Award Information
After you submit the FAFSA
The Office of Federal Student Aid will use the information on your FAFSA to make a determination of your eligibility to receive aid and forward your information to the colleges listed on the FAFSA and also to the California Student Aid Commission.
Check Your Student Aid Report
We recommend that you provide an e-mail address on your FAFSA, so that you can be quickly notified when your application has been processed and your student aid report (SAR) is available to review online.
If you do not provide an e-mail address, you will receive information summary by postal mail. If you do not receive your SAR within three weeks, you should contact the Office of Federal Student Aid directly at 1-800-4-FED-AID.
The SAR contains your application responses, your Expected Family Contribution, and instructions for completing the application process. Carefully review the instructions on the SAR and submit online corrections via FAFSA on the Web. Make sure both you and your parent (if applicable) sign the corrected FAFSA, using your U.S. Department of Education PIN numbers. If all information is correct, you may print a copy of the SAR for your records.
How You Are Notified of Your CSU, Chico Award
Once you complete your FAFSA, your information is transmitted the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office.
General Timeline
Mid-to late March
We download your FAFSA electronically from the Office of Federal Student Aid.
Early to mid-April
There is no written award letter. Check your CSU, Chico Wildcat e-mail account for notification that your estimated financial aid offer is available to view online. Initial estimated award offers will be sent by mid-April to students who have completed the FAFSA by March 2nd and had their information sent to CSU, Chico. Complete instructions will be included for accessing your Student Center to view and accept your financial aid offer and follow through on the process of receiving financial aid at CSU, Chico.
The estimated offer comes first. Next we will determine if any additional information is needed from you to confirm your eligibility for aid. If so, we will notify you by e-mail to check your "To Do List" in your Student Center for "Holds" and "To Do List" items.
Act quickly. Send us any requested documents by June 1 or within three weeks of receiving our request. This will prevent disbursement delays. When documents are received and scanned into your file, the individual requests will change from "Requested" to "Received."
Files are reviewed. We review your documents and award information and make corrections as needed to your estimated offer. As long as we have received all requested documents by June 1, your financial aid should be disbursed as part of our first possible fall disbursement. Please continue to check your To Do List in case there are additional requested items. Once the items have been reviewed and completed, they will be removed from your "ToDo List." You will receive updated award notifications via e-mail any time there is a change to your award. Access your portal account to view and accept your financial aid offer or revision.
Awards can change
Your financial aid is estimated using your initial FAFSA information. Your award may be revised if any information was incorrectly reported. Other common reasons for award adjustment include changes in enrollment, residency status, or overawards due to receipt of aid from other sources. Student athletes receiving the athletic grant–in–aid are also subject to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regulations governing the individual limit of countable aid, which includes both institutional and outside aid.
Your initial financial aid offer is based on full–time enrollment, which is 12 units per semester for undergraduates, teaching credential candidates, and students pursuing a second bachelor's degree and eight units per semester for graduate students enrolled in a master's degree program.
You will receive updated award notifications via your Wildcat e-mail if there is a change to your award. Check both your e-mail and Student Center frequently.
Click here for information on how funds are disbursed.