Filing the FAFSA
To receive federal and state financial aid, you must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- The 2024-25 FAFSA opened December 30, 2023
The 2025-26 FAFSA will be available by December 1, 2024.
FAFSA Simplification Act Impact on ÂÜÀòÊÓƵ Titans
Find out more about the changes to the 2024-25 FAFSA.
We strongly recommend that all students complete the FAFSA. Although they may not qualify for federal grants, they may qualify for state grants. We’re happy to walk you and your family through the application process.
Federal Student Aid Identification Number (FSAid)
Before beginning the FAFSA, you should apply for a . The FSAid will allow you to sign your FAFSA electronically and to correct your processed FAFSA information online. Because you are providing parent information on the FAFSA, one of your parents must also sign your application. To sign electronically, your parent must also apply for his or her own FSAid. Each FSAid applicant will need to provide personal information such as social security number and date of birth.
When applying for your FSAid, we recommend that you make it something easy to remember. Please don't share your FSAid with anyone.
If a student completes the FAFSA online without the appropriate FSAid(s), the application will not be processed unless the student submits the signature page with the appropriate signature(s) via mail.
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
You may
- complete the
- or you may request a paper copy by calling 800-4-FED-AID.
When filling out your application, you will be asked for ÂÜÀòÊÓƵ's school code, which is 002323.
Answer the questions honestly and to the best of your ability.
The with tips for completing your FAFSA if you have a unique situation that makes it difficult to answer the questions.
What to Expect After You Have Completed FAFSA
FAFSA / Award Notification
Financial Aid Summery
After you have completed the FAFSA, a Financial Aid Summary will be available for you to see at
It lists answers to the questions on the student’s FAFSA form and gives basic estimates about the student’s eligibility for federal student aid. It is not a financial aid offer.
How Your Aid is Determined
Your financial aid is based on your FAFSA results as well as your "Cost of Attendance", a figure that is estimated based on your tuition and fees, housing, transportation, and other expenses for an academic year.
Academic Year
At the ÂÜÀòÊÓƵ, an academic year consists of Fall, Winter and a Summer semester. With the exception of a few programs that require year round attendance, financial aid is generally packaged for Fall and Winter.
Students that would like financial aid for a summer term, not enrolled in a year round program will need to submit a institutional Summer Financial Aid Application. Please visit by the Financial Aid forms website in January to complete your Summer Financial Aid Application for the upcoming summer semester.
Award Notification
Expect to receive your financial aid package notification by email when your file becomes complete. The emails will be sent to official Detroit Mercy student email accounts. Students will use the to access student account information, including financial aid awards.
Determine how much financial aid you will need by using the budget information found in the My Portal, or be reviewing your Student Account Summary. Confirm the award in the My Portal by "Accepting", "Declining" or reducing the aid offered. It's that simple!
Loans
The ÂÜÀòÊÓƵ will process Federal Student Loans, including Direct, PLUS and Grad PLUS through the Federal Direct Loan Program. ALL new borrowers to the Direct Loan Program will be required to complete a new (MPN). Students borrowing for the first time will also be required to complete an Entrance Interview as well. The is an online tutorial about the loan programs. You must respond to your award notification within 30 days of its date to receive awarded funds.
Parents accepting the PLUS loan will need to complete and return a Parent PLUS Loan Application as well as completing an .
NOTIFY A FINANCIAL AID OFFICER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU PLAN TO DELAY YOUR ENROLLMENT ONE OR MORE TERMS SO THAT YOUR AWARD CAN BE REVISED ACCORDINGLY.
ALL AWARDS ARE SUBJECT TO AN ADJUSTMENT if any of the following take place:
| Enrollment Status | Full-time | Three-Quarter Time | Half-Time | Less than Half-Time* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 12+ | 9-11 | 6-8 | 1-5 |
| Graduate | 9+ | 7-8 | 4.5-6 | 1-4 |
| Dental students are usually full-time Law School students indicate credit hours on their Institutional Application * Funding limited to Federal Pell grant, if eligible |
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- Your enrollment status changes
- Your living arrangements change
- Received aid not listed on the original award
- Your employer or another source contributes to your education
- Your FAFSA information changes after verification
- The granting authority (state or federal government, private agency, etc.) revises its award
If your award changes, you will receive a notification of a change to your award with instructions about reviewing the current award in the . If you know that a change is necessary, please contact financial aid at 313-993-3350.
Request for Additional Information
Some applications require that additional information be submitted before it is complete. Please respond promptly to all requests and include your student number on each document. You may also be selected for Verification. It is important that you respond promptly as federal financial aid cannot be released to your account until verification has been completed.
Special Circumstances
In some cases, the information presented on the FAFSA may not reflect the family's true ability to contribute towards a students education. In cases where an unusual circumstance, such as, loss of work/income, death or birth in the family, etc. may affect the ability to contribute, financial aid professionals can sometimes make adjustments that more accurately reflect the family circumstances. To be considered for this type of review, students must submit the Special Circumstances form, with all pertinent documentation to the financial aid office.
