Preliminary award amounts for 2022-2023 Middle Class Scholarships (MCS) can be found on Webgrants4Students. Final determination on eligibility will be made in January. Please check back for future updates regarding MCS.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.) I received an email from the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) and/or SSU regarding the 2022-2023 Middle Class Scholarship, is this a scam?
No, the Middle Class Scholarship is a state-funded grant awarded by CSAC. There have been legislative changes to this program that now may make you eligible. Final determination on eligibility will be made in January.
2.) How much should I expect from the MCS award?
The current MCS awards are preliminary and subject to change. You may view your preliminary award amounts on Webgrants4Students. Awards will be prorated based on enrollment similar to the Pell Grant adjustments. Students who are enrolled less than half-time (1-5 units) will not be eligible for MCS. You can view more on how enrollment affects your awards by going to the Financial Aid website.
3.) When should I expect the MCS funds to be awarded?
Final determination on eligibility will be made in January. Moving forward, the disbursement of MCS will occur after the census date. Census happens about two weeks after the end of add/drop. See the academic calendar on the Registrar’s website for more information.
4.) Why didn't I get a refund when the MCS was disbursed to my student account?
Due to the timing of when SSU was notified of MCS awards and when the funds were added to the financial aid package, MCS funds may be used to repay already disbursed Federal Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized Loans if you are awarded up to your full cost of attendance or your need-based aid exceeds your calculated need. Parent PLUS Loans will be reduced in cases where there are no student loans or the amount of the student loan is insufficient. You will receive a modified award email explaining what aid was reduced. Reducing your loan liability with MCS means that you will owe less money in loans upon graduation.
Fall MCS was disbursed to eligible student accounts at the same time as the Spring 23 disbursement of aid. If a student had a balance due for Spring 23, their Fall disbursement of MCS was applied to that balance, in addition to Spring aid. Any refund due to the student will be issued via check or direct deposit. Spring 23 MCS funds will not disburse until after CENSUS and an eligibility review by the Financial Aid Office. Students eligible for a refund of aid at that time will be issued a check or will receive their funds via direct deposit.
More information about MCS can be found on the California Student Aid Commission’s (CSAC) website.