Application Timeline
September to October:
Apply for scholarships & use aid calculators to budget for college ↑
Where to look
We encourage students to start looking near home at local foundations, chambers of commerce and businesses. Many of these organizations offer scholarships to students staying in the area or going away to college.
Search for other scholarships available from departments on HSU's campus and private organizations. HSU's Financial Aid Scholarship Database has information on over 500 scholarships.
Check online for scholarships through search engines like:
Never pay for a scholarship search there are plenty of internet-based services that do it for free. Watch out for scholarship scams.
Scholarship deadlines vary, late fall and early spring dates are common, so start your research early and pay attention to application due dates.
Many scholarships require additional information such as personal essays, letters of recommendation and interviews. Be sure your son or daughter fulfill all entry requirements to improve your chances of earning scholarship prizes.
Calculators
Use the calculator provided on the FAFSA4caster to determine how much your family's expected contribution will likely be.
Use the calculators at FinAid.org to get an idea of other colleges expenses. Keep in mind calculators only provide estimates and are not promises of aid.
January:
Apply for aid with the FAFSA and apply for a Cal Grant ↑
About the application
The first step to receiving financial aid from Humboldt State University is filling out the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Submit the FAFSA by March 2 for best consideration in aid programs.
We encourage online application whenever possible. Applying online saves time and is more efficient for many reasons:
- Fewer errors when FAFSA is done online
- Response time from the federal processor is about 10 days, versus four weeks for the paper version
- When you reapply next year, your data will be saved, which saves you time in filling out the FAFSA
- Parent information can be copied to multiple applications if several children are applying for aid concurrently
If you need one, paper FAFSA applications are available by calling FAFSA customer services at 1-800-4FEDAID (1-800-433-3243); for the hearing impared call (TTY) 1-800-730-8913.
If your son or daughter supplies an email address, all correspondence from the federal processor will be by email. Please note that the student will receive email correspondenc at their email address, not the parent. Student applicants are encouraged to frequently check their email account for application and student aid-related incoming email.
Be sure the email address you provide is correct. To reduce the possibility of spam or junkmail filters diverting receipt of the SAR via email, the U.S. Dept. of Education suggests listing the following in your email address book: FederalStudentAidFAFSA@cpsmail.ed.gov.
If you prefer a paper response, do NOT list your email address on the FAFSA.
Go to www.pin.ed.gov to get a Personal Identification Number. We encourage both you and your parent(s) to obtain a PIN, as the PIN serves as an electronic signature and provides access to your personal records.
Parents will need to electronically sign any FAFSA filed online if they provide income information.
To reduce the possibility of spam or junkmail filters diverting receipt of the Federal PIN via email, the U.S. Dept of Education suggests listing the following in your email address book: FederalStudentAidPIN@cpsmail.ed.gov
Complete the Parent Information sections and sign and date the FAFSA if you are a dependent student (meaning you answered "No" to all questions in Step 2 Student Dependency Status on the online FAFSA, or questions 48-55 of the paper FAFSA).
We encourage parents and students to file taxes prior to filing the FAFSA. If you are not able to file taxes before the March 2 FAFSA deadline, you should estimate your most current financial information and use those figures to complete the FAFSA. You do not want to miss the priority deadline and you can always correct your FAFSA later.
List Humboldt State University and our school code number, 001149, in section 5 of the online FAFSA, or Step 6 of the paper FAFSA, along with any other campuses you want to receive your FAFSA information.
If your son or daughter is applying for a Cal Grant and listing multiple schools on your FAFSA, it is recommended that you list the costliest 4year California school first (example: first Stanford, second HSU, third California Community College, fourth Oregon State University).
Applying for a new Cal Grant
- The state of California offers the Cal Grant Program to eligible HSU students. Begin by filling out the FAFSA and have your aid information sent to Humboldt State University.
- Your son or daughter will need to have your high school or California Community College submit your GPA to the California Student Aid Commission before March 2 using the GPA Verification Form.
This can be accomplished in two ways:
- Obtain a paper Cal Grant Verification Form from your high school or college or log onto the Commission website and download the form. You complete the student section; your school completes the "School Use" section. Be sure to follow directions carefully.
- If the school submits your GPA electronically, it is not necessary to mail the paper GPA Verification Form; be sure to check with your son or daughter's school to determine the appropriate method.
