If you’re looking to use financial aid to help pay for college, you will need to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The FAFSA is a free, online form that will help you determine if you are eligible for student aid. This includes federal aid (grants, work study and low-interest loans) and potentially school and state aid. Submitting the FAFSA is essential if you want to be considered for federal, state and most forms of Chapman financial aid.
Note that only U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens (including permanent residents) are eligible to submit a FAFSA.
Submitting your FAFSA Form on time
Step 1: Prepare to submit your FAFSA
- Create your StudentAid.gov account.
- If your parent(s)/legal guardian(s) to contribute to your form (and in most cases they will), make sure each contributor creates their own StudentAid.gov account. Even if a contributor doesn’t have a Social Security number, they will be able to create an account when the 2025–26 form goes live.
- Watch Federal Student Aid's "Preparing for the FAFSA Form" playlist to understand what information and documents you’ll need to fill out the FAFSA form.
Step 2: Submit Your FAFSA by the deadline
To receive receive full consideration for all types of eligible aid, first-year students applying to fall 2025 should submit their FAFSA as soon as it is available.
Before are some guidelines on when to submit your FAFSA based on your application type:
- December 8 (priority deadline) for Early Action and Early Decision.
- Early Decision applicants must submit by the deadline to help us provide a complete financial aid package before their deposit deadline.
- Early Action applicants can submit their FAFSA past the deadline. However, the earlier you submit the sooner we can add applicable need-based aid to your financial aid package.
- March 3 (priority deadline) for Regular Decision applicants and California residents for Cal Grant consideration.
Transfer students should ensure they are submitting for the correct academic year and submit their FAFSA as soon as possible.
Financial aid notification timelines for fall 2025
You can view the most-up-to-date timelines for financial aid notifications here.
Additional Considerations
- Chapman University’s FAFSA school code is 001164.
- You will need to re-submit your FAFSA every year you expect to continue receiving financial aid.
- When submitting your FAFSA, use an email you will check regularly and continue to check while in college.
- Only U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens are eligible to qualify for federal financial aid. You can learn more about FAFSA eligibility here.
- Undocumented students can learn more about financial resources here.
