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Cal State Northridge scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$39,920per year · 2026-2027 · cost of attendance
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

Cal State Northridge may be worth checking, but its awards do not follow a simple grades-and-scores chart. Start with the published scholarships below.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
5 school sources to explore

Published rules, with the school sources close at hand. Confirm the details before you count on an award.

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The award collection

Published scholarships

These amounts and requirements come from the school’s own published pages. Open an award to see who qualifies and how to keep it.

Where does your student land?

  1. Matador Scholarship Program (MSP)$100-$8,000Not automatic
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Matador Scholarship Program (MSP)

    $100-$8,000

    Published rangeNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    3.0 cumulative minimum (undergraduates)
    Open award details for Matador Scholarship Program (MSP)

    Who qualifies

    One common online application opens incoming freshmen, transfers, and current CSUN undergraduates to ~102 opportunities; full-time enrollment (12 units undergrad / 6 grad); need-based opportunities require a completed FAFSA or California Dream Act Application

    Renewal terms

    Awards are made for the academic year through ~102 individual scholarship opportunities; not described as automatically renewable. Recipients must maintain full-time enrollment each semester scholarship funds are received.

    Worth knowing

    This is the main competitive merit channel — NOT automatic on stats. A single application matches the student to many distinct funds; actual award size and renewal terms depend on which opportunity(ies) the student is selected for. International and doctoral students are excluded.

  2. GE Honors Rising Scholar Award$5,000Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    GE Honors Rising Scholar Award

    $5,000

    Published amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    High school GPA of 3.75 or higher
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for GE Honors Rising Scholar Award

    Who qualifies

    First-time freshman admitted to (and accepted into by April 30) the GE Honors Program; FAFSA/CADAA filed; must demonstrate financial need of at least $5,000 — so this is a merit-AND-need award, limited to 10 students

    How to keep it

    May be renewed for a second year if the student continues to enroll full-time each term and maintains a minimum 3.5 CSUN GPA. Stated as a possible second year only (not a guaranteed four-year award).

    Worth knowing

    The only listed award open to INCOMING FRESHMEN with a published fixed dollar amount, but it is capped at 10 recipients, gated on GE Honors Program admission, and requires at least $5,000 of demonstrated financial need (merit + need, not pure merit).

  3. University Scholarship (Northridge Scholarship Program)$7,500Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    University Scholarship (Northridge Scholarship Program)

    $7,500

    Published amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    3.25 cumulative minimum (must complete at least 24 CSUN units by end of spring)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for University Scholarship (Northridge Scholarship Program)

    Who qualifies

    CONTINUING full-time CSUN undergraduate (12+ units); completed online Northridge Scholarship Program application/workshop; not for incoming first-year freshmen, second-bachelor, graduate, credential, or Tseng College students

    How to keep it

    Renewable $7,500 award; a one-time renewal may be possible by detailing a new or expanded project. Must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 during the award year.

    Worth knowing

    NOT available to incoming freshmen — requires existing CSUN units (24+). Competitive, application + workshop required. Also includes a 25% Matador Bookstore textbook discount.

  4. Presidential Scholarship (Northridge Scholarship Program)$10,000Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Presidential Scholarship (Northridge Scholarship Program)

    $10,000

    Published amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    3.50 cumulative minimum
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Presidential Scholarship (Northridge Scholarship Program)

    Who qualifies

    CONTINUING upper-division CSUN undergraduate; complete at least 60 units (transfers: at least 24 CSUN units plus 60 total transferable units); faculty mentor must agree to sponsor a scholarly project; online Northridge Scholarship Program application/workshop required; not for second-bachelor, graduate, or credential students

    How to keep it

    A one-time renewal may be possible by detailing a new or expanded project. Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 and maintain it during the award year.

    Worth knowing

    NOT available to incoming freshmen — this is a research/mentorship award for upper-division continuing students (60+ units). Competitive, requires a faculty sponsor. Also includes a 25% Matador Bookstore textbook discount.

