Financial Aid Process: Applying for the FAFSA
Applying for financial aid should not be a complicated and worrisome process. As an accredited learning institution, Purdue Global can help qualified students apply for — and receive — Title IV federal financial aid for many of our degree programs.
School Code: 004586
This is Purdue Global's School Code. You will need this to complete your FAFSA.
FAFSA
Learn how to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process.
Financial Aid Guide
This detailed guide provides information about each of the steps of the financial aid process.
How to Complete Your FAFSA
Materials Needed to Fill Out a FAFSA
- Driver's license and Social Security card
- Income tax returns
- Records of child support received
- Current balances of cash, savings, and checking accounts
- Records of your assets such as investments, businesses, and farms
- Your FSA ID
- Your contributor's information
Helpful Tips to Successfully Complete Your FAFSA
- You will be asked for a school code for Purdue Global: 004586.
- You will be asked to provide your high school completion status on your FAFSA. Please select one of the following: high school diploma, GED, homeschooled, or none of the above. Do not leave this question blank.
- On the Review Page, you’ll acknowledge the terms and conditions of the form and electronically sign your section. You can then submit your section of the FAFSA form.
The FUTURE Act Direct Data Exchange
The FUTURE Act Direct Data Exchange (FA-DDX) will transfer contributors' federal tax information from the IRS directly into your FAFSA form. Go here to learn more: https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out#financial-info.
- All contributors must provide consent to electronically import their federal tax information and must provide consent even if they didn’t file a tax return.
- If consent and approval are not provided by the student and all contributors on the FAFSA form, the student will not be eligible for federal student aid.
- Providing consent and approval may reduce the time it takes to fill out the financial section of the FAFSA form.
- Consent and approval must be provided every year the FAFSA form is completed.
Note: If you are selected for verification, this will also make the process simpler and may require less documentation from you.
Obtain FSA ID
Create a StudentAid.gov Account (FSA ID)
Creating your StudentAid.gov account is the first step in applying for financial aid. When creating a new account, you'll choose a unique username and password combination (FSA ID) to use when logging in. Your account allows you to electronically sign your FAFSA, check its status online, and access your account information.
- Visit StudentAid.gov/create-account and and click “Get Started.”
- Be careful to enter your name and Social Security number (SSN) exactly as they appear on your Social Security card.
- In most cases, your account is created in real-time, allowing you to start your FAFSA immediately, as well as sign it. You will receive a confirmation email once your identity verification is complete.
- Keep your FSA ID secure and don’t share the information with anyone, including your family members.
Contributors
Anyone required to provide information on the FAFSA form — such as student, student's spouse, student's parent(s) and/or stepparent(s) — is a "contributor" to the application. Every contributor to an applicant's FAFSA form must have their own StudentAid.gov account to complete and sign their sections of the form.
Note: Contributors who don’t have an SSN can still create a StudentAid.gov account (FSA ID) to complete their section on your FAFSA form.
Financial Aid for Non-U.S. Citizens
Aid From Your Home Country
Contact the cultural section of your country’s embassy or ministry of education to inquire about financial aid options and their requirements.
Aid From the U.S. Government
The majority of U.S. government financial assistance is not available to international students. The U.S. government does provide aid to students from specific countries — you can get more information from your embassy or the U.S. State Department.
Complete Your FAFSA
The FAFSA is used to apply for federal student financial aid such as the Pell Grant, student loans, and federal work-study. Completing the FAFSA is essential to determining your financial aid eligibility.
Once you have created your studentaid.gov account (FSA ID), go to the Federal Student Aid website to fill out your FAFSA form. Please note: if you plan to attend college between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027, you will need to complete the 2026–2027 FAFSA using income and tax information from 2024.
Inviting Contributors
When you fill out the FAFSA form, you’ll answer questions that will determine who needs to be a contributor. Your contributors are required to provide information on your form and each need their own StudentAid.gov account (FSA ID) to complete their sections. To invite contributors to complete their sections on your 2026–2027 FAFSA form, you’ll need to enter their email address when prompted. Be sure to use the email address for the account they’re most likely to check.
