2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) Updates And Information
In light of a significant delay in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application process, the availability of students’ FAFSA award information to all universities will be impacted. Due to this delay, GCU will not receive students' FAFSA award information until the first half of March at the earliest. Consequently, GCU cannot provide accurate estimates for students or confirm receipt of FAFSA applications until FAFSA information is received. GCU is making the necessary preparations to help ensure you receive information about your awards once the university receives this important information.
In the interim, you are encouraged to complete your 2024-25 FAFSA and include GCU’s school code (001074) to ensure a seamless process. Once you have completed your FAFSA, you will receive a summary via email. Though the dollar amounts provided in this summary may change once the final results are shared with GCU, we are able to meet with you to review the results so you can begin planning for the upcoming academic year. Please schedule an appointment with your university admissions counselor or student services counselor to review this information today.
Please note: Information on this page is only applicable to students who are enrolling for or attending the ground traditional campus.
Key Dates for 2024-25 Award Year
The 2024-25 FAFSA application was released later than prior years due to a significant overhaul of the application to support the FAFSA Simplification Act. To assist students during this period, we have provided a chart with anticipated milestone dates. For GCU-specific information, please contact your university counselor.
| Milestone | Anticipated Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 FAFSA release date | 12/31/23 | Release date for the 2024-25 FAFSA application by the Department of Education. Any application delays or downtimes will be communicated through alerts on the FAFSA website. |
| 2024-25 FAFSA information available to GCU | Mid-March through April 2024 | Although some 2024-25 FAFSA info started to be received in mid-March, issues related to processing and the ability for families to make required updates to the FAFSA data have delayed the receipt of final outcomes. Meanwhile, students can use the federal aid estimator or FAFSA Submission Summary for eligibility and amount assessments |
| 2024-25 FAFSA completed by students for Fall 2024 semester | 4/15/24 | Complete 2024-25 FAFSA by this date for Fall 2024 at GCU traditional campus; certain Federal Student Aid Awards are limited and awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. |
| GCU will begin packaging Federal Student Aid awards to eligible students | 5/1/24 | Anticipated date that GCU will begin adding Federal Student Aid awards to student records. |
| Fall 2024 financial clearance deadline | 7/15/24 | Financial clearance deadline for all Fall 2024 students at GCU, including completion of Federal Student Aid paperwork. |
Chart updated as of March 1, 2024
Explore the following additional resources to enhance your understanding of the 2024-25 FAFSA soft launch: