How to Apply for Financial Aid

At CMU, we develop leaders of every kind and every discipline. As a servicemember or veteran, you bring extensive leadership experience that strengthens our community. In turn, we want to make sure you feel supported and valued. One way we do that is to ensure your CMU education is affordable and accessible. As a veteran or active member of the military, you could qualify for as much as 100 percent of your costs in VA benefits, scholarships, grants, loans and work-study. 

We encourage all students to apply for financial aid. The process is straightforward, and we're here to help. Here are the steps to follow.

1. Submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). This is the federal form that determines your eligibility for need-based grants and loans.

• Before you can fill out the FAFSA, you’ll need to create an account (also known as an FSA ID).
• List Central Michigan University (school code 002243) on the application to make sure we receive your results.
• Complete your FAFSA as soon after Oct. 1 as possible. For priority consideration, submit it no later than Feb. 15.

2. Apply for scholarships. We offer hundreds of scholarships for high-achieving freshmen and transfer students. You'll be automatically considered for merit scholarships when you apply for admission, but we also offer competitive scholarships that require a separate application.

We encourage you to explore other scholarship sources as well. Many organizations offer scholarships that are specifically designed for veterans or active members of the military.

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