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How and When to Apply for Financial Aid
(Current U-M Students)
If you applied for financial aid in the previous year, the Office of Financial Aid (OFA) will notify you in January (by email to your umich email account) how to apply for aid in the coming year. If you do not receive information about how to apply, you should contact OFA in early February.
 Entering freshmen have different instructions on how to apply for aid than continuing U-M students. If you will be entering U-M in Fall 2008, see our prospective student webpage for aid application instructions. |
Applying for 2008-2009 Fall/Winter Aid
HOW TO APPLY FOR AID (2 STEPS):
1. SUBMIT A 2008-2009 FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA):
WHEN:
State of Michigan: You must submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to the federal processor by March 1 to be considered for the Michigan Competitive Scholarship (MCS).
University of Michigan: OFA must receive your processed FAFSA from the federal processor by April 30 in order to consider you for all aid programs.
Suggested filing date: OFA urges students to submit the FAFSA to the federal processor by February 15 to ensure that the above deadlines are met and that you are considered for all state aid and U-M grant aid.
Note: If you have not applied for financial aid by the dates noted here and you experience a change in your financial circumstances, submit the FAFSA and notify OFA as soon as possible.
WHY: The February 15 suggested filing date is intended to ensure that you meet the state and university deadlines, so that you will have access to all aid programs for which you are eligible. If the federal processor rejects your FAFSA for any reason (such as missing signatures or incomplete information), your application will not be processed and you will need time to resolve the reason for the rejection before your application can move forward.
HOW: Complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov using your Dept. of Education Personal Identification Number (PIN). You may use estimated data on the FAFSA, but be sure to make corrections to your FAFSA when your actual data is available. It is important to list your full, correct name and to use information from the correct federal income tax return (1040EZ, 1040A, or 1040). Also, be sure to include your housing plans and list Federal School Code 002325 on your FAFSA, so that a copy will be sent to the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. If you don't have a PIN, request one at www.pin.ed.gov. For a paper copy of the FAFSA call 1-800-4-FEDAID or see www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Please see the definition of an independent student to determine whether you must complete parental information on the FAFSA. Also note the following:
PHARMACY AND DENTAL STUDENTS APPLYING FOR A HEALTH PROFESSIONS LOAN AND DEPENDENT STUDENTS: You must supply parental data and a parent signature, even if you are an independent student. If you are completing the FAFSA online, we advise that one parent sign the FAFSA using his/her own PIN (parents may apply for a PIN at www.pin.ed.gov). If you do not provide correct parental data or all required signatures, your FAFSA will be rejected, which can jeopardize your eligibility for aid.
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AFTER APPLYING FOR AID, CHECK YOUR EMAIL AND WOLVERINE ACCESS OFTEN:
OFA will send you an email if you must submit additional application items for verification purposes (such as tax returns, a Household Information Questionnaire, etc.). You can also check Wolverine Access (Student Business > Login > Student Center > Financial Aid > Aid Year 2009 > Documents/Review) to see if you must submit additional documents. If you are asked to submit additional application documents, OFA must receive these items by May 30, 2008, to consider you for all aid programs. |
NOTE ABOUT DEADLINES: To be considered for ALL aid programs (including state aid and U-M grant aid), you should submit your FAFSA to the federal processor by February 15, 2008. If you are requested to submit additional application items to the Office of Financial Aid (OFA) for verification purposes, OFA must receive these additional items by May 30, 2008 (received, not postmarked, by this date). Very little, if any, grant funds will be available if you do not meet these deadlines. If you cannot submit your FAFSA by February 15, you should submit it as soon as possible thereafter!
2. SUBMIT AN APPLICANT DATA FORM (ADF) IF ANY OF THE CRITERIA BELOW APPLY TO YOU:
- You will graduate in December 2008
- You will enroll for only one term (either Fall 2008 or Winter 2009); this includes students enrolled in U-M-sponsored co-op programs
- You will be enrolled in the Nursing program in either Kalamazoo or Traverse City
- You are a parent with child care expenses
- You will be on Detached Study
- You will participate in a U-M-sponsored study abroad program (for non-U-M study abroad programs, contact OFA immediately)
WHY: You must complete the Applicant Data Form (ADF) so that we can accurately calculate your aid package.
HOW: The 2008-2009 ADF is available online and from OFA.
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