Financial Aid FAQs

The Office of Student Financial Aid administers federal, state and university need-based aid. Types of assistance include grants, scholarships, loans and employment.

We encourage you to complete your Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) online at www.studentaid.gov. Our financial aid priority deadline is March 1st. The school code for Clark Atlanta University is 00155900.

We strongly encourage students and parents to use Banner Web and complete the application process by our advertised deadlines:

March 1 for the fall term and October 1 for the spring term.

Our goal is to have aid applications completed and funds applied to the student’s account by the beginning of the term for all students meeting our application deadlines. Summer and the beginning of the term are peak processing times for our office staff. Filing your financial aid application by the priority deadline will prevent any unnecessary delays.

Simply access your Panther Portal with your user ID and PIN and, with ease, you can experience our virtual office without being in the office.

Your user ID and PIN were included in your admissions packet. If you failed to receive them, please contact the Office of Admissions. You will need them to access your financial aid file online.

Your Financial Aid must be accessed via Panther Portal. You can accept, decline, or reduce any part of the offer through the portal. If you need additional assistance you can send an email to your assigned Financial Aid Advisor.

If your award included a Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, and you have made the decision to accept. The next step is to complete the Master Promissory Note and Loan Entrance Counseling (if a first time borrower at CAU). Both processes can be completed on www.studentaid.gov.

If your award includes a PLUS Loan (parent loan); your parent will need to apply for the loan using our online process. Please note that the PLUS Loan is based upon the borrower’s credit history.

The amount shown on the offer of Financial Aid on Panther Portal indicates only the amount of eligibility. It is no guarantee of funds. The parent borrower will undergo a credit check and final approval rests with the lender.

Institutional Scholarships include merit-based scholarships and gap funding. Institutional scholarships and discounts require a completed FAFSA, full-time enrollment and satisfactory academic progress.

Our Student Expense Budget includes both direct and indirect costs. Direct costs are those charges paid to the University such as tuition, fees, room and board (if living on campus), and books (if purchased from the University bookstore).

Indirect costs are those charges you may incur for travel or transportation, room and board (if living off campus) or miscellaneous expenses included in the Student Expense Budget.

Please understand that all financial aid will be applied to direct costs first to reduce/eliminate a student’s indebtedness to the University. Refunds will be generated to students only after a student’s indebtedness to the University has been satisfied.

Yes, all students must sign a new Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) in order for loans to be disbursed to the school.

You must complete the FAFSA online at www.studentaid.gov before you can apply for any student loans. Once you receive an offer and accept, complete the Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Loan Entrance Counseling online at www.studentaid.gov.

To determine how much you owe the University, subtract your direct cost from certain financial aid offered (all financial aid offered cannot be included). A PLUS Loan cannot be included unless the parent borrower has applied for the loan and it has been approved by the lender.

College Work-Study cannot be included because the funds must be earned after job placement. The University has no control over the student’s potential earnings.

Outside scholarships will be treated as a resource until the funds are received by the University. If you are a recipient of an outside scholarship, we encourage you to have the donor remit the funds to the University as soon as possible. You are liable to the University should any outside funds not be received by the University.

The University has made arrangements with several private agencies to offer alternative funding options to our students ranging from monthly payment plans to low-cost private loans with affordable interest rates. Private loans accepted at CAU can be found on www.elmselect.com.

We encourage you to explore these options several weeks in advance of the beginning of the term should you find yourself in need of additional funding options. Because these are private sources, you need to allow ample time for processing.

Clark Atlanta University’s Work Study program establishes a system of student employment that provides financial assistance to students to help cover educational cost and offer academic and career development opportunities. The employment of students will involve supplementary activities. Eligible students must be enrolled part time for the fall/spring semester taking six (6) minimum credit hours a semester (three (3) for graduate students). All students are eligible to work up to 15 hours per week.

Students with all charges paid and enough financial aid posted to cover the cost to attend will be automatically enrolled. You may verify your financial enrollment via Panther Portal.