Once you have filled out the application, please complete the following:
- Acknowledge the terms and conditions and electronically sign your FAFSA.
- Click on "Submit FAFSA Form."
- Students and contributors will get confirmation when they complete their section of the FAFSA form. This confirmation does not mean the form was submitted, only that the section is complete.
- If your confirmation page has a confirmation number, you have successfully submitted your FAFSA and should print this page for your records.
- At any time, students can check the status of their 2026–2027 FAFSA form from the "My Activity" page after logging in to StudentAid.gov.
After You Successfully Submit Your FAFSA
Once all student and contributor portions of the form are complete, the student or a contributor can submit the FAFSA form. After you successfully submit your FAFSA form, you’ll receive a "Confirmation" page with a confirmation number. Based on your FAFSA results, the Student Finance Office will then put together your estimated financial aid award.
FAFSA Verification Process
During the financial aid process, the U.S. Department of Education may select your FAFSA application for verification. Verification is a process used to ensure the accuracy of the information supplied on the FAFSA.
Learn more about common FAFSA and verification errors.
How to Find Out If Your Application Is Selected for Verification
To find out if you are selected for verification, read the comments on the first page of your FAFSA Submission Summary sent to you by the Department of Education. If you have not received your FAFSA Submission Summary, you can check it online. Go to studentaid.gov and select your processed FAFSA submission or contact your Student Finance Coordinator as soon as possible.
What to Do If Your FAFSA Is Selected for Verification
If you receive notification that you have been selected for verification, contact your Student Finance Coordinator if you have any questions. Next, you should collect copies of documents that the Student Finance Office requests. There are a few common documents that will always be required to complete verification. In some cases, these documents will be enough; in other cases, your Student Finance Coordinator will contact you for additional information.
In most cases, you won't have to verify income and tax information. However, if you are selected for verification, the school may ask you to submit a tax transcript or other documentation to confirm the information you reported.
Your Funding Offer
After you have submitted your electronically signed FAFSA, Purdue Global will be notified of its completion. Once the school receives your eligibility information and you have met all requirements, a projected funding offer will be provided to you by Purdue Global’s Student Finance Office. The projected funding offer is an estimate of what you will receive in federal, state, and Purdue Global aid and/or scholarships.
You should review your funding offer with a Student Finance Office Coordinator at the University. Please note that this funding offer estimation is subject to change based on student information contained in the Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR), which is sent to Purdue Global by the federal government.
Student Loan Entrance Counseling Quiz
The U.S. Department of Education requires that all students seeking to borrow under the Federal Direct Loan program participate in loan entrance counseling before receiving funds. To help you satisfy this requirement, visit the Entrance Counseling section of the Federal Student Aid website.
During entrance counseling, you will learn about the following:
- What a Direct Loan is and how the loan process works
- Managing your education expenses
- Other financial resources to consider to help pay for your education
- Your rights and responsibilities as a borrower
For more information, please visit the Federal Student Aid website.
Master Promissory Note
Now you are ready to obtain and sign the Master Promissory Note (MPN). All financial aid-seeking students must complete an MPN. You must do this before you can receive your loan. The MPN should be completed electronically via studentaid.gov.
The MPN is a binding contract between you and your lender. The document states your obligation to repay your financial aid loans. The MPN can be used for both subsidized and unsubsidized loans and for one or more academic years (up to 10 years).
To receive your loans without delay, your MPN must be completed as soon as possible. This MPN will be used for all of your loans over multiple academic years. More information on how to complete your MPN can be found on the student loans page of this site.
Common FAFSA and Verification Document Errors
If you are selected for verification, don’t panic — it doesn’t mean you did anything wrong. However, be aware that you will be required to submit an additional set of documents. Many students selected for verification complete these documents with errors and must then correct and resubmit them. To help you avoid common mistakes, we've included some tips below.
Avoiding Errors When Completing Your FAFSA
- Do not leave a field blank.
- Use the 1040 federal income tax return form, not the W-2 form, for reporting income and taxes paid.
- Do not use nicknames; use your legal name as it appears on your Social Security card.
