FAFSA DELAY

The U.S. Department of Education announced a timeline update for the 2024-25 FAFSA. Due to the Department of Education failing to update some numbers in the FAFSA formula and making corrections late, all FAFSA’s that have been submitted are in a holding period until this correction is made.

The correction will result in more students getting more aid, but the fix will take time. Unfortunately, this means the government will not be releasing FAFSA data to any higher education institutions until mid-March at the earliest.

With this new reality, the Chesapeake College financial aid team will work to prepare as much as possible ahead of the release of the FAFSA data to provide an accurate financial aid offer as soon as we can.

If you have not yet filed the FAFSA, we strongly encourage you to do so. Once Chesapeake College has access to your data, we will work as quickly as we can to provide you a financial aid offer.

If you have already filed the FAFSA, you can read more about the post-processing experience for students on the Department of Ed webpage. This link has information on what you should receive to confirm your FAFSA has been processed.

If you are going to be attending Chesapeake College in Fall 2024/Spring 2025, you are encouraged to complete the following in order to not miss important priority deadlines for financial aid resources Chesapeake College has to offer:

Credit degree or certificate program students:

1. Complete the 2024/2025 FAFSA at www.studentaid.gov to apply for Federal Grant Programs. Chesapeake College does not participate in the Federal Student Loan Program.
2. Complete the 2024/2025 FAFSA before March 1, 2024 to apply for Maryland State Scholarships. Learn more about MD State Scholarships here.
3. Complete the 2024/2025 Chesapeake College Institutional Scholarship application at www.chesapeake.edu/ccscholarships (application will be made available to students February 2024.) This application is used for students to apply for all merit and/or need based scholarships we have to offer our students.
4. Apply for any and all Private Scholarships that the student is eligible for. Students should research Private Scholarships in their local community, civic organizations, their employer, their parent’s employer, etc. Mid-Shore Community Foundation and Children’s Home Foundation are a great resources as well.

If you will be attending Chesapeake College in Fall 2024/Spring 2025 as a Dual Enrollment student, please contact our Admissions Office for funding resources. If you will be attending Chesapeake College for a Continuing Education Program (CDL, CNA/GNA, Dental Assistant, etc.), please research funding resources here.

We understand College costs could be the number one barrier to you making a college decision and we know this is frustrating in your decision-making timeline, but if you have any questions about attending Chesapeake College in Fall 2024, please contact our office at [email protected]. All financial aid award information, required document requests, and more is communicated via email to students and/or in Self-Service, through your MyCampus portal. Please keep updated on your email and/or Self-Service often.