Application Process
1. Apply for Financial Aid:
Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) electronically every year at
FAFSA website. The FAFSA will allow you to apply for federal student financial aid, such as grants, loans, and work-study. Students must file a new FAFSA each academic year.
Apply between January 1 and March 2 for priority status. Applicants applying by this deadline will receive first priority consideration for funds with limited allocations. After March 2, awards will consist of the remaining available funds.
Helpful Tips:
- All questions must be answered unless indicated otherwise.
- Be sure to submit an electronic signature, also known as a “FAFSA PIN.”
- A parent signature may also need to be included if you are a dependent student. You and your parent can request a pin on the FAFSA homepage.
- To ensure CSU Channel Islands receives your FAFSA application, list 039803 in the college code section.
- Approximately 1 week after filing the FAFSA, you will receive an email notification from the Department of Education with a link to your Student Aid Report (SAR). Review the SAR carefully and follow the instructions to make any corrections.
- New applicants for Cal Grants (including entering freshmen) must submit a GPA Verification Form as well as the FAFSA by the March 2 deadline.
2. Submit Required Documents
After CSU Channel Islands receives your FAFSA information from the processor, you will be sent a notice via email or letter from CI’s Financial Aid Office. This communication is to inform you of additional documents that may be needed to complete your financial aid file. If additional documents are needed, a list of the required documents will be provided.
The most common reason additional documentation is requested is for verification purposes.
3. Application Review and Award Process
For those applicants selected by the federal government for verification, the counselor verifies that the applicant's FAFSA data matches their verification documentation submitted. If the applicant's verification data does not match their FAFSA data, the counselor may request additional documentation and/or make the necessary corrections to the FAFSA which may recalculated your Estimated Family Contribution (EFC). These changes are electronically transmitted to the federal processor, who will update your official FAFSA and transmit it back to the University. Processing time may take up to six weeks. It is important that you read your email/letter correspondence or view your “To-do list” on myCI to ensure the appropriate documents are submitted in a timely manner.
Avoid processing delays by completing all documentation as requested.
- Please be sure to include signatures on all documents, including tax forms.
- All documents must be submitted directly to the Financial Aid Office by mail.
- Incomplete, inaccurate, or illegible responses will cause a delay in the verification process.
Once the verification is complete, you are ready to be awarded aid through our automated packaging process. A Financial Aid Award Notice will be mailed to new students. Continuing CSU Channel Islands students will receive an email directing them to their myCI online student account. The offer lists the applicant's budget and tentative Financial Aid offer.
If you were not selected for verification and no additional documentation is requested, you may receive an award notice 2-4 weeks after we receive your FAFSA.
4. Accept/Decline Awards
Financial Aid Awards can be accepted or declined online via myCI. If your offer includes federal student loans or work-study, additional requirements must be completed before these funds can be disbursed to your student account.
