Returning Undergraduate Students

CSUN accepts returning undergraduate applications each year during these filing periods:

• Fall admission: Between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30, now extended to Jan. 31, 2023, for the following fall semester
• Spring admission: Between Aug. 1 and Aug. 31 for the following spring semester

Before you apply, assemble the materials you will need to complete your application. You will need:

• Social Security number, if you have one.
• Your citizenship status. Please note this is for CSU tuition purposes and will not affect your admission application.
• A credit or debit card. The $70 application fee is due at the time of submission and can only be paid by credit or debit card. The online application will automatically calculate your eligibility for an application fee waiver.
• Annual income. If you are a dependent, then you'll report your parents’ or guardian’s income. If you are independent, report your income.

If you already have a Cal State Apply account, you can copy your existing application data to a new application.

• Learn more at Use an Existing Account to Reapply.
• You might also need to Reset Your Cal State Apply Password.

NEW: Cal State Apply has been streamlined for returning students! Be sure to:

• Indicate you are returning to CSUN when prompted, enter your CSUN 9-digit student ID number, and select a scenario that applies to you.
• Carefully review your information before submitting.

Once you submit your application, send us your official transcripts for any college courses taken since last attending CSUN.

After you apply, watch for an email from our office with the info you'll need to create or update your CSUN Portal and email accounts. Once you've set up your accounts, you can check your application status. You can expect your admission decision to be available as early as mid-March for the coming fall semester and mid-November for the coming spring. In progress course work and/or missing transcripts can delay the readmission review process.

• If you are returning in good academic standing and have not taken courses elsewhere since your last attendance at CSUN, no transcripts are required.
• If you did take courses, send us your official transcripts for any college or university courses you have completed since you last attended CSUN. You must also send preliminary transcripts for course work now in progress. As soon as your in-progress course work is complete and grades are posted, send your final transcripts.
• For information on how to submit transcripts, see the Transcript Submission Information section below.

You'll need to wait at least one semester after being disqualified before reapplying to CSUN. Please review the application and questionnaire deadlines for fall and spring readmission in the two tables below.

To Return to CSUN in Spring 2023

• If disqualified at the end of a spring term, the earliest you can return to CSUN is the next spring term. The Cal State Apply filing period will still be open, so an invitation code will not be necessary.

To Return to CSUN in Fall 2023

• If disqualified at the end of a fall term, the earliest you can return to CSUN is the next fall term. You probably won’t know you’ve been disqualified until after the Cal State Apply filing period closes. So, you’ll need to request a Cal State Apply invitation code from the Office of Admissions. Please see the instructions to request an invitation code after the fall table.

• To request the invitation code for Fall 2023 readmission:
  • Email your request to CSUN transfer admissions after Jan. 31, 2023:
  • Use the subject line: PD request for Cal State Apply invitation code
  • Include the following information in the body of your email:
    • CSUN 9-digit student ID number
    • Your full name
    • Semester of disqualification
    • Desired semester of readmission
    • Your request for a Cal State Apply application invitation code
  • You must begin your fall application within seven days of receiving the code from the Office of Admissions.
  • Submit your Cal State Apply application by April 1.

Before you apply, assemble the materials you will need to complete your application. You will need:

• Social Security number, if you have one.
• Your citizenship status. Please note this is for CSU tuition purposes and will not affect your admission application.
• A credit or debit card. The $70 application fee is due at the time of submission and can only be paid by credit or debit card. The online application will automatically calculate your eligibility for an application fee waiver.
• Annual income. If you are a dependent, then you'll report your parents’ or guardian’s income. If you are independent, report your income.

• If you already have a Cal State Apply account, you can copy your existing application data to a new application.
  • Learn more at Use an Existing Account to Reapply.
  • You might also need to Reset Your Cal State Apply Password.
• Once you're ready, begin your application on Cal State Apply.

While you are preparing to demonstrate your progress, you should also begin your application on Cal State Apply, the CSU's online application system.

If you already have a Cal State Apply account, you can copy your existing application data to a new application.

• Learn more at Use an Existing Account to Reapply.
• You might also need to Reset Your Cal State Apply Password. 

Be sure to fill out the Previously Disqualified Student Questionnaire in Cal State Apply before submitting your application.

• While completing the CSUN application online, be sure to fill out the "Previously Disqualified Questionnaire." If you do not correctly complete this section online, you will have to complete and submit the PDF version of the "Previously Disqualified Questionnaire."
• After you've answered the initial questions in Cal State Apply, the My Application home page will display four sections in a grid.
  1. Select the Program Materials section.
  2. Choose the “Questions” tab inside the Program Materials section.
  3. Under the “Previously Disqualified Question” heading on the Questions tab, select the “yes” radio button if you are applying as a returning student who was previously disqualified at CSUN.
  4. When you select “yes,” the “Previously Disqualified Student Questionnaire” will display. Complete these questions as accurately as possible.

• After filling out the Previously Disqualified Student Questionnaire and all other required sections, submit your application through Cal State Apply.
• Please note: If you do not complete the online questionnaire before submitting your application, you will be asked to prepare and submit the Previously Disqualified Student Questionnaire (PDF). You must submit the form and any attachments to the Office of Admissions no later than April 1 for fall admission and Oct. 3 for spring.

After you apply, watch for an email from our office with the info you'll need to create an account in our CSUN Portal. Once you've set up an account, you can check your application status. You can expect your admission decision as early as mid-April for fall admission and mid-November for spring admission. In progress course work and/or missing transcripts can delay the readmission review process.

• Send us your official transcripts for any college or university courses you have completed since you last attended CSUN, as well as preliminary transcripts for course work now in progress. Please note: No transcripts are required if you have only taken courses in CSUN’s Tseng College since being disqualified.
• For information on how to submit transcripts, see the Transcript Submission Information section below.