Apply for Aid
The first step in applying for financial aid is completing the appropriate application each year.
- FAFSA: Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid if you are a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or eligible noncitizen. The FAFSA is used to determine eligibility for federal, state, and university financial aid.
- CADAA: Submit the California Dream Act Application if you are an undocumented student, DACA recipient, U visa holder, or other student who meets California’s AB 540 or nonresident tuition-exemption requirements. The CADAA is used to apply for California state and institutional aid; it does not provide federal financial aid. Students from mixed-status families may also choose to submit the CADAA.
Submit only one application—the FAFSA or CADAA—based on your eligibility and personal circumstances.
To ensure that we receive your application, complete the following steps:
Submit the correct financial aid application for the appropriate academic year
List SF State as a school on your application (School Code: 001154)
Please note: At SF State, the academic year includes the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms. For example, the 2025–2026 financial aid application covers Fall 2025, Spring 2026, and Summer 2026.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
The FAFSA is the application used to determine eligibility for federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs, including grants, loans and work-study opportunities.
You should complete the FAFSA if you are one of the following:
- U.S. citizen or U.S. national
- Lawful permanent resident, including a Green Card holder
- Citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, or Republic of Palau
- Eligible noncitizen, which may include:
- Refugee
- Asylee
- Cuban-Haitian entrant
- Conditional entrant, if granted before April 1, 1980
- Parolee, if paroled into the U.S. for at least one year and other federal requirements are met
- T-visa holder or eligible derivative T-visa holder
- VAWA-qualified battered immigrant
- Certain American Indians born in Canada
Ready to apply?
Complete your FAFSA to be considered for financial aid for the upcoming academic year.
The California Dream Act Application (CADAA)
The California Dream Act Application (CADAA) allows undocumented students, DACA recipients (active or expired), U-Visa holders, and individuals with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to apply for California state and institutional financial aid.
How to Apply for Financial Aid Through CADAA
To be considered for California state financial aid, students must complete the following steps:
- Submit the California Dream Act Application (CADAA)
- Submit an AB 540 Non-Resident Tuition Exemption Affidavit to the Admissions Office for review and approval
- Monitor your student email and To Do List for updates or additional requests
Please note: Students must be officially confirmed as AB 540/SB 68 eligible by the Admissions Office before financial aid eligibility can be determined.
Contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office.
Contact the Graduate Admissions Office.
CADAA Priority Deadline
California residents and AB 540 eligible students should complete the CADAA by the California state priority deadline each year to be considered for the maximum amount of state financial aid.
The priority deadline is typically March 2 each year.
- Applications submitted after the state priority deadline may not be considered for California state aid programs.
- Students applying only for the Spring semester are still encouraged to meet the state priority deadline.
- Students who miss the priority deadline may still submit a FAFSA or CADAA to be considered for limited institutional aid eligibility.
Please note: For the 2025–2026 academic year (Fall 2025, Spring 2026, and Summer 2026), the California state priority deadline was extended to April 2, 2025.
Ready to Apply?
AB540 FAQ's
- Assembly Bill 540 (AB 540) is a California law that allows eligible students to pay in-state tuition rates at California public colleges and universities, regardless of immigration status.
- AB 540 was later expanded through AB 2000 and SB 68 to include additional pathways for eligibility.
- Students who qualify for AB 540 status may also be eligible to receive state financial aid through the CADAA.
To qualify for AB 540 status, pay resident tuition rates, and be considered for financial aid through the CADAA, students must meet specific eligibility requirements.
Students must meet one of the following educational requirements:
- Attend a California high school for three or more years
- Attend a combination of California elementary, middle, and/or high schools for three or more years
- Attend California adult school and/or California Community College for a combined total of three or more years (up to two years of community college coursework may count)
- Complete an Associate Degree from a California Community College
- Complete the minimum transfer requirements from a California Community College for transfer to a CSU
Students must also meet all of the following:
- Graduate from a California high school, earn a GED, or pass the California High School Proficiency Exam
- Enroll at an accredited California public college or university (CCC, CSU, or UC)
- Submit a Non-Resident Tuition Exemption Affidavit to the Admissions Office
Financial Aid Application FAQ's
Financial aid applications are available each year for the upcoming academic year. The FAFSA and CADAA typically open on October 1. For California priority consideration, submit your application by March 2. The federal FAFSA deadline is June 30 of the academic year for which you are requesting aid.
The school code for San Francisco State University is 001154.
The FAFSA and CADAA generally use tax information from two years before the start of the academic year. Use the following federal income tax returns:
• 2026–27 FAFSA/CADAA: 2024 federal income tax return
• 2025–26 FAFSA/CADAA: 2023 federal income tax return
What happens after I submit my financial aid application?
After you submit your financial aid application, please allow up to one week for our office to receive and process your information.
Once your application has been received and entered our system, we will send an email to your SFSU email account with information about your next steps. You may receive notification that:
- You have been awarded financial aid for the academic year you plan to attend SFSU; or
- You must submit additional documents through the To-Do List in your SF State Gateway account.
If additional documents are required, you may have been selected for verification, which is an additional review of the information reported on your financial aid application.