San Diego City College accounting major Dante Padilla joined the waitlist to speak to an advisor at the City College campus financial aid office by scanning a QR code on Thursday, Feb. 17.
The 19-year-old wanted to ensure his Free Application for Student Aid, or FAFSA, was accepted and to find out when his aid would be released.
“I think (applying) is really important, because most other people that didn’t apply for college is because of the money, because they were scared of how expensive it is,” Padilla said. “But once you realize that some scholarships actually cover all your studies, you can actually just put your mind and study and actually learn where you’re interacting.”
The Federal Student Aid resource page suggests prospective students start early when preparing for college. Family’s and students are advised to consider school cost and net cost, location and financial aid availability.
The cost to attend college in San Diego has risen 4.55% for in-state students, but at only $46 per unit for California residents, San Diego City College offers an opportunity to get your footing in the collegiate setting without breaking the bank.
In 2025-26, public two-year college tuition and fees saw a decline for first-time students and hovered around $1,440 in California, the lowest of any state in the U.S., according to a trend in college pricing study by the research nonprofit organization College Board.
City students shoulder wide range of financial hardships
Traditional college students are typically between the ages of 18-21. At City, that accounts for roughly 40% of City’s student population compared to the national average of 60%, according to College Factual.
With the wide range of ages of City students come other costs to consider – housing, food, transportation, books – and those cost are rising.
Over the last year, food costs in San Diego have increased by 3% and energy prices are up nearly 7%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The total cost of attending City College in 2025-26 ranges from $23,775 for students who live at home for nine months, or two semesters schooling, to over $40,000 for students who live away from home.
Out-of-state students living away from home can expect to pay nearly $50,000 for two semesters, according to the cost of living breakdown provided by City College.
Marine biology student Samara Valle-Hameed filled out her 2025-26 FAFSA but has yet to receive her federal aid.
Valle-Hameed planned to use that aid to purchase textbooks and other required materials but she found a book she needed would cost nearly $100.
“I’m obviously still in school, and I’m working, but I pay for a lot already,” Valle-Hameed said. “So having that randomly come up is kind of hard.”
Fortunately for Valle-Hameed, her professor indicated she may be eligible for a voucher from Financial Aid to absorb the unexpected cost until the federal aid came through.
High costs can be offset with scholarships – if students apply
Edwidge Dupard, the student services technician and coordinator for scholarships at City College, recognizes that students face a wide range of challenges as they navigate through the maze of applying for college aid.
“I do feel like a lot of students are still not applying for financial aid,” Dupard said, “because one, they don’t think they’re going to get it or qualify, and two, because they probably don’t have their parents’ information.
“And there are special cases, special considerations, and circumstances for those individuals. I think everybody should do the application, even if they don’t think they’re qualified.”
Dupard said she received over 1,800 applicants for the fall 2025 semester, ensuring every one of the 55 scholarships was given to students.
Scholarship process easier with new matchmaking portal
Spring 2026 students have until March 9 to apply for over 75 different scholarships through the Award Spring portal, which is found on the City College scholarships page and on QR codes throughout the campus.
The way Dupard described the portal, it’s like a matchmaking service for students and scholarships.
“So what Award Spring does is we have self identifying questions like, ‘are you EOPS? Do you have a disability? Did you serve in the military?’ And those questions are supposed to connect you to the scholarship,” Dupard said. “You answer the general questions and it auto matches you to scholarships that fit your criteria.”
Scholarship opportunities for students vary widely at City and are still coming in, according to Dupard.
Award amounts begin at $250 and scholarships are given to multiple recipients.
Scholarships may be the only solution for students
For alcohol and other drug studies (AODS) student Rob Skees, 42, the cost of returning to school has been difficult to cover and has disqualified him for some federal aid.
Skees began by filling out his FAFSA and followed up with the scholarship application in the hope of receiving funds to help him pursue his degree and become a substance abuse counselor.
“I signed up for all my classes and then found out after all that I had no financial aid because 20 years ago when I was in school my grades and stuff weren’t enough to par,” Skees said. “I had to borrow some money from my mom.”
Skees said that receiving aid of some type was crucial to continue his studies, and after a friend suggested there might be scholarships, he applied and qualified for 15 different awards.
Despite rising costs and the lengthy process of obtaining financial aid, students who attend a public two-year program, on average, have typically received enough grant aid to cover at least tuition and fees since 2009-10, according to a trend in college pricing study.
City College offers other grants through EOPS, student-athlete scholarships and the San Diego Promise program that offers two-years of tuition and fees to qualified applicants.
Scholarships for the spring semester at City will be awarded sometime in April and students will be contacted via email. Students will then be invited to an awards banquet on May 4, 2026.
This story was edited by Chrisdan Peralta and Itzel Martinez.
