The main difference between state and federal aid is that state aid does not ask about a student's documentation status. Undocumented students can fill out the CADAA to receive state aid such as the Cal Grant and CCPG.
The Cal Grant, California's flagship state cash aid program, has a GPA requirement and also must be applied for by the annual September 2 (for prospective community college students only) or March 2 (all other students) deadline. This makes it less common to receive than the Pell Grant.
State aid is also run by a different organization, the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). Students can view and manage their state aid through the WebGrants 4 Students website (https://mygrantinfo.csac.ca.gov/).