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The fine print

Renewal ruleGE Honors Rising Scholar Award: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

May be renewed for a second year if the student continues to enroll full-time each term and maintains a minimum 3.5 CSUN GPA. Stated as a possible second year only (not a guaranteed four-year award). A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

Outside awardsNo published displacement order

Cal State Northridge's policy doesn't specify whether outside scholarships hit loans, grants, or only the COA ceiling. Get a written aid-office answer before chasing private awards.

What makes Cal State Northridge different

CSUN is a low-cost CSU (resident tuition & fees ~$8,330/yr) with NO automatic stat-based merit grid; institutional merit money flows through the competitive Matador Scholarship Program ($100-$8,000, one common application, 3.0 GPA minimum), plus a handful of named awards — the $5,000 GE Honors Rising Scholar (the only one open to incoming freshmen) and the $7,500 University and $10,000 Presidential scholarships, which require existing CSUN units and are continuing-student awards.

Merit tiers4See who qualifies
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

Selection beyond grades and scores

Start with the selection process.

These awards are not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read each award's selection rules, application steps and dates. Meeting a minimum is not an award offer.

  1. Read the selection rules

    Look for the school's stated criteria and whether an additional application is needed.

  2. Check the application dates

    Confirm the current admission and scholarship deadlines directly with the school.

  3. Know what happens next year

    Check renewal, credit requirements and how other aid affects the award.

The fine print / Three questions to carry forward

Before you count on it.

Does it apply to us? Confirm the entering year, residency and every eligibility condition.

Can we keep it? Check renewal GPA, credits and how long the award lasts.

Can we combine it? Ask how outside scholarships and other school awards change the offer.

Take Cal State Northridge's decision sheet

A printable research summary, source links and room for your questions.

See what could change an award

What families often miss

  1. CSUN publishes NO automatic GPA/test merit grid. Institutional merit money is competitive and flows through the Matador Scholarship Program application (3.0 GPA minimum, $100-$8,000) and a small set of named awards. Admission alone does not trigger a dollar award.

  2. Both are Northridge Scholarship Program awards for CONTINUING upper-division students — University requires 24+ CSUN units and a 3.25 GPA; Presidential requires 60+ units, a 3.50 GPA, and a faculty-sponsored research project. An entering freshman cannot win them in year one.

  3. It is capped at 10 students, requires admission to the GE Honors Program (accepted by April 30), AND requires demonstrating at least $5,000 of financial need — so it is merit-plus-need, not a pure-merit entitlement.

  4. The 2026-2027 full cost of attendance for a California resident living off campus is $39,920 (housing, food, books, transportation, and personal expenses dominate the total). Tuition is the small part at a CSU; living costs in Los Angeles are the real number.

  5. CSUN states scholarships and academic awards 'may reduce your eligibility for other financial aid,' and all campus/department/outside funds are coordinated through the Financial Aid & Scholarship Department. Winning an outside award can displace other aid because total aid cannot exceed cost of attendance.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Cost-conscious California (especially LA-area) students who qualify for need-based Cal Grant / State University Grant and want a low sticker price; strong applicants can compete for the Matador Scholarship Program or, once enrolled and earning ~24-60 CSUN units, the upper-division University ($7,500) and Presidential ($10,000) research scholarships. There is no guaranteed, automatic dollar award for incoming freshmen based purely on GPA/test scores.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $39,920 for 2026-2027. Source

Cost and graduation facts

Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Cal State Northridge, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.

Average annual net price by family income at Cal State Northridge, academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$4,905
$30,001–$48,000$5,450
$48,001–$75,000$7,744
$75,001–$110,000$11,262
$110,001+$18,040
All income levels (average)$7,021

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$7,458
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$20,058
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$7,021

That works out to roughly a 66% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $20,485 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

Cal State Northridge is a public school; Scorecard's net price figure covers in-state, Title-IV-aid-recipient payers only — there is no comparable federal figure for out-of-state students.

