Grant Programs Lose one and the other goes with it.
You also have to keep up with Satisfactory Academic Progress under federal standards, which your financial aid office tracks: a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0, successful completion of at least 67 percent of attempted units, and no more than 150 percent of the units required for your program.1California Legislative Information. California Education Code 88931 The 67 percent completion rate is where most students stumble, since a single semester of withdrawals can pull the cumulative rate down quickly. California law allows colleges to treat homelessness as an extenuating circumstance when applying these standards.
When You Actually Get the Money
Disbursement schedules vary by college, but SSCG funds generally go out after the census date, once your Cal Grant has been processed. Some schools split the payment in two, releasing half at the start of the term and the rest at midterm. Others pay it in a single installment. Money arrives by direct deposit or check depending on your school’s setup.
One thing worth knowing before you count on the money: many colleges award the SSCG on a first-come, first-served basis, and the statute itself only operates in years when the legislature appropriates funding.1California Legislative Information. California Education Code 88931 Meeting every eligibility requirement doesn’t guarantee an award if your school has already allocated its funds. File your FAFSA or California Dream Act Application early and lock in your full course load before your college’s priority deadlines.
Colleges verify enrollment at census, which is the official snapshot used for reporting. Dropping classes before census and falling below 12 units typically revokes the SSCG for that term. Dropping from 15 units to 13 after census can shift you from the $4,000 tier to the $1,298 tier. The specifics are set by each college, but the principle is universal: your award follows your enrolled units.
What Happens If You Drop Below 12 Units
The SSCG is a grant, not a loan, so there’s no interest. You can still end up owing money back. If you withdraw after being paid and drop below the threshold, your college will recalculate what you were entitled to and treat the difference as an overpayment.
Overpayments usually produce a hold on your student account that blocks future registration and transcript requests until the balance is cleared. Unpaid debts to a community college can be referred to the California Franchise Tax Board’s interagency collections program, which can intercept your state tax refund to recover the money.6California Franchise Tax Board. Collections
Getting the Grant Back After Losing It
If you lose SSCG eligibility because you fell below SAP, your college’s SAP appeal process is the way back in. Appeals succeed when you can document an extraordinary circumstance behind your academic problems: a medical emergency, a death in the family, a sudden housing crisis. You’ll submit a written explanation with supporting documentation and usually meet with a financial aid counselor to build an academic recovery plan. If approved, your financial aid eligibility is restored and the SSCG can come back with it.
If you were turned down because your school’s funding ran out rather than for an eligibility reason, there’s generally no appeal. Reapply early the next term and get your FAFSA or Dream Act Application in well before the priority deadline.