Understanding FAFSA

Get Prepared

Never filled out a FAFSA? The first step is getting your FSA ID and gathering the documents you’ll need. The FSA ID is your access to your Federal Student Aid account which you will use along with your Walden myFinAid account for managing your federal financial aid.

Complete the FAFSA Form

Description: Walden’s school code is 025042. Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. We’ll receive your FAFSA a few days after it’s completed.

Review Your Student Aid Report

Once we receive your FAFSA information, you may begin using Walden’s myFinAid portal to monitor the status of your financial aid information. We’ll notify you by e-mail if your Student Aid Report requires you to submit additional information to us through your myFinAid portal.

Respond to Your Aid Offer

Once we determine your eligibility, you’ll receive an e-mail notifying you that your offer is available for review. Responding includes the following steps:

• Accept or adjust your aid offer.
• Complete loan counseling.
• Complete the Master Promissory Note.

Receive Aid

Once you’ve accepted your offer and your loans have originated, your financial aid funds will be waiting for disbursement to Walden. After the term has started and all admission requirements are completed, the Office of the Bursar will apply these funds to your outstanding bill. If there is any money left on your account after your tuition and fees are paid, the Office of the Bursar will send it to you as a refund within 14 days of the disbursement date.

Renew Your FAFSA

The FAFSA form applies to a single academic year. That means you need to submit a FAFSA form each year. Make sure you maintain federal eligibility requirements which include enrolling at least half time, meeting all participation requirements for your courses, and maintaining satisfactory academic progress.