Award Guide
2013/2014
AWARD GUIDE (pdf)
Understand your
financial aid award,
eligibility and
responsibilities
Announcements
Accept Your Estimated 2013/2014 Loan Offer Now
You are able to accept, reduce, or decline Federal Direct Loans at this time.
If you have received an estimated financial aid offer for the 2013/2014 academic year, you must access your Student Center financial aid account to accept, reduce or decline each financial aid award item. If you do not accept your aid, your student account will not show any pending aid and you will be responsible for paying all your fees on July 31.
Spring 2013 Loan Application Deadlines
Parent Plus Loan applications, computer budget adjustment requests and alternative loan requests must be submitted no later than May 1, 2013 to be processed for Spring 2013.
The deadline to submit a Federal Direct Stafford Loan application for Spring 2013 is May 10, 2013.
IRS Data Retrieval Tutorial for 2013-2014
Click to view the IRS Data Retrieval Tutorial for 2013-2014 to help guide you in this process.
June 1st Deadline for To Do List Items
You must submit all requested items on your “To Do List” by June 1 in order to have your file complete before the first fall disbursement. If you do not turn your requested items in by June 1st, your aid will NOT be cancelled. Accepted aid will continue to show as pending and may defer fees. However, you may receive your disbursement later than the first disbursement date of Fall (August 22) and you may be charged a $25 late fee.
Please be aware that if you fax your documents, it takes up to 3 days before the documents show as received on your Student Center. Documents that are mailed or brought into our office can take up to 4 weeks before the documents show as received on your Student Center. The date received will be recorded as the date the documents are submitted to our office.
Last Day to Apply for a Short-term Loan: May 22 by 5pm
The Short-term loan application for the 2013/2014 academic year closes at 5pm on Wednesday, May 22. There are no short-term loans available during the Summer Session.
Summer Financial Aid
Summer financial aid requires a supplemental online application.
View Summer Financial Aid for more information
Summer Registration opens April 2, 2013. See the Class Schedule for information on Regional and Continuing Education (RCE) Summer Session. Click here for State Summer Term classes for graduate students.
Summer Work Study
Students who will continue with work-study employment or have been hired for work-study employment during the summer months, please note that a separate Summer Work-Study application is required. The priority deadline is April 26. View Summer Work-Study for more information.
Cal Grant and Fall 2013 Entering Students
Cal Grant Entitlement participants are required to confirm their high school graduation before being awarded by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). Students are notified by CSAC through an automated e-mail message directing them to view the electronic California Aid Report (CAR) in WebGrants4Students (WGS). The e-mail message directs students to WGS to find details on their Cal Grant award status. CSAC sends this message to the e-mail address listed on the FAFSA. Students can verify their high school graduation through WGS.
Effective Fall 2013: New Rules for State University Grant Eligibility
Effective Fall 2013 term, the CSU Board of Trustees are adding new requirements to SUG eligibility based on degree programs and earned units. Students who are SUG eligible must be enrolled at least half time and meet the following criteria:
Undergraduate Students
- Undergraduate non-transfer students cannot have earned more than 150 semester units
- Undergraduate transfer students with fewer than 75 semester units: Total transfer units + Chico State units cannot exceed 150 earned semester units
- Undergraduate transfer students with 75 or more semester units cannot have earned more than 75 semester units at Chico State.
Credential Students
- Credential students may receive SUG for their initial credential, up to a total earned units equivalent to 100% of unit requirements as published in the university catalog. Students enrolled in the Conditionally Classified Credential Program are not eligible for SUG.
Graduate Students
- Graduate students cannot exceed more than 125% earned units of their required program length. (All prior Master’s degree objectives including Extended Education and graduate transfer units are included.)
Second Bachelor’s, second Credential, second Master’s degree, or Conditionally Classified Credential Students
- Students enrolled in the Conditionally Classified Credential Program, or who are pursuing a second Bachelor’s, second Credential, or second Master’s degree are not eligible for SUG.
Please note: Remedial coursework, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Military credit, Pre-baccalaureate credit, and credit by examination will not count as earned units toward the new SUG limits.
