How to Apply for Financial Aid

CTU participates in a variety of financial aid programs and administers these programs in accordance with prevailing federal and state laws as well as its own institutional policies. Students must meet the eligibility requirements of these programs to participate.

Students are strongly encouraged to apply for financial aid as early as possible in order to allow sufficient time for application processing. Students are responsible for providing all requested documentation in a timely manner; failure to do so may jeopardize financial aid eligibility. In order to remain eligible for federal financial aid, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined in the University Catalog.

Financial aid must be approved, and all necessary documentation completed, before the aid can be applied towards tuition and fees.

Financial aid is awarded on an academic year basis; therefore it is necessary to reapply for aid for each academic year. Students may have to apply for financial aid more than once during the calendar year, depending on their date of enrollment.

Need additional information or guidance?

• Online students please call 866-813-1836 or email at CTUFinancialAid@ctuonline.edu.
• Campus and hybrid students please call 855-733-8023 or email at CTUFAAdvising@sherbornecottages.com.

How to Apply

Students who want to apply for federal aid (and state aid, if applicable) must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) each year. FAFSA applications are processed through the Department of Education, and all information is confidential. Students must be accepted for admission to the University before financial aid applications can be processed. Follow the steps below to begin the process:

1. Create a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) at http://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/sign-in/landing. You and your Contributors (see more information about Contributors) need an FSA ID to start and complete your FAFSA online.
2. Start your FAFSA online at studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.
3. In most cases, the FAFSA will transfer your information directly from the IRS, however, there may be times when the transfer is unsuccessful. It’s a good idea to gather your tax documents, including the last two years of income tax returns (include yours and your spouse's (or parents if dependent)), W-2 forms, and other records of income.

Remember, at any point in the process, your CTU student finance advisor is available to:

• Help you determine what you need in order to complete your application;
• Review your applications to make sure they are filled out completely;
• Answer questions about any additional financial aid paperwork.

When to Apply

Federal Student Aid has an award year that runs from July 1st to June 30th. The FAFSA has a 21-month application cycle that begins on October 1st, nine months before the start of the award year, and ends on June 30th, the last day of the award year. This application is available online at the Federal Student Aid website (studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa). For assistance on your FAFSA, you can contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or watch the following Department of Education video about how to fill out the FAFSA.