Award Notification: Current Undergraduate Students

You will receive an email notification when your Official Financial Aid Package is available. Aid Packages are only available for viewing online on your MyCPP Student Center, under “Award Summary.”  

Your aid notification email will refer you to your MyCPP Student Center where you can review the details of your Aid Summary (the types and amounts of aid for which you qualify), including the sources of financial aid you are eligible to receive for the academic year, as well as a semester specific breakdown of your aid. Your financial aid package is designed to help make your Cal Poly Pomona education more affordable, and was calculated based on Federal, California State, and Cal Poly Pomona institutional guidelines.  We have considered your eligibility for grants, loans, and part-time employment. Detailed information on each type of award offered to you can be found under Undergraduate Aid Programs. 

Use your College Financing Plan to Understand Your Package 

After viewing your financial aid package, be sure to review your College Financing Plan on your MyCPP Student Center. The College Financing Plan provides you with a personalized overview of your projected costs and financial aid at Cal Poly Pomona.

If you are receiving additional funding from other sources, such as outside scholarships from non-Cal Poly Pomona sources, we are required by the Federal and California State regulations to consider these resources when determining your aid eligibility. If all sources of funding do not show on your aid package, you must notify our office in writing of the amount and source of the award. 

Your College Financing Plan is designed to help you understand the cost of attending Cal Poly Pomona, and provide you with your options for covering any costs not covered by grants or scholarships.

By using the Financing Plan as a guide to your Aid Summary on your MyCPP Student Center, you will get a clearer picture of how the aid you’ve been offered can be used to help you achieve your educational goals at Cal Poly Pomona.   

Cost of Attendance 

The cost of attendance is a detailed breakdown of what it could cost you to attend Cal Poly Pomona for one academic year. You are largely in control of how much or how little you will need to spend on many of the items listed on the cost of attendance.  

How to estimate what it will actually cost you 

• Living off-campus or at home? You will only be billed for your tuition and fees. 

• Living in University housing? In addition to your tuition and fees, you will also be billed based on your housing assignment and the meal plan option you select.  

Cal Poly Pomona will not bill you for books, supplies, transportation and other educational costs. They are included in your cost of attendance and you have the option of borrowing enough financial aid to cover these expenses if you choose.  

Grants and Scholarships 

Grants and scholarships do not need to be repaid. 

• Grants are awarded based on your financial need as determined by the FAFSA or DREAM Application information. 
• Scholarships are typically applied for through the Bronco Scholarship Application.  Any scholarships we have been notified you have been awarded are included in this section. If you are receiving a scholarship from an organization outside of Cal Poly Pomona, it may not be listed on your current Financing Plan.  Be sure to notify our office so that we can update your aid offer and your Financing Plan to reflect these awards. 

Not all students will qualify for grants or scholarships. You can apply for our Cal Poly Pomona Scholarships every fall semester while attending Cal Poly Pomona. Funds awarded through these scholarships will apply to your account for the following academic year. 

Net Costs 

On the College Financing Plan, the net cost is determined by taking all components of the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, housing, meals, books, supplies, and transportation) minus your total grants and scholarships.  

Important! To calculate what YOU will be responsible to pay, use your estimate for tuition and fees (add housing and meals if you are living on campus) and subtract any grant or scholarship funds you were awarded.  

This is the amount of additional funding you will need to cover all of your costs. 

Work Options 

Federal Work-Study (FWS) allows eligible students to apply for positions to earn money to help pay for costs related to school.   Eligibility is based on your financial need and availability of funding.   

Earnings from Federal Work Study are not automatically credited to your student account; instead a paycheck is issued and can be used for personal expenses, books and supplies. 

In addition to FWS, students can also apply for other on-campus positions or to one of many off campus employment opportunities. 

Loan Options 

Loans are borrowed money that must be repaid with interest. Student loans are offered based on your year in college (freshman, sophomore, etc.).  Students who attempt to juggle full time work and full time studies may have difficulty completing their academic programs.  Not working, or working a moderate amount, and using your student loan can help you keep your focus on your studies & education goals.   

Two Types of Federal Loans 

• Federal Direct Subsidized Loan-A loan offered by the US Department of Education. Accrued interest is covered by the Department of Education while you are enrolled in school at least half-time and during your 6-month grace period after you graduate or leave school. Interest will begin to accrue when your loan enters repayment.  

• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan-Also a loan from the US Department of Education. Interest on this loan accrues from the day it is disbursed until it is repaid.  

Loans will help pay for your tuition bill right away.  The Federal Direct Loans offered to you come with low interest rates and favorable repayment options.  They also don’t require a credit check or collateral.  If you think you need less money than what was offered, follow the directions to accept a lesser amount .

Remember, financial aid programs were created with the idea that the primary responsibility for paying college costs rests with the student and their family. The amount of aid for which you are eligible depends on your family’s financial circumstances and resources. 

Aid offered is based on the information you submitted on your financial aid application (either the FAFSA or the California Dream Act Application) – and may consist of grants, scholarships, loans, and/or federal work study – depending on your eligibility.  

The basic calculation used to determine your financial aid eligibility is: 

Cost of Attendance minus EFC (from Aid Application) = Financial Need

While your Financial Need represents the maximum amount of aid you are eligible to receive based on your costs and your financial resources, the amount of aid that you will actually be offered depends on the financial aid funds available in any given year. 

