FAQ
What is CSU, Chico’s federal school code?
001146
How do I apply for financial aid and scholarships?
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on the Web. Apply for CSU, Chico scholarships online. The usual application period for CSU, Chico scholarships is October 1 through January 1 for the next academic year.
When do I apply for financial aid and scholarships?
Apply as soon after January 1 as possible for financial aid for the next academic year. Apply for CSU, Chico scholarships beginning October 1 through December 15 for the next academic year.
Does CSU, Chico have a deadline to apply for financial aid and scholarships?
The priority application date for financial aid is March 2 of each year. We will continue to accept applications after March 2 and distribute awards throughout the academic year or semester, depending on your enrollment. If you attend only during the fall, you are required to file the FAFSA prior to the end of the fall semester in order to receive aid. Please keep in mind that some funds are limited, and are awarded to eligible students on a first-come, first-serve basis.
See Scholarships for additional information. The application process for CSU, Chico scholarships is open from October 1 through December 15 for the next academic year.
What if my tax returns are not complete when I apply?
If your federal tax returns will not be completed in time to file early, you may use estimated income tax information. However, we may later request a copy of your tax returns to verify income information.
When and how do I get my financial aid?
Financial aid and scholarship disbursements start at the beginning of each semester.
You must be enrolled and not have any holds for your financial aid funds to be disbursed. For scholarship funds to be disbursed, you must be enrolled full–time (12 units for undergraduate and credential students; 8 units for graduate students).
We strongly recommend that students arrange for direct deposit. Students who sign up for Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) receive their disbursements by direct deposit into a designated account. Complete an EFT Authorization, available from Student Financial Services. If you do not choose EFT as your disbursement method, a check will be mailed when your disbursement is ready.
Registration fees, housing charges, and other financial obligations you owe to the University are deducted from your award and any remaining aid is disbursed to you. Parent applications for PLUS loans may designate the parent checking account for the disbursement.
If my parents are divorced or separated, whose financial information should be used when I complete the FAFSA?
If your natural parents are separated or divorced, use the natural parent with whom you lived with more in the past 12 months. If you lived with neither parent, or lived with each parent an equal number of days, use the parent that provided the most financial support to you over the past 12 months. If that parent remarried, federal regulations require that you include the stepparent’s financial information on the application, and the parent and stepparent should report themselves as married on the FAFSA.
Do I have to be a U.S. citizen to receive financial aid?
You must be one of the following to receive financial aid:
- U.S. citizen
- U.S. national (includes natives of American Samoa or Swain’s Island)
- U.S. permanent resident who has an I-151, I-551, or I-551C (Alien Registration Receipt Card)
If you are not in one of these categories, you must have an Arrival–Departure Record (I-94) from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) showing one of the following designations in order to be eligible:
- Refugee
- Asylum Granted
- Indefinite Parole and/or Humanitarian Parole
- Cuban–Haitian Entrant, Status Pending
- Conditional Entrant (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980)
If you have a Notice of Approval to Apply for Permanent Residence (I-171 or I-464), you are not eligible for financial aid.
If you are in the United States on an F1 or F2 student visa, or on a J1 or J2 exchange visitor visa only, you are not eligible for financial aid. Also, persons with G series visas (pertaining to international organizations) are not eligible for financial aid.
Do I need to notify the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office if I’m not attending CSU, Chico or changing my enrollment dates?
Yes. Please complete and submit a Financial Aid Update (PDF, 1.4 Mb) to notify our office if your enrollment plans have changes or if you are graduating fall semester so that we can adjust your award appropriately.
What if I'm receiving educational funding from a source other than financial aid?
Federal regulations require that assistance from other sources be coordinated with financial aid. Your eligibility may be affected by external sources of assistance. Forms of aid such as private scholarships, fellowships, stipends, fee waivers, AmeriCorps grants, and third-party payments are reported to us when payment is received by the University, and will be coordinated with your financial aid award. When the total of your financial aid and educational assistance from other sources exceeds the Cost of Attendance, it is considered an overaward and requires adjustment of your financial aid. Please be aware that our office does all it can to prevent overawards because they can result in a student having to repay aid for which they are ineligible.