FAQ

Call: 310-243-3691
Email: finaid@54zhangmi.com
In-Person: Toro Welcome & Information Center, WH 245

Visit to studentaid.gov to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.
Complete the FAFSA form to be considered for all types of state and federal aid, such as grants, work study, loans, and some scholarships.

Visit dream.csac.ca.gov to complete the California Dream Act Application.
The California Dream Act allows undocumented & nonresident students who qualify for a non-resident exemption under Assembly Bill 540 (AB 540) to receive certain types of financial Aid.

The Financial Aid Office will send a document request letter or an email to your CSUDH email account if you are required to submit an IRS tax return transcript(s). The federal government performs a random selection of applications in order to verify that the information submitted on the FAFSA is accurate. If your application is selected for this process, you will be asked to submit your parents’ and/or your own IRS federal tax return transcript(s) along with a Verification Form.

An IRS tax return transcript, free of charge, can be requested from the IRS in one of three ways:

• Online at www.irs.gov
• By calling (800) 908-9946
• By mail using IRS Form 4506T-EZ

The Financial Aid Office will review on a case-by-case basis reduced family income. Students will need to complete and submit an Income Adjustment Appeal Form. You will be asked to provide supporting documentation. Processing will take 2-4 weeks. The form is available at 54zhangmi.com/financial-aid/forms.

Based on your calculated financial need, you will be considered for grants, loans, or student employment. The federal programs are Federal Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and Federal Direct Loan. The state of California offers its residents Cal Grant and Cal Grant B (a GPA Verification Form is required). The CSU offers State University Grants and Educational Opportunity Grants.

If you are planning to attend Summer Session and would like to be considered for summer aid, the Summer Aid Request Form will be available Spring 2023 at 54zhangmi.com/financial-aid/forms.

Submit your documents to the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office via financial aid dropbox.

All current students and newly admitted students with an activated Toromail account can apply for scholarships through the scholarship portal on my.54zhangmi.com. For more information, visit 54zhangmi.com/financial-aid/scholarships.

To receive a financial aid disbursement, students must be enrolled in the proper number of units, must not have any university holds on their student record, must not be conditionally admitted to the university, and have submitted all requested documents by the deadline. Student Financial Services will process your refund via Direct Deposit or mail you a paper refund check a few days prior to the first week of classes.

No. Whether you reside with your parents or not, the federal government has specific criteria to determine your dependency status. If you are an undergraduate student and at least 24 years old, or you have dependents other than a spouse, or are a graduate student, you will be considered independent. However, if you are an undergraduate student who is less than 24 years old but have special circumstances, a financial aid counselor will require specific documentation and review your case on an individual basis.

When you apply for financial aid, you will automatically be considered for a student loan. CSUDH does not require a separate application. More information about the types of financial aid available can be found on our website.

The Federal Work-Study program provides funds for employing students who qualify for financial aid. Students will be considered for an award by having submitted their FAFSA and any requested documents by the published deadlines, and demonstrating financial need greater than $1,000. Also, the student must have indicated interest in the Work-Study program on their FAFSA. Students work in a variety of departmental offices and are paid once a month. Students may not work more than 20 hours per week while classes are in session.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the process in which the Financial Aid Office monitors whether a student is in good academic standing. Read more about CSUDH’s SAP Policy here.

Students are only eligible to receive financial aid once when retaking previously passed classes. For students that have previously passed a class and subsequently failed the same class, any additional attempt cannot be included in your enrollment status for determining aid eligibility. The Financial Aid Office will identify students who are repeating previously passed coursework and reduce their awards based on the adjusted enrollment status. Students will be notified on their ToroMail email account and directed to the Student Center to view their revised awards. Repeated classes may also count against Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), which must be taken into consideration when determining aid eligibility. Read more about CSUDH’s SAP Policy here.

The federal school code is 001141.

Yes. Submit a Summer Financial Aid Request Form, which can be found on our Forms web page.

If you plan to borrow a student loan, federal regulations require that students attend an Entrance Interview session or complete the U.S. Department of Education’s Online Entrance Counseling Session at studentaid.gov/entrance-counseling. The purpose of this session is to provide students with information about the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Programs. This discussion will include information about students’ rights and responsibilities, repayment options, deferments, and consequences of default.

Students are required to notify the Financial Aid Office before withdrawing from all classes. This must be done so that a student’s financial aid eligibility can be reevaluated. If you withdraw prior to the end of the semester, you will be expected to repay the funds which exceed those expenses required to cover your educational and related living expenses for that portion of the semester which you were enrolled. Any fee refunds due you from the campus will automatically revert to the financial aid account(s) from which they were disbursed. If you withdraw after the third week of classes, you are still responsible for the payment of your fees.

University fees are charged based on your enrollment status. Click here for the latest cost information.

The priority filing deadline for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the California Dream Act Application is March 2 (May 2, 2024 for the 2024-2025 application cycle). The deadline to submit additional documents for the 2023-2024 school year is May 12, 2023.

Complete and submit an Income Adjustment Appeal Form. With your appeal, you must submit a copy of your (or your parents’) final paycheck stub, documentation of unemployment benefits, and an estimate of earnings income for the remainder of the calendar year. An adjustment to your contribution will then be based on projected income (January 1-December 31).