CSUB Scholarships
Academic scholarships are considered "Gift-Aid" and are funded by corporations, non-profit organizations, and individual donors. Recipients are typically determined through a competitive application process based on academic achievement, financial need, and/or criteria established by the donor. Donors may elect to defer the determination of the criteria to the school. Proceeds of the scholarship are used to help offset recipients' cost of education.
Scholarship funds that are used to pay for qualified expenses, such as tuition, books, and fees, are not taxable income. However, any amount exceeding qualified expenses is considered taxable income for both U.S. and international students.
STARS Online (Scholarship Tracking And Review System) is the software we use to assist students in searching and applying for most campus-based academic scholarships at CSUB. The priority application filing period is February 1st to March 15th each year. The following section outlines the information that each applicant will need to complete to be considered for a scholarship. Please read the following information entirely before beginning your application:
NOTE: We offer Natural Sciences, Mathematics, & Engineering (NSM&E) grant-funded programs that provide campus-based scholarship opportunities, which do NOT use the STARS application, These additional scholarships are available at http://www.csub.edu/nsme/scholarships.shtml.
NOTE: Non-campus-based academic scholarship opportunities are available in our External Scholarships link.
CSUB Scholarship Application
For all CSUB campus-based academic scholarships, admitted students can login to STARS at https://stars.csub.edu/STARS/. Click on the yellow "START HERE" button to begin the application.
All students, new and returning, are required to create a new account each year (on or after February 1st for the upcoming academic year). Once a new account is created, returning users may login with their User Name and Password anytime until the following January 31st.
Know before you complete the Application
Personal Information
Students will need to provide their most current and reliable e-mail address. All Scholarship Award Letters will be sent to the e-mail address that is provided.
Student ID# is assigned when you apply for admission. You will need this number in order to complete your scholarship application.
- New Students: Once you have applied for admission, you will receive an e-mail that includes your CSUB ID#
- Returning Students: Your CSUB ID is located on your CSUB Student ID Card.
Opening Questionnaire
Your answers to these questions will help us determine which CSUB scholarships will appear in your "Recommended Scholarships" list at the end of the application process. Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*). If the field is not applicable, please inset "n/a."
Academic Information
This section requires information regarding high school(s) attended, date of graduation, intended program of study, etc. Please self-report your GPA. We will import your official GPA, SAT and/or ACT scores, into the STARS database from your transcripts at a later date. Additionally, your EPT and ELM placement scores will be imported from our university database at a later date.
Free-Form Essay Questions
Answering these questions will allow donors and/or scholarship committee members more insight into your activities and interests, educational and career goals, and any special circumstances. Feel free to prepare your responses in a MS Word document and then copy and paste it into the STARS response fields.
Attaching Recommendation Letters
All students are required to submit at least (2) two Letters of Recommendation from current or former teachers and/or employers. If your Letters are in an electronic format, you can upload and attached them to your application in this section. If your Letters are in hard-copy format, you may submit them to our office to scan and electronically attach to your application for you. Recommendation Letters may be in business letter-format or your teachers and/or employers may use our standard Recommendation template available online at http://www.csub.edu/finaid/pdf/fssr14.pdf
NOTE: Recommendation Letters , electronic or hard-copy, may also be forwarded by teachers and/or employers directly to the CSUB Scholarship Coordinator listed at the bottom of this page.
Some scholarships also require a photograph for news publication, which you may upload and attach. Additionally, students majoring in disciplines that require a portfolio may upload and attach their work.
NOTE: the maximum file size for uploaded documents is 10 MB. Student may need to reduce the size of images so the uploading process is quicker. Official transcripts will need to be mailed to the Office of Admissions & Records separately.
Recommended Scholarships
The deadline for some scholarships is noted as being later in the academic year because we do not always know exactly when a donor or scholarship committee may convene to determine their awards. Thus, do not wait until this date to apply! CSUB scholarships are limited and once available funds have been expended, we will no longer accept applications, regardless of the date.
Don't forget to click the "Apply Now" button to review and actually apply for those scholarships listed in which you meet the criteria. If you do not click "Apply Now" we will not be able to view your application.
Browser Requirements
Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher required
STARS must be accessed from a PC (it does not support MACs)
Get Help
For Scholarship Application Questions:
Ms. Tanae Hammond, Academic Scholarship Coordinator
Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships
Thammond1@csub.edu
(661) 654-2592
For STARS Software Technical Assistance:
Mr. Tommy Holiwell, Financial Aid Information Technology Consultant Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships Tholliwell@csub.edu (661) 654-6077