Financial Aid Forms for the 2025-2026 Academic Year

Fall 2025, Spring 2026 and Summer 2026

• Make sure that you are completing the correct academic year documents; we cannot accept forms for different academic years, so if we are requesting a 2025-2026 form, make sure that you are submitting the 2025-2026 version of that form.
• Make sure documents are completed entirely; if something does not apply do not leave it blank - enter N/A or "0".
• Complete all documents in black or dark blue ink; any other color will not show up when we scan the document into our imaging system, which can delay the review of your file.
• Make sure all necessary signatures are there; missing signatures can delay the review of your file.
• If the form is requesting additional attachments, make sure to include them; if additional documents should be attached to the form and they are not, it can delay your file from being processed.
• Make sure your name and ID number are on the top of every page; every form requests this information but please make sure to include your name and ID number on the top of every document, including income and tax documents.

• Through the Student Forms Portal; If your documents are completed through the Student Forms portal, the fastest way for review is to submit them through the portal itself.
• By fax; Our fax number is 559-278-4833
• By mail; Mail to Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, 5150 North Maple Ave. M/S JA64, Fresno, CA 93740
• In person; we are located in the North Lobby of the Joyal Administration Building, please see our Contact Us page for current business hours.
  • Dropbox; we have a drop box located in front of Window 1 where you are able to submit your documents without waiting for a staff member.

Students selected for the Verification process will need to complete their required tasks on our Student Forms Portal before we are able to award/disburse financial aid. 

If you need to submit Verification Documents, you will have a To Do item on your Student Center that directs you to our Student Forms Portal.

Students that are not meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements as outlined in our SAP Policy are able to appeal their SAP Status through our Student Forms Portal.

If you are not meeting the SAP requirements, you will have a SAP To Do item on your Student Center that directs you to our Student Forms Portal.

The Higher Education Act allows student financial aid administrators to address unusual circumstances utilizing the special circumstances appeal. If you or your family’s financial situation has significantly changed from 2023 (the tax year used on your 2025-2026 aid application), you may request a re-evaluation of your aid eligibility using more current information. The change may result in a revision of your Student Aid Index (SAI), which in some cases may increase your financial aid eligibility.  Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that each review will produce a specific, desired outcome. 

SUBMISSION DEADLINE:

• For Fall only: December 1, 2025
• For Fall and Spring or Spring only: April 5, 2026
• For dependency status changes due to marital status: February 23, 2026

To initiate a Special Circumstances Appeal:

• The student will need call our office to request an appointment with a Financial Aid and Scholarships Counselor beginning June 2.
• After the counselor appointment, if the circumstances appear to warrant an adjustment, the student will be directed to our Student Forms portal to submit their appeal electronically.

What is needed:

To submit an appeal you will need to provide:

• Detailed statement describing your special circumstances
• Documentation supporting your circumstances. Submitting as much detailed documentation as possible reduces the need for additional follow up. 

NOTE: If you were selected for verification, those documents must be submitted and the process complete, before a special circumstance appeal can be processed.

Any specail circumstance decisions made by Fresno State staff members are final and cannot be appealed to the U.S. Department of Education (ED)

Changes in circumstance which could qualify for review, but are not limited to:

• Layoff/Unemployment
• Disability
• Retirement
• Death
• Divorce/Separation
• Out of pocket medical costs not covered by insurance from between January and December of the prior calendar year.
• Expenses must not exceed medical expenses as allowed by financial aid regulations.
• Change in the number of family members in the household whom you or your parents provide more than 50% support.

Please note that if it is determined that granting a special circumstance request will not make a change or will negatively impact the student it will be denied and no changes will be made.

The Special Circumstance Appeal is previoulsy known as the Professional Judgement Appeal (PJ).

 This is an appeal form for review to become independent on the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application based on unusual circumstances in regards to the student's relationship with parent(s).

Unusual circumstances include, but are not limited to:

• Abandonment by parents
• An abusive family environment that threatens the student’s health or safety
• The student is unable to locate his parents

Circumstances that do not qualify include:

• Parents refusal to contribute to the student’s education
• Parents unwillingness to provide information on the application or information needed for verification
• Parents not claiming the student as a dependent for income tax purposes
• Student demonstrates total self sufficiency 

Students who indicate an unusual circumstance on their financial aid application will have an Unusual Circumstance Appeal To Do item on their Student Center which provides instruction for how to move forward.

If you do not have the Unusual Circumstance To Do item, but you feel your situation warrants an Unusual Circumstance appeal, please contact our office to set up an appointment to meet with a counselor.

The Unusual Circumstance Appeal is previoulsy known as the Dependency Override Appeal (PJ).

A Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant is different from other federal student grants because it requires you agree to complete a teaching service obligation as a condition for receiving the grant, and if you don't complete the service obligation, the TEACH Grant will be converted to a loan that you must repay, with interest.

For more information about the TEACH Grant, please click here.

COMING AUGUST 2025! The 2025-2026 TEACH Grant Request Form

NOTE: We will begin processing TEACH Grant Requests after the census. Remember, you must submit all required documents for processing and to avoid delays.

The Cost of Attendance is used to determine a student's Financial Aid eligibility. A major component for this is the student's living situation (housing plans):  on campus, off campus, or with parent. 

• On Campus means you are living in the dorms or in on-campus housing.
• Off Campus means you are living off campus, but not with your parent(s).
• With Parent means you are living off campus, with your parent(s).

Due to changes with FAFSA Simplification, the question asking about your housing plans was removed for the 2025-2026 academic year. If you are a continuing student, your housing plans were based on information provided on your 2024-2025 financial aid application. If you are an incoming student, your housing plans were based on the information provided from the Cal State Apply application.

If your housing status is incorrect, or your housing status changes later in the academic year, please complete the Housing Status Change Form so that we can adjust your cost of attendance appropriately, making sure you are getting the financial aid you are eligible for.

COMING JULY 2025! You can find the Housing Status Change Form here. If you submit this form, it will take 1-2 weeks for review, and you will be notified once we have made the appropriate adjustments.

For more information on the Cost of Attendance, click here.

To have your subsidized or unsubsidized loan adjusted, please complete this form.

COMING JULY 2025! The 2023-2024 Loan Adjustment Form.

To have your Parent PLUS Loan adjusted, please have your parent borrower complete this form.

COMING JULY 2025! The Parent PLUS Loan Adjustment Form.

If you are a graduate student, you may apply for a Graduate PLUS Loan to help cover the costs of your education. After you have applied for the Graduate PLUS loan at studentaid.gov and have been approved, you must submit the Graduate PLUS Loan Request Form to our office in order for the loan to be processed. In order to be eligible, you do need to be in at least 6 units.

COMING JULY 2025! The Graduate PLUS Loan Request Form

To have your Graduate PLUS Loan adjusted, please complete this form.

COMING JULY 2025! The Graduate PLUS Loan Adjustment Request Form.

After you or your parent have applied for and been approved for a private loan through your chosen lender, you must submit a Private Loan Request Form to our office in order for the loan to be processed.

COMING JULY 2025! The Private Loan Request Form.

To have your private loan adjusted, please complete this form.

COMING JULY 2025! The Private Loan Adjustment Request Form

If you need to submit a statement to our office, you may use this form.

COMING SOON! The Student Statement Form.

If you need to submit a Parent Statement to our office, you may use this form.

COMING SOON! The Parent Statement Form.

You may be eligibile for financial aid for the Summer 2026 semester. For updated information, please check back in March 2026. For more information on summer financial aid eligibility, visit: https://studentaffairs.fresnostate.edu/financialaid/finaid101/summer101.html