Dependency Overrides
On rare occasions, there may be a need to override a student's dependency status. A financial aid administrator (FAA) may do dependency overrides on a case-by-case basis for students with unusual circumstances. If the FAA determines that an override is appropriate, she must write out the determination and retain it and the supporting documentation. However, none of the conditions listed below, singly or in combination, qualify as unusual circumstances meriting a dependency override:
- Parents refuse to contribute to the student’s education.
- Parents are unwilling to provide information on the FAFSA or for verification.
- Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes.
- The student demonstrates total self-sufficiency.
Unusual circumstances do include (and may cause any of the above conditions) abandonment by parents, an abusive family environment that threatens the student’s health or safety, or the student being unable to locate their parents. In such cases a dependency override might be warranted. If your circumstances warrant a dependency override, contact your financial aid advisor for guidance.
Disbursement Information
Financial aid is expected to be released to student accounts 10 days prior to the start of classes for each semester. Aid cannot be disbursed until the requirements are met for each program. Disbursements to student accounts continue as requirements are met. If the disbursement of aid to student accounts create a credit balance, refunds will be released to students within 14 days of the financial aid payment. The ÂÜÀòÊÓƵ recommends students set up Direct Deposit for financial aid refunds as students will have access to the funds earlier than those who are issued paper checks.
Students can sign up for Direct Deposit in the My Portal, on the Student tab, under Personal Profile, and then under Direct Deposit. Students who do not select to receive refunds by Direct Deposit will be issued a paper check, which will be mailed to the Home Address listed in their the My Portal Account.
Accept your award online
Students can review and accept their financial aid award online using the . Applicants will be notified about their financial aid awards, missing requirements, and loan disbursements via their the My Portal email account.
The information provided on this website explains the financial aid process, as well as available scholarships, grants, college work-study, loans, and more. It is designed to answer frequently asked questions and provide helpful information.
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Verification Process
Each year the federal government selects families to verify the information submitted on the FAFSA.
Verification must be completed no later than 30 days after the last date of the term you are enrolled in. Failure to do so will result in loss of any federal or state aid, including grants and loans. The student will be responsible for any resulting balance.
If your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is selected for verification, you may be required to verify one or more of the items listed below.
VERIFICATION ITEMS
1. Household size, taxable household income, untaxed household income
If your application is selected for traditional verification, the Verification Worksheet is available in on our Financial Aid Forms website Please complete ALL sections of the Verification Worksheet. This form must be signed and dated by both the student and one (1) parent (if the student is dependent). Please read the verification request carefully and follow the instructions to avoid delays.
Because this form of verification includes taxable household income, we must request that the student and/or their parents provide Federal income tax information before funds may be paid to the student's account. If you are completing the 2024-25 FAFSA, please provide the 2022 tax information.
2. Identity & Educational Purpose
Students who are selected for identity and educational purpose must visit the Financial Aid Office in person to verify their identity and sign a statement declaring that their financial aid will be used for the purpose of paying for their education. To verify identity, the student must present a government issued ID such as a driver's license or passport. For complete details, please see our Statement of Educational Purpose.
REQUESTING AN IRS TAX TRANSCRIPT
Here are two (2) ways tax filers can request a tax transcript:
1. ONLINE Go to and request a copy of your 2019 Tax Return Transcript. For more detailed instructions, please see our IRS Tax Return Transcript Request Instructions. A paper transcript will be mailed to the requestor within 5 to 10 days. THIS CANNOT BE SENT DIRECTLY TO ÂÜÀòÊÓƵ. Please sign the tax transcript and send it to ÂÜÀòÊÓƵ.
2. VIA TELEPHONE You may call the IRS at (800) 908-9946 and request a 2020 TAX RETURN TRANSCRIPT.
IRS DATA AVAILABILITY
In general, tax filers can anticipate that the IRS data will be available within either:
- Two weeks if the tax return has been filed electronically with the IRS OR
- Eight weeks if the tax returns have been mailed to the IRS.
If the tax filer has changed or corrected the federal income tax return, the amended information may not be available through the IRS data retrieval process. You will be required to submit both the original IRS tax transcript as well as the amended IRS tax transcript.
IRS 1040 WILL NOT AND IS NOT REQUIRED TO BE FILED
The filers must attest that an IRS 1040 has not and will not be filed and that the IRS 1040 is not required to be filed. Copies of all 2022 W-2 forms from ALL employers must be submitted to the office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.
Applicants filing a Puerto Rico tax return or a foreign tax return may not use the IRS Tax Retrieval and must send a signed copy of their 2022 tax documents.
MORE INFORMATION
We may require additional documentation to complete the verification process.
IMPORTANT NOTE
All Federal/State Aid listed on the My Portal award will remain an estimate until the verification process has been completed by the financial aid office. If your financial aid award changes as a result of verification, you will receive an email to your My Portal account informing you that your financial aid has been revised.