Apply for Financial Aid

Applying for Financial Aid is Easy!

Each October 1st, the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) for undocumented students, and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for U.S. Citizens and eligible non-citizens, are available for the next school year. You will need to complete a new application for each academic year.

Steps to Financial Aid at Saddleback College

1. APPLY for Financial Aid

Submit new or renewal CADAA or FAFSA
- Students are encouraged to complete their financial aid applications by March 2nd of each year in order to maximize financial aid eligibility. If you miss this deadline, your application will still be reviewed for eligibility.
Be sure to include the Saddleback College school code:
- FAFSA: 008918
- Dream Act (CADAA): 00891800
A new application is required for each academic year!
If you need assistance completing your financial aid application, please visit our office, or contact us via phone, email, or our Zoom Virtual Counter

2. CHECK your student email

1-2 weeks after submitting your or CADAA or FAFSA application, the application will be received by the Financial Aid Office.
You will receive an email to your Saddleback College student email account when the application is received.
The email will provide instructions on next steps.
The California College Promise Grant will be awarded upon receipt of your financial aid application.

3. SUBMIT outstanding tasks

Log onto saddleback.verifymyfafsa.com, login using your Saddleback College student email and password or if first time logging in, follow the instructions to register for an account.
Complete all outstanding tasks
Financial aid eligibility cannot be determined unless all financial aid tasks have been completed.
Not all students will have additional tasks to complete.

4. REVIEW your Award Notification

Award notifications are emailed to students upon review of financial aid applications and outstanding tasks.
Initial awards are based on full-time enrollment, and subsequent award notifications with updated eligibility are sent prior to disbursement.
Eligibility is based on a number of factors including, but not limited to enrollment status (full-time, half-time, etc.)
Disbursement information can be found at www.saddleback.edu/fao/disbursementinformation.

5. KNOW your disbursement date

Students eligible for financial aid are disbursed aid according to the information on their award notifications.
Disbursement dates are determined by the date your file is completed, the sooner you apply and complete outstanding tasks, the sooner you will receive your financial aid disbursement.

6. Select a Disbursement Method

New students will need to select a disbursement method.
Returning students will need to take any action unless an update to your disbursement method is needed.
Instructions for selecting a disbursement method can be found at www.saddleback.edu/fao/refunds.

Here are a few key things to remember when applying for financial aid:

To complete a FAFSA, you and your custodial parent (if applicable) will need a Federal Student Aid Id (link is external)

For more information on creating and using your FSA ID

Complete a new FAFSA/Dream Act Application for each academic year
March 2nd is the California priority deadline to complete your financial aid applications. If you fail to submit your CADAA/FAFSA application by the March 2nd deadline your file will still be reviewed for financial aid eligibility, including the California College Promise Grant.
The immigration information reported on your Dream Act/FAFSA Application is not shared with anyone.