Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) Information

To be considered for financial aid each year, you must complete the FAFSA. If you have not already done so, you are encouraged to complete both available FAFSAs. Include GCU’s school code (001074) to begin the financial aid process for each year.

Depending on your situation, you may be the only person providing information on the form; however, if applicable, your spouse or parent(s) may also be required to contribute their information. When asked for a school code, please enter GCU’s code: 001074.

To prevent delays in awarding, be sure to:

1. use your legal first and last name.
2. verify that your Social Security number and date of birth are entered correctly.
3. read each question carefully before submitting your responses, as FAFSA corrections may not be able to be processed before the financial clearance deadline.
4. the FAFSA application has been enhanced with additional identification tools. Be prepared in case your application is chosen for additional review by ensuring you have your driver’s license or other unexpired government ID and a personal handheld device with a camera app, such as a tablet or cell phone.

Please note that certain corrections, such as changes to your name or Social Security number, can only be made by the student who submitted the application.

FAFSA Information

Each FAFSA covers courses attended during one financial aid year, running July 1 to June 30 of the following year. (Example: The 2026-27 FAFSA is valid from 7/1/2026 – 6/30/2027).

Summer terms fall at the end of one FAFSA year and the beginning of the next. Therefore, if you plan to attend during the summer term, you must complete the FAFSA for the school year your summer term falls in, and the FAFSA for the upcoming school year after October 1. By completing both FAFSAs, you will avoid interruptions in funding.

Continuing students must complete the new FAFSA each year after October 1 to maintain their financial aid eligibility.

You can review FAFSA availability at the official website: FAFSA^® Application | Federal Student Aid. Please make sure you complete all applicable FAFSA forms if you have not done so already.

If you previously submitted a FAFSA for another institution and did not list Grand Canyon University, log back into your FSA account and add GCU’s school code: 001074.

Online students

Once all required documentation is completed, received, and you are officially matriculated to the university, initial awarding generally takes place between 30 to 45 days after initial participation in your first course.

• You must submit complete documents prior to your start date.
• Eligible disbursements are released by payment period. Details can be found in the University Policy Handbook.
• Incomplete requests are not processed.
• Programs are attendance taking. Continued participation in educational activities are required.

Campus Students

Once all required documentation is complete and received, initial awarding takes place between 30-45 days after the start of the first enrolled course for the term.

• You may submit the required documents 100+ days in advance and no later than 50 days prior to the term start date to ensure awarding can be completed.
• Eligible disbursements are released by term. Details can be found in the University Policy Handbook.
• Incomplete requests are not processed.

Explore the following additional resources to enhance your understanding of the FAFSA application process:

• Knowledge Center
• Federal Student Aid Facebook
• Federal Student Aid Estimator
• FAFSA Submission Summary