California's Middle Class Scholarship Brings Tuition Relief To Nearly 73,000 Students

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The California Student Aid Commission has notified 72,965 California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) students of their Middle Class Scholarship (MCS) award amount.  Students can view their award details by visiting www.webgrants4students.org and establishing an online account.

Awards under the Middle Class Scholarship 2014-15 academic year went to 56,984 CSU students and 16,017 UC students.* The Commission anticipates making awards to an additional 7,550 in the 2014-15 academic year, in addition to a yet undetermined number of MCS awards to UC and CSU students throughout the academic year.

According to John R. McDowell, Jr., Chairman of the California Student Aid Commission, which administers the scholarship, "The maximum Middle Class Scholarship award for the 2014-15 academic year is $1,710 for a University of California student and $768 for a California State University student. In total, the Commission awarded $53 million in Middle Class Scholarship funds."  McDowell added, "This new scholarship program expands opportunity for California students beyond the state's Cal Grant financial aid program.  In the 2012-13 academic year, the Commission invested $1.5 billion in 260,718 California students through Cal Grants."

"The Middle Class Scholarship is funded through General Fund revenues from Proposition 39, which voters approved in 2012," said Diana Fuentes-Michel, Executive Director of the California Student Aid Commission.

"The Middle Class Scholarship passed unanimously in the State Senate and passed the Assembly with overwhelming bipartisan support."  The MCS program is intended to supplement students' existing financial aid packages.  Students are deemed ineligible for the Middle Class Scholarship if they were already receiving "need-based" financial aid packages totaling at least 40% of their tuition from other resources.

The need for the MCS is highlighted by the sharp increases in tuition of 190% at the University of California and nearly 145% at California State Universities. Students at UCs and CSUs currently pay an annual tuition of $12,192 and $5,472, respectively.  Over 385,000 new and continuing undergraduate student families applied for the MCS in 2014.  Students awarded a MCS met all Cal Grant program requirements with the exception of the income and asset test because Middle Class Scholarship families are allowed an Adjusted Gross Income of up to $150,000. MCS students are required to maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP). For more information, contact Patti Colston at 916-206-1285.

^*Award amounts represented here are initial award offers subject to change.

SOURCE California Student Aid Commission