Step 1: Acceptance

The first step to applying for need-based financial aid is to apply for admission to the University of Dayton School of Law.  The Federal government requires that any student seeking need-based financial aid must first be admitted to a degree-seeking program.  Once you have been accepted the School of Law Office of Admission will review your application to determine your scholarship eligibility from the University of Dayton.

Step 2: File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Once you have applied, your next step is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA.  The FAFSA is a free application that you will submit to the Department of Education.  The Department of Education will then determine how much you and your family can afford to spend on higher education costs based on the income and asset information you provided on the FAFSA.  As an independent student, you will only need to submit your income and asset information, parent income and assets will not be used to determine your need-based financial aid eligibility.

You may complete the FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA either by visiting http://www.fafsa.gov online or by sending the completed paper application to the federal processing center.  In order to have your information released to the University of Dayton, you must specify the University of Dayton as a school to receive the results of your application by listing our Title IV school code of 003127 on the FAFSA when you file. By listing the University of Dayton on your application, you authorize the Department of Education to release the results of the FAFSA to the university.

When the Department of Education has processed your application, they will send you a Student Aid Report containing a summary of the information you provided when you completed the FAFSA.   The information is released to the school(s) you listed on your FAFSA at the same time. 

Step 3: Review Your Financial Aid Award Notification

Based on the data you have submitted, the Office of Financial Aid will determine what your financial aid eligibility will be for the coming academic year.  Once we have reviewed the information and determined your eligibility, we will generate a Financial Aid Award Notification that will specify the amount and types of financial aid you have been awarded. This award will include any scholarship eligibility that you may have been awarded by the School of Law Office of Admission.

Depending on the types of financial aid you are eligible to receive, there may be some additional steps required to confirm your award amount or to receive the loan eligibility that is listed on your award.  For more information about the electronic loan application process, click here.