Check your "To Do Lists"
Submit all requested items on your "To Do List" as soon as possible and no later than June 1 in order to have your file complete before the first fall disbursement. A full explanation for all requests is available by following the "Details" link and clicking on each "To Do List" item. Check your Student Center on a weekly basis after your forms show as received. If we need any additional information, it will show up on your "To Do List." Once the requested forms have been received and completed, they will be removed from your "To Do List".
Financial Aid and Scholarship Checklist for 2013-2014
Bookmark or download the Financial Aid and Scholarship Checklist to help you keep track of where you are in the financial aid process, from applying for aid through receiving the funds.
Important Processing Dates and When to Expect Changes to Your To Do Lists/Holds
Verification - Updating your "To Do List" from requested to received takes a minimum of four weeks if you submit hard copies via mail, at our window or drop box and a minimum of 72 hours if your documents are faxed. Preliminary review of verification documents will take a minimum of eight weeks from the date your last required "To Do List" item was submitted to our office.
IRS Data Retrieval - It can take up to 30 days from the date you successfully used the Data Retrieval Tool on the FAFSA before our office is able to upload this change. This process has been completed when you will no longer see the required documentation on your "To Do List."
Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal (SAP) - Review of SAP appeals take a minimum of four weeks from the date the last required item is received. Deadline to submit appeal for Spring 2013 is February 22, 2013.
Maximum Unit Appeal - Review of Maximum Unit Appeals take a minimum of four weeks from the date the last required item is received. Deadline to submit appeal for aid for Spring 2013 is February 22, 2013.
Exceptional Circumstance Appeal (All types) 2013-2014 appeal forms are available August 1, 2013. Appeals are reviewed in the order they are received. Processing time may take until the end of the fall semester. The deadline to submit an appeal for students enrolled for the 2012-2013 academic year is April 1, 2013.
Federal Direct Stafford Loan Application - Applications take at least 30 days to process. Deadline to submit application for Spring 2013 is May 10.
Federal Direct PLUS Application (PLUS Loan) - We initially award the requested amount as a conditional estimate which will show up in the student's financial aid package while we are processing the credit check. The loan is not approved until you receive notification from the lender that your credit was approved. PLUS applications can take up to eight weeks to process. Deadline to submit an application for Spring 2013 is May 1.
Alternative Loan Application - All certification requests received by November 30th will be certified by the fee payment deadline of December 13 if the file is complete (all other awards accepted or declined AND all To Do List items have been completed). Applications take up to eight weeks to process. Alternative loans disburse four weeks after certification. Deadline to submit application for Spring 2013 is May 1, 2013.
External Scholarship - After the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office has received a student's external scholarship check(s), the scholarship is entered into the student's financial aid award. The student will receive an e-mail informing them of a change in their award. The turn-around time for complete processing of external scholarships is two to three weeks.
CSU, Chico Scholarships - CSU, Chico Scholarship recipients are selected in the spring for the following academic year. If selected, the Scholarship should be posted in your Student Center 2013-2014 Financial Aid Award Summary Account by mid-July 2013.
Upcoming Disbursement Dates
Your aid will disburse if you are enrolled at least half-time, your financial aid application is complete, and there are no financial aid holds on your account and/or items on your "To Do List". Tuition fees and any other charges on your university account will be deducted from your financial aid. Any remaining aid will be disbursed to you via Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) or a check that is mailed to you. This process is run by the Student Financial Services Office. Financial aid and scholarships are disbursed on Thursdays throughout each semester. During May, refund disbursements will be received electronically or sent out on the following days:
Thursday, May 9
Thursday, May 16
Thursday, May 23
Thursday, May 30
Office Hours and Appointments
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Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm.
- Appointment Schedule: Mon, Tues, Wed, and Fri: 9 am-12 pm; 2-4 pm.
No Appointments available on Thursdays
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Phone Hours: Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm.
The office will be closed on Monday, May 27.
Advisors are available for same-day appointments by
calling 530-898-6451 or by coming to our office window.
Phone hours are Monday - Friday 8am-4pm.
We recommend calling as early as possible in the morning as the appointments fill up quickly. Appointments are limited and are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Phone appointments are also available.