How To Go to College for Free in California

At 29 I decided I needed some new options in my life, but I didn't have a lot of money. I began checking into college, and now in my second semester I've yet to spend my own money on anything, and I did not take out a student loan to do it.

To go to school for free you have to meet a few requirements:

1. You must be low income. This depends on age, amount of people in family, yearly income and other criteria.

2. You must live in California, and have been here for at least six months. (Other states have their own programs, but this tutorial is for California.)

3. You will have to go to a community college. They are less expensive, and you can get all your basic classes, and general ed done there.

4. You're required to take so many units every semester to qualify for the bigger grants. (See FAFSA for information on that.)

First, find a nearby community college. In the north state there is Shasta and Butte. You'll want to find one that isn't too far away so you can drive there if necessary.

Next, fill out their registration form, you can usually do this online. All this does is give you access to their classes. It does not require you to pay any fees, or attend a class. If you only fill out the registration form and never do another step they will just forget about you.

Once registered for the school you need to fill out a FAFSA. The FAFSA determines if you are eligible for grants, financial aid, student loans, and other items. If you do not fill out a FAFSA then you have to pay everything out of pocket. To fill out a FAFSA go to www.fafsa.ed.gov where they have good tutorials. All you need is your drivers licenses and last tax statement.

Once you have filled out your FAFSA you will have to go to the college and fill out a BOGG grant application. If you are low income the BOGG grant will pay all your fees for college. This will let you take home more of your grant money to help pay for bills, or other necessity items.