Applying for Aid - Incoming Students
There is a path to affording a life-changing education.
FAFSA
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required if applying for federal, state and institutional financial aid programs.
- To begin, create a FSA ID. This is your electronic signature and allows you to sign forms. Keep this ID in a safe place as you’ll need it to complete your FAFSA each year.
- Complete the FAFSA using Lipscomb University’s school code: 003486. Be sure to select the correct academic year FAFSA based on when you are planning to start.
- Lipscomb University’s school code: 003486
- Your social security number and, if you are a dependent student, your parents’ social security numbers.
- Your driver’s license number or Alien Registration number if you are not a U.S. citizen
- Federal tax information or tax returns from 2 years prior including W-2 information for you (and your spouse, if you are married) and for your parents, if you are a dependent student. You can use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to electronically transfer your federal tax return information into your FAFSA form.
- Records of your untaxed income
- Information on cash, savings and checking account balances, investments, as well as business and farm assets for you and your parents, if you are a dependent student
- Use this link to determine if you should classify yourself as dependent or independent on the FAFSA form. If you feel you should be classified as an independent student, you can review the requirements and process for this unusual circumstance.
- When determining which parent to list on your FAFSA form, see the information provided on the Federal Student Aid page.
- FAFSA processing can take about a week. You can check the status by logging in with your FSA ID. Once it’s processed, you’ll receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) and we’ll receive the output to help put together the offer.
- If your family’s financial situation has changed significantly from what is reflected on your federal income tax return, you may be eligible to have your financial aid adjusted. Review the requirements and process for this special circumstance.
Understanding Financial Need
To determine financial need, we calculate your need using this process:
Your SAR will report your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Lipscomb University uses this to determine your financial aid offer.
We are dedicated to consistently enrolling a diverse community of students, regardless of their financial capacities. We provide financial aid for 99% of our undergraduate students each year through a variety of scholarships, federal work study opportunities, grants and loans.