All students receiving financial aid must submit either an Orientation Verification or a Student Education Plan (SEP). To determine which document will be needed, read the following:

IF YOU ARE A FIRST TIME FRESHMAN and have a GED or its equivalent, you should submit an Orientation Verification or complete the Online Orientation, which can be accessed through WebReg or your Personal Access to Web Services (PAWS). This will fill the Financial Aid requirement for an SEP/Orientation for your first semester as a First-Time Freshman ONLY. Once you enroll in Cuesta, schedule a counseling appointment in order to complete your matriculation planning process.

IF YOU ARE A CONTINUING CUESTA STUDENT and you have attended no other colleges, you must submit a current SEP. Contact the Counseling Office at the San Luis Obispo Campus, (805) 546-3138, or Student Services at the North County Campus, (805) 591-6241, to make an appointment.

IF YOU ARE A TRANSFER STUDENT or you have attended other schools since high school, you will need an SEP.

To obtain an SEP:

1. Request your official academic transcripts, plus a general education pattern, from ALL previous schools you have attended be forwarded to Cuesta.
2. Verify with the Admissions and Records Office that Cuesta College has received ALL your official academic transcript(s).
3. Make an appointment with an Academic Counselor at the Counseling Office. You will complete your SEP with the counselor at that time.
4. Submit a copy of your SEP to the Financial Aid Office.

You must have an updated SEP on file every year to meet the federal requirements for Financial Aid.

To learn more about how to apply for Financial Aid, what type of aid is offered, links to the online application and printable forms, please select the picture below to take you to the Financial Aid Home page.