Financial Aid Services at College of San Mateo - Applying for Financial Aid
Financial Aid Services

Applying for Financial Aid

There are two types of aid through our office:
  • Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
    Offers grants, loans, and scholarships.

  • California College Promise Grant (CCPG) (available on WebSMART)
    Pays eligible students' enrollment fees for the entire academic year.
View a FAFSA vs. CCPG Comparison.

Applying for FAFSA

  1. Complete a FAFSA application. You can apply electronically at www.FAFSA.gov

  2. After you receive your electronic (or paper) response from the Department of Education, review it and bring a copy of your Student Aid Report with any corrections to the College of San Mateo Financial Aid Office.

  3. If you are selected for "verification," you will need to provide specific verification documents. Please
    check your WebSMART account to determine which verification worksheet you are required to submit:

    plus complete the IRS Tax Data Retrieval or order and bring in your Tax Return Transcript.

  4. Send all official transcripts from all non-District colleges and universities that you have attended directly to the Financial Aid Office. (If the CSM Admissions and Records Office has already received your academic transcripts, you may skip this step.) Please note, an official transcript evaluation is REQUIRED when submitting academic transcripts from another institution. Transcript Evaluation Process
  5. You may also need to provide documentation of U.S. citizenship, eligible non-citizenship status, proof of Selective Service registration, proof of Social Security Number, repayment of defaulted loans, or other information on a case-by-case basis.
If you need assistance with the FAFSA or FSA ID online, please visit us for one-on-one help in the Learning Center.
The California College Promise Grant (CCPG) will pay an eligible student's enrollment fees for the entire year. You can apply in several ways:
  1. If you submit a FAFSA appplication, you will also be applying for a California College Promise Grant (CCPG); however, it may take the Department of Education up to four weeks to process your FAFSA Application

  2. You may apply online through WebSMART: after logging into WebSMART, you will need to click on the California College Promise Grant (CCPG) link and answer the questions to complete your online application. Your WebSMART account will be updated with your CCPG eligibility within 24 hours. You may check your WebSMART account at that time to verify your eligibility and see if you are required to submit additional documentation. 

Important - If you complete the California College Promise Grant (CCPG) application through your WebSMART, additional time-sensitive documents may be required. You have 21 days from the date you submitted your application to turn in the required documents. Failure to do so will result in the withdrawal of your CCPG. Please refer to your WebSMART account for any unsatisfied requirements.

To find out more about financial aid issues, search the Financial Aid Handbook.