This information describes how and when the CSUB Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships will pay your financial aid.

Your award of financial aid is based upon your enrollment in a minimum number of units per quarter which has an important impact on whether or not you can be paid.

Undergraduate students are expected to enroll in AT LEAST 12 units per quarter to be considered FULL-TIME.

Graduate students in MA programs must take 8 or more units of 500 (or above) level courses to be considered FULL-TIME, while Graduate students in the CREDENTIAL program must take 12 or more units of 300 (or above) level courses to be considered FULL-TIME.

Part-time students are responsible for a proportionate number of units.

Your OFFER OF FINANCIAL AID is based on the assumption that you will be FULL-TIME for the Academic Year. It is your responsibility to complete Part 4 of the Student Data Change Form if you will not be full-time for one or more quarters during the year. Financial aid is generally disbursed (paid) once per quarter. CSUB makes every effort to have financial aid funds available as early as possible so that you can use those funds to buy books and pay other expenses. Prior to the start of the quarter, our automated disbursement process will run. For information about refunds, fee payment, and specific dates refer to the Refund Check and Fee Payment Information.

IF, AT THE TIME THE DISBURSEMENT PROCESS RUNS, YOU ARE NOT ENROLLED IN AT LEAST THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF UNITS REQUIRED FOR YOUR AID AWARD, WE CANNOT DISBURSE FUNDS TO YOUR ACCOUNT AND YOUR QUARTERLY FINANCIAL AID REFUND WILL BE DELAYED. In addition, if you drop units after you are paid, it is important to discuss the issue with your Financial Aid Counselor to determine if you are still eligible for all funds received.

Please keep in mind that, although most students choose to be full-time in order to graduate as soon as possible, IT IS NOT REQUIRED THAT YOU BE FULL-TIME IN ORDER TO RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID. While half-time is the minimum enrollment status that is eligible for aid, most scholarships do require full-time enrollment. Although your eligibility for aid is reduced when you are less than full-time, we are glad to prorate your aid award for any or all quarters, at your request, if you want or need to be less than full-time. If you would like your award revised to reflect part-time enrollment for any quarter, simply complete the Student Data Change Form and return it to the CSUB Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships. Your aid will be changed as necessary and a Revised Offer of Financial Aid will be sent to your RunnerMail e-mail account.

As you can see, your enrollment controls when you will be paid your aid funds. That makes it very important for you to take advantage of the initial Touch-Tone Phone Registration process each quarter and enroll in at least the minimum number of units required for your aid award. If you are not enrolled in the correct number of units, be sure to add units during the ADD-DROP period so that your financial aid can be paid to you as early as possible. Newly admitted students should take part in ORIENTATION in order to enroll in classes so that your aid can be disbursed as early as is allowed by Federal regulation.

Disbursement of Loan Money
All loan money is disbursed (paid into your CSUB student account) in more than one installment, usually at the beginning of each quarter. The Direct Loan Servicing Center will notify you each time the University disburses a portion of your loan money. Per federal student aid regulations, please be aware that there is also a 30-day delayed disbursement for all first-time, first-year freshman student loans.