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# DP Picking up the tab for college education
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/dp-picking-up-the-tab-for-college-education/
- Published: 2007-02-20T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T00:05:35.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Education, Santa Monica, #archive-import

Fret not, college students. Getting money for school may have just become a wee bit easier, thanks to the Cal Grant program.

Post-high school education is becoming increasingly out of reach in California, especially for lower-income students. Among rising tuition costs, California ranks 40th in the U.S. for high school students going directly to college, with the direct enrollment rate dropping from 61 percent in 1995 to 52 percent in 2005.

Cal Grant is a state-funded financial aid that awards students up to $9,700 per year to help pay for tuition and other college expenses. This is free cash for college and does not have to be paid back. Cal Grant is positioned to address the issues of mid-and low-income students, helping them realize their dreams of higher education and helping them overcome the financial hurdles that stand in their way. Last year, the California Student Aid Commission offered nearly $900 million in Cal Grants to 290,000 eligible students.

Cal Grant launched its statewide campaign last month and it will run through March 2\. For more information, call (949) 809-6764.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 20, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/022007.pdf?ref=smdp.com)