Important Financial Aid Reminder: Please Refer Students to Financial Aid Before Reducing Enrollment

Announced on: Tuesday, Sept. 08, 2026

As we implement new federal financial aid provisions under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act beginning with the fall 2026 term, we want to remind faculty and staff that changes to a student's enrollment can significantly affect their financial aid eligibility. More information is available on the CSU Federal Student Aid Updates webpage.

What you need to know:

• Federal student loans: Beginning fall 2026, new loan proration requirements may reduce federal student loan amounts for students enrolled less than full-time.
• Term withdrawals: Students who withdraw from the fall 2026 term or complete zero units after receiving a loan disbursement may have limited loan eligibility for the spring 2027 term.
• Grant eligibility: Reducing enrollment may also affect a student's grant eligibility and overall financial aid package

For financial aid purposes, full-time enrollment is:

• 12 units for undergraduate and credential students
• 8 units for graduate students

Only financial-aid-eligible coursework identified through Course Auditor counts toward a student's enrollment level for financial aid purposes.

Please refer students to the Financial Aid & Scholarship Office before recommending that they reduce their enrollment below full-time load or withdraw from the fall 2026 term. Financial Aid staff can review a student's individual aid package and explain how the proposed enrollment change may affect their current or future financial aid eligibility.

Thank you for helping ensure our students have the information they need to make informed enrollment decisions.

Financial Aid & Scholarship Office
finaid@csuchico.edu