Renewal Cal Grant awards do not require the GPA Verification Form and are evaluated by the school where your son or daughter will be enrolled in the fall. Your son or daughter must always file the FAFSA and indicate the California school he or she plans to attend. Inform HSU if your Cal Grant is withdrawn for any reason.
If your son or daughter file by the March 2 deadline, he or she will receive a letter from the California Student Aid Commission regarding your eligibility for a grant.
If your son or daughter has filed a FAFSA, you can go online and check the status of your Cal Grant application by logging on to WebGrants for Students. This secure site will let you view the status of your Cal Grant application, your Chafee application, check your award status, update your address, view payment history or make a school change.
If you have any questions about the Cal Grant application contact the California Student Aid Commission at:
California Student Aid Commission Student Support Services P.O. Box 419027 Rancho Cordova, CA 95741-9027 Phone: (888) CA GRANT (224-7268) FAX: (916) 526-8002Renewal Cal Grant
It is recommended you ile a FAFSA prior to March 2. Only new Cal Grant applicants are required to file my the March 2nd dealine, however, we recommend renewal applicants file early to meet the priority date for other aid filing. Do not submit a GPA verification form.
Indicate on the FAFSA the California school you plan to attend, notify the Student Aid Commission if you are changing schools.
February – March:
Review your Student Aid Report (SAR) ↑
The Federal Processor will send your son or daughter a Student Aid Report (SAR) via email or postal mail, depending on what you indicated on your FAFSA.
The SAR will contain information you entered in your FAFSA. It also allows you to make corrections to the information and reports the amount of money the Office of Federal Student Aid expects your family to contribute to your education the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
The SAR will indicate if your son or daughter may be Pell Grant eligible and state that your school will determine other aid program eligibility, as well as give comments regarding reviewing and correcting the information.
The federal processor will send the SAR to the email address you provided in about two weeks. If no email is provided, the SAR will be mailed to the address listed on your son or daughter's FAFSA in approximately 4 weeks. (If an incorrect email address, the federal processor will NOT be able to follow up with a paper SAR, so be sure to provide a valid email address on your FAFSA.)
If your son or daughter applies by mail, use regular first class mail don’t send forms by registered, certified or express mail. Obtain a “Certificate of Mailing” (about 95¢) from the post office as proof of mailing for his or her records.
March – June:
Final SAR review / Accept your aid / Review your California Aid Report ↑
Make any necessary corrections to your FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov by reviewing all SAR materials, especially if you provided estimated tax information and your tax forms have been completed.
In approximately mid-April HSU begins the student aid award process. After HSU receives the SAR information from the federal processor, our office will email your son or daughter either a request for necessary documents, and/or an award letter. It is vital for the student to have a valid email address in HSU's database, and to frequently check for emails from Humboldt.
Early FAFSA filers receive earlier responses. Those selected for verification are encouraged to provide any necessary documents as soon as possible; award results generally follow within four to six weeks of receipt.
The award letter will let your son or daughter know which grants, work study and loan programs are being offered. Upon receiving the award letter, your son or daugther can accept the aid online using HSU's Web Information System.
HSU scholarships are generally awarded in the late spring and recipients will be notified by mail.
Your son or daughter can accept the full amount or reduce the amount of awarded funds, particularly loans, if he or she do not think you will need it. When considering reducing a recommended loan offer, remember subsidized loans are preferable to unsubsidized loans, and unsubsidized loans are always reduced first.
Your son or daughter will be notified directly by the California Student Aid Commission of your Cal Grant eligibility. Students who are selected to receive a Cal Grant will be sent a California Aid Report (CAR).
Verifying your income
About one third of students who file a FAFSA will be asked to very their and/or their parent's income. Your son or daughter's SAR will inform you if you are selected. The HSU Financial Aid Office will notify your son or daughter both by mail and email of the required documents to submit once the FAFSA results are received.
Document requirements and PDF versions of required forms will be listed in your financial aid record on the HSU Web Information System; forms are also available on the Financial Aid Office Forms page.
HSU reserves a percentage of its aid dollars for students selected for verification. However, delaying the verification process may jeopardize your financial aid. It is recommended that you use actual figures from the tax return when completing the FAFSA rather than estimating; however, we do not recommend delaying past the priority filing date March 2 so use estimates if necessary to file on time.
Respond to any requests for more information from HSU's Financial Aid Office in a timely manner. Observe deadlines; notify us in writing prior to any stated deadline for a possible extension if the deadline cannot be met.
