How to Apply for Financial Aid as an Incoming Freshman Student
We believe a great college education should be accessible to everyone. That’s why we award more than $290 million in financial aid each year. As a freshman, you could qualify for as much as 100 percent of your costs with scholarships, 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.
Submit your FAFSA
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the federal form that determines your eligibility for need-based grants and loans. It asks questions about you and your family's income, tax information, bank account balances and more. It's all to help determine how much aid you may need.
• Before you file your FAFSA, you'll need to set up 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.
• This year the FAFSA opens in December. We encourage you to submit it as soon as possible so we can provide you with a personalized aid package. For priority consideration of available aid, submit your FAFSA by May 1.
Apply for scholarships
We offer hundreds of scholarships for students. You'll be automatically considered for our Maroon and Gold Merit Awards when you apply for admission, but we also offer competitive scholarships that require a separate application. We also recommend that you explore other scholarship sources. Your high school or college counselor can help you discover more scholarship opportunities.
Additional resources
Types of aid
From federal grants and loans to a full-ride scholarship, we customize your financial aid to meet your needs.