Award Guide
AWARD GUIDE 2017-18 (pdf)
Understand your
financial aid award,
eligibility and
responsibilities
Announcements
2018-19 FAFSA - Opens October 1
The 2018–19 FAFSA online form will be available on October 1, 2017. There are a few federal student aid programs that have limited funds, so be sure to apply as soon as you can once the FAFSA form is available. You have to fill out the FAFSA® form every year you are in school in order to stay eligible for federal student aid.
Accept Your Estimated 2017/2018 Financial Aid Offer Now
If you have received an estimated financial aid offer for the 2017/2018 academic year, you must access your Student Center financial aid account to accept, reduce or decline each financial aid award item. If awards are not accepted within 45 days of offer, your award may be canceled.
To Do List: Submit as Soon as Possible
Submit all requested items on your "To Do List" as soon as possible. Once the requested forms have been received and completed, they will be removed from your "To Do List".
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.
Short-Term Loan Application
Regularly admitted students who are enrolled for Fall 2017 are eligible to apply for a $500 short-term loan. Click here for more information about short-term loans. Click here for the short-term loan application.
Short-term loans will be processed twice a week for pick-up on Wednesdays and Fridays after 8:30 am at Student Financial Services (SSC 230).
Friday, Sept. 15 was University Census: Your Award May Have Been Affected If You Are Enrolled Part-Time
University Census is the day students’ full or part-time enrollment status becomes official. Many awards are distributed prior to University Census and it’s important to know you may have to pay a portion of your financial aid back if you are enrolled part-time.
Until University Census, all financial aid awards are estimates determined by eligibility and need and offered based on full-time enrollment. The actual number of units carried determines the actual amount of financial aid awarded. At University Census, financial aid awards are revised to match eligibility based on the units in which you are officially enrolled. For example:
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On September 15 if you were carrying fewer than 12 units your PELL Grant and/or a Cal Grant award will be reduced.
- On September 15 if you were carrying fewer than 7 units your State University Grant and/or a Middle Class Scholarship will be reduced.
The following links have a complete list of the different types of aid and their funding eligibility: Undergraduate Eligibility & Enrollment Requirements and Postbaccalaureate Eligibility & Enrollment Requirements. For additional information see University Census on our website.
If you have any questions about possible adjustments to your award based on your official enrollment, please contact our office at 530-898-6451.
Friday, Sept. 15: Deadline for Maximum Unit and Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals
Students who have a hold for Maximum Units or Satisfactory Academic Progress must submit an appeal no later than September 15 in order to be considered for financial aid for Fall 2017. Incomplete appeals will not be processed. Evaluation of this appeal may take up to eight weeks.
Cal Grant and Fall 2017 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.
IRS Data Retrieval Tool is Temporarily Unavailable
The IRS Data Retrieval Tool, which allows students and parents to transfer tax information directly to the FAFSA, will be temporarily down. The IRS and Department of Education are currently working to resolve the outage, and estimate the tool to not be available until October.
If you are selected for verification and we are requesting tax verification documentation, please submit a tax return transcript or a signed copy of your 2015 federal tax return. For additional information on how to request the tax return transcript from the IRS, please visit: www.csuchico.edu/fa/forms/documents/Ver-TaxInfo18.pdf .
Middle Class Scholarship
The Middle Class Scholarship (MCS) provides a scholarship to eligible undergraduate and credential students with family income up to $156,000 and assets up to $156,000. However, due to circumstances beyond our control, the Middle Class Scholarships will not be disbursed to eligible students until the end of October.
Disbursement Dates
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.
- Financial aid and scholarships are disbursed via electronic disbursement or mailed check on Thursdays throughout each semester.
The Financial Aid and Scholarship Office is Now on Facebook
Please like our page for information regarding deadlines, events, budgeting tips, and loan repayment options. www.facebook.com/ChicoStateFASO
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 up to twelve weeks from the date your last required "To Do List" item was submitted to our office.
IRS Data Retrieval - It can take up to 21 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." (Note: the IRS Data Retrieval Tool is down until October.)
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 an appeal for Fall 2017 was September 15, 2017. Deadline to submit an appeal for Spring 2018 is February 16, 2018.
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 Fall 2017 was September 15, 2017. Deadline to submit an appeal for Spring 2018 is February 16, 2018.
Exceptional Circumstance Appeal (All types) 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 Fall 2017 term (only) is November 1, 2017. The deadline to submit an appeal for students enrolled for the Spring 2018 term is April 1, 2018. The appeal forms can be found here.
Federal Direct Stafford Loan Application - Applications take at least 30 days to process.
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 12 weeks to process.
Alternative Loan Application - Applications take up to eight weeks to process.
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 up to three weeks.
CSU, Chico Scholarships - The CSU, Chico Scholarship application for 2017-18 opened January 2, 2017. The online application and letter of recommendation must have been submitted by the deadline of February 15, 2017.
Office Hours and Appointments
Office Hours
Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Phone Hours
Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Appointments
Monday and Wednesday - Friday (no Tuesday appointments)
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 2 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.