You can view your EFC, COA budget, and Financial Need by accessing your College Financing Plan from the Award Summary Page. 

You can also review your EFC, COA budget, and Financial Need used in determining your aid package by accessing the relevant screens on MyCPP – refer to the BroncoDirect: Student Help - Financial Aid guide for instructions. 

Other factors impacting the amount and type of financial aid you are offered include: 

• Timing of your application
• Timing of response to requests for additional documents to complete your file
• Your willingness to accept various types of financial aid (as indicated by you on your application)
• The availability of funds
• Your eligibility for certain aid types based on item lifetime limits. 

If you missed the priority filing deadline, or did not respond promptly to items on your To-Do List, your financial aid is likely to be less than in previous years.  If you have specific questions about your eligibility for aid, please feel free to contact our office.

Further details on how the information from your financial aid application is used to determine the types & amounts of aid you to receive are available on the Federal Student Aid website.  

Aid offered is based on the information you submitted on your financial aid application (either the FAFSA or the California Dream Act Application), as well as the information on file at Cal Poly Pomona.  Be sure the information being used in determining your eligibility is accurate: 

• Are your housing plans accurate? 
• Is your CA Residency status accurate? 
• Does your Aid Summary reflect any benefits, scholarships, or other outside awards you will be receiving?     

To correct any errors, and to provide our office with any new information, contact us during regular business hours.  

Questions about, or corrections to, your CA Residency Status must be directed to the Residency Coordinator through the Office of Admissions – as they are the only office that is able to make decisions and updates to your status. 

After reviewing your Financial Aid Summary, you will need to take action by either accepting or declining the aid, before your package can be finalized and applied towards your Cal Poly Pomona charges. If you are not sure if you want to accept a particular item, such as a loan, you may delay making a decision on that item until later.   

If you have been offered a loan as part of your aid offer, you are not required to accept the maximum amount offered. You may choose to either accept the full amount, a lesser amount, or decline the loan. 

Additional steps are required for loan borrowers; visit our Loan Information page for details. 

Adjustments to your financial aid package may happen for a number of reasons. The most common reasons for aid package revisions include: 

• Your budget may have been revised because of a recently submitted appeal, a change in housing status, or a correction to your residency status.  
  
• Fee waivers, department awards, or awards from outside agencies were recently reported to our office, triggering a revision to your offer.  
• Your eligibility may have changed as a result of additional required documents that we received after having provided you with an initial package.

Understanding the Changes 

You will receive an email notification if your financial aid awards change. The email will direct you to review your Award Summary on your MyCPP Student Center where you can view your updated awards. 

We recommend that you save an electronic or printed copy of your financial aid summary any time there is a change. Keeping a record of the awards you received may help you for future reference.  

If you think some aspect of your situation was overlooked or if a significant change has occurred to your household's financial situation, you should consider submitting an appeal.

The deadline for submitting all appeals is three weeks prior to the last day of finals for the academic year for which you are appealing your aid (if attending only one term, the deadline is three weeks prior to the last day of finals for the term you are attending). 

All actions resulting from the appeal process are contingent upon fund availability and any processing deadlines which may be in effect at the time of approval. 

Family Contribution Appeal 

We understand that many students and families experience significant changes in income or family situations that are not reflected in the base-year income used to determine the student’s expected family contribution.  If you / your family can document extenuating financial or personal circumstances you should contact our office and speak with one of our team members about your situation.  If a review is warranted, our financial aid counselors will provide you with instructions on submitting an appeal & documentation. 

The most common examples of situations resulting in a re-evaluation include: 

• A significant change in income or resources, such as through a job loss
• Death of a parent or spouse
• Dependent care expenses
• A large unforeseen medical expense

The appeal process is available beginning in March. You do not have to have been packaged in order to submit an appeal; however, if your application has been selected for verification by either Federal Student Aid or the California Student Aid Commission, you must first submit all required documents before your appeal can be reviewed by our office.  

Appeals are typically reviewed in within 2-3 weeks after submission. During busy processing times (such as the summer), it may take longer for your appeal to be evaluated. Note that we might ask for further information or documentation after our initial review of your appeal. Once the review is completed, if your appeal is approved you will receive a revised notification of eligibility on MyCPP Student Center reflecting the changes made to the award.  All actions resulting from the appeal process are contingent upon fund availability and any processing deadlines which may be in effect at the time of approval.

If your appeal is denied, you will receive an email to notify you of the reason(s) for the denial. 

Cost of Attendance Adjustment Appeal 

If you have special, or significant expenses, that are not reflected in your standard Cost of Attendance, you should complete a Cost of Attendance Appeal form, available on our Financial Aid Student Forms Portal beginning each July. 

The most common circumstances that result in a student being eligible for an adjustment to their cost of attendance are: 

• Non-Resident Tuition fees in excess of the amount allotted in the standard cost of attendance
• Computer Purchase (one-time during academic program)
• Housing Expenses in excess of the amount allotted in the standard cost of attendance 

Documentation to substantiate your budget revision request is required and must be submitted with the Cost of Attendance Adjustment Request form. An adjustment might not result in any additional aid.