Your son or daughter must keep mailing address current using HSU's Web Information System. Name changes must be reported to the Office of the Registrar.
Notify the Humboldt State University Financial Aid Office, in writing, of all changes and corrections, including any non-HSU educational awards such as scholarships.
June – August:
Finalizing your aid ↑
If your son or daughter is graduating from high school or are transferring to HSU, be sure his or her latest academic transcripts have been submitted to the HSU Admissions office.
Monitor your financial aid record on the HSU Web Information System to make sure all requirements have been met. For instance, to check son or daughter's admissions status, or for new requirements such as Loan Entrance Counseling or Direct Loan Promissory Notes, which may have posted (your son or daughter will be notified by email when new requirements post).
Although the aid award may have included Direct Loan or Direct PLUS (Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students), and these loans may have been accepted by the student and/or parent (PLUS), the Financial Aid Office generally does not originate loans with the federal processor until early July for the upcoming award year.
Financial Aid resources fall short of the cost? After assessing financial aid funds awarded, and determining the actual amount of family contribution (including any Direct PLUS Loan the parent will pursue), and you feel it falls short of meeting son or daughter's needs, you may consider applying for private alternative student loans. These are private loans from private institutions (typically banks and educational lending institutions) and carry their own rules and regulations.
Our Alternative/Private Educational Loans page offers tips for researching loan products as well as the HSU procedure and requirements a student must meet prior to our certification of an alternative/private loan.
We recommend your son or daughter carefully consider the impact of additional borrowing and never accept a loan without waiting at least 24 hours to think it over. Never accept a loan that does not ask for attendance verification and certification by the HSU Financial Aid Office. Please be very cautious of the direct-to-consumer marketing of "educational loans" as it is almost always in student's best interest to apply for federal and state aid before ever considering this type of private funding.
Note that the combination of student aid and other educational resources (such as non-HSU scholarship or alternative loan) cannot exceed the cost of attendance.
August – September:
Getting your money and keeping it ↑
If all requirements necessary to disburse funds have been satisfied all required documents received and reviewed, admissions status finalized, and HSU courses registered for -- your son or daughter can expect to receive your first aid check, minus University charges, seven to ten days after classes begin.
Financial aid checks are mailed twice a year (generally at the beginning of each semester) to your son or daughter's current Humboldt-area address.
Federal Work study payroll checks are the only exception to this rule and are available from Student Financial Services to the student worker on a monthly basis. See the FAQs for more information on this subject.
We strongly recommend that your son or daughter establish a bank account by July, so you can deposit your aid checks locally. There are many banks within walking distance of campus, including Wells Fargo, Washington Mutual, Bank of America, Umpqua and US Bank, and even more in Eureka and McKinleyville such as the Coast Central Credit Union, Six Rivers Bank, Redwood Capital Bank and other national bank branches.
We discourage students from paying money to cash aid checks at a check cashing service.
Registration and on-campus room and board charges are subtracted automatically from your financial aid award before your check is sent out. Consequently, your son or daugther can spend his or her aid on any education-related item, such as books and transportation, listed in the cost of attendance. This also means he or she is solely responsible for budgeting throughout the semester.
When your son or daughter accept financial aid, , he or she accept several responsibilities. For starters, he or she must be admitted to, enrolled in and attending classes in an eligible program at Humboldt.
Your son or daughter must also complete the number of units for which aid disbursed and you must maintain at least a “C” (2.0) grade point average. You may become ineligible for future financial aid if you fail to meet any of these requirements.
If your son or daughter receives a scholarship or other non-HSU educational resource, you must notify the Financial Aid Office in writing as soon as possible; previously awarded aid may be adjusted once newly reported resources are coordinated. Your son or daughter may also need to provide the scholarship source with verification of your enrollment, which is available from the AIR Center, first floor Student Business Services Bldg.
Freeze dates
Once a semester, our office takes a "snapshot" of the number of units students are enrolled in. This is because federal and state grants are based, in part, on the number of units students are taking. If your son or daughter drop units and the snapshot is taken on a day when he or she is enrolled in fewer units than the amount for which aid was disbursed, the financial aid award will be reduced retroactively ... meaning you may be required to pay our office back.
Aid is awarded for full time, full year attendance; if your son or daughter cannot take a full-time unit load, please have the student complete a Change Form (pdf) or notify our office in writing, in advance of aid disbursement, with the number of units they plan to take each term. Some programs require full-time attendance, so check with our office with questions about attending less than full-time.