Calendar

September - October

• If you are in high school, meet with a guidance counselor in order to obtain information about different policies and how to contact specific universities’ financial aid offices.
• Begin to search and apply for outside scholarships. It is very important to get an early start with scholarships, as many require tedious amounts of time to complete the application process. Try using scholarship search engines, such as those found on our scholarship page.

November

• If you are prospective undergraduate Orange campus student (freshman or transfer) complete the Student Aid Estimator by November 30th to determine what sort of aid you may be eligible for. The Student Aid Estimator is only available throughout the month of November and is due November 30th.

January

• Prepare your income taxes and your parents' if you are a dependent student.
• Obtain a Federal PIN at pin.ed.gov so that you can sign your FAFSA electronically.  At least one parent of a dependent student must also obtain a PIN in order to electronically sign their student's FAFSA.
• File the FAFSA via the internet at fafsa.ed.gov or via snail mail. To obtain a paper copy of the application contact your current school or Chapman University Financial Aid.
• If you are a prospective student or new at Chapman (have not completed 24 units by March 2nd) and are a permanent California resident, you may complete a Cal Grant GPA verification form to apply for a Cal Grant. You may pick up the form at any California high school, college, or junior college, or stop by the financial aid office to request a copy. March second is the deadline for GPA verification and the preferential filing date for the FAFSA.

March

• Look over your Student Aid Report (SAR) that is sent to you by FAFSA after you file the FAFSA.  Make sure that all information is correct and submit any necessary changes immediately.
• Make sure that you FAFSA and GPA verification are postmarked or completed online by March 2nd if you have not already done so.
• Expect your initial financial aid award letter sometime this month. READ THE DOCUMENTATION THAT COMES WITH YOUR AWARD LETTER THOROUGHLY.
• If the financial aid office is requesting any further documentation send in the requested forms as soon as possible.
• If you plan to decline any portion of your award indicate changes on your award letter, sign it and send it back to the financial aid office within three weeks of receiving it.

April - May

• If you are accepting your student Stafford loan(s) make sure to complete the loan entrance counseling and the Master Promissory Note (MPN) online.

August

• If you accepted the parent loan (PLUS) look for correspondence from the lender you chose to borrow from. 
• Classes start.  Have fun!  Don't forget to complete a FAFSA each January.