Federal Financial Aid & the FAFSA Application
Federal Financial Aid is Available for Degree-Seeking Students
Degree-seeking students who cannot pay for tuition alone are encouraged to apply for federal financial aid. Students must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA; see the link below).
Please visit the following pages for key dates and support regarding the FAFSA application cycles, including the UNC FAFSA Priority Filing Date for each upcoming academic year (a Fall-Spring-Summer cycle which begins each August):
- FAFSA/financial aid for degree-seeking undergraduate students
- FAFSA/financial aid for degree-seeking graduate students
- Note: international students must be an eligible non citizen to be eligible for federal financial aid.
Late submissions of the FAFSA are still accepted throughout the school year but you may not be considered for the maximum amount of aid. If the priority deadline has already passed for the upcoming/current school year, we still encourage you to apply for FAFSA consideration as soon as you enroll for your first courses.
Depending on the time of year that you first enroll, you may be able to submit an application for the current academic year and an early/priority application for the following academic year.
The amount of aid you can receive is based on...
- Your recent financial history (or your parents' if applicable) as recorded on your federal income tax information;
- Whether you apply by the Priority Filing Date; and
- How many credits you register for each term (see below).
Minimum Credit Hour Requirements
Bachelor's degree students: enrollment in a minimum of 6 credits per academic term for part-time financial aid eligibility. Full-time enrollment is based on 12 credits.
Master's and Educational Specialist (EdS) degree students: enrollment in a minimum of 5 credits per academic term for part-time financial aid eligibility. Full-time enrollment is based on 9 credits.
Doctoral degree students: enrollment in a minimum of 5 credits per academic term for part-time financial aid eligibility. Full-time enrollment is based on 9 credits.
Certificate, licensure and endorsement-only students: non-degree seeking students aren't eligible for aid through FAFSA. Your Program Coordinator may be aware of your eligibility for any discipline-related or campus-based aid if available.
FAFSA: Applying for Federal Financial Aid
Fill out the FAFSA form at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
For more specific help, contact the Office of Financial Aid: ofa@unco.edu, 970-351-4862 or via the UNC Financial Aid website.
Students can also find helpful information such as the Guide to Federal Student Aid at https://studentaid.gov/resources. Most of the resources are available in English, Spanish, and Braille.
