1. How do I apply for financial aid?

2. I received financial aid at my old institution. Will I automatically receive it at UM?

---

1. How do I apply for financial aid?
The only application for consideration of need-based financial aid at UM is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You can apply on the web by visiting http://www.financialaid.umd.edu or http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. To be considered for priority aid, the FAFSA should be filed between January 1st and February 15th of the student’s senior year of high school, then the same time every subsequent year.

A student does not have to be admitted to UM in order to file the FAFSA. UM recommends that families use their previous year’s 1040 federal tax returns to complete the FAFSA, assuming the family’s income has remained consistent from year to year. UM will send an email notification of financial aid award to incoming transfer students June 1 for fall admission and October 15 for spring admission.

Information on selected funding opportunities open to non-US citizens is available on the National Scholarships Office web site.

2. I received financial aid at my old institution. Will I automatically receive it at UM?
Financial aid does NOT transfer from one school to the next. A transfer student should contact the Department of Education at 1-800-4-FED-AID to confirm that the institution to which the student is transferring are included on the FAFSA form. The school code for the  University of Maryland, College Park is 002103. Maryland residents receiving State aid must also notify the Maryland Higher Education Commission at 410.260.4565 or 800.974.1024 when transferring to another in-state institution.

As the cost of education increases, UM is committed to increasing the amount of need-based institutional aid to assist students.