After You Apply - Prospective Graduate Students

Your financial aid application information will be sent to the CSULB Financial Aid Office electronically within 5 – 7 business days of when you complete it. Your application will be processed by CSULB if:

  • You listed CSULB school code 001139 on your application for financial aid.
  • For FAFSA Applicants, you provided your correct Social Security Number on your application for admission and your FAFSA.
  • For DREAM Applicants, the name (last, first and middle) and date of birth on your application for admission matches the name and date of birth on your Dream Act application.

You will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) after your application has been processed. The SAR is a summary of the information you entered on your financial aid application (FAFSA or Dream Act Application). You should review this document for accuracy and follow any instructions provided. Be sure to print a copy for your records.

If, after reviewing your SAR, you find an error in the information you submitted, you can make a correction. Note that your financial aid application is a snapshot in time, so you should only be making true corrections to mistakes, rather than updating information to match a new circumstance. If you are classified as a “Dependent” student, both you andyour parent will need to electronically sign the correction.

Additional documents may be required before your eligibility for aid can be determined, and an official award offer issued. This process is referred to as verification, and is done to confirm the information you submitted on your financial aid application, as well as your eligibility for financial aid.  This can be a very easy process – as long as you submit the requested documents and forms – as soon as they are requested.

If your financial aid application is selected for verification, you will be required to submit additional documentation. We will send you an email, as well as update your "To Do" list on your MyCSULB Student Center account with the requirements. 

Notifications of required documents are sent beginning in early April.

You will receive a financial aid award offer after your file has been completed and reviewed and your eligibility for aid has been finalized. The offer states the types and amounts of aid for which you qualify, and the semester for which the aid can be used. Incoming students will begin receiving financial aid offers by April.

Remember - we may request additional information from you before we can finalize your offer. Be sure to check your email and MyCSULB Student Center!

We understand that there may be circumstances that affect your ability to pay for college, which may not be apparent, based on the information collected on your application for aid. Perhaps your income has changed, or a large unforeseen expense has occurred since your application was submitted.

Our financial aid counselors can work with you through the appeal process, which allows us to evaluate the impact of your special circumstances on your ability to pay for college. You can find the Income Appeal form on our Enrollment Services Forms page, beginning in April.

Appeals are typically reviewed in within 2-3 weeks after submission. During busy processing times (such as the summer), it may take longer for your appeal to be evaluated. Note that we might ask for further information or documentation after our initial review of your appeal.  Once the review is completed, if your appeal is approved you will receive a revised notification of eligibility on MyCSULB Student Center reflecting the changes made to the award. If your appeal is denied, you will receive an email to notify you of the reason(s) for the denial.