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Student Authorization and Disbursement

Federal and State governments offer financial aid funding to those students who qualify. Disbursements of federal and state financial aid, (e.g. Title IV* funds and/or Cal Grants), are applied to a student's account for allowable institutional charges. Allowable charges are tuition fees and contracted living expenses. Other educational costs charged to a student's account may be paid by financial aid if the student submits a signed authorization to the Student Accounts Office located in University Hall, Room 034. The authorization will remain in effect from the signature date through the entire period of enrollment at California State University, San Bernardino. The University credits a student's account with federal and state awarded funds. Various types of state aid, (e.g. Cal Grant B Access), allow a student the right to opt out of having future state funds applied towards paying the student's institutional charges and to have those funds be delivered directly to the student; payments cannot be delivered to a third party. To opt out, students must contact the Student Accounts Office. 

** Warning: Choosing to 'Opt Out' may create a university debt/obligation for the student. If the student chooses to 'Opt Out' of having aid pay institutional charges, any balance owed to the university must be paid in full; otherwise, there may be severe consequences. Please review the 'Important Consequences of 'Opting Out' section for further information. 

* Title IV and HEA funds = PELL Grant, FSEOG, Work Study, and William D. Ford Direct Loans (Subsidized Loan, Unsubsidized Loan and PLUS Loans).

Important Consequences of 'Opting Out'

  • A student’s registration may be cancelled (or student will be dis-enrolled from classes). All charges on a student’s account must be paid in full each semester.
  • Should a student or former student fail to pay a fee or a debt to the University, the University may “withhold permission to register, to use facilities for which a fee is authorized to be charged, to receive services, e.g. withhold permission to receive official transcripts of grades, materials, food or merchandise or any combination of the above from any person owing a debt” until the debt is paid (see Title 5, California Code of Regulations, Sections 42380 and 42381).
  • If the University is unable to collect the debt, the student’s account may be turned over to an outside collection agency. If a student has an outstanding obligation to the University, it may file a claim with the State Controller to offset the amount due against any refund of State Income Tax, or any amount of money from any other source that the State may owe the student (Government Code, Section 12419.5).