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Graduate Financial Aid

» Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need to complete a FAFSA every year?

A: Yes.  If you wish to receive financial aid every year, you must complete a FAFSA for that year. The FAFSA will be available on December 1, 2023. There is no set deadline, but a delayed FAFSA application can delay aid packaging, which could result in a late fee.

Q: What aid do I qualify for as a graduate student?

A: As a graduate student you may qualify for federal student loans such as the Unsubsidized Loan and the Graduate PLUS loan. Unfortunately, graduate students are not eligible to receive Federal Pell Grant, Perkins Loan, Chapman Grant, Chapman Interest Free Loan and Child of Chapman.

Q: My parents support me, do I still have to include their information on the FAFSA?

A: No, as a graduate student you are considered an independent student. The FAFSA will give you an option to add your parents' information, but their information is not required and will not be considered when awarding aid.

Q: My program starts in the spring or summer. What FAFSA do I complete?

A: The full academic year for FAFSA is fall/spring/summer. So students starting in spring or summer of 2023 would complete the 2022-23 FAFSA to receive aid for those terms, and the 2023-24 FAFSA to receive aid for the fall/spring/summer of the subsequent year. 

Q: The FAFSA is asking for my current marital status and my tax information from 2021. My marital status changed between that tax year and now. What do I do?

A: In this scenario you should not use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. If you filed a joint return but are no longer married you will need to subtract your former spouse's tax information to correctly answer the FAFSA questions about yourself. If you were not married when you filed taxes and are now married, you will need to add your current spouse's tax information in order to correctly answer the FAFSA questions.

Q: How do I receive my 1098-T?

A: The IRS Form 1098-T reports amounts billed to you for qualified tuition and related expenses, as well as other related information. Please call ECSI helpdesk at (866) 428-1098 to receive your PIN and password to access your 1098-T form.

You will require the following information to log in to www.ecsi.net:

  • School code: 3B
  • Account: Your Social Security Number without dashes
  • Password:  The PIN number you received from ECSI.
Q: I am planning to take summer classes but my current aid package does not include aid for summer?

A: Summer attendance is not assumed, so aid for summer can be added to a student's aid package once summer classes have been added to a student's schedule. Students can submit an application for summer aid around May. The form can be found on the grad financial aid forms page and should be completed once you have registered for summer courses. Please be advised you must be enrolled in at least 4.5 units Grad or 6 units in Law to receive federal funding.

Q: I am taking a class during interterm. Can I get aid for that class?

A: Interterm is considered part of the spring semester. We do not have a separate interterm disbursement, so any funding for interterm would disburse when spring semester begins. Students who have a tuition charge for interterm can request that their budget be increased to include that cost, but be aware that there is no increase to living expenses because that is already included in the budget.

Q: How do I request more funds?

A: You can email the Graduate Financial Aid Office at gradfinaid@chapman.edu or visit us at Bhathal Hall, suite 100 (main campus) 9401 Jeronimo, Irvine (Rinker campus). Please see our office hours. Appointment not required.

Q: My bill is due before my disbursement date. Will this cause a problem?

A: If you have accepted your aid and completed the items in your To Do List on your Student Center, and the anticipated aid is enough to cover your amount due the due date does not apply to you. If you have accepted aid that is less than what is due, you will need to make a payment for difference on the due date. If you have not accepted aid, or your aid acceptance is incomplete you must make the payment on the due date, otherwise you will be assessed a late fee. It is your responsibility to open and read your bill and contact the Graduate Financial Aid Office or Business Office if your bill does not look correct or your aid is not reflected. Please review the Business Office page for more information about billing and payment plans.

Q: Is there a deadline to complete the FAFSA?

A: No, but please be aware that if you do not have aid set up by the time your bill is due you may incur a late fee. If you intend to rely on financial aid for some or all of your charges you are encouraged to apply for aid and accept your aid in a timely manner. For further assistance about fees and or tuition please contact the Student Business Service.