Financial Aid Process Overview

After reviewing the information below, you may want to look over the Financial Aid Timetable page

You are then ready to proceed to the Award Notification Quick Reference Guide page.
 

Undergraduate

If you are a degree seeking undergraduate student at FSU planning to take 6 credits or more per semester, you may apply for federal, state, and institutional financial aid. There are two main applications you must complete in order to apply for all types of aid at FSU. The deadline for both applications is March 1.

• First, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) no later than February 15 of each year to apply for federal grants, work-study, loans, as well as some state scholarships available to Maryland residents. 
   
• You may also complete our FSU Institutional Scholarship application. This application must be turned in to the Financial Aid Office no later than March 1. A one page essay must accompany your application. 
   
• You may also consult the "State" and "Outside Sources" pages located under "Aid Programs" section of this website for more information on private scholarships and other financial resources you may apply for.

There may also be departmental scholarships available to you, depending on your major. Please consult the "FSU Grants & Scholarships" webpage located under the "Aid Programs" section of this website for more information on departmental scholarships. These scholarships must be applied for separately.

Graduate

If you are a degree seeking graduate student at FSU planning to take 6 credits or more per semester, you may apply for federal loans to help cover the cost of attending FSU. The financial aid application process for graduate students is the same as for undergraduate students.

• First, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) no later than February 15 of each year to apply for federal loans, which are the only federal resource available to graduate students. 
   
• You may also consult the Graduate Scholarship section of this website for more information on graduate scholarships you may apply for. These scholarships must be applied for separately. 
   
• In addition to scholarships, many departments offer Graduate Assistantships, which must be applied for separately. Please see the Graduate Assistantship information on the Graduate Services webpage for more information on how to apply for these awards.

International

International students must follow the process detailed on the International Students page of this site to apply for federal, state and institutional sources of financial aid.