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
57%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
73%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$13,872 (~$147/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$59,115
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
66%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
19%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

CSUN's published guidance does not specify a threshold for when outside scholarships trigger an aid reduction; it only warns that unreported fee waivers or outside awards may result in reduction or cancellation of aid or a debt owed. Confirm the actual displacement rule with the aid office before counting on stacking.

Verified policy language (2026-07-02): "Cal State Northridge will always try to award up to your cost of attendance." ... "If you are receiving a full or partial fee waiver from another source, such as a scholarship, academic or athletic award, or a stipend that is not recorded in your financial aid awards, you must report the resource immediately to the Financial Aid and Scholarship Department. It may result in reduction or cancellation of financial aid or debt owed to the university for aid received prior to the reduction or cancellation."

Source

Other Cal State Northridge scholarships worth checking

These awards can be harder to find. Each one has its own rules.

Amount$2,500 (full-time, 12+ units); $1,250 (part-time); separate housing award up to $12,500EligibilityAB 540 affidavit on file, completed California Dream Act Application, minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA, at least 6 units.

NEED-BASED, not merit — for undocumented/AB 540 students. Renewable up to four years. Included as a notable named award, clearly labeled need-based.

Source

Amount$1,000EligibilityCurrent/former active-duty U.S. Armed Forces member graduating in the current academic year, minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA, full-time enrollment.

Merit/recognition award for graduating student veterans; non-renewable (one-time). Applied for via the myMatadorScholarships portal.

Source

AmountVaries / amount not published centrallyEligibilityMajor- and department-specific; awarded by individual CSUN colleges and departments, often requiring departmental nomination or a separate application.

Many of CSUN's ~$14M in annual scholarship funds come from college/department awards that publish criteria on individual department pages, not the central financial-aid site. Amounts vary by department.

Source

Cal State Northridge merit aid FAQ

  • Does CSUN give automatic merit scholarships to incoming freshmen?

    No. CSUN does not publish an automatic, stat-based merit grid. The main institutional merit channel is the competitive Matador Scholarship Program (one online application, ~102 opportunities, awards $100-$8,000, 3.0 GPA minimum), open February through May. The only fixed-dollar award listed for incoming freshmen is the $5,000 GE Honors Rising Scholar Award (10 recipients, GE Honors admission + at least $5,000 of demonstrated need required).

  • What is the scholarship application deadline?

    The Matador Scholarship Program application is available February through May (most opportunities open mid-to-late February). The GE Honors Rising Scholar Award requires GE Honors Program acceptance by April 30. The Northridge Scholarship Program (University/Presidential) opens February 13, 2026 with a March 2, 2026 priority deadline and March 16, 2026 regular deadline. Confirm current-cycle dates with the Scholarship Office.

  • Can I win the $7,500 University or $10,000 Presidential scholarship as a first-year student?

    No. Both require existing CSUN units — University needs at least 24 CSUN units and a 3.25 GPA; Presidential needs at least 60 units, a 3.50 GPA, and a faculty-sponsored research project. They are continuing-student (and for Presidential, upper-division) awards.

  • Do outside scholarships stack on top of my CSUN aid?

    Not necessarily. CSUN coordinates all scholarships with your financial-aid package and states that scholarships or academic awards may reduce your eligibility for other aid. Because total aid cannot exceed your cost of attendance, an outside award can displace other (usually need-based or self-help) aid. The exact displacement order is not published — ask the aid office.

See sources and other schools

How Cal State Northridge compares

  • 133 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use unclear or unpublished displacement.

    Cal State Northridge is in a recognizable cluster (133 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 133 of 749 verified schools publish no clear displacement order.

    Cal State Northridge is one of them. The right move is the aid-office email script below, not a guess.

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Cal State Northridge is one of them. The cohort minority (84 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.

Sources used on this page

Every claim is checked against Cal State Northridge’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring Cal State Northridge merit aid

The next chapter

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