Financial aid is money made available to a student to help fund his/her education. Financial aid includes grants, scholarships, work-study programs and student loans. Most often it is a combination of these funds that help fund a student's education.

Yes! The US Department of Education Office of Federal Student Aid maintains several websites and publications designed to assist you in learning more about financial aid programs and the application process. Please visit https://studentaid.gov/ to review their website for information and download helpful publications.

You also can contact us directly any time you have questions about any part of the financial aid process.

You can apply for federal financial aid online at the following link: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.

You can also visit www.gvsu.edu/scholarships to explore scholarship opportunities.

In order to be awarded federal financial aid we need to have a current FAFSA on file. If you have already submitted your FAFSA to a previous school you can just add Grand Valley State University to the "School Selection" section and resubmit. If you have not filled out a current FAFSA you will need to do so. To complete or update your FAFSA, please visit: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

The school code for Grand Valley is 002268.

More information on when and how to file the FAFSA can be found at the following link: https://www.gvsu.edu/financialaid/applying-for-financial-aid-64.htm

Yes, it is required that a student complete a new FAFSA for each academic year. If you have completed a FAFSA before you can use the "FAFSA Renewal" option which pulls much of the information listed from your previous form to review and update for the new year.

The FAFSA looks at other criteria to determine if you are independent of your parents. You have to be able to answer "yes" to one of the questions below to be considered independent:

Will you turn 24 this current year? Are you working on a Masters's or Doctorate degree? Are you married? Do you have children or dependents that you support? Are you a U.S. veteran or actively serving? Are you or were you an orphan or ward of the court? As of today, are you an emancipated minor? As of today, are you in a legal guardianship? At any time on or after July 1, 2008, has it been determined that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless?

If the answer is "no" to all of these questions then the parents MUST fill out the FAFSA form with the student. If the student can answer "yes" to one or more of these questions then the parents do not have to fill out the form. NOTE: If you select "yes" to one of the above questions, the Financial Aid Office may verify this information.

Yes. The IRS offers several ways families can offset education costs. For more information, please visit: https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/education-credits-aotc-llc 

The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships can work with you to determine your options for financing your study abroad program. It's a good idea to discuss financial aid and study abroad at least one semester before your program begins. For more information, please visit: https://www.gvsu.edu/financialaid/study-abroad-49.htm.  Please contact us if you would like more information or to set up an appointment.