We’ve outlined the steps for applying for financial aid here. But if you have any questions, we’re always here to help!

Step 1: Complete the FAFSA

Completing the FAFSA is your first step in applying for financial aid.

UNC Asheville’s Federal School Code is 002907. To be eligible for financial aid, you must:

  • Fill out the FAFSA
  • Be enrolled as a degree-seeking student in an eligible degree program
  • Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
  • Have a Social Security Number
  • Make satisfactory academic progress as outlined in the Financial Aid Handbook
  • Register with the Selective Service, if required

To apply for most types of financial aid, you must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online using UNC Asheville’s School Code 002907. Here at UNC Asheville, the FAFSA is the only application you need to fill out to be eligible for financial aid.

Any student who intends to apply for or renew their financial aid for the 2024-2025 academic year must complete the FAFSA at fafsa.gov. Please submit your FAFSA as soon as possible; the priority filing date is March 1. Some aid may require an additional or separate application.

For questions about the FAFSA (or to request a paper FAFSA), please call the U.S. Department of Education at 1.800.433.3243. If you have a hearing disability, you can call the TDD number at 1.800.730.8913.

Never pay to have the FAFSA filled out for you! For help in filling out the FAFSA, you can receive toll-free help by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1.800.4.FED.AID, or contact one of our Financial Aid Counselors.

  • The FAFSA may be filed on the web at no cost. This is UNC Asheville’s preferred FAFSA and renewal process. The advantages to filing your FAFSA on the Web include a faster processing time and interactive editing of your answers to lessen the chance of your application being rejected.
  • If you filed in the previous academic year and provided a valid email address, a renewal reminder will be sent to you there from the Federal Processor. If you did not provide a currently valid email address you will receive a reminder via regular mail at the permanent address provided on that application. This will remind you to either file your FAFSA on the web or complete the paper version of the FAFSA and return it to the US Department of Education.
  • October 1 is the first day that you can complete your FAFSA application via the web using your FSA ID (and parent’s FSA ID if you are considered to be a dependent student for financial aid purposes) or by requesting a paper application by calling 1.800.4FED.AID. Once you have completed a paper application, mail it to the federal processor in the envelope attached to the form. Do not mail the application before October 1, and do not mail it to UNC Asheville.
  • If you did not file a FAFSA in the previous academic year or are not sure of your current filing status you may file a FAFSA online or by submitting a paper application.
  • If you filed a FAFSA on the Web last year and your grade level status was senior or graduate student, you will not receive communication from the Federal processor. You will need to complete a FAFSA on the Web or file a new paper application.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid Division recently overhauled the security processes for students and parents, replacing the Federal Student Aid PIN with the FSA ID. FSA ID requires you to create a username and a password which you will use to access Federal Student Aid websites. We strongly encourage you to set up a FSA ID ASAP. You do not need to make any changes to your FAFSA to complete setting up a FSA ID.

  • The SAR lists all the information you provided on the FAFSA. If you do not receive a SAR, call the federal processor at 1.800.433.3243.
  • Once you receive the SAR, review all the information to make sure your application has been processed and that all information is accurate and complete.
  • If your SAR contains comments you do not understand, contact our office for help.
  • If you have corrections the fastest way to make them is by submitting them yourself on the FAFSA website or write the corrections on the SAR, complete the required signatures and send it to the Federal Processors at Federal Student Aid Programs, PO Box 7020, Lawrence, KS 66044-7020. If submitting the corrections by the two previous means is unsuccessful, you can submit your SAR with the appropriate signatures to the Office of Financial Aid and we will submit the corrections electronically. If you have difficulty while processing your corrections, you may contact the Federal Processor at 1.800.433.3243.
  • Check the Information Release section of your SAR to be sure UNC Asheville (School ID Number 002907) is listed as a school to receive your information. If UNC Asheville does not receive your information, we will not know that you want aid. We receive an electronic record of your SAR automatically if you listed UNC Asheville on the FAFSA.
  • To receive your information or add UNC Asheville as a recipient of your information, contact the Department of Education at 1.800.433.3243. You will need to know the DRN (Data Release Number) located on the front of your SAR to do so.

In some instances, the Office of Admissions & Financial Aid can consider special circumstances (such as job loss) that are not reflected by information provided on the FAFSA. Contact the Office of Admissions & Financial Aid for the appropriate forms. You will be required to submit supporting documentation before your situation is reviewed.

Step 2: Verification (if needed)

Verification is the process used to check the accuracy of the information provided by the student applicant and family when applying for Federal Student Aid. When verification is required for an application, that application is said to have been “selected” for verification.

Not all financial aid recipients will be selected for verification, but if your application is selected for verification it is important to provide the required documents to complete the process.

Learn how to complete the verification process

Step 3: Agree to Terms & Conditions

After you have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Office of Admissions & Financial Aid has all other required documentation (e.g. Verification, if required), your financial aid will be awarded. When awarded, students must agree to a set of terms and conditions that govern their financial aid. These terms and conditions are based on federal, state, and institutional policies and apply to all students who receive aid while attending UNC Asheville.

View all terms and conditions

Step 4: Accept Your Financial Award

Once your financial aid application has been processed we will send an award notification to your UNC Asheville email account. If you have been admitted to UNC Asheville but have not yet enrolled, you will have received instructions on how to set up your UNC Asheville email account in your acceptance packet. You must first read and accept Terms & Conditions before you can access your awards.

Read the award notification carefully for instructions on accepting/declining awards, for information on forms you may need to submit to the Office of Admissions & Financial Aid, and for information on any online processes you may need to complete.

If you received an e-mail from our office indicating that you have missing requirements:

  • Log into OnePort
  • Select Financial Aid and Payments
  • Select the Financial Aid box
  • Select Financial Aid Status

The Financial Aid Status page will alert you to important information as well as inform you if you have any missing requirements as well as what they are so that you may begin the process of satisfying them.

After you have received the email notifying you that your award package has been processed, you can view it through the UNC Asheville OnePort. See the instructions for navigating OnePort and finding your award. OnePort is under active development, so these instructions may be updated periodically to reflect those changes.

When you receive your award notification you should do the following:

  • Make sure that your award lists all of your aid or funding sources. The award should include outside loans, institutional scholarships, outside scholarships, tuition waivers, merit awards, or fellowships, etc. If your award does not list all of your aid or funding, you must notify us in writing immediately, since your award may need to be revised.
  • For specific information about each fund awarded, visit our Types of Financial Aid section on this website.
  • Make sure that you were awarded for the correct semesters (Fall/Spring). If you are attending only one semester, your award should be based only on that semester. Notify the Office of Financial Aid immediately if you need to report enrollment changes. You will then receive revised award information via your OnePort account.

Additional Resources

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP)

NC Residency Determination Service

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