Financing your Education

Graduate school fees are set by the CSU Board of Trustees each academic year. The current fee structure may be found on the Enrollment Services website. The approximate cost as of Fall 2025 ranges from an estimated cost of $9,819 for students on pathway 1 and $16,476 for pathway 2 for residents in California.

There are many options available for financing your graduate education.

CSULB fees are based on students enrolled in either 6 units or less, or enrolling in 7 units or more. Current tuition and fees may be found at the Enrollment Services website. Please reference your program’s website for information about the number of units you will take each term.

The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office  serves all students and help meet their educational goals. They work with students and their families to meet the full demonstrated financial need for students who satisfy all deadlines and eligibility requirements.

Phone: 562.985.8403
Hours: 9:00AM-5:00PM
Location: Brotman Hall 123

The Financial Aid and Scholarship Office is the official hub for scholarship information at CSULB. They collect, organize, and distribute information on hundreds of external scholarships as well as administer university scholarships for the campus. Please visit the Scholarships Office website for information on a range of grant and scholarship opportunities.

The College of Education provides scholarships based on academic merit, financial need, personal statement, and faculty recommendations. Students must have been accepted into a major in the College of Education with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, and be enrolled for at least 6 units of coursework in the year they receive the scholarship. Applications are typically available in November and are due in early March for the following academic year. Check the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office website for specific details. 

CRISP Training Project 

The CRISP (Culturally Responsive Instruction and Intervention in Self-Determination Programs) project will train 12 special educators and 12 school psychologists to provide culturally responsive self-determination instruction to K-12 students with disabilities through participation in two years (special education scholars) or 3 years (school psychologist scholars) of research-based coursework, community service, school-based fieldwork, and conference participation. Special education and school psychology scholars will engage in service-learning in local public schools, as well as provide special education trainings for parents of students with disabilities.

Overview:

School Psychology and Master’s of Science in Special Education students will work in pairs to support student self-determination in a local classroom. They will also present special education training sessions to parents of students with disabilities.

Who can apply?

School Psychology students who can commit to 3 years of training on the project and Special Education MS students who commit to training for 1.5-2 years on the project. Special Education MS students who are working full-time may apply but they must be working in a public-school setting. Dr. Sanderson and Dr. Powers will select the project participants.

How much is the training scholarship?
Scholars will receive $13,530 per year of training, which includes:
   $8,280 for tuition
   $3,000 stipend
   $1,450 for books and materials
   $800 for conference travel

Total Possible School Psychology Scholarship = $40,590 per student
Total Possible Special Education Scholarship = $27,060 per student

The Federal Teacher Education Educational Opportunity Grants (TEACH) Grant Program provides grants of up to $4,000 a year to students who intend to teach full time in a high-need field at a public or private elementary or secondary school that the U.S. Department of Education has designated as having a high concentration of students from low-income families.

The Grant is available for selected graduate programs at CSULB, and requires the recipient to agree to fulfill certain teaching obligations – or risk the grant converting to an unsubsidized loan. Visit the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office website for more information. 

Students in eligible programs receive an email invitation from the Graduate Studies Office in October and February inviting them to apply.

 

The CSULB Graduate Center provides a list of funding for research and pre-doctoral study.

The CSULB Graduate Center provides a list of funding for graduate student travel. Typically, students must be presenting their research in order to receive funding.

 

Below are links to resources and information for students who do not hold California Residency about non-resident tuition. 

  • California Non-Resident Tuition Exemption (AB-540) The California Nonresident Tuition Exemption, known as AB 540, exempts some students from paying nonresident tuition and/or permits them to apply for and receive state aid at certain public and private institutions in California. Please visit the Dream Success Center's Understanding AB-540 website for more information on AB-540 and how to apply for this exemption. 
  • Non-Resident Tuition and Fees Visit the CSULB Tuition and Fees website and select the "Non-Resident Tuition" dropdown box to review the additional non-resident tuition fees. 
  • CSULB Residency for Tuition Purposes Visit the CSULB Residency for Tuition Purposes website for information on how residency is determined and steps to establish and declare residency in California.