The beginning of every student's journey to receiving financial aid is the application process. All students must submit either a Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or a California Dream Act Application (CADAA) every year. To ensure that SF State receives your financial aid application, complete the following steps:
NOTE: The academic year order here at SF State goes: Fall, Spring, and Summer
Ex. A student files a 2025-2026 financial aid application to receive financial aid for the 2025-2026 school year (Fall 2025, Spring 2026, and Summer 2026) here at SF State.
Content Breakdown
Which application do I complete?
- US citizens
- Permanent resident (Green card holders)
- Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) with status from USCIS such as:
- Refugee
- Asylum Grant
- Cuban-Haitian entrant
- Condition entrant (Before April 1, 1980)
- Parolee
- T-Visa holder
- Battered immigrant qualified alien - Included children under Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
- Citizen of the Federated State of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau
- Undocumented students
- DACA recipients (Active or expired)
- U-Visa holders
- Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
Important Reminder: Applicants must be confirmed as AB 540/SB 68 eligible by the Admissions Office (Undergraduate or Graduate) at SF State.
- INELIGIBLE to apply for either a FAFSA or CADAA
If you are an international student, we recommend contacting the Office Of International Programs (OIP) regarding admission and possible financial assistance.
Is there a deadline I need to meet?
For the 2024-2025 school year (Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025), the State priority deadline was on May 2, 2024.
All California residents and AB 540 Dream students must complete their financial aid applications by the State priority deadline every year in order to be considered for State financial aid. The date for the deadline is usually March 2nd of every year. Applications submitted after that date will result in the student being ineligible for any State based aid.
- If a student is are applying for admissions for just the Spring semester at SF State, the State priority deadline still applies.
- If a student misses the designated State priority deadline, they may still fill out a FAFSA/CADAA to be evaluated for either Federal or Institutional aid only.
- AB 540 Dream students will most likely not receive any financial aid if they miss the State priority deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Financial Aid Applications
New financial aid applications always open on October 1 of every year. The applications close on June 30 (Two years after the designated October 1st date).
The school code for SF State is 001154.
| Application Year | Tax Information |
| 2025-2026 FAFSA/CADAA | 2023 1040 Tax Return |
| 2024-2025 FAFSA/CADAA | 2022 1040 Tax Return |
Upon submitting your financial aid application, it will take our office about a week to receive your information. You will be e-mailed through your SF State e-mail one of these two things once your application has been successfully registered in our system:
- You've been awarded financial aid for the designated school year you are admitted for
- You are required to submit additional items to our office which can be found on the To Do List of your SF State Gateway
If you are required to submit additional documents to our office, that means that your financial aid application was selected for Verification (Further review). For more information regarding the verification process, please click on the link provided down below.