Priority Deadline Policy

The UM Financial Aid Priority Deadline Policy

To apply for financial aid, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. For priority consideration for aid, the FAFSA processor (Federal Student Aid Programs) must receive and accept the FAFSA by February 15. Please submit your form early to ensure adequate time for mailing and receipt by the processor. To meet this deadline, you may need to report estimated federal tax data. There is no penalty for filing estimated figures, but you must correct your estimates on your Student Aid Report once your actual federal tax returns are completed. Prospective students can submit the FAFSA before they are notified of their admission decisions.

Maryland State Scholarship Administration Deadline

The Maryland State Scholarship Administration (MSSA) has established an application deadline of March 1. Maryland residents whose FAFSAs are postmarked by March 1 will be considered for MSSA grants and scholarships.

Acceptance of the FAFSA

Federal Student Aid Programs (FSAP) will completely reject and return the FAFSA and will not acknowledge its receipt if it is missing crucial information such as student, spouse, or parent signatures. They will send Student Aid Reports (SARs) to students whose FAFSAs are accepted. If a student receives a SAR but it requires corrections, the FAFSA has been accepted.

Priority Aid Programs

Students whose FAFSAs are received by the UM Priority Deadline will be considered for all available forms of need-based federal and institutional aid including the following "Priority Aid Programs:" Federal Work Study, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), UM Grants, Frederick Douglass Grants, and UM Scholarships.

Non-Priority Aid Programs

All students, including those whose applications are received after the UM Priority Deadline, will be considered for the following Federal Aid Programs: Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Pell Grants, and Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

Extenuating Circumstances Delaying Application

Fairness to all students requires uniform application of this deadline policy. All students are informed of these deadlines in the UM Financial Aid Award Guide and the UM Admissions Application. The Federal Student Guide and the FAFSA instructions also advise students to file as soon as possible after January 1 and to check with college financial aid offices for specific university deadlines. Students are responsible for obtaining the FAFSA and submitting it to the processor on time.

Barring severe personal or family crises, no exceptions to this policy can be considered. Weather conditions or United States Postal Service delays can not be considered special circumstances. If you or your family experience severe crises which significantly influence your ability to submit your FAFSA by the priority deadline, please submit a General Appeal with relevant supporting documentation.