Using Finances and Financial Aid - Financial Aid

View Financial Aid

From the Student Center page, click on the View Financial Aid link located in the Finances section.

Select the Aid Year you wish to view.

Once you have selected an aid-year you will see your Financial Aid Award Summary for that year. The summary lists your awards for the entire school year and will also display a term specific breakdown of your awards.

 

From this page, you can also view your Cost of Attendance Summary, View Awards for the Summer Term, and View Scheduled Disbursement Dates for your awards.

• Cost of Attendance Summary hyperlink

  From the Financial Aid Award Summary Page, click on the Cost of Attendance Summary link to view the Estimated Financial Aid Budget (shown below).

  

Costs are broken down between the academic year and Summer terms.

Click on the budget figure link to view a breakdown of your estimated costs by specific category, including: Books & Supplies, Tuition and Mandatory Fees, Room and Board, Personal, and travel expenses.

Click the Return link to return to previous page.

• View Awards – Summer Term hyperlink

  This link allows you to view your summer awards separately from your academic year awards. You will also be able to view cost of attendance and scheduled disbursement date information specific to summer term on this screen

Accept/Decline Awards

With the exception of Scholarships, you will be required to accept (or decline) your financial aid awards before receiving payment. To do so, click the Accept/Decline Awards button from the Award Summary page.

From this page you can accept and decline any or all awards in your award package. Follow the steps below to accept/decline your awards.

1. Step 1 Review each award in your package. You can click on a specific award to view detailed information about the award.

2. Step 2 To accept or decline awards, place a checkmark in either the Accept or Decline column for each award.

   • If you want to accept all of your awards, use the accept all button to automatically place a checkmark in the Accept column for all awards.
   • If you want to decline all of your awards, use the decline all button to automatically put a checkmark in the Decline column for all awards.
   • If you make a mistake or want to start over, use the clear all button to remove all checkmarks in both the Accept and Decline columns.

Important things to know about Accepting/Declining Awards:

• Scholarships cannot be declined on this page. If you wish to decline a scholarship you must contact the organization that awarded the scholarship.
• Students offered a Stafford Loan can choose to accept a loan amount lower than the amount offered. Once a checkmark has been placed in the Stafford loan Accept column, the amount field in the Accepted column will become available. Change the amount in the Accepted column if you wish to reduce the loan amount to accept. You cannot increase an accepted amount above the offered amount.
• Once an award has been disbursed you will not be able to decline or reduce the award.
• You cannot decline or reduce a loan award amount if the loan has been originated.
• If you want to accept a previously declined award you must contact the Financial Aid Office.
3. Step 3 Once you are satisfied with the Accept/Decline options you have selected, click the SUBMIT button. This will update your information in the system based on your selections. If the update was successful you will receive a message indicating so.

   If you receive a status of ‘Rejected’ or ‘Needs Review’ after clicking the
   SUBMIT button, you must contact the Financial Aid Office. This means your selections were not successfully updated in the system.

   

4. Step 4 Once your submission is confirmed the Next Steps menu will display should any additional action be required on your part. Review the “What you need to do” section for pending items. You can click the Go button to complete these items.

   

In addition to accepting/declining your awards, there are four links on the bottom of the Accept/Decline Awards page that provide helpful information.

The Consumer Information hyperlink will open a new window which will display CSULB’s Financial Aid website. There you can review CSULB’s complete financial aid information.

If you are a first time loan borrower at CSULB you are required to complete a loan entrance interview. Click the Entrance Interview Information hyperlink to go to the on-line entrance counseling website to complete the loan entrance interview.

The Account Inquiry hyperlink will direct you to the Account Summary page. This link will direct you away from the financial aid screens.

The Return to Aid Award Summary hyperlink will return you to the Award Summary page.

Request eRefund Direct Deposit

All CSULB students are required to sign up for e-Refund, which electronically deposits any financial aid refund directly into your bank account.  Follow the steps below to Sign up for eRefund for direct deposit.

Click the E-Refund Signup hyperlink from the “Finances” section of your Student Center.

Remember: Routing Transit and Account Numbers will be needed from your Checking/Saving Account to continue enrolling in direct deposit.

Step 1 Click on the ‘Yes, I want refunds deposited directly into my bank account’,

Step 2 Click the Continue button to proceed to next step and continue enrolling in direct deposit

To sign up for eRefund, you will need your banking information (Routing Transit and Account Numbers).

Step 3 Enter all requested banking information.  You may click on the “What are my Routing and Account numbers” link for assistance.  

Step 4 Click the Continue button to proceed to next page.

Important

• It is important to enter correct Bank Account information to ensure that your Financial Aid Disbursements or Refunds are deposited to the correct Bank Account.
• The following screen shot provides helpful information when entering Bank Account information, (Routing Transit and Account Numbers). 

‘What are my Routing Transit, and Account Numbers?’ link

Step 5 In order to complete the eRefund for direct deposit process, you must agree to the terms and conditions by checking the box beside ‘I agree to these terms’ and then the Submit button.

Your eRefund for direct deposit status is now ‘Enrolled’.

You may use the eRefund site at any time to withdraw from eRefund, add or update your bank account information.