It is important for students to take action on all types of financial aid as early as possible in order to maximize their consideration for funding. Below is a list of all dates and deadlines that apply to the financial aid process.
| Academic Year Dates and Deadlines | 2024-25 | 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| FAFSA available for coming aid year. Complete the FAFSA as early as possible for maximum consideration. | December 2023 | December 1, 2024 |
| DigiPen Scholarship Applications open for next academic year. | December 1, 2023 | October 1, 2024 |
| Priority FAFSA receipt deadline. FAFSA must be received by the Financial Aid Office for maximum consideration. Students may still complete a FAFSA after this date and be considered for aid, however, their aid maybe delayed. | February 1, 2024 | February 1, 2025 |
| Priority consideration date for incoming student DigiPen scholarships. Students are strongly encouraged to submit DigiPen Admissions application and scholarship applications by this date for maximum consideration. | February 1, 2024 | February 1, 2025 |
| Priority deadline for new, incoming students to submit additional information, verification materials, and any other forms the Financial Aid Office has requested. | March 15, 2024 | March 15, 2025 |
| Final deadline for DigiPen scholarships each calendar year. Scholarship applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis, so students are encouraged to apply early. | April 1, 2024 | April 1, 2025 |
| Priority deadline for returning students to submit additional information, verification materials (if selected), and any other forms the Office of Financial Aid has requested for students attending fall/spring semester. | July 1, 2024 | July 1, 2025 |
| Priority deadline for all students to complete loan application processes for most loans (Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized, PLUS, Grad PLUS, and Alternative loans) for fall semester. | July 1, 2024 | July 1, 2025 |
| Fall semester SAP appeals due. | August 15, 2024 | August 15, 2025 |
| Fall semester starts. | September 3, 2024 | September 2, 2025 |
| Fall undergraduate and graduate census date. | September 17, 2024 | September 15, 2025 |
| Final deadline to submit loan applications (Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized, PLUS, Grad PLUS, and Alternative loans) and/or changes for fall semester. Applications and/or changes submitted after this date may not be processed. | December 1, 2024 | December 1, 2025 |
| Priority deadline for completing loan application processes (Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized, PLUS, Grad PLUS, and Alternative loans) for spring semester. | December 1, 2024 | December 1, 2025 |
| Final deadline to submit verification documents for students who will no longer be enrolled after the fall semester. Verification documents received after this date may not be processed. | December 1, 2024 | December 1, 2025 |
| Spring semester SAP appeals due. | December 15, 2024 | December 15, 2025 |
| Spring semester starts. | January 6, 2025 | January 5, 2026 |
| Spring undergraduate and graduate census date. | January 20, 2025 | January 19, 2026 |
| Final deadline to submit loan applications (Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized, PLUS, Grad PLUS, and Alternative loans) and/or changes for spring semester. Applications and/or changes submitted after this date may not be processed. | April 1, 2025 | April 1, 2026 |
| Final deadline to submit verification documents for this academic year. Verification documents received after this date may not be processed. | April 1, 2025 | April 1, 2026 |
| Summer Dates and Deadlines | 2024-25 | 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| FAFSA available for summer. Complete the FAFSA as early as possible for maximum aid consideration. | December 2023 | December 1, 2024 |
| Priority FAFSA receipt deadline. FAFSA must be received by the Office of Financial Aid for maximum consideration. You may still complete a FAFSA after this date and be considered for aid, however, your aid maybe delayed. | February 1, 2025 | February 1, 2026 |
| Priority deadline for completing loan application processes (Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized, PLUS, Grad PLUS, and Alternative loans) for summer semester. | April 1, 2025 | April 1, 2026 |
| Priority deadline for submitting additional information, verification materials (if selected) and any other forms the Office of Financial Aid has requested for students attending summer classes. | April 1, 2025 | April 1, 2026 |
| Summer semester SAP appeals due. | May 1, 2025 | May 1, 2026 |
| First day of summer semester. | May 5, 2025 | May 11, 2026 |
| Summer undergraduate and graduate census date. | May 19, 2025 | May 25, 2026 |
| Deadline to receive completed verification documents or process loans for summer semester. | July 1, 2025 | July 1, 2026 |
Tips
We recommend students submit their FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1 — at least three months prior to when they expect to start school. Students can begin the process at any time; however, financial aid will not be awarded until a student is accepted into DigiPen.
To estimate financial aid before beginning the full process, students can use DigiPen’s Net Price Calculator or the Department of Education’s Student Aid Estimator.
The Office of Financial Aid can assist with the FAFSA at any point in the process. Students can contact a DigiPen financial aid administrator if they are unsure of next steps, have unique circumstances, or if circumstances have changed since completing the FAFSA. We will be happy to answer any questions.