How will the amount of my Compact Scholars Scholarship be determined and why can't you tell me the amount now?

A final determination of eligibility for the Compact Scholars Scholarship (CSS) cannot be made until information is available to show that you have met all the terms and conditions necessary to be an SDSU Compact Scholar. It is our understanding that the last piece needed to make that determination is the evaluation of your final high school transcript (provided to the SDSU Office of Admissions by the middle of July). Once your final transcript has been evaluated, we will again review your financial aid eligibility and award a Compact Scholars Scholarship if you are eligible.

Your eligibility will be based on a number of factors including your calculated Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and your Cost of Attendance (COA), which is based on your housing arrangements while enrolled. SDSU uses standard Costs of Attendance that include modest but adequate expenses for students who live with their families, in the residence halls, or in an apartment or house off-campus. (For details regarding these costs for this coming academic year, go to www.sdsu.edu/financialaid.) In calculating your eligibility for the scholarship and all other types of financial aid, we begin with your standard COA and subtract your EFC. For example, if you will live with your family and your EFC is $2500, then your initial financial need for all types of aid would be $11,246 minus $2500, or $8746. To qualify for a Compact Scholars Scholarship (CSS) you must have a financial need of $500 or more for the school year. The minimum CSS is $500 and can be renewed for up to four years as long as you continue in the SDSU Compact Scholars Program.

How will my Cal Grant and Pell Grant (and other gift aid) affect my Compact Scholars Scholarship? How will the Compact Scholars Scholarship (CSS) affect the financial aid that I have already been awarded?

Scholarships are typically awarded later in the year after your eligibility has already been determined for grants, work-study, and student/parent loans using the standard Cost of Attendance (COA) and Expected Family Contribution (EFC) described earlier. Student loans and parent loans may be used to replace the EFC, however, the combined total of all financial aid received through scholarships, grants, work-study, and loans may not exceed your COA for the academic year. When determining how your scholarship will affect your financial aid, our goal is to protect as much of your "gift aid" (i.e., aid you do not need to repay) as possible. Therefore the scholarship is first used to replace unmet need, then loan and work-study. If we find your other gift aid would be affected by the Compact Scholars Scholarship (CSS), we will reduce the CSS instead. (The minimum CSS is $500.)

Compact Scholars Program
Division of Undergraduate Studies, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182-1623
Phone: (619) 594-3803 | Fax: (619) 594-2049