Financial Aid and Scholarships

How to Apply for Aid (FAFSA): Prospective Graduate Students

Costs  |  Aid Programs  |  How to Apply for Aid (FAFSA)  |  How to Apply for Aid (DREAM)  |  After you Apply


Priority filing deadline is March 3rd, 2025 (For 2025-26 aid year)!

School Code 001144 

Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) is the first step toward getting financial aid for your degree. 

Completing and submitting the FAFSA is free and quick, and it gives you access to the largest source of financial aid to pay for college (Federal Student Aid).  In addition, your FAFSA is used to determine your eligibility for Cal Poly Pomona aid, and some scholarship providers may use your FAFSA information to determine whether you qualify for their awards. 

The FAFSA Application becomes available every October 1st – and the priority deadline for applying is March 2nd (for the 2025 – 2026 academic year, the application became available November 19, 2024 and the priority filing deadline is March 3, 2025).

Complete the FAFSA at the same time as your admission application for Cal Poly Pomona – do not wait until you have been admitted.  If you miss the FAFSA Priority Deadline, you will miss your opportunity to be considered for Cal Poly Pomona Institutional financial aid for the year. 

Apply Now - FAFSA

FAFSA Update

2025-26 FAFSA Now Available!

The 2025-26 FAFSA is now available (as of November 19, 2024)! Submit your FAFSA by March 3, 2025 for the 2025-26 academic year (Fall 2025, Spring 2026, Summer 2026).

Students pursuing a graduate degree are eligible for federal loan funds as well as Federal Work Study.  In addition, eligibility for the State University Grant, Graduate Business Grant, and the EdD Grant is determined by the FAFSA. 

In order to be eligible for funding through the FAFSA Application, you must meet the citizenship eligibility criteria for Federal Student Aid: 

PLEASE NOTE: Students who received a Social Security Number through the Deferred Action of Childhood Arrival (DACA), and who qualify for AB540, should complete the California Dream Act Application in order to be considered for state financial aid, as they are NOT Eligible for Federal Student Aid. 

In addition to citizenship status, you must meet the other general eligibility criteria for federal student aid.  Review the information from Federal Student Aid for details. 

Eligibility for federal student aid infographic

Fact Sheets:   

All  students pursuing a graduate degree (Master’s or Doctoral) are considered to be independent for financial aid purposes.  As a result, parent information does not need to be reported on the FAFSA.  

The FAFSA asks for important personal identification information as well as financial information.  Details about the type of information, and documents needed to complete the application are available from Federal Student Aid.  

You may be able to have your tax & income information imported directly from the IRS into your FAFSA.  Learn more about providing financial information from Federal Student Aid .   



Transfering Tax Information from the IRS

The IRS Data Retrieval Tool (IRS DRT) Electronically Transfers Your Federal Tax Return Information Into Your FAFSA Form. WHY EASY: Transfer info with the click of a button. FAST: Instantly retrieve your information. ACCURATE: Correctly fill in your information. HOW Log in to your current FAFSA form or start a new application at fafsa.gov. In the finances section of the online form, you will see a “Link to IRS” button if you are eligible to use the IRS DRT. Click the “Link to IRS” button and log in with your FSA ID to be transferred to the IRS to retrieve your info. Once at the IRS site, enter your information exactly as it appears on your federal income tax return and click the “Submit” button. Check the “Transfer My Tax Information into the FAFSA form” box, and click the “Transfer Now” button. You will know that your federal tax return information has been successfully transferred because the words “Transferred from the IRS” will display in place of the IRS information in your FAFSA form. For your protection, your tax information will not be displayed on either the IRS site or fafsa.gov. The IRS DRT can be used by both students and parents. To learn more about the IRS DRT, visit StudentAid.gov/irsdrt. Federal Student Aid An Office of the U.S. Department of Education Proud Sponsor of the American Mind®

Resources: 

In order to complete and sign your FAFSA, you’ll need an FSA ID – which is a username and password combination that allows you to sign your FAFSA electronically.

You can get your FSA ID as you fill out the FAFSA, but getting an FSA ID before you begin the FAFSA could prevent processing delays, and it only takes a few minutes to apply. You can find out more information and apply for an FSA ID.   

Completing the FAFSA is not the last step; your FAFSA has to be processed, and then you get an  Expected Family Contribution (EFC) , which Cal Poly Pomona uses to figure out how much aid you can get. Find out more about  what happens after you fill out the FAFSA , how to review your Student Aid Report and how to correct any errors.   

The EdD Program begins enrollment with the Summer term, which is considered to be part of the previous academic year.  Financial aid is available for the Summer – but requires completing a separate FAFSA application (for the prior academic year). 

Students applying for admission to the EdD program beginning with Summer 2025 must complete the following two FAFSA applications in order to be considered for financial aid for the first year of the EdD Program: 

  • 2024 – 2025 FAFSA (For Summer 2025) 
  • 2025 – 2026 FAFSA (For Fall 2025 & Spring 2026)