Process Overview
Use this page to understand key steps in the financial aid process.
Applying to Mizzou
Before you can be considered for financial aid, you’ll need to apply to Mizzou and receive an offer of admission.
Apply to Mizzou (undergraduate)
Submitting the FAFSA
The first and most important step in applying for financial aid is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and send it to the federal processor. You cannot receive financial aid until this form has been processed.
Students need to be admitted to MU and have a non-rejected FAFSA on file by MU’s priority date in order to meet the required deadline.
A FAFSA can be filed at any time throughout the academic year. Please check with the Financial Aid Office if you are uncertain about the academic year needed for your enrollment.
Most FAFSAs are filed online and signed electronically using a Federal Student Aid ID (or FSA ID). If you require a paper FAFSA, please contact our office.
The University of Missouri encourages financial aid applicants to import tax information from the IRS using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. The IRS Data Retrieval tool saves times and reduces the probability of being selected for verification. If you did not use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when you first completed the FAFSA, you may login to your FAFSA again and make corrections by using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to transfer your tax information.
Applying for Scholarships
MU offers many automatic scholarships for which you are considered when you apply to the university, based on criteria such as grade point average, ACT/SAT scores, class rank and state residency.
To be considered for general and departmental scholarships from Mizzou, log into ScholarshipUniverse to answer a series of matching questions. Then complete the individual applications for even more scholarships – both internal and external. Scholarship applications must be submitted by MU’s required deadline.
Graduate students should contact their individual academic departments or visit the MU Graduate School for scholarship applications.
Receiving Your Financial Aid Offer
After the Office of Student Financial Aid has received the FAFSA results, you will receive an offer letter outlining the financial aid for which you are eligible and explaining how to accept the aid. Financial aid packages usually include loans and also may include scholarships, grants and/or Federal Work Study Program opportunities.
Offer letters for incoming freshmen are mailed in April. Continuing and transfer students receive their letters in June.
Learn more about receiving aid.
How Funds are Applied
All financial aid funds except Federal Work Study funds are applied directly to your MU account, which is established through the Office of Cashiers when you register for classes. Learn more about how funds are applied.
