Special Programs

Students participating in the PHAP program are eligible for federal financial aid because they are taking pre-requisite coursework needed to gain admittance to an aid-eligible degree program (such as medical school). PHAP student aid eligibility is limited to one consecutive 12 month period beginning on the first day they receive financial aid. The funds available are tied to annual student loan limits (amounts listed below).

For example, a student who begins Fall term would be eligible for Fall, Spring, and if they have not used their annual limit, Summer term. A student who begins Spring term would be eligible for aid Spring, Summer, and Fall term.

Eligible classes can be found on the PHAP Program Curriculum site. Each term the financial aid office must manually confirm that you are enrolled in eligible classes before releasing your aid. This process may cause delays so be sure to plan ahead.

PHAP students are eligible for the following annual loan amounts:

• Dependent Students: $5500/year in subsidized or unsubsidized loan funds (depending on EFC/need)
  • Dependent students are also eligible for Parent PLUS loan funds. The parent listed on the FAFSA can submit an application on studentloans.gov.
• Independent Students: $12,500/year  in subsidized or unsubsidized loan funds (depending on EFC/need)
  • Independent students are not eligible for either Parent PLUS loan funds or GRAD Plus loan funds as they are not dependent & are not graduate students.

Once you have used your eligible federal loan eligibility, you would only be eligible for Private/Alternative loans which are loans from an outside lender for educational expenses that require school certification. CSUEB cannot recommend lenders. We highly recommend comparing your options and making sure to read all the terms & conditions of your loan to avoid any problems in the future.

When filing your FAFSA it is important to note the proper responses to a few of the questions to insure your application is not rejected. 

• Question 29: 5th year/other undergraduate (grade level)
• Question 30: Certificate of two or more years OR Certificate of less than two years
• Question 47: No (not a graduate student)

*Note: Financial aid eligibility for federal student loan programs requires that you be registered at least half time (6 credits) to receive financial aid. 

Students admitted to other campuses and attending Cal State East Bay classes are not eligible to receive financial aid from Cal State East Bay. Visiting students should apply for aid through their home campuses. Cal State East Bay will help visiting students coordinate financial aid disbursements and enrollment verifications. For more information on Visitor status, see the University catalog.

Students attending two or more schools at the same time MAY NOT receive financial aid from more than one of their schools. You must notify the Office of Financial Aid when you enroll at another institution.

The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships does participate in Consortium Agreements. Some students attending a local college may be able to combine their units from that college with their units from East Bay to count as total enrolled units for Federal Financial aid purposes. 

Note- Financial Aid will only be considered for students with approved Consortium/Cross Registration Agreements. Please contact the Office of the Registrar to be considered.