Things to Know

Starting with the 2026–2027 academic year, federal regulations require Direct Loan eligibility to be adjusted based on a student's enrollment level. Students enrolled less than full-time may receive a reduced loan amount under the federal Schedule of Reduction (SOR). Students must be enrolled at least half-time to remain eligible for Direct Loans.

Enrollment is reviewed at the time of each loan disbursement. If you change your enrollment by dropping, withdrawing from, or adding courses, your loan eligibility may also change.

Important: If you reduce your enrollment after receiving a loan disbursement, future loan disbursements may be reduced or canceled. Before making changes to your enrollment, we strongly encourage you to contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss how your financial aid eligibility may be affected.

For more information about how enrollment impacts financial aid eligibility, please visit the Enrollment page on our website.

The Middle Class Scholarship (MCS) is a state-funded grant program administered by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). Students selected to receive an MCS award are expected to be notified directly by CSAC via email in late August.

Sonoma State University will add MCS awards to eligible students’ financial aid packages in late September, and students will receive a revised award notification once the update is made. MCS awards will disburse in October, after the semester census date.

Award amounts may be reduced if a student is not enrolled full-time or becomes eligible for additional federal, state, institutional, or external aid after the initial award is made.

If adjustments are required due to exceeding a student’s financial need or cost of attendance, loans will be reduced first, with grants and scholarships adjusted only if necessary.

All Middle Class Scholarship (MCS) amounts currently included in 2026-2027 financial aid offers are estimates and remain subject to change pending approval of the state budget. Final award amounts may be adjusted once funding levels and student eligibility are finalized by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). MCS funding for the 2026–2027 academic year has been reduced based on the allocation determined by the State of California.

Students who met the financial aid priority deadline and are otherwise eligible but did not receive an estimated MCS in their initial financial aid offer may still be awarded MCS in late September once the university receives the official roster from the state.

Please note that MCS eligibility and award amounts are also based on enrollment status. Students enrolled less than full-time will receive a reduced award.

If you or your family’s financial situation has changed significantly from what is reflected on your federal income tax return (for example, if you’ve lost a job or otherwise experienced a drop in income), you may be eligible to have your financial aid adjusted. After completing the FAFSA questions as instructed on the application (including the transfer of tax return and income information), contact the Financial Aid Office at Sonoma State. Additional information can be found on the Special Circumstances Appeal page.

If you’ve borrowed federal student loans, repayment rules will change beginning July 1, 2026, under federal law. These changes may affect available repayment plans and loan terms.

Before you graduate, we recommend that you:

• Log in to StudentAid.gov to review your loan balance
• Complete your Loan Exit Counseling
• Explore repayment plan options and estimate your monthly payment
• Plan how repayment fits into your post-graduation budget

For more information, visit the CSU Federal Student Aid Updates page:
https://www.calstate.edu/apply/paying-for-college/financial-aid/Pages/federal-student-aid-updates.aspx

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and CA Dream Act Application (CADAA) are now open. To receive the maximum aid, be sure to apply by the priority deadline of March 2, 2026.

Filing the FAFSA is FREE. There are companies that may solicit payment from you to file the FAFSA on your behalf, but in most cases this is a waste of your money. If you are asked to give a credit card number or make any kind of payment to complete or file the FAFSA, beware. More information on filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid can be found in the How to Apply section of our website.

WebGrants4Students is your portal for Cal Grant, Chafee and Middle Class Scholarship awards. The California Student Aid Commission contacts students via email so it is critical that you keep this information current on your WGS account. California residents and AB540 students are potentially eligible for these programs.