Financial Aid to Help You Stay on Track

The California Community Colleges Finish Line Scholars Program supports students to ensure they stay on track with their education and complete a degree, certificate, or transfer to a four year college or university.The program is intended to help eliminate regional educational gaps through distribution of emergency financial aid to students facing unexpected hardships and scholarships to students who are well on their way toward a finish line goal of transferring to a college or university or completing a certificate or degree.

• California College Promise Grant Recipient: The student must qualify for and receive a tuition fee waiver through the California College Promise Grant.

• The student must be working toward completing a certificate or degree. Eligible completion goals include:
• A Chancellor’s Office-approved certificate
• An Associate Degree (including for Transfer)
• A Baccalaureate Degree
• Transfer to a four-year institution prior to receiving a credential from a California Community College (early transfer)
• Full-Time Enrollment Status: Students must be enrolled full-time (or equivalent) during all scholarship-supported terms.
• Students in programs that require substantial out-of-class time (e.g., Nursing) may qualify if enrolled in fewer than 12 units, provided their program designates them as full-time.
• Students receiving support from Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS) may qualify if DSPS has approved a reduced course load.
• Students with fewer than 6 units remaining to complete their program are still eligible without needing to enroll in unnecessary additional units.

• Students must have completed at least 50% of the credits required for their program and have a realistic plan to finish within one year.
• Students who have completed 75% of program credits are eligible for one semester of funding.

• Preference is given to students who meet any of the following:
• Completion of a transfer-level English course
• Completion of a transfer-level math course
• Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher

• Students pursuing programs in regional workforce priority areas, such as Nursing or STEM, should receive additional priority.

*Recipients, please submit a thank you letter to the financial aid office for the Foundation for California Community Colleges. We will submit your letter on your behalf.

Emergency Grant:

Eligibility criteria for emergency financial aid are separate and different from the scholarship criteria and are not related to your educational goals. Emergency aid is intended to support students facing unexpected or short-term financial barriers that may prevent you from enrolling or staying enrolled in college. No student should be denied based on immigration status.

For more information on the Finish Line Scholars program, please visit the official Foundation for California Community Colleges webpage.