ȺpÎÞÂë | Financial Aid | How to Apply for Financial Aid

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How to Apply for Financial Aid

It has been the philosophy of the University that no student should be prevented from attending the University because of limited financial resources. The Student Financial Aid Program has been developed to help meet that goal. The Office of Financial Aid administers programs in cooperation with federal, state and private agencies as well as funds provided through the University. Funding may be based on financial need or may be based on academic, athletic or fine arts merit.

Students who have been accepted for admission to Lewis are eligible to be considered for financial aid. ȺpÎÞÂë requires that you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to apply for need-based financial aid/grants, loans and work programs available through federal, state and institutional resources.  The steps below will assist you with the financial aid process.  If you need additional guidance regarding the financial aid process, review the resource links.

STEP ONE

Submit your Application for Admission to ȺpÎÞÂë and be accepted to a degree seeking program of study.

STEP TWO

  • Create a StudentAid.gov account at with a unique username and password combination, sometimes called your FSA ID, to use when logging in to the FAFSA form.
  • If you are married then your spouse will need to create a studentaid.gov account.
  • If you are considered a dependent of your parents at least one parent needs a studentaid.gov account.  

    Note: Refer to the resources below for additional information on creating a studentaid.gov account.

STEP THREE

  • Complete the FAFSA at  - Lewis University's School Code is 001707.
  • The U.S. Department of Education will process your FAFSA and e-mail your results to the email address listed for the student on the FAFSA.
  • For the 2025-26 academic year the FAFSA is available December 1 and will use the 2023 Federal Income Tax information (prior-prior year).
  • Your FSA ID will link automatically with the IRS to bring in your federal tax information.
  • Consent is required from student, spouse (if applicable) and/or parent(s) to link to the IRS for their tax information.  If consent is not provided a student is not eligible for financial aid.

STEP FOUR

  • If you are selected for verification, we will notify you via your ȺpÎÞÂë email if additional documentation is needed to complete your financial aid file.  Examples of additional documentation could include student or parent federal taxes, federal w-2’s, child support, untaxed income, etc.  This is not an exhaustive list but just some examples. Students can also upload documentation to the Financial Aid Office directly to their myLewis portal
  • Your financial aid application will be incomplete until all requested verification documents have been submitted.
  • Please note: do not email documents with personal identifiable information for security purposes.

STEP FIVE

  • A Financial Aid Award Offer will be sent to the student. The award letter outlines all financial aid, for which the student is eligible during the academic year.

STEP SIX

  • After receiving your Financial Aid Award Offer, you must:
    • Accept your Financial Aid Award Offer online at myLewis.  The Award Letter Guide is available in a pdf under the Forms section of the Lewis Financial Aid site.
    • Complete the Entrance Counseling and (MPN).

      Note: Entrance Counseling, Direct Loan MPN, Parent PLUS Application, Parent PLUS MPN, Grad PLUS Application, and Grad PLUS MPN are completed on .

RESOURCES TO ASSIST WITH COMPLETING THE FAFSA

Creating your StudentAid.gov Account
Your lets you apply for federal student loans, grants, and work-study using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. You will also use your account to manage your aid in the future. Because you’re completing and signing legal documents on StudentAid.gov, we verify your identity and require you to set up two-step verification when you create your account. This also means you can't simply create another StudentAid.gov account in the future. 

Tips for Completing the FAFSA Form
provided by the Department of Education as you prepare to complete your FAFSA.  The tips can assist you with answering your questions about the FAFSA.

Which Parent do I use if my parents are separated or divorced?
Financial Aid Services receives questions from students regularly about the .  Use the link below to see which parent you should be using on your FAFSA.

Federal Student Aid YouTube Channel:  FAFSA Videos
Federal Student Aid has a that hosts numerous videos that can assist you through the FAFSA process and the financial aid process.

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