myCSUSM
Enrollment & Recalculation of Aid
The enrollment status of the student at the time that funds are prepared for disbursement will be used to determine the payment amount. For purposes of financial aid, enrollment status is defined as outlined in the table below. Please keep in mind that awards are disbursed in two payments for the academic year, half for the fall term and half for the spring term. The full amount of loan funds for the term (fall or spring) can be disbursed as long as the student is enrolled in a minimum of six units or a minimum of five units for graduate students.
| Status | Undergraduates | Graduate Students |
|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | Number of Units | Number of Units |
| Full-Time | 12 or more | 6 - 12 |
| ½ Time | 6 - 8 | 3 - 5 |
| < ½ Time | 5 or less | 1 - 2 |
Prorated Payments
Disbursements of Pell Grant, Cal Grant A, Cal Grant B, and State University Grants will be prorated (adjusted) based on the enrollment status of the student. Your financial aid award summary reflects your full-time award amount; payment amounts will be prorated if necessary based on the enrollment status at the time the disbursement is completed, and will be later adjusted based on your enrollment at census date.
Pell Grant and Cal Grants
Pell Grant funds and Cal Grants are disbursed based on the enrollment status at the time of disbursement. Following the initial disbursement, Pell Grant and Cal Grant recipients who change enrollment status (adding or dropping classes) will have their eligibility recalculated based on their enrollment status as of the University's census date for each semester, typically the beginning of the fourth week of class. Students who are enrolled less than full-time at the time of the initial disbursement and who later add classes prior to the University's enrollment census date (beginning of the fourth week of classes), will receive a subsequent disbursement based on the new updated enrollment status to reflect the correct payment eligibility (3/4 time or full-time). Likewise, a Pell Grant or Cal Grant recipient who drops classes following the initial disbursement of Pell Grant or Cal Grant funds will have their eligibility recalculated based on their "census" enrollment status. In some instances, this recalculation may result in repayment of funds already disbursed as a result of the reduction in units following the disbursement of Pell Grant or Cal Grant funds.