Cost & Aid FAQs

The first step in applying for financial aid is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online. Be sure to include our school code, 042087, on your FAFSA.

Once your FAFSA is submitted, our financial aid office will receive your information and begin the process of determining your eligibility for various financial aid options. For full details, please refer to our financial aid page.

Keep in mind that you do not have to accept all of the awards offered to you. If you accept loans, you also accept the responsibility of paying those loans back.

Institutional Scholarship: CSU Global offers numerous scholarships to its students every trimester. While you can apply before being accepted to the university, you must be admitted to receive a scholarship. For details and deadlines, please get in touch with your enrollment or student success counselor.

Outside Scholarships: There are many scholarships available for college students, and we encourage you to seek them out. Many corporations and organizations offer scholarship opportunities with specific eligibility criteria.

Visit our scholarship page for a comprehensive list of scholarships, including our institutional offerings and external opportunities.

You can complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at studentaid.gov. You’ll need to provide the school code for CSU Global, which is 042087.

Once you submit your FAFSA, your application can take 3-5 business days to be received by CSU Global. Your application first moves through a series of federal reviews facilitated by the Department of Education before being released to the school.

The Department of Education selects a portion of all FAFSAs for the verification process each year. If your FAFSA is selected for verification, CSU Global’s financial aid team will guide you through the process via our Student Portal and Verification sites. You may need to provide documents like proof of income, identity, or other financial information. If selected, we’ll contact you with the next steps.

CSU Global prepares financial aid on a borrower-based year. For students in our undergraduate certificate programs, your financial aid offer will cover the timeframe of the program’s full length.

For students in our degree-seeking programs and graduate certificate programs, your initial financial aid offer will cover a two-trimester period. When that timeframe is nearing its end, if you’re registered for the next trimester and maintain financial aid eligibility, you’ll receive another financial aid offer for the following two trimesters. For example, if you start in the Fall trimester, your financial aid offer will cover the Fall & Winter trimesters. The subsequent financial aid offer will cover Spring & Fall.  This cycle will continue until you reach graduation.

Once your FAFSA is successfully completed, you will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary from Federal Student Aid. This will let you know if you are potentially eligible for the Pell Grant. Additionally, once your FAFSA is received by CSU Global, our Student Financial Services team will prepare your financial aid offer and include any Pell Grant for which you may be eligible.

First, identify your tuition costs for two trimesters. If your financial aid offer exceeds your tuition costs, you can be confident that your financial aid will cover your tuition. Keep in mind that books are not included in tuition costs.

The amount you accept should be decided carefully and take into consideration your personal budget. We recommend that students borrow only what they truly need to avoid unnecessary debt after graduation.

Subsidized loans don’t accrue interest while you are in school; unsubsidized loans do. If you are offered both types of loans and would only like to accept one, the subsidized loan will be in each student’s best financial interest.

No! There are no additional costs beyond tuition.

At CSU Global, we’re proud to consistently be ranked as one of the most affordable online universities in the country. This isn’t by accident; we work diligently to keep our costs manageable and transparent.

Enrolling at CSU Global is straightforward. You’ll know your tuition from day one, and it’s locked for the duration of your program as long as you stay continuously enrolled. We keep it simple — all you pay is tuition. No extra student fees, facility fees, or fancy gym fees. Just the occasional e-book or course materials you might need, which we make sure are reasonably priced.

In the 2024/25 academic year, the average cost per course for books and materials was around $65. Many CSU Global courses utilize RedShelf within the virtual classroom, allowing you to have your course materials built in and readily available.

No, tuition fees do not vary depending on the program.

At CSU Global, we keep it straightforward. Tuition fees for all undergraduate courses, certificates, and degrees are $375 per credit. Tuition fees for all graduate courses, certificates, and degrees are $675 per credit.

Whether you’re pursuing an MBA, a master’s degree in accounting, or a master’s in marketing, the cost per credit remains the same. No complicated cost variances by program, ever.

Nope. Everyone pays the same rate.

Tuition fees for all undergraduate courses, certificates, and degrees are $375 per credit. Tuition fees for all graduate courses, certificates, and degrees are $675 per credit. It doesn’t vary based on where the student lives.

Yes, we offer payment plans for accounts where tuition is overdue.

Setting up a payment plan is straightforward. Simply log in to the student portal, navigate to the “My Account and Financial Aid” section, and select “Pay My Tuition.” From there, choose the appropriate term under “Payment Plans,” and follow the on-screen instructions to enroll. We’ve made it easy for you to manage your payments.

It’s important to note that each payment plan comes with a non-refundable $25 enrollment fee. In addition, you must have your account paid in full before you can register for future courses.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please get in touch with Student Accounts. We’re here to help!

Payment is made through your Student Portal by clicking on “Pay My Tuition” in the top right corner.

Yes! Colorado State University Global is proud to offer discounted tuition and support tailored to active service members, veterans, and their families. More details are available here.

We accept all VA education benefits, VR&E Chapter 31 benefits, Federal Military Tuition Assistance, and Colorado National Guard Tuition Assistance. As the only 100% online institution where Colorado National Guard members can apply their tuition assistance benefits, we ensure your tuition costs remain stable with our tuition guarantee.

Please note that CSU Global is not a Yellow Ribbon Program school, but the Post-9/11 GI Bill® covers all qualified tuition charges for eligible military students.

Contact Information:

• Admissions/Enrollment Assistance: 855-753-9557
• Continuing Students Academic Questions: 877-900-2655 (Option 1 for undergraduate, Option 2 for graduate)
• Benefit Assistance: military.benefits@csuglobal.edu or 855-212-6700

Yes. We offer a delayed tuition due date for students who have confirmed they are utilizing employer benefits. If you are interested in using your employer’s benefits with CSUG, please contact studentaccounts@csuglobal.edu for the next steps.

If you have employer benefits through Amazon, you’ll first need to establish your account with Amazon through its Career Choice Portal. Through Amazon’s portal, you must submit a payment request for the specific term in which you are taking classes. Once that is approved by Amazon, the CSUG team will receive the request from Amazon and apply it to your account. The payment request is required for each term.

The Tuition Deferment Agreement is located in your Student Portal under “My Documents.” To complete this form, you’ll need to know your employer’s contact phone and email information, as well as the time period for your benefits (ex. Fiscal Year July – June).

When prompted to provide supporting documentation, please upload a copy of your employer’s HR policy validating your benefit eligibility or a letter from your company outlining your benefits. For Amazon employees, a copy of the Release Form found in the Career Choice Portal can serve as supporting documentation.

A course may be dropped on or before the seventh day (census date) without penalty. If a student drops a course on or before the drop date for a term, the tuition paid will be refunded. However, if a student withdraws from the course after the drop date, the tuition will not be refunded. The student will be responsible for unpaid tuition charges, and the paid admission application fee will not be refunded. A student with a credit balance due to a course drop will receive a refund by check or a credit back to their credit/debit card.

Tuition refunds for financial aid students in undergraduate certificate programs will be evaluated and processed at the mid-point of the program for the first payment period, at the end of the program for the second payment period, or upon withdrawal from the program. Students will receive a refund for any course(s) dropped on or before the drop date. The refund policy may be impacted by state law where a student resides, and CSU Global will adhere to any state-specific laws regarding tuition refunds.

For more information, please visit our financial services policies page.