Financial Aid at CIIS

CIIS offers both institutional and federal aid to our students.

• Grants -Money for undergraduate students that they do not need to repay.
• Scholarships - Institutional aid based on need, merit, and area of study. Please visit our scholarship page to learn more and apply.
• Federal Pell - Available for students who demonstrate need per their FAFSA.
• FSEOG - Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant, available to students who demonstrate need per their FAFSA.
• Cal Grant - A California state grant that requires you to file your FAFSA online before March 2 every year.

Direct loans are low-interest loans for students and parents to help pay for the cost of a student's education. The lender is the U.S. Department of Education. Students can borrow directly from the federal government and choose from several repayment plans that are designed to meet the needs of any borrower.

Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loan

Direct Subsidized Loans are for Undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need, as determined by federal regulations. No interest is charged while students are in school at least half-time, during their grace period. Direct Unsubsidized Loans are not based on financial need; interest is charged during all periods. 

PLUS Loans

Graduate Plus loan is an unsubsidized loan for our graduate/professional students currently enrolled in a program at CIIS and who have obtained a direct loan before 7-1-2026 in the same degree program. 

For more information about the Direct Plus Loan Program, please visit studentaid.gov↗

Private Student Loans

Once you and your family have considered all institutional and federal loan options, you can use the Great Lakes FASTChoice feature to instantly and accurately compare rates and terms from multiple private loan lenders side-by-side. This tool will help you make an informed decision about the most appropriate loan for you.

FASTChoice displays products from local and national lenders, complete with detailed listings of APRs (annual percentage rates), interest rates, total cost, monthly payments, borrower benefits, fees and repayment options. Start a FASTChoice private loan comparison now.

Regardless of which private lender you choose, you will need to complete a self-certification form with us before receiving your first disbursement of loan funds. Your lender may provide this form to you when you apply for the loan. Download the Private Loan Self-Certification Form.

Final Disclosure and Right-to-Cancel Period

Under the federal Truth in Lending Act (TILA), your lender must provide you with a finalized disclosure statement after you have signed your promissory note. The final disclosure statement confirms the terms and conditions of your loan.

At the time that this final disclosure is delivered, your "right-to-cancel" period begins. During this period of six business days, you may cancel the loan by contacting the lender. The lender cannot release the first disbursement of your loan funds until the end of the right-to-cancel period.

Graduate students should first opt for the Graduate PLUS loan. This may be the only option if a graduate student has lost his/her financial aid eligibility. Undergraduate independent students may opt for a private loan to supplement their living expenses.

Domestic students can work on- or off-campus and are paid no less than the San Francisco minimum wage.   If a student is working off-campus, they may not work on-campus or hold other community service positions. 

International students may work on campus only at current San Francisco minimum hourly wage. This is considered institutional aid. International students may work up to 35 hours per week during academic breaks (contingent upon the CIIS budget). For more information regarding employment for international student status, contact your international student advisor at 415.575.6157. 

CIIS works with both the California Department of Rehabilitation and VA VR&E to assist student securing their educational funding. Students need to contact their agency to determine eligibility.

In order to process these educational benefits, please contact the Office of Financial Aid or the Office of Student Accounts for requirements.

AmeriCorps is a national community service program that provides funding for education in exchange for service. California Institute of Integral Studies matches the AmeriCorps education awards for the following students:

• Undergraduates up to $2,000
• Masters up to $3,000
• Doctorate up to $4,000

The award match would be granted if the student completed ONE year of study in our school and after the use of one full year of the AmeriCorps award. The match is given in a form of a scholarship and it is only up to tuition costs for the semester that it is applied.

For example, during the first year, the student would generally use the AmeriCorps award and during the second year the student would be granted the AmeriCorps match. The student must be making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) and not in default with federal aid programs.

You may contact the Financial Aid Office for more information about an AmeriCorps award at finaid@ciis.edu.

CIIS works with the Department of Veteran Affairs for those students eligible to receive GI Bill educational funding. CIIS also participates in the Yellow Ribbon program. The financial aid office needs to receive your Certification of Eligibility to process your veteran education benefits.

For more information, please visit the Veterans and their Families page.

The Foundation Center offers a data base of scholarships, fellowships, grants and other awards. You can visit their library in downtown San Francisco and access the database and other resources for free.

312 Sutter St. #606 San Francisco, CA 94108 415.397.0903

For Washington State residents seeking information and resources about student loan repayment or seeking to submit a complaint relating to your student loans or student loan servicer, please visit wsac.wa.gov/loan-advocacy or contact the Student Loan Advocate at loanadvocate@wsac.wa.gov.

