Cal Grant Residency Policy

To receive a Cal Grant at Touro College Los Angeles / Touro University Worldwide (“the College”), which requires award recipients to be California residents, the student must be a legal resident of California for at least 12 months before the September 1 of the academic year for which assistance is sought. Undergraduate students who have not been legal residents of California for at least 12 months can satisfy this requirement if they are currently legal residents and were legal residents during the last two semesters of high school, regardless of any intervening time spent outside California. However, nonresidents who begin full-time study in California during their first year of residing in California are not generally eligible for state-sponsored student aid, even though they may have resided in California for 12 or more months. Students who were residents of California before meeting citizenship requirements are considered to meet California residency requirements for any term of study beginning after they have met citizenship requirements if they have been residents of the state for at least 12 months.

California residency is lost when the student discontinues permanent legal residence in the state. The student is ineligible to receive a Cal Grant for any term of study beginning after residency is lost. The student may receive a Cal Grant for a term of study in which the student began attending classes prior to the date the student discontinues permanent legal residence in the state.

To satisfy residency requirements, the student must be a legal resident of California. Legal residence means that the student currently resides in California and intends to make the state their permanent home. The act of living within the state's boundaries is, in itself, an insufficient demonstration of residency. The student must present evidence of having established a domicile or permanent place of abode in California. Living in California solely to attend a college or other postsecondary institution does not, in itself, establish legal residence. The student must demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the College, through their conduct that they intend to make the state their permanent home. The College may consider actions taken by the student such as obtaining employment, housing, vehicle registration, and paying State income taxes, among others, in making its determination.

A student who currently resides in a state other than California on a temporary basis (no more than 1 or 2 semesters) but is able to demonstrate that California continues to be their permanent home may be considered to be a California resident during their temporary absence. The student must present evidence of maintaining a domicile or permanent place of abode in California. The student must demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the College, through their conduct that they intend to return to California after their temporary absence and make California their permanent home. The College may consider actions taken by the student such as obtaining employment, housing, vehicle registration, and paying State income taxes, among others, in making its determination.