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Applying for Financial Aid

Filing for financial aid is a very detailed process. It is important that you follow application instructions, provide all the information that is requested and meet deadlines. If you have any questions about the application process, please do not hesitate to call us at 989-774-3674.

Pre-FAFSA application

The Federal Student Aid Estimator is a valuable online tool to help families get reliable information in advance so they can plan ahead financially for the college years.

The FAFSA - or Free Application for Federal Student Aid - is the form that students must fill out to be eligible to receive federal aid for college and cannot be submitted until October 1 of a student's senior year in high school. The Federal Student Aid Estimator instantly calculates a student's eligibility for federal student aid and can be completed at any time. It also automatically fills in half the questions on the FAFSA, making it easier for families to complete the real form during the student's senior year.

The Federal Student Aid Estimator simplifies the financial aid process for high school seniors and their families and reduces the time it will take them to complete the FAFSA during the student's senior year. New Federal Student Aid Estimator benefits will give families more specific information to help them plan and make decisions about the future. These include:

  • Customized federal student aid award estimates for each program, including the Pell, Supplemental Educational Opportunity and TEACH Grant programs; Work-Study, and Stafford loan programs
  • Calculations for 12 different school scenarios, including four-year and two-year schools, public and private, in-state and out-of-state residency, and on-campus and off-campus housing.
  • Students will automatically be sent reminder notices in early October of the year they will apply to college to complete the FAFSA.

File your FAFSA

To begin the financial aid process, you must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is a need-analysis form used to estimate your family's ability to pay for your college education. An expected family contribution is determined by a uniform federal formula, using student and parent income and asset information provided on the FAFSA. Need is determined by taking the cost of attending CMU for one year and subtracting the calculated family contribution.

The FAFSA is available to complete online. This is the fastest and most accurate way to apply for financial aid. To receive priority consideration for all federal, state and institutional funds, submit the FAFSA by February 15. (to ensure the results are processed, sent to, and received by the State of Michigan before March 1). CMU must receive your FAFSA application at least two weeks before the end of the semester for which you are enrolled.

CMU's Title IV School Code is 002243. The central processing service will send a Student Aid Report (SAR) or an electronic SAR acknowledgment to you within three to five weeks after your application has been received.

The SAR indicates your eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant (undergraduate students only) and identifies the amount of your expected family contribution. The information on your SAR will be sent electronically to CMU.

Don't forget, you must file a FAFSA every year that you wish to be considered for financial aid.