Apply for Financial Aid
How does a student receive financial aid at CSUSB?
The beginning of every student's journey to receiving financial aid is the application process. All students must submit either a Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or a California Dream Act Application (CADAA) every year.
The FAFSA and CADAA websites have resource pages to help you file the forms correctly. Remember, it's a good idea to apply. You may be surprised by the amount of aid for which you qualify. Search for and become knowledgeable about the FAFSA® deadlines.
All California residents and AB 540 Dream students should complete their financial aid applications by the priority deadline every year to be considered for state financial aid. The priority date for the deadline is March 2nd of every year. Applications submitted after that date may result in loss of state based aid eligibility.
If you are required to submit additional documents to our office, that means that your financial aid application was selected for Verification (Further review). Verification is the process used by educational institutions to check the accuracy of a student's financial aid application (FAFSA or CADAA). This process ensures that the student is being awarded the correct type of financial aid based on the submitted documentation. If selected, you will receive an email indicating the documents required and instructions on how to submit them. Typical documents required from students or parent(s) for verification are:
- Financial aid forms
- Citizenship documents
- Tax documents - Based on financial aid application year
- Third party statement(s)
- Student/parent signed statements
Review Your Financial Aid
Now that you have submitted a financial aid application, how can you access your financial aid offer?
This section provides information on how to accept or decline your offers, what type of awards you might receive, and how your aid will be used to pay for school expenses.
We will disburse your aid towards a student's tuition charges first and any additional University fees (Ex. On-campus housing fees) after that. Our office disburses any unreleased accepted financial aid every Tuesday and Thursday for the remainder of the semester as long as there are no financial aid related issues or items on a student's To Do List or Notifications sections of their MyCoyote student portal.
Disbursement - The payment of a student's accepted financial aid awards towards their current charges all at once.
Accept/Decline Awards
Only Loan offers need to be manually accepted by the student. Grants, Scholarships and Federal Work-Study awards are automatically accepted by the system on the student's behalf.
In order to accept or decline your financial aid awards, you must:
1.) In the Student Center page, click on the View Financial Aid link
2.) Click on the designated academic year that you will be attending.
3.) Find the awards you would like to either accept or decline.
4.) Once you've decided on what to do, click on the checkbox of the award you are taking action with under the "Accept" or "Decline" column.
5.) Click "Submit" to confirm the action being taken.
NOTE: Once the checkbox is selected, students should be able to edit the Loan amounts that they are accepting. The "Accept All" or "Decline All" buttons are also a faster option to confirm if the Loan amounts don't need to be edited.
6.) Select either "Yes" or "No" to finish the accept/decline process.
7.) A confirmation message will appear to let the student know that the accept/decline process was successfully completed.
Aid Types
Gift aid that is completely does not need to be repaid and is provided either by either the federal government, state government or institution.
Funding that is received and used now but requires repayment to a Loan Servicer (A student/parent's designated lender) later.
Funds that are earned by being employed in a Work-Study position on or off campus.
Gift aid won by students and awarded by either campus departments or organization outside of CSUSB.
Receive Your Financial Aid
You've been awarded your financial aid package but how exactly are you supposed to receive it?
This section provides information regarding what a "Financial Aid Disbursement" is and breaks down the importance of Account Activity section in your Student Center.
The best way for our students to view and track their financial aid disbursement(s) is through their Account Activity located in their MyCoyote Student Center. For more information on how to access locate and access that feature, please refer to the guide below.
You can view your financial activity (charges and payments) under “Account Itemization”.
The payment column is where students can keep track of their financial aid disbursement(s). The payment column reflects any payments that have been made to the student's account. This is the section where students and keep see if their financial aid disbursement(s) have released or not. Third party payments, scholarships (campus or external), and out-of-pocket payments are also posted in this section.
Appeal your Financial Aid
What happens if your financial aid package doesn't reflect your current situation?
This section provides information regarding the next steps you or your parent(s) may take in appealing your awards based on a different tax year, dependency status, and budget allowed within the academic year.
At CSUSB, we take the time to personally consider each individual student and their family's financial circumstances. We make every effort to be as accommodating as possible when re-evaluating a student's financial eligibility due to extenuating circumstances beyond their control. Please feel free to review the appeals we have listed right below and determine if one may apply to you and your family's situation.
Cost Of Attendance (COA) Appeal
Formerly known as the "Budget Increase Request," this appeal is a request to re-consider a student's allowed Cost Of Attendance (COA). Every student is given a set budget for each academic year. However, we understand that there may be situations where students will need to increase their budget because they need to make room for additional aid towards their educational expenses (Ex. Loans, Scholarships outside of FAFSA/CADAA, Stipends, etc.). The COA appeal is an option students may take in order to increase their budget to cover additional educational expenses.
Student Aid Index (SAI) Appeal
This appeal is a request students and their families may take to communicate with our office about income changes that could not be reflected or explained on the FAFSA or CADAA.
As a reminder- Only students with a Student Aid Index (SAI) greater than 0 can be considered. Students with an SAI of -1500 are already being awarded the maximum grant amounts.
Unusual Circumstances Appeal
Formerly known as a "Dependency Override," this appeal is a request to re-consider a student's dependency status, which is determined by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). According to DOE, students aged 23 years old or younger are automatically considered as a “Dependent" for financial aid purposes. Students working or living apart from their Parent(s) does not constitute “Independent” status - Regardless whether their Parent(s) support them financially or not.
However, students may submit an appeal to override their dependency status and be considered an independent based on unusual circumstances. As a reminder - This is not a guaranteed process. A designated Financial Aid Counselor will be assigned to your appeal and make the determination whether the override request can be approved.
Financial Aid Terms and Conditions
All financial aid awards at CSUSB are based on the assumption that you will meet and maintain specific eligibility requirements throughout the academic year. By accepting your financial aid, you agree to comply with CSUSB’s Financial Aid Terms and Conditions, which include maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), being enrolled in an eligible program, and using financial aid funds solely for educational expenses.
Your enrollment status directly affects your financial aid eligibility and disbursement amounts. Awards are initially based on full-time enrollment (12+ units for undergraduates). If you add, drop, or withdraw from courses, your aid may be adjusted or reduced according to your updated enrollment level. Students who completely withdraw from all classes before completing 60% of the term may be required to repay a portion of their financial aid in accordance with federal Return to Title IV regulations. Always consult with the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships or view our Withdrawal from Classes page before making enrollment changes to understand how they may impact your financial aid eligibility.