How do I apply for federal, state and institutional aid?
We recommend that students apply for ALL sources of financial assistance: federal, state, institutional and private since there are more educational expenses than one might think. There are direct costs pertaining to being a student such as tuition, fees and books. To get an idea of your tuition costs, use our tuition estimator. There are indirect costs such as housing expenses, transportation, and childcare. Awarding funds to cover all direct and indirect costs is difficult, therefore, the Financial Aid Office does consider all costs when packaging a student for financial aid. With limited resources, Chesapeake College reserves the right to reduce or rescind a financial aid package should a student receive more financial assistance from various sources. Our goal is to cover direct expenses and award as many eligible students as possible with the resources available.
The process of applying for financial aid happens electronically. To apply for federal and state financial aid, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid online at www.fafsa.gov. By completing your FAFSA online before March 1st, you will meet both Chesapeake College's and the State of Maryland's priority deadline for aid. In addition to the FAFSA, the Maryland Higher Education Commission may require additional forms. Please review their application process at www.mhec.state.md.us.
The online FAFSA must be completed each academic year if you wish to be considered for financial aid. If you have applied for federal financial aid the previous year, you should receive an electronic renewal notice to the email address you indicated on last year's application. The Renewal Application for Federal Student Aid makes applying for financial aid much easier.
Chesapeake College institutional scholarships are available by completing one application for all General and Endowed Scholarships that are available. You may search for the various scholarships we have to offer online and complete one application. We only have one deadline date per year for scholarships, generally the end of April. Look for the posted deadline on the application and be sure to meet that deadline. Late applications will not be accepted.
Remember, applying for financial aid is FREE, so it is worth your time.
You should NEVER pay anyone to apply for receive financial aid of any source.