- Don’t forget to submit the FAFSA form after all of your contributors have signed and all sections are completed.
How to Correct Errors in Your FAFSA
Your FAFSA Submission Summary will be ready to view on the FAFSA StudentAid.gov website 1–3 business days after your FAFSA submission, and you will be notified via email. If you did not provide a valid email address, a paper version will be sent via postal mail to the address provided in the FAFSA within 3 weeks.
This summary displays your Student Aid Index (SAI) and summarizes the information you reported on your FAFSA form. Review your Summary carefully to make sure it’s accurate.
If you make corrections to your FAFSA application, the University will receive your updated information once it is processed. The Student Finance Office will then revise your funding offer and send you the updated copy reflecting your financial aid eligibility based on the corrected information.
Students can find additional information about reviewing and correcting their FAFSA on the Federal Student Aid Website at https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/review-and-correct.
Verification
After you submit your FAFSA, you will be notified by the University if you are selected for verification or have a C-code.
Email Notification
If you are selected for verification or have a C-code and need to submit required documents to the University, you will receive an email to create an account for our web-based document submission application.
Students may be required to submit additional documentation to the Student Finance Office if they have certain Comment codes listed on their FAFSA Submission Summary. These codes are commonly referred to as “C-Codes” and will prevent a student from being awarded with any federal student aid.
Student Portal Link
If you are selected for verification or have a C-code, a link titled “Required Financial Aid Documents” will be displayed on your Account Documents page in Purdue Global Campus.
When you click the link, it will direct you to a web-based application to create your account and complete your required documents.
Net Price Calculator
Use this college cost calculator as a guide to assist in financial planning for college. This tool is designed for full-time, first-time degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduate students and will also help provide a preliminary estimate of federal aid eligibility. Your actual eligibility for federal financial aid will be determined when you submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Learn About FAFSA C-Codes
When the U.S. Department of Education processes a FAFSA, the processor may place a C-code on the applicant's FAFSA Submission Summary. This code acts as an alert for the student and the Student Finance Office to indicate that the student cannot receive aid until a given issue is resolved.
Common C-Codes
Default
If you are notified that you are not entitled to Title IV student loans because your application for financial aid states that you are in default, you can usually regain eligibility by making six consecutive payments on your defaulted loan. Afterward, the lender will typically provide you with a default clearance letter. You can then forward it to the Purdue Global Student Finance Office. After our review and approval, you will regain eligibility to receive Title IV funds.
You can check the status of your file and the history of your student loans by visiting studentaid.gov.
If you have already paid your loans but your status still shows you are in default, contact your lender or the Department of Education at 800-433-3243 (Toll Free) and ask them to provide you with your default clearance letter.
Overpayment
An overpayment means that you received grant funds in excess of your eligibility. When the account dashboard on studentaid.gov indicates that you have received at least one overpayment of federal student aid funds, you are required to repay the excess. You are not eligible to receive any federal student aid until your overpayment is resolved.
To resolve a Pell overpayment issue, call the Department of Education at 800-621-3115 (Toll Free). They will provide you with options to clear this issue. Once your overpayment is cleared, the Department of Education will provide you with an overpayment clearance letter that you can submit to the Purdue Global Student Finance Office. Once your request is reviewed and approved, you will again be eligible to receive Title IV funds.
Loan Limits
According to your school level (graduate or undergraduate), there is an established amount of funds you can borrow during a lifetime. If you are close to reaching the limit or have exceeded it, you might not be able to borrow more to help you cover the cost of your tuition.
You can check the status of your file and the history of your student loans by visiting studentaid.gov. If you have exceeded your loan limit, we have other options available to help you cover the cost of your tuition. Ask your Student Finance Coordinator about alternative loan options to fund your education.
Permanently Discharged Student Loans
If you previously had your loans discharged for medical conditions, you are not entitled to receive Title IV aid unless you submit both an official doctor’s certification stating that you are able to engage in substantial gainful activity and a signed personal statement confirming you are aware that the new FSA loan cannot be discharged later for any present impairment unless it deteriorates so that you are again totally or permanently disabled.