At Walden, we encourage you to begin the financial aid process as early as possible. The following provides a general outline of the steps to applying for and receiving federal aid.

Step One: Complete Your FAFSA

Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) electronically to the Federal Processing Center at least four weeks prior to the start of the academic term (or program start date for new students). If you have questions while completing the form, call the FAFSA help line at 1-800-433-3243.

Please note that:

  • Walden’s Title IV Code is 025042
  • The 2011–2012 FAFSA is for award periods that begin on or after June 1, 2011.
  • The 2012–2013 FAFSA is for award periods that begin on or after June 1, 2012.

Upon receipt of your FAFSA, the Federal Processing Center will analyze your application and forward a Student Aid Report (SAR) to you and the Walden University financial aid office within three to five business days. Read the SAR carefully as it contains important information about eligibility for aid.

Step Two: Complete your File

Once the FAFSA is received by the Office of Financial Aid, you may begin using the Walden University Online Financial Aid System (myFinAid) to monitor the status of your financial aid application. The myFinAid Web portal is the 24/7 source for financial aid information for students who complete the FAFSA. The Office of Financial Aid will notify the student when updates, including award notifications and changes, are made to financial aid information on myFinAid; however, financial aid recipients are responsible for checking their myFinAid page periodically. Students may contact the Office of Financial Aid by emailing finaid@waldenu.edu or calling 1-800-925-3368.

If you are selected for verification, the U.S. Department of Education requires that Walden collect additional information from you. To continue consideration of your application, you may be required to submit a federal tax return or tax transcript and a verification worksheet, and you may also be asked to provide additional documents to the financial aid office.

Step Three: Award Notification at myFinAid

Upon determining your eligibility for loans and grants, the Office of Financial Aid notifies you by email that the award is available for viewing on myFinAid. Most financial aid is disbursed in three equal payments over the award period.

Step Four: Complete the Award Process

Once an award is made, you must complete the Master Promissory Note (MPN) and entrance counseling at http://www.studentloans.gov/. You must also complete the Financial Aid Data Request at myFinAid to list your expected graduation date and to state that you understand the terms of the award. If a change is made to any of the awards, you must complete the Accept Awards Request to specify which programs you agree to accept. A fully executed MPN, entrance counseling, and online Financial Aid Data Request must be on file in the Office of Financial Aid no later than 14 calendar days after the student is notified of the award. The total loan amount is divided into three equal disbursements. Pell Grants are automatically credited to a student’s account 10 days after the start of each term.

Additional Resources

Walden expects its financial aid professionals to always maintain exemplary standards of professional conduct while carrying out their responsibilities. Read the Walden University Financial Aid Code of Conduct.

Do you have questions about financial aid? If you haven’t yet applied to Walden, please contact an enrollment advisor at 1-866-492-5336 in the United States. If you are a current student, please contact a financial aid advisor at finaid@waldenu.edu or call 1-800-WALDENU (1-800-925-3368).