College isn’t getting any cheaper, just the opposite, in fact. But students looking for help paying their tuition can now apply for federal assistance, and Chico State is urging all students to apply, regardless of their economic background.
The 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid opened Wednesday, and will remain open until Mar. 2, 2026. The California Dream Act Application — which allows undocumented students to apply for state financial aid — is now also open for that time period.
Filling out the FAFSA or CADAA is the first step for Chico State students to receive grants, work-study jobs and loans.
“It is important for students to complete the FAFSA/CADAA financial aid applications because they may be eligible for financial aid they didn’t know about,” stated in an email, Elizabeth R. Alaniz, Associate Director of Financial Aid and Scholarship Office. “Some assume they may not be eligible because of parent income, but there is the Middle Class Scholarship where income limits are higher.”
The Financial Aid and Scholarship Office will be providing workshops if students need help filling out their forms. The workshops will be on:
- Monday, October 6th, 10 a.m. to noon — SSC 206
- Wednesday, October 29th, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. — SSC 206
- Monday, November 3rd, 1 p.m. to3 p.m. — SSC 206
- Thursday, November 13th, 10 a.m.-noon — SSC 206
- Friday, December 5th, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. — Zoom
- Thursday, February 5th, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. — SSC 206
- Monday, February 9th, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. — SSC 206
- Wednesday, February 25th, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. — SSC 206
- PRIORITY DEADLINE: Monday, March 2nd, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. — SSC 206
If attending a workshop, students should bring a laptop and will need to create a StudentAid.gov account before accessing and completing the online application.
The following documents you may need to complete the FAFSA form, according to Federal Student Aid:
- Tax returns
- Records of child support received
- Current balances of cash, savings, and checking accounts
- Net worth of investments, businesses, and farms
- Your parents SSN, if they have one and you’re a dependent student
Aiden Masson can be reached at [email protected] or [email protected].
