How To Apply

How To Apply

A New 2024-2025 FAFSA

Department of Education has been working on a new streamlined FAFSA for 2024-2025, this is part of what is known as FAFSA Simplification.  To learn about the changes and how to prepare check out our FAFSA Simplification page. We will make updates to our page as we learn more from the Department of Education.

FAFSA Simplification Page

The 2024-2025 FAFSA was soft launched by the Department of Education on December 31, 2023. You can complete it at this time.

We will not receive FAFSA data in our system until mid-March to be able to update your FAFSA received status in MyCarolina. Due to the delay in receiving data this year with the new FAFSA, financial aid offers will not be made until April after early action admissions decisions are made for incoming students.

You can complete the CSS Profile now to be considered for academic scholarships with a need-based aid component and institutional need-based aid.

Application Process

We use two applications to determine full financial aid eligibility at UNC-Chapel Hill, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and CSS Profile. Read below to find out more about how they are used.

FAFSA Instructions:

FAFSA

CSS Profile Instructions:

  • To be considered for need based University grants and scholarships, incoming students should complete the CSS Profile using UNC-Chapel Hill’s school code: 5816. College Board offers a tutorial to walk you through the CSS Profile. The CSS profile does require a fee to complete.
  • You can complete the CSS Profile for free if:
    • Your family adjusted gross income is up to $100,000
    • You qualify for an SAT waiver
    • You are an orphan or ward of the court under the age of 24
    • If you don’t qualify and are experiencing a hardship to pay the fee, please reach out to our office.
  • The CSS Profile will also be used to determine CCI laptop grant eligibility as Carolina students are required to have a laptop.
  • You will only complete the CSS Profile the first year as long as you remain enrolled and do not have a significant change in your financial situation.
  • UNC-Chapel Hill does not require non-custodial parent information on the CSS Profile, you do not need to request a waiver.

CSS Profile

To get an early estimate of what your aid at Carolina may look like based on these applications before you are admitted you can use our Net Price Calculator (NPC). The calculator will collect the same information as the above applications and give you an aid offer estimate based on the information you put in.

aid restrictions

Restrictions on financial aid apply if you are:

  • Seeking a second bachelor’s degree
    • If you have already earned a bachelor’s degree, you will only be eligible for federal loans. The amount of loan eligibility will depend on loan limits and dependency.
  • Enrolled in a certificate program
    • Aid eligible certificate programs are limited to:
      • Radiography
  • Not seeking a degree
    • If you are admitted with non-degree seeking status, you are not eligible to receive federal or University aid.
    • If you are taking required pre-requisite coursework, your department chair or admissions director may be able to complete a pre-requisite form to consider you for aid.
      • If you have an approved form, you must be enrolled in at least six credit hours and will only be considered for loan eligibility.
  • Enrolled at more than one institution
    • You may only receive aid at one institution at a time, at your home institution. Your home institution is defined as the school in which are admitted as a degree-seeking student and the school from which you will earn your degree.

Determining financial need

UNC-Chapel Hill is committed to meeting the demonstrated financial need of our students.

To determine financial need, we first calculate your need using this process:

We work to meet the demonstrated financial need for first-degree, full-time students with aid in the form of grants, scholarships, loans and work-study from federal, state and University sources.

We use the CSS Profile to determine your eligibility for University grants. If your CSS Profile application does not show financial need, you will not be able to receive University grants, but you will be eligible for federal or state grants, along with loans and work-study, toward your demonstrated federal need.

For those seeking aid who do not have demonstrated financial need, we do automatically offer unsubsidized loan eligibility, though your total amount of aid from all sources cannot exceed the cost of attendance budget.

If you have demonstrated financial need and still need help financing your education, you may request additional unsubsidized loan funds or parent loans, as long as the total amount is still within your cost of attendance budget.