Award Notification: Newly Admitted Undergraduate Students

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

Your aid offer email will refer you to your BroncoDirect 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 BroncoDirect Student Center. This form was created by the Department of Education (ED) and provides you with a personalized overview of your projected costs and financial aid at Cal Poly Pomona.

Aid Funding Not Reflected on your Aid Package

If you are receiving additional funding from other sources, such as 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 offer, you must notify our office in writing of the amount and source of the award. 

A “Notice of Estimated Financial Aid Offer” is an estimate of your eligibility for aid, and means that additional information is needed before we can finalize your award offer.  Be sure to review your To-Do List on your BroncoDirect Student Center for information on what is required from you. 

Estimated Aid Offers are provided to newly admitted students whose applications require additional information to be submitted and reviewed prior to receiving an official aid offer. These estimated aid offers are for informational and planning purposes only; the types of aid offered cannot be accepted as they do not reflect an official aid offer. 

If you receive a preliminary aid notice, be sure to respond to any document requests we make in order to finalize your aid offer. If you do not respond by the specified deadline, you may lose your opportunity to receive certain types of aid. Additionally, your aid may not be available when fees are due.

More information about the verification process is availble on our Understanding Verification page.

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.   We also encourage you to use the shopping sheet to see how the costs of other colleges you may be considering compare to the affordability of Cal Poly Pomona.   

By using the Financing Plan as a guide to your Aid Summary on your BroncoDirect 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 loans to help cover these expenses if you choose.  

Grants and Scholarships 

Grants and scholarships do not need to be repaid. 

• Grants are offered 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 your scholarships. 

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, food, 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 food 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 .

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. 

If you did not respond promptly to items on your To-Do List, your financial aid is likely to be less than on your Preliminary Aid Offer. 

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 BroncoDirect – 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. 

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

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, connect with 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 on any loans offered by either accepting or declining the loans 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 offer may happen for a number of reasons. The most common reasons for aid revisions include: 

• Your budget may have been revised because of a recently submitted appeal; a change in housing status; a change in enrollment status, or a correction to your residency status. 
• Your financial aid package may have changed from an estimated package to an official package because we completed the review of documents you were required to submit.
  
• Fee waivers, department awards, or awards from outside agencies were recently reported to our office, triggering a revision to your offer.  

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 BroncoDirect Student Center where you can view your updated awards. 

Remember . . . 

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.  

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.  A review process is available for students once they have been admitted to Cal Poly Pomona. Admitted students who can document extenuating financial or personal circumstances should contact our office for information about submitting an Family Contribution Appeal to appeal their financial aid package.  

Our counselors can help with the appeal process that will allow us to evaluate the impact of your special circumstances on your ability to pay for college. 

The appeal process is available beginning in April – shortly after the packaging process begins. 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.  

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 you think some aspect of your financial situation was overlooked or if a significant change has occurred to your household's financial situation, you should consider submitting a Family Contribution Appeal.  Contact our office and speak with one of our team members about your situation.  If a review of your situation 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
• Loss of benefits or supportive income (child support, alimony, etc.)
• A large unforeseen medical expense  not covered by insurance
  

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. 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: 

• Computer Purchase (one-time during academic program)
• Housing Expenses in excess of the amount included in the standard cost of attendance
• Dependent Care Expenses
  

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.