Yes. Under OBBBA, your loan eligibility is adjusted based on enrollment level. If you drop below full-time enrollment, your available loan amount may be prorated, even if you remained eligible for the full amount in past years.  Final guidance with more details about the calculations are yet to be determined.

Start by looking at when you first borrowed loans for your current program. If your federal loans for this program were disbursed before July 1, 2026, you likely fall under the “current borrower” category. If not, you will be regarded as a “new borrower,” even if you borrowed in the past for a different program.  

Switching to a new program (even at the same school) can reset your borrowing category. That means your loan limits and eligibility rules may shift to those of a “new borrower,” even if you previously qualified as a “current borrower” in your old program.  

Current borrowers meeting eligibility requirements are protected only for a limited time. If your program extends beyond the allowable “legacy” window, you may be subject to the new annual and lifetime loan limits.  

Before you apply, find out whether you are eligible for financial aid

Step 1 – File your FAFSA

• File your FAFSA (Free Application For Federal Student Aid) with the Department of Education.
• You will need CIIS’ school code: 012154. This school code authorizes the Department of Education to send your FAFSA information to CIIS.

Step 2 – Complete your Direct Loan Entrance Counseling online

• After you have filed your FAFSA, you are required to complete your Loan Entrance Counseling online (first-time borrowers only).
• Download instructions on how to complete your Loan Entrance Counseling.

Step 3 – Complete your Master Promissory Note

• Please complete your Master Promissory Note online.
• Download instructions on how to complete your Master Promissory Note.

Step 4 – Accept/Decline your awards online

Once the Financial Aid Office receives all of your required documents, they will begin processing your application. You will need to wait to receive an email from the financial aid office detailing how to accept your awards online. Please save our email address, finaid@ciis.edu, in your email contacts to avoid our messages being sent to your spam folder.

• Download instructions on how to accept/decline your awards online.

How to accept your awards online

Go to the Financial Aid Office Online System. Your login is your your CIIS email address (contact Admissions for your CIIS email). For new students, please contact the Admission Office to obtain a CIIS email.

Note: If your Admissions status is Provisional, the Financial Aid Office would not transmit your aid from the Department of Education to CIIS per federal regulations. It is important that you contact the Admissions Office to resolve your Admission status.

Find the most up-to-date information on our Tuition and Fees page.

Entrance Loan Counseling is a review of post-graduation payment options for student loans. It is also a federal requirement so that students can properly understand their legal obligations. To do this, please log on at studentaid.gov using the FSA ID you used for the FAFSA, and follow the link saying Complete Entrance Counseling. This is a task that you will do when you begin a new program. You need not do it every semester.

Exit loan counseling is required before you graduate, withdraw, or drop below half-time attendance. Accomplishing it will help you understand your rights and responsibilities as a student loan borrower. It consists of useful tips and information to help you manage your loans. Log on studentaid.gov to go through this process.

The Master Promissory Note (MPN) is a legal document in which you promise to repay your loan(s) and any accrued interest and fees to the U.S. Department of Education. It also explains the terms and conditions of your loan(s); for instance, it will include information on how interest is calculated and what deferment and cancellation provisions are available to you. Please note that separate MPNs are required for Stafford Loans and for any PLUS loans you may have. To do a Promissory Note, please log on at studentaid.gov using the same PIN you used for the FAFSA, and follow the link saying Complete Master Promissory Note.

Once your awards are ready to be accepted/declined online, you will receive an email from our office with the following instructions:

1. Go to the "Accept Awards Online" tab
2. Click on the "Click Here" link to learn about the Terms and Conditions of your award
3. Change the "Status" field to "Accept" or "Decline" for each award. You may also select "Accept All" if you wish to accept or decline all of your awards at once
4. Click the "Submit" button once you are done
5. Check the "Awards Tab" to see how much you are eligible for per semester
6. Budget how much you need for college. Check your fees and tuition charges per semester to see if you have enough to cover them. If you wish to reduce the amount of your loans, please contact our office by email at finaid@ciis.edu and request it in writing.

Note: A credit check is required for this application process.

Go to studentaid.gov

1. Click on "Sign In" under "Manage My Direct Loan." Follow the given steps.
2. You will need a FSA ID to apply.
3. You will need to complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN) for the Graduate Plus Loan (please note that this is separate from the Subsidized/Unsubsidized Master Promissory Note). The Graduate Plus Application is valid for 180 days. After 180 days, you will need to reapply and go through another credit check.

