Financial aid is available to all undergraduate students who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Students who meet AB540 criteria may be eligible for aid through the DREAM application. Review the information below to learn more about the process of applying for Financial Aid. Learn more about the FAFSA.
The following table provides a summary of key dates for filing your FAFSA:
| Student Attendance Dates | Which FAFSA to Complete | FAFSA is Available | Tax Year Information Required |
| July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025 | 2024/25 | December 2023 - June 30, 2025 | 2022 |
| July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026 | 2025/26 | October 1, 2024 - June 30 2026 | 2023 |
Please note: The 2025-26 FAFSA due date is March 3, 2025.*
*This information is subject to change. Check back later for updated information.
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A note for California Residents
You may be eligible for Cal Grant. Students, in addition to their FAFSA, must also complete a Cal Grant GPA Verification Form by March 3. Generally, your current high school or college will submit this form on your behalf.
For more information on the qualification for the Cal Grant, please contact the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC).
Financial Aid Process
Steps to apply for financial aid
File the 2025-2026 FAFSA by March 3, 2025*, and include our school code of 001322.
You will receive an offer letter that will include any financial aid you are eligible for. Your financial aid offer letter will detail the funds that you are eligible to receive and any additional steps you will need to take to receive your funds. Make sure to read your letter carefully and follow any additional instructions provided. Also, read over the Financial Aid General Conditions.
If you are selected for verification, you will be notified and informed of what documentation you will need to provide.
Review this sample financial aid offer letter to help guide you through yours.
All official billing information will be housed online through the Self-Service Portal in Student Finance. During the summer, students will be sent information on how to log in to Self-Service. On Student Finance, students can view their balance, account activity, and set up authorized users. Official billing notifications for Fall 2025 will be issued early July, with a due date in early August. Students and authorized proxy users will be notified via email when their account statement is ready to be viewed online. There are a variety of payment options for students and families to review when deciding how to pay their balance. More information can be found on our current students page.
More information about financial aid
Below is additional information about the financial aid process. We hope this helps you and your family when reviewing your financial aid offer. Should you have any questions, don't hesitate to connect with our team.
The university uses the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine eligibility. It is available beginning December 1. In order to be eligible for the maximum amounts of grant money available, you must complete your FAFSA application by March 3.
Please note, that in order for the university to match your FAFSA with your application for admission, you will need to list our school code 001322 on your FAFSA and include your Social Security Number (SSN) on your admissions application.
If you prefer not to list your SSN on your admissions application and have indicated that you would like to apply for financial aid, you have the option to call SFS at (909) 748-8047 to provide this information over the phone. The Office of Admissions will periodically send emails out to applicants who indicated an interest in aid but we do not have a FAFSA on file. Never email your SSN and we will never call you for this information.
Financial aid can be need-based (ex: grants, loans, and work-study) and non-need based (ex: scholarships).
Financial need is the cost of attendance minus student aid index. COA - SAI = Financial Need
Cost of attendance (COA) will vary by school, and is made up of direct (tuition, fees, room/board) and indirect (transportation, books, personal expenses) costs. The expected student aid index (SAI) is a figure derived from the data inputted on the FAFSA that determines the amount you (and your parents if you are dependent) should reasonably be able to contribute toward your expenses but is not necessarily the amount you will have to pay. Learn more about the types of financial aid.
An important step in establishing financial aid eligibility is determining whether a student is considered independent or dependent for the purpose of awarding aid. Undergraduate students may have either status.
Dependent students must provide parental information when completing the FAFSA application. The following list of questions is meant to assist students in determining their status.
If you can answer ‘Yes' to any of the following questions, you are considered Independent. If not, you are Dependent.
- Are you a graduate student?
- Were you born before January 1, 2002?
- Are you married?
- Do you have a dependent who receives more than half their support from you?
- Are you an orphan or ward of the court?
- Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?
Once a student has been admitted and the FAFSA has been received by SFS, a letter will be sent to the student outlining a financial aid offer which can include scholarships, grants, loans, and work study. This offer is either a final or tentative offer. Please read below to learn more about tentative offer letters. There are a variety of resources available to you to help you understand your offer letter:
- Student Financial Services counselors
- Your admissions counselor
- Our printed publications
- Sample financial aid offer letter
Approximately a third of FAFSAs are selected for verification by the Department of Education, which requires submitting additional documents to support the information entered on the form. If your FAFSA is selected, Student Financial Services will let you know what documentation needs to be submitted. The most accurate and preferred way to update your FAFSA is to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Please be aware that not all parents and students are eligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, and you may be required to provide copies of your IRS tax return transcript.
Completing the verification process will assist us in accurately determining your financial aid eligibility. Failure to complete the required verification process will result in the postponement or cancellation of all non-merit financial assistance. If verification is not completed by the beginning of the school year, students must arrange for alternative means to pay for full semester charges until the verification process can be completed and full eligibility has been determined.
The verification worksheets can be found in student financial forms, and students will be notified via Redlands email or U.S. mail what verification items are needed.
The official verification policy can be found in the current catalog.
Tentative Awards
Entering freshman who meet the March 3 FAFSA deadline will receive a financial aid award letter before the deposit deadline of May 1. If you have been selected for verification, your initial financial aid offer will be tentative (e.g., the award is subject to change pending verification of your financial aid file). Once Student Financial Services has received all documentation needed to complete the verification process, your file will be reviewed and your tentative award will either be finalized or adjusted.