Institutional Aid

CBU Grants and Scholarships

Department Scholarships - Please contact each department for more details.

• College of Allied Health Scholarships for returning students - 951-343-4619 
• Music Scholarship - 951-343-4251
• Master of Social Work, School-Based Mental Health Program - 951-552-8380

Lancer Loyalty Grant for CBU Alums - Click here for details

Preferred Partner Scholarships - Click here for details

Returning students only:

• 24/25 Donor Scholarships- Please visit Scholarship Universe to apply. Deadline extended to April 21, 2024

Private Scholarships

Need options for private scholarships?

Click here to visit the scholarship page!

Receiving outside scholarship or grants is a great way reduce your balance or the amount of loans you take out in college. Make sure scholarship information and offers you receive are legitimate; and remember that you don't have to pay to find scholarships or other financial aid. Check out Federal Student Aid's information on how to avoid scams.

Also check out the following document for more information: Scholarship Helpful Hints

Sallie Mae Bridging the Dream Scholarship: salliemae.com/landing/bridging-the-dream-for-graduates/ Due March 27.

Sallie Mae offers a scholarship search engine as well as a monthly drawing for $1,000. Find out more here: SallieMae.com/GradScholarships

Golden State Teacher Grant

The Golden State Teacher Grant Program is now open for the 2024-2025 academic year (Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Summer 2025), and the application will close on November 15th, 2024. Due to recent state budget changes, updates from CSAC may impact eligibility, and we will share those as we receive them.

The Golden State Teacher Grant Program (GSTG)  awards students currently enrolled in a professional preparation program approved by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) and working towards earning their preliminary teaching or pupil personnel services credential. For more information, please visit CSAC's site here: https://gstg.csac.ca.gov/.

Payment Contingency:
The Golden State Teacher Grant awards are subject to the availability of funds. They are processed on a first-come, first-served basis for eligible applicants who have submitted a signed Service Agreement (SA). In the event of insufficient funds, the last grant recipient may receive a partial award of the remaining funds.

• Unsubsidized: not based on financial need; interest is charged during all periods, even during the time a student is in school and during grace and deferment periods. Student needs to have a FAFSA on file.

• Grad PLUS: Loans for graduate students. Grad PLUS loans help pay for education expenses up to the cost of attendance minus all other financial assistance. Interest is charged during all periods. To apply for the Graduate PLUS loan, log into www.studentaid.gov to complete the application process. The student also needs to complete a PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note on the same website. (More info below.)

• Does not have adverse credit history, or

• Has an adverse credit history but has obtained an endorser who does not have and adverse credit history and completes PLUS Loan Counseling offered by the Dept. of ED, or

• Has an adverse credit history but documents to the satisfaction of the Dept. of ED that extenuation circumstances exist and completes PLUS Loan Counseling offered by the Dept. of ED.

Click Here to complete the PLUS Loan Application

Click Here to complete the PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note

Click Here to complete PLUS Credit Counseling.

Click Here for more information.

**23/24 PLUS Loans are available**

**24/25 PLUS Loans are NOW Available**

Private/Alternative Loans 

Private Educational Loans are available to students who do not qualify for Federal Loans but need additional aid. These loans are not need based; rather, they are based on creditworthiness. Most students will need a creditworthy co-signer such as a parent or other relative to obtain a private education loan. Terms and conditions applicable to these loans vary greatly. Factors such as interest rate, APR, length or repayment, loan minimum and maximum, and fees should be carefully considered when researching and choosing a private educational loan. 

Click on the link to view a list of lenders.  ELM Select              

**23/24 Private Loans are available**

**24/25 Private Loans are NOW Available**

Refinance

If you are looking to refinance your federal and/or private loans, explore the student loan refinancing option with Credible (Refi) 

Withdrawal from the university (all classes) during any semester, whether official or unofficial, may require the return of federal and state financial aid.

A calculation will be performed to determine the amount, if any, of the Title IV aid (Pell Grant, FSEOG, Direct Loans, Perkins Loans, PLUS Loans) earned by the student for the days in which he/she attended, up to the date of withdrawal. The student is responsible for any balance owed to the university.

The official withdrawal process begins with the student contacting their Student Success Coach, Academic Advisor, or Admissions Counselor to begin the process. Ceasing to attend class without proper notification to the university will result in an unofficial withdrawal. A calculation will still be performed to determine aid earned and some aid may be returned.

More details can be found here. 

FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid

CBU school code: 001125

• The FAFSA is required for federal and state aid.  You need to complete a new/renewal FAFSA each academic year. To fill out the FAFSA, you will your demographic & financial information.

• The FAFSA will produce an EFC (Expected Family Contribution) number. Your EFC is not the amount of money your family will have to pay for college, nor is it the amount of federal student aid you will receive. It is a number used by CBU to calculate how much financial aid you are eligible to receive.

• If you are selected for verification, you will need to submit additional demographic & financial information to CBU.  This will be done through "Verify My FAFSA" online. Verification is intended to improve the accuracy of the information submitted on the FAFSA.

Click Here to complete the FAFSA

Click Here for more information on the EFC

Click Here to complete verification online

1. Financial Aid Overview

2. Financial Aid Myths

3. Dependent vs. Independent

Moving From Undergrad to Grad during the school year

If you are graduating with your bachelors degree and are moving to a Graduate Program in the Spring semester, there are some changes to your FAFSA that need to be made:

• Question #29 "What will your grade level be when you begin the 2022-2023 school year?"
  
  
  • Answer - "1st year graduate/professional"

• Question #48 "At the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, will you be working on a master's or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, graduate certificate, etc.)?"
  
  
  • Answer - "Yes"

If you are graduating with your bachelors degree and are moving to a Teaching Credential ONLY in the Spring semester:

• Question #29 "What will your grade level be when you begin the 2022-2023 school year?"
  
  
  • Answer - "5th year/other undergraduate"

Credential Program vs Master's Program Financial Aid

1)    Post Bachelor’s Degree students and Non-Master’s degree students who only want the credential and do not want to be enrolled in the Master’s Program:

• Receive undergraduate level loans up to: $5,500 subsidized and $7,000 unsubsidized (depending on eligibility)
• Parent PLUS Loan (eligibility based students dependency status and credit decision)
• Pell Grant (only for those going through an initial credential)
• Cal Grant for Teaching Credential (must have received CAL Grant as an undergrad)

2)    Master’s Degree students in a graduate program with or without Teaching Certification:

• Unsubsidized loans: $20,500 unsubsidized loan/year
• Grad PLUS Loan (eligibility based on credit check)
• CAL Grant (if you qualify)