Apply for Financial Aid

Financial Aid funding is limited in many programs. Priority funding consideration will be granted to the earliest eligible applicants. Students pursuing their bachelor's and master's degree or their teaching credential can receive financial aid if eligible and do not exceed the allowable maximum units earned or attempted. Students are required to apply for financial aid by submitting a FAFSA or DREAM Act Application.  The 2021-2022 FAFSA and Dream Application are available for submission as of October 1, 2020. The priority submission deadline for either application is March 2, 2021. The Cal State LA School Code is: 001140

FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION

  • Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
    Students who are U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents will need to complete the Free Application for Student Financial Aid (FAFSA) by the March 2nd priority deadline. The FAFSA is a  financial aid application used to determine financial aid eligibility for all federal, state, and institutional aid. In order to be considered for Financial Aid, the FAFSA must be submitted/renewed each academic year by the March 2nd priority deadline.
     
  • California DREAM Act Application
    Students who are classified as AB540 will need to complete the California Dream Act Application. Federal implications to DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) does not affect a Dreamer’s eligibility for California state financial aid and should not deter students from applying.  If you would like more information about DACA, please do not hesitate to contact The Glazer’s Family Dreamer’s Resource Center located in SA214.  They can also be reached at via email: [email protected] or 323-343-4367.
     
  • In addition to the FAFSA, California residents and AB540 students may file the GPA Verification form for Cal Grant consideration.  There are two different GPA Verification Forms, which can be found on the CSAC website. If you are a Cal State LA student and are currently enrolled, the Registrar’s Office will automatically submit your GPA to the California Student Aid Commission for you.

USER ID LOGIN INFORMATION

FAFSA Applicants
To file your FAFSA, you will need to use your FSA User ID and password. The FSA User ID allows users to electronically access personal information on the Federal Student Aid Website and electronically sign your FAFSA. If you are a dependent student, your parents will also need a separate FSA User ID and password to complete and sign the FAFSA. If you (the student) do not have an FSA User ID and/or you have forgotten your password, you can retrieve it from the FSA Managing Your Account Webpage. If your parent is ineligible for an FSA User ID or does not want to sign electronically with an FSA ID they can print, sign, and mail a Signature Page. The Signature Page is available to you (the student) via your FAFSA.  The FAFSA Data Retrieval Tool is available through the FAFSA website. We highly encourage eligible students and parents to use the DRT to complete the income section of the FAFSA. For additional information about the DRT visit the Federal Student Aid Website.

CA DREAM ACT Applicants
To file your CA DREAM Application you will need a User ID and PIN.  If you are a dependent student, your parents will also need a separate User ID and PIN to complete the CA Dream Application. If you do not have a User ID and PIN and/or you have forgotten your password, you can reset it from the California Student Aid Commission -Dream Application Website.  For additional information, review the California Dream Act FAQ document available on the California Student Aid Commission Website.

VERIFICATION

Every year students are selected for a process called Verification. Verification is a process that the Financial Aid Office uses to confirm that the data reported on your FAFSA or DREAM Application is accurate. As part of the verification process, the Financial Aid Office is required to request documentation from you to support the information you reported on your FAFSA or DREAM Application.

If you are selected for verification, we will send you a notification via your Cal State LA Email. The notification will direct you to your To Do List on your GET Portal.  We highly encourage you to submit requested documentation to the Center for Student Financial Aid before the priority document submission deadline. Failure to do so may result in the loss of priority file review and funding status.  Verification documents are typically reviewed between 6-8 weeks. During high peak processing, our review time may take longer. File review will begin when all documents requested are received.

Instructions on how to access your To Do List

  • Log into your G.E.T. (Golden Eagle Territory) account
  • Click on “Self Service”
  • Click on "Student Center"
  • There you will find the "To Do List" (located to the right of the page) for a list of required documents
  • Click “more” for the complete list of documents
  • If an item requested requires the submission of a Financial Aid Form, you can find the Form in Financial Aid Forms
  • If you already submitted the requested documents, please check your to do list to ensure it has been received and recorded. 

For additional guidance related to the process of requesting a Federal Tax Transcript or the American Opportunity Tax Credit visit the IRS Website.  

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The Center for Student Financial Aid is currently offering a series of virtual Financial Aid Workshops. For more information visit our Financial Aid Workshop Webpage.  You can also visit our FAQ page  for additional guidance.