Financial Aid Offer

The first batch of 2025-26 financial aid offers has been emailed. You can also view your current offer in your Student Center. See Middle Class Scholarship (MCS) for information pertaining to the 2025-26 MCS award, which has not posted yet.

If you filed a FAFSA or CADAA for 2025-26 and don’t have a financial aid offer from Chico State, see information at the bottom of this webpage. 

Incoming students will receive a financial aid offer if they have been admitted to Chico State and have submitted a valid Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) and have identified Chico State as one of their schools.

Continue to monitor your email, texts and To-Do list via your Student Center for any additional documentation we may need. 

What Happens After You Submit the FAFSA or CADAA

Federal and state agencies will forward your information to the colleges listed on the FAFSA and CADAA and to the California Student Aid Commission. The Financial Aid & Scholarship Office will use information provided on your FAFSA or CADAA to determine if you are eligible to receive financial aid.

How You Are Notified of Your Chico State Award

Financial aid offers will be emailed to you with a link to view your offer. Your offer will also be posted in your Student Center.

About Your Offer

Estimated award offers are made to admitted students who have submitted a valid FAFSA or CADAA and had their information sent to Chico State. Instructions on how to accept your financial aid offer through the Student Center are included in your offer.

If you have been selected for verification, there will additional items needed from you to confirm your eligibility for aid. Continue to monitor your Chico State email, texts and To-Do list via your Student Center for any additional documentation we may need.

If we have requested additional information from you, act quickly. Upload any required documents to your Financial Aid Account by June 1 or as soon as possible to prevent disbursement delays. We review your documents and financial aid information and make corrections as needed to your estimated offer. As long as all required documents are received by June 1, your financial aid should disburse on the first fall disbursement date. Continue to check your To-Do list for additional required items. Once reviewed and completed, you will receive an email from us. You will also be notified via email when your financial aid has been offered.

Your Financial Aid May Change

Your financial aid is estimated using your initial FAFSA or CADAA information. Common reasons for award adjustment include changes in enrollment, residency status, over-awards due to receipt of aid from other sources, or scholarships offered later in the year such as Middle Class Scholarship or Wildcat Scholarships. Your award may also be revised if any information was incorrectly reported. 

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 8 units per semester for graduate students enrolled in a master's degree program.

You will receive a revised financial aid offer via your email if there is a change to your award. Check both your email and Student Center frequently.

Click here for information on how funds are disbursed.

Note - If you filed a FAFSA or CADAA for 2024-25 or 2025-26 and don’t have a financial aid offer from Chico State:

• Make sure you have Chico State listed as one of your schools
• Make sure your email address is correct
• Check your To-Do list in your Student Center for items that need to be completed before an offer can be made
• For FAFSA applicants: check studentaid.gov to see if your FAFSA shows “Action Required” or "Processed"
  • If your FAFSA status shows “Action Required”, we won’t be able to make a financial aid offer to you until that has been resolved. Studentaid.gov has tips on making corrections to your FAFSA, if needed: How to Correct or Update Your FAFSA
  • If your FAFSA status shows “Processed” and you don’t have any To-Do list items, make sure you have listed Chico State as one of your schools
  • Here is information on how to submit your FAFSA if your contributor doesn't have a social security number
  • Please reach out to us if you have any questions