Submitting a FAFSA

You must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply for all federal student and parent loan programs, need-based grants, the Federal Work-study program, and some need-based scholarships. Several federal loan programs don't require students to demonstrate any financial need, but still require the FAFSA.

FAFSA Requirements

  • FAFSA Applicants must meet all of the Federal General Eligibility Requirements.
  • You must submit a new FAFSA every year.
  • Each FAFSA applies to one academic year (Fall-Spring-Summer).
  • You can submit it before you are admitted to TU.

FAFSA Deadlines

  • Priority Deadlines for Grants from TU:
    • January 17, 2022 for Freshman Applicants and Current TU Students
    • March 1, 2022 for Transfer Applicants
    • (Freshman and Transfer Applicants must submit a FAFSA and a complete admission application (including transcripts) by these deadlines.)
  • To apply for state grants from the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC), Maryland residents must submit a FAFSA by March 1, 2022.
  • By early March 2022, we will start offering aid to admitted students who submitted FAFSAs.
  • In mid-April 2022, we will start offering aid to current TU students who submitted a FAFSA and all requested aid documents.

FAFSA Instructions


1) Submit your FAFSA

  • Apply online at fafsa.gov.
  • TU's FAFSA Code is 002099.
  • (If you already applied, but didn't list TU's code, return to fafsa.gov to add it.)
  • For help completing your FAFSA, use the FAFSA Help Services below.  

2) Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool

Please use the FAFSA's IRS Data Retrieval Tool to automatically upload your data from the IRS to answer all the federal tax return questions.  This process drastically reduces errors, delays, and requests for additional documentation.


3) Confirm your FAFSA submission

Several days after you submit your FAFSA:

  • Return to fafsa.gov.
  • Confirm that your FAFSA was processed.
  • Make sure that your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is not blank.
  • Review all comments and the accuracy of your data.


4) Submit additional documentation to TU

  • After we receive your FAFSA, we may need to request additional documents from you.
  • To receive these requests, you must check your TU email and your Towson Online Services Student Dashboard To Dos list.
  • For new students, we can prepare a tentative aid offer before you submit your documentation.
  • For returning TU students, you must submit all required documents before we can offer you any aid.

FAFSA Help Services

Contact

Office of Financial Aid

Location
Enrollment Services
Room 339
Contacts & Resources
Hours
Monday – Friday 8:00 to 4:30
Phone
410-704-4236
Fax
410-704-2584
Email
finaid@towson.edu