Announcements

Only same-day appointments are available with the advisor staff in the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office (SSC 250).  You can make these same-day appointments by calling 530-898-6451 or by coming to our office window between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. We recommend calling as early as possible in the morning as the appointments fill up quickly. Phone appointments are also available. Appointments are limited and are on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Summer Financial Aid applications are now available.

Summer Registration started on April 2, 2012.  See the Class Schedule for information on State Summer Term and Regional and Continuing Education (RCE) Summer Session.  Summer financial aid requires a supplemental online application which will be available through our Web site.  View Summer Financial Aid for more information.

If you are adding/dropping/swapping summer courses, you must complete RCE's Summer Session 2012 Add/Drop Form AND our Summer Change in Enrollment Form.  You will need to schedule an appointment with a financial aid advisor and bring these completed forms to your appointment.  RCE will not add/drop courses for financial aid students without our signature.

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 and is now available through our Web site beginning April 2, 2012.  View Summer Work-Study for more information.

If you have received an estimated financial aid offer for the 2012/2013 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 anticipated aid and you will be responsible for paying all your fees on July 26.  If awards are not accepted within 45 days of offer, your award may be canceled.

Submit all requested items on your "To Do List" as soon as possible and no later than June 15 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."

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.

The California Dream Act of 2011 is the result of two bills, Assembly Bill 130 (AB 130) and Assembly Bill 131 (AB 131).  Together, these bills allow undocumented and documented students who meet certain provisions of AB 540 law to apply for and receive private scholarships funneled through public universities (AB 130).  Effective January 2013, students may be eligible for state-administered financial aid, university grants, and community college fee waivers (AB 131).  For detailed information view http://www.csac.ca.gov/dream_act.asp.

• Effective Fall 2012, undergraduate and credential students are limited to a total of 6 full-time years (600%) of Pell Grant eligibility.  The calculation of this total will include previous semesters/quarters at CSU, Chico or at any other school, including community colleges, where a Pell Grant was paid. Visit the NSLDS web site to determine the percentage of pell grant you have received.

• Effective Fall 2012, graduate students are no longer eligible for subsidized Federal Direct Stafford loans.  Graduate students will be eligible for unsubsidized Federal Direct Stafford loans only.  The annual limit for Federal Direct Stafford loans for graduate students remains at $20,500.

• Interest subsidy during the six month grace period is eliminated for new undergraduate loans made after July 1, 2012 and before July 1, 2014.  The repayment period will continue to begin 6 months after the student is no longer enrolled at least half-time, however, interest will accrue during those six months.

When your academic year file is complete and there are no holds on your account and no items on your “To Do List,” your aid will disburse and cover any fees remaining on your university balance. All remaining aid, after charges and fees are deducted, 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.

Fall 2011-Spring 2012 refund disbursements will be received electronically or sent out on the following days:

Thursday, May 24

Thursday, May 31

Thursday, June 7

Thursday, June 14

Thursday, June 24

Summer Financial Aid Disbursements:
Summer aid refund disbursements are dependent on course start dates. Check your summer financial aid award letter for the date of your refund disbursement.

Thursday, June 7

Friday, July 6

Thursday, July 26

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 2012 is February 17, 2012.

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 2012 is February 17, 2012.

Exceptional Circumstance Appeal (All types) - 2012-2013 appeal forms are available August 1, 2012. 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 2011-2012 academic year or Spring 2012 only is April 1, 2012.

Federal Direct Stafford Loan Application - Applications take at least 30 days to process. Deadline to submit a loan application for Spring 2012 is May 11.

Federal Direct PLUS Application (PLUS Loan) - 2012-2013 PLUS loan applications become available June 1, 2012. 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 a loan application for Spring 2012 is May 1.

Alternative Loan Application - Applications take up to eight weeks to process. Alternative loans disburse four weeks after certification. Deadline to submit a loan application for Spring 2012 is May 1.

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.