Applying for Financial Aid

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first step toward getting federal aid for college or graduate school. 

The FAFSA should be completed for each academic year a student is attending college. We strongly encourage all CSUF students to submit their 2025-26 FAFSA electronically by April 2, 2025, the priority application deadline. Student will be considered to receive funding from federal, state, and institutional aid programs.

Eligible to receive funding from federal, state, and institutional aid programs

Eligibility Requirements

• Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen (Information for non-citizens)
• Have a valid Social Security Number (SSN)
• Additional eligibility criteria can be found in Student Aid.

Important Things to Remember when Applying

• FAFSA uses "prior-prior-year" which allows families to use income and tax information from a  year earlier. 2025-26 FAFSA will use 2023 tax data.
• Keep a copy of all your tax data, these documents may be requested for review.
• If the name, date of birth, and/or social security number you reported on the FAFSA does not match the school record you will need to resolve the discrepancy before we can review your application and financial aid eligibility.
• Reapply every year

California Dream Act Application (CADAA)

The California Dream Act Application (CADAA) is administered by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) and should be completed by students who may be eligible for California state aid programs only under the AB540 status. The 2025-2026 California Dream Act Application (CADAA) has a priority application deadline of April 2, 2025.

Eligible to receive funding from CA State and CA institutional aid programs

Eligibility Requirements

• You are undocumented (Or have a U-Visa or Temporary Protected Status).
• You do not  qualify for the FAFSA  (Not a US citizen or  eligible non-citizen ).
• You attended 3+ years of school in California + graduated from a California high school (or equivalent) ( AB 540 ).
• You will be registering or enrolling at a qualifying California college.
• Additional information can be found here.

Important Things to Remember when Applying

• CADAA uses "prior-prior-year" which allows families to use income and tax information from a year earlier. The 2025-26 CADAA will use 2023 tax data.
• Keep a copy of all your tax data, these documents may be requested for review.
• If the name, date of birth, and/or social security number you reported on the CADAA does not match the school record you will need to resolve the discrepancy before we can review your application and financial aid eligibility.
• Reapply every year 

International Students

Most types of financial aid are not available for students with the following Visa types: F-1 or F-2 Student, G Series, H Series, J-1 or J-2 Exchange Visitor. International students may be eligible for scholarships and private loans. Below are some helpful resources to review:

• For information on institutional scholarships please visit the  Scholarships Office.
• Apply for a  Private Loan.
• There are many opportunities to receive outside scholarships. For a list of available scholarship opportunities, please visit Outside Scholarships.
• Consider reducing payments through a Tuition Installment Payment Plan through Student Business Services (SBS).

International students can learn more about the cost of attending CSUF by visiting the   International Programs & Global Engagement .