If you have submitted all required documents by the priority deadline and accepted your awards, then you will receive your funds on the school's disbursement date for the semester. Note that for first-time undergraduate loan borrowers, there will be a 30-day delay for disbursement of loans. In order to be considered complete status, the following should be met:

FOR NEW STUDENTS

• Full Admission Acceptance status (Provisional Acceptance doesn't qualify for aid)
• Registered for coursework eligible for aid
• Enrollment/coursework registration successfully submitted
• Direct Loan Entrance loan counseling (first-time borrowers only)
• Master Promissory Note (MPN) for Direct Loans

FOR CONTINUING STUDENTS

• Meeting satisfactory academic progress
• Registered for coursework eligible for aid
• Enrollment/coursework registration successfully submitted
• Master Promissory Note (MPN) for Direct Loans

If, however, you have not received a financial aid award beyond the disbursement date, check with Business Office if you will incur a late payment fee. We process financial aid awards in the order we receive FAFSA applications and other required documents from students, so we highly suggest submitting the FAFSA application online as soon as possible.

From the date that the above mentioned are successfully completed, there is an approximately 3-week turnaround prior to disbursement of funds.

**Note that there may be delays during the disbursement period.**

There are three steps.

STEP 1: Calculate your total cost at CIIS.

Tuition + Registration fee + Other charges (e.g. Technology Fee) = Actual Cost

STEP 2: Calculate your total aid.

Total financial aid (loans & scholarship, excluding federal work study funds) = Total Aid

Note: There are origination fees on your loans, please check with the Financial Aid Office for details.

STEP 3: Calculate excess fund or balance due. Total Aid - Actual Cost = Excess fund

Note: If your "Excess fund" is a negative figure, you actually owe a balance and need to pay to the business office.

If you're provisionally admitted, the Financial Aid Office would not be able to request for your funds from the Department of Education. In addition, your scholarship disbursement will also be placed on hold. Provisionally admitted students should contact their Admissions counselor as soon as possible to determine what other documents (e.g.: transcripts, letters of recommendations, degree conferrals, etc.) are needed to transition to full acceptance status.

Incomplete grades (I or IN) are classified as unsatisfactory grades; similarly with "NP" (not pass) and any letter grades below a "B." If you have 1 NP and 1 I/IN grades, you will continue to receive financial aid. However, if you have 2 B- grades (2 C grades for undergraduate/BAC students) and an I/IN, you will be placed on Probation by the Registrar and continue to receive financial aid for the duration of that probationary status. However, if you fail to rehabilitate your academic progress after your probationary status, you will no longer continue receiving financial aid until you have resolved your unsatisfactory grades. Once you have successfully replaced those unsatisfactory grades, you will be able to reinstate your financial aid in the following semester.

Check your status with the Registrar's office, then follow-up with a Financial Aid counselor afterwards.

All new students beginning a new program are eligible to apply for scholarships simply by being admitted to that program and submitting a FAFSA form. Awards are determined based primarily on financial need demonstrated on the FAFSA form. For this reason, we recommend doing the FAFSA form early in order to be considered for a scholarship.

Awards are typically awarded for Fall and Spring terms over a two-year period and are contingent upon good academic standing and enrollment status. To receive the full amount of the scholarship, you must be enrolled in a full-time enrollment status, otherwise the scholarship may be prorated if in attendance half time. If you are attending less than half time, you will not be eligible for most scholarships.

Full-time enrollment for graduate programs is a minimum of 9 units for Fall/Spring or a course that is considered full-time. Please refer to CIIS’ academic catalog for a list of half time/full time courses. Full-time enrollment for bachelor's completion is minimum 12 units for Fall, Spring, and Summer terms.

There are also research-specific scholarships for Doctoral students such as Kranzke Scholarships, which have specific application processes. For the most up-to-date information on both internal and external scholarships, please contact the Financial Aid office directly.

Federal Pell Grant and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) for undergraduate students:

1. You must be admitted to and enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts Completion program.
2. Complete the appropriate Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and demonstrate "financial need"*.

Cal Grants (A and B):

1. You must be admitted to and enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts Completion program.
2. Be enrolled at least half-time (six units minimum per semester, fall or spring).
3. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and provide the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) with a completed GPA verification form no later than March 2nd and demonstrate financial need.*
4. State Funding must be available

*Financial need is determined by the U.S. Department of Education using a standard formula, established by Congress, to evaluate the financial information reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and to determine the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).