Accepting or Declining Your Aid
Respond to Your Financial Aid Offer
Review your financial aid offer in your Student Center through the Chico State Portal.
Your financial aid offer may include grants, scholarships, loans, and Federal Work-Study. Loans are included as a financial aid option to help you cover your educational costs, but you are not required to accept them.
Grants and scholarships are automatically accepted for you. Review the rest of your financial aid offer in your Student Center and accept, reduce or decline your loans and Federal Work-Study (if offered). Only borrow what you need.
Paying University Charges
Your pending financial aid (accepted aid) will be applied toward your university charges. If you have enough pending aid to cover your fee balance, your fees will be deferred and no out-of-pocket payment will be due from you. If your aid is not enough to cover your full fee balance, you must pay the difference by the fee payment deadline to hold your enrolled classes. Loans and Federal Work-Study not accepted within 45 days of offer may be canceled.
For more information see Receiving Your Money: How Financial Aid is Disbursed.
Student Center
Use your Student Center to:
- View your financial aid
- Accept, reduce or decline loans
- Accept or decline Federal Work-Study
- Enroll in e-Refund (direct deposit)
- Check and complete any To-Do list items or holds
- Update your local and permanent mailing address
- Authorize third parties, such as your parents, to receive information about your financial aid
Enrollment and Eligibility
Your initial financial aid offer is based on full-time enrollment. Your financial aid may change based on the number of financial aid-eligible units you are enrolled in and the requirements of each aid program. Beginning with the 2026–27 school year, annual Federal Direct Loan limits are reduced for students enrolled less than full-time. Awards are adjusted for enrollment after University Census.
Cal Grant awards will remain estimates until we receive notification from the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) confirming your eligibility.
Loans and Federal Work-Study
- Federal Direct Loans: You must accept a loan in your Student Center before it is considered pending financial aid. You may accept less than the amount offered. Only borrow what you need.
- Need additional loan funds? You may not have been offered your maximum loan eligibility. If you previously reduced or declined a loan and later need additional funds, submit a Federal Direct Loan Application on our Forms page under "Student Forms".
- Federal Work-Study: If you are interested in Federal Work-Study but were not offered it, contact the Financial Aid & Scholarship Office or email federalworkstudy@csuchico.edu to ask about eligibility and availability.
- California Dream Loan: Eligible CADAA students interested in a California Dream Loan can contact the Financial Aid & Scholarship Office for more information.