Applying for Financial Aid

Students interested in federal loans and grants should fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The Office of Financial Aid encourages students to apply electronically using FAFSA on the Web because it can save weeks in processing time and has built in features to reduce errors. The College of Charleston does not have an additional application for Financial Aid. Visit the federal information page for more details about the process of receiving federal aid. The To-Do Checklist provides the steps and estimated timeline for various types of financial aid.

Students eligible for state and institutional scholarships will be automatically awarded based on the transcripts that the College of Charleston has for the student. Visit the scholarship page for more information.

	Deadlines for Applying
	Although our office accepts applications throughout the academic year, priority consideration will be given to students who have completed the FAFSA by March 1 before the start of the academic year. The Office of Financial Assistance & Veterans Affairs recommends completing the FAFSA at least two months before the time the aid is needed. Students who complete the FAFSA after June 1 for fall, October 1 for spring, or April 1 for summer school should not expect aid to be finalized before tuition bills are due (which is usually before the start of the semester). Students that do not complete the FAFSA early enough will still be eligible for aid, but should identify other ways of paying the fall tuition bill, like getting set up on the College of Charleston's payment plan or borrowing an alternative loan. Failure to pay the bill on time will cause the student to be dropped from all courses. Entering freshmen interested in institutional scholarships need to be admitted to the College of Charleston before January 15th.