Use the checklist below as a guide through the financial aid process at Baylor. To be eligible for federal financial aid and some alternative loans, you must be enrolled at least half-time each term. Check your Baylor email regularly for important updates from Baylor One Stop.
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
The 2025-2026 FAFSA will be available to all students in December 2024.* You can start your application at studentaid.gov. You must complete a FAFSA for each academic year you enroll if you want to maintain eligibility for federal aid. Learn more here. At Baylor, the academic year begins in the Fall and goes through Summer of the following year. Baylor has the latest FAFSA updates and tips to help you complete the FAFSA here.
2. Explore Alternate Funding – three months before your term’s billing due date
- Does your employer provide tuition reimbursement? If so, reach out to them to see what you need to do to start the process.
- Are you eligible for Veterans’ (VA) benefits? Connect with our VA Benefits group at baylor.edu/vabenefits.
- Students should also start looking for outside scholarship funding. All prospective and current Baylor students have access to Scholarship Universe, a free and easy scholarship matching service. This should be done in advance of your billing due date. You can find your term’s billing due date here.
Note: You can also check with your graduate program to determine if there are any specific department scholarships that may be available for you to apply for.
3. Apply for Loans if Needed – six weeks before your term’s billing due date
Visit our Alternative Loan page to access a preferred lender list to compare rates and terms if you plan to apply for alternative loans, or studentaid.gov if applying for the Direct Grad PLUS Loan. You can find your term’s billing due date here.
4. Review your Financial Aid Offer – prior to receiving your bill
Your Offer is located in the Financial Aid Dashboard in BearWeb. If you have been offered federal loans, you can accept or decline that aid. If you accept, you will need to complete Entrance Counseling and a Master Promissory Note (MPN). Learn more at studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans.
5. Fulfill your financial obligation for your term – on the billing due date
You can find your term’s billing due date here. Your balance must be paid with personal resources and/or financial aid, or you must sign up for a payment plan. You can learn more about payment plans here.
6. Receive Credit Balance Refunds for Term, if applicable
After financial aid is applied to your student account, you may have excess funds after your balance has been paid off. This is a credit balance. If you have a credit balance, you will be refunded this money. Payment to you will be initiated before the start of classes for your term. To expedite the refund process, you should sign up for Direct Deposit with BankMobile in BearWeb, available here.
*These dates are subject to change. Monitor your email closely for updates from Baylor One Stop.
