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The Cuesta Promise is a scholarship program available to all San Luis Obispo County high school graduates.

The Cuesta Promise is a scholarship program that provides San Luis Obispo County high school graduates with two consecutive years of fee-free enrollment at Cuesta College, beginning in the summer or fall term immediately following graduation.

PDFs

2026-2027 The Cuesta Promise Steps - English and Spanish »

2026-2027 Promise FAQ-English

2026-2027 Promise FAQ-Espanol

Frequently Asked Questions

 

The Cuesta Promise covers these costs for the summer, fall, and spring semesters:

  • Enrollment Fee:  $46 per unit
  • Health Fee: $19
  • ASCC Student ID Card Fee: $10
  • Student Center Fee: $10
  • Student Representative Fee: $2
  • Course Materials Fees:  (fees indicated in the course description on Class Finder; does not include books or items the instructor requires in his/her syllabus)

The Cuesta Promise will pay for all unit fees for students that are a California Resident or AB540 student, whether a student is full or part-time.

Beginning with Summer 2025, the Cuesta Promise Program will cover up to two summer terms:

  • The summer immediately following high school graduation and prior to your first Fall term at Cuesta College.
  • The summer between your first and second year at Cuesta College.

How do I qualify?
To qualify for the summer immediately following high school graduation (before your first Fall term at Cuesta College), you must complete the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) by June 7, 2026.

The 2026-27 FAFSA or CADAA is required to maintain eligibility for the Fall 2026, Spring 2027, and Summer 2027 terms.

All graduates from San Luis Obispo County high schools, who earned their diplomas between the dates of July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, including students who receive their GED or are homeschooled, must begin using The Cuesta Promise during Cuesta College’s Fall 2026 semester.

If you attend in the Spring semesters after you graduate high school, but before the Summer or Fall 2026 semester, you would need to apply for financial aid separately to receive financial assistance for that semester.

2026-2027 The Cuesta Promise Application Steps Brochure

Qualifying students must follow the application process and deadlines below:

San Luis Obispo County high school graduates can now qualify for The Cuesta Promise the summer immediately proceeding your Spring graduation (see drop down for "First Summer Criteria").

San Luis Obispo County High School Graduates

  1. Submit your Cuesta College admissions application: October 1, 2025-August 1, 2026
  2. OPTIONAL - Submit the scholarship application to be considered for additional scholarships: March 2, 2026
  3. Complete the FAFSA or the California Dream Act Application: October 1, 2025-August 1, 2026
  4. Complete the Cuesta College online orientation: October 1, 2025-August 1, 2026
  5. Register for your classes: April 2026 - August 1, 2026
  6. Congratulations, The Cuesta Promise is yours! Check your email for announcements and updates.

You will not be eligible for The Cuesta Promise Scholarship.

No, you must return to Cuesta College for the next consecutive year in order to qualify for the second-year fee-free.

Yes, follow The Cuesta Promise steps and make sure you submit the California Dream Act Application (CADAA). If your circumstances require additional review or consideration, please consider completing The Cuesta Promise Request for Consideration Form.

Yes! The Cuesta College Foundation has established an ongoing fund so that The Cuesta Promise will be around for future generations of SLO County high school students.

Just remember: after you graduate high school, you must attend Cuesta College the fall semester immediately following your commencement to obtain The Cuesta Promise scholarship.

Yes. If you are a San Luis Obispo County resident and earned your GED, graduated from a home school, or received your CHSPE results between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, and you indicated this on your Cuesta College admissions application, you qualify for The Cuesta Promise, and must begin using The Cuesta Promise during Cuesta College’s Fall 2026 semester. If you attend in the Spring term after you graduate high school, but before the Summer 2026 term, you would need to apply for financial aid separately for those semesters.

Home school students may need to submit a Cuesta Promise Request for Consideration if their school is not automatically recognized as eligible in the College's system. Cuesta Promise Request for Consideration Form

No. Just register for classes and your fees will be paid.

You will need to meet the following academic requirements to qualify for year two fee-free:

  • Complete more than 50% of the units attempted in the fall and spring semesters
  • Earn a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.00 or higher during the fall and spring semesters
  • Renew the FAFSA or Dream Act before Aug. 1 of the next academic year

If you meet these requirements, simply register for classes and your fees will be paid.

If you do not see your high school on the Cuesta College admissions application, please email admit@cuesta.edu to ensure that your high school or home school qualifies for The Cuesta Promise scholarship and find out if you will need to submit The Cuesta Promise Request for Consideration Form.

You can check the status of The Cuesta Promise application in the same place you check your financial aid status, myCuesta student portal.

How to Check your The Cuesta Promise Status Brochure

Cuesta College begins awarding The Cuesta Promise each year in May.

When you’ve been awarded, you will receive an email in your myCuesta email account and be mailed a congratulatory letter to your home address. You can also double-check your account balance in myCuesta to see if the fees have been paid!

Find it in myCuesta: Student Self Service > Student Accounts > Account Detail for Term.

Yes, there are certain circumstances in which you may submit a Cuesta Promise Request for Consideration.

First-Year Cuesta Promise
You may submit a Cuesta Promise Request for Consideration if:

  • You were a home school student and your school is not automatically recognized as eligible in our system.
  • You completed your FAFSA or CADAA by the August 1 deadline but did not initially list Cuesta College on your application.

Please note: All other Cuesta Promise application requirements must have been completed by the August 1 deadline. Requests for Consideration will not be accepted for applications or requirements completed after the deadline.

Second-Year Cuesta Promise
At the completion of your first year using the Cuesta Promise, you must have:

  • Earned a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher on courses taken during the first year of receiving The Cuesta Promise.
    Completed more than 50% of the units/credits attempted with a grade of D or better.
If extenuating circumstances prevented you from meeting one or both of these academic requirements, you may submit a Cuesta Promise Request for Consideration. Your request must explain the extenuating circumstances and include documentation supporting how those circumstances prevented you from meeting the minimum requirements.

Submit the Cuesta Promise Request for Consideration Form