The Clark Atlanta University Office of Student Financial Aid is committed to assisting students and their family with finding funding sources to help with financing their CAU education.
Whether you are a prospective applicant, returning student, graduate student, or summer school student, the office will provide information about the types of available financial aid, how to apply for aid, how to keep your aid and ways to manage your finances throughout the CAU educational experience.
SCHOOL CODE: 00155900
FINANCIAL AID DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 1ST
Locate Your Financial Aid Award
Financial Aid for Summer 2026
General Documents and Information
Verification Documents and Information
2026-2027 Verification Forms
V1 2026-2027 Standard Verification Worksheet
V4 2026-2027 Identity Verification Worksheet
2025-2026 Verification Forms
V1 2025-2026 Standard Verification Worksheet
V4 2025-2026 Identity Verification Worksheet
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Financial Aid Award Documents & Instructions
Applying for Federal Aid
The U.S. Department of Education awards more than $120 billion a year in grants, work-study funds, and low-interest loans to more than 13 million students. Federal student aid covers such expenses as tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation. Aid also can help pay for other related expenses, such as a computer and dependent care.
Direct Stafford Loans
Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans are federal student loans offered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to help eligible students cover the cost of higher education at a four-year college or university, community college, or trade, career, or technical school.
Depending on the information reported on the FAFSA, these loans are offered directly to the student and can be accepted or declined on the student portal (Ellucian).
Learn more: Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans | Federal Student Aid
PLUS Loans
Parents of undergraduate students and Graduate Professional students can apply for a Direct PLUS loan to pay for tuition, fees, and housing and food (for on-campus students).
This loan is credit based which requires applicants to go through a credit check with the Department of Education in order to determine eligibility.
Learn more: PLUS Loan Application | Federal Student Aid
Pell Grant
Federal Pell Grants usually are awarded only to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need and have not earned a bachelor's, graduate, or professional degree. All of this information is determined by what is reported on the FAFSA.
Learn more: Federal Pell Grants | Federal Student Aid
Federal Work-Study
Federal Work-Study provides part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay education expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to the student’s course of study.
Cohort Default Rate (CDR) Information
The U.S. Department of Education releases official cohort default rates once per year. A cohort default rate (CDR), for schools having 30 or more borrowers entering repayment in a fiscal year, is the percentage of a school’s borrowers who enter repayment on certain William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans (Direct Loans) and Federal Family Education Loans (FFELs) during that fiscal year and default (or meet the other specified condition) before the end of the second fiscal year following the fiscal year that the borrower entered repayment.
The current CDR for Clark Atlanta University can be found here.
Private Loans
Private student loans provided by banks, credit unions, and other lenders can help bridge the gap between the financial aid you have already received for college and the total cost of attendance.
ELM Select is a free and unbiased service that lets you compare private student loans from various lenders for your school and degree.
