Types of Financial Aid

CSUSM administers federal, state, institutional and private financial aid. For more information on the types of financial aid we offer, please click, Financial Aid Programs. 

Your eligibility depends on your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), your year in school, your enrollment status, and the cost of attendance at the school you will be attending. Cal State San Marcos uses the information from your FAFSA or your Dream application, your individual cost of attendance, and your Expected Family Contribution to determine how much financial aid you are eligible to receive. For the purpose of awarding Federal Student Aid, CSUSM defines an Academic Year as 24 credits and 34 weeks. The Academic Year consists of a Fall semester and a Spring semester. Students planning to attend summer may be eligible for some aid not used during the academic year. Please contact us if you need information on summer financial aid.

Financial Aid is determined by CSUSM in the following way:

• The financial aid advisors start by reviewing your cost of attendance (COA).
• They then consider your Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
• They subtract your EFC from your COA to determine the amount of your financial need and therefore how much need-based aid you can get.
• To determine how much non-need-based aid you can get, CSUSM takes your cost of attendance and subtracts any financial aid you’ve already been awarded.