Table of Contents

• Updating Housing Status
• Change of Circumstance
• Completing a Change of Circumstance Appeal
• Release of Information
• Consent Form
• Study Abroad
• Visitor Status

Eligibility is determined by comparing a student’s EFC to the financial aid budget. The Cal State San Marcos Financial Aid and Scholarship Office calculates a general cost of education, which includes fees, books, room and board, transportation and miscellaneous costs that the average Cal State San Marcos student may incur during a nine month period. The gap, if any, is the financial aid eligibility.

Example:
 

2004-2005 cost of education for an undergraduate student not living with parents	$15,946
Less EFC	$  5,200
Difference (financial aid eligibility)	$10,746

In this example, even though the family contribution is a significant amount, the student has eligibility for up to $10,746 in what is known as need-based financial aid.

If the same student were living with parents, the budget would be smaller, since the student would not have the same costs as someone living away from home, and the eligibility would change:

 

2004-2005 cost of education for an undergraduate student living with parents	$10,570
Less EFC	$  5,200
Difference (financial aid eligibility)	$ 5,370

The contribution does not change, only the costs associated with attending school. This is one reason why an award can change, and why different schools may offer different awards. The budget is based on the estimated costs of a single student. Family size is taken into account in the EFC calculations. With the exception of childcare expenses associated with attending school, we cannot take into account the additional costs associated with supporting dependents.

Sometimes, the EFC is greater than the budget, or creates a very small eligibility. In this case, the Cal State San Marcos Financial Aid and Scholarship Office cannot award need-based aid, or the need-based award is small and the student may want more aid. In this case, the student is eligible to accept and the award will reflect an unsubsidized student loan. If parent information is required on the FAFSA , a parent loan is possible. Neither the unsubsidized or parent loan requires need-based eligibility. So, regardless of income, there are ways of financing your education.

Cal State San Marcos 2004-05 Financial Aid Budgets*

* Cal State San Marcos bases its student financial aid budget on information received by the state and from surveys of our students.

** Based on state and local fee levels effective July 2004.

For the most part, these budgets cannot be revised to reflect your specific costs. The exceptions are as follows:

Dependent care - with documentation, we can take into account expenses you incur for child or elder care expenses while you are in school or studying.

Educational costs associated with a disability - with documentation we can consider educational expenses you incur due to your disability that are paid by you and that are not covered by any outside resource or agency.

Updating Housing Status
If your award letter indicates your eligibility is based on living away from home (including living on campus) and you decide that you will be living with your parents, please notify the Cal State San Marcos Financial Aid and Scholarship Office.

If your award letter indicates your eligibility is based on living with your parents and you are living away from home, either off-campus or on-campus, you must provide the Cal State San Marcos Financial Aid and Scholarship Office with a copy of your rental agreement. If you have not yet moved, bring in a copy at the point that you sign a rental agreement, and we will adjust your eligibility at that time.

NOTE: An increase to your budget is not likely to change any grant aid. It may increase your eligibility for a student loan.

Change of Circumstance

When you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the income information relates to the previous year (2003 for the 2004-2005 academic year). For most people, the previous year income will be comparable to what they will earn in 2004-05. However, for some, circumstances have changed and the expected income may be less. A student or family may also have extraordinary expenses, such as medical bills which impact available income. In these situations, a student can complete a detailed Change of Circumstance Appeal (forms are available in the Cal State San Marcos Financial Aid and Scholarship Office and from our website) and submit it directly to our office.

Completing a Change of Circumstance Appeal
If you completed a change of circumstance appeal this past year and your situation remains the same and is not yet accurately reflected in your past year income, you can submit an update appeal starting immediately. However, because most new appeals are in regard to changes in income, we do not consider new change of circumstance appeals until June 2004, which is the beginning of the projected academic year (June 2004 - May 2005). At that time, students can complete and submit the Change of Circumstance Appeal form. In order to be considered, one must attach documentation proving the change in circumstance. For instance, if a student has reduced work hours, a copy of pay stubs or a letter from the employer confirming this would be required. Students should plan on a minimum processing time of 4-6 weeks, 6-8 weeks during our peak processing times. Therefore, to avoid any delay, it is vital that the information provided is clear and accurate, and that documentation proving the changes is included.

Release of Information
The federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects access to student records. We are not allowed, without the student’s written consent, to discuss educational records, including financial aid, with anyone but the student.

Consent Form
If you regularly have business attended to by a spouse or parent, you need to submit to our office a Consent to Release Information form. This will allow us to discuss your file, financial aid eligibility, amounts of aid and disbursement information with the person for whom you give consent to disclose such information. The Consent for Release of Information form is available in our office. Please stop by and pick one up, or you can retrieve it from the forms section of our website.

If we do not have a consent form, we can give general information to interested parties, published disbursement dates, general information on satisfactory progress but we CANNOT discuss your particular information in any detail. Please note: the consent form is only to release information in the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office. This form will not allow access to registration or some accounting and/or billing records.

Study Abroad
Cal State San Marcos has study abroad programs that allow our students to study at universities outside the United States and receive academic credit. To be eligible for financial aid, the program must be through the CSU International Programs Office (CSUIP), or be a visitor at another CSU. Some programs may be recognized by the Cal State San Marcos Global Affairs Office and have appropriate consortium agreements on file. Please contact the Cal State San Marcos Global Affairs Office for more information regarding study abroad opportunities.

When applying for aid to study abroad, it is imperative that the financial aid process is begun early. Study abroad students often leave before the beginning of the school year and if not done early, forms might still need to be processed and signatures obtained. This can be very difficult if you are in another country. In addition, while financial aid may ultimately be able to cover the majority of your study abroad costs, funds must be forwarded to the programs based on the Cal State San Marcos academic calendar and disbursement schedule. You will need to make sure you have enough funds to cover your costs until your financial aid can reach you, which depending upon your program and personal timeline, may be anywhere from 30 to 90 days after all disbursement requirements have been completed. The CSU IP program and some other CSU programs will defer the direct costs of the program until your financial aid is forwarded to their offices. In any event, it is important that you work with the Global Affairs Office and the Cal State San Marcos Financial Aid and Scholarship Office to ensure that your aid is processed and available in as timely a manner as possible.

Visitor Status
The CSU allows students to attend one semester at another CSU as a visitor student. When this happens, the student pays fees at the host campus; however financial aid is still handled at the home campus and forwarded to the host campus. To do a one-semester visitor status to another CSU, you must submit the required forms to the Cal State San Marcos Registration and Records Office. You must also notify the Cal State San Marcos Financial Aid and Scholarship Office of your intent to spend one semester at another CSU. This information is not forwarded to our office automatically. If you do not notify us, we will assume that you are not registered and will cancel your aid for the semester. In addition, if you pre-registered for courses here and later decide to go to another CSU as a visitor, you must drop your classes at Cal State San Marcos. Again, the system will not automatically recognize your status and you will be charged fees at both institutions. Questions regarding visitor status should be referred to the Cal State San Marcos Registration and Records Office.