Undergraduate Financial Aid
Priority Dates, File Completion Dates, and Deadlines

Home > Financial Aid > Priority Dates, File Completion Dates, and Deadlines

Priority deadlines exist because some aid programs

have limited funds available and are awarded on a first come, first served basis.  However, the Office of

Financial Aid makes every effort to provide funds to students as long as funds are available.

File complete deadlines are critical dates to ensure financial aid is in place before the semester begins.

Deadlines are the last day to submit paperwork to ensure funding.

All applications should be completed at least thirty days prior to registration for the academic award period in which aid is desired. Applications completed after this time cannot be guaranteed to be awarded by registration.

• March 23 is the priority deadline for a student to have his or her financial aid file completed in order to receive maximum consideration for federal or state financial aid for the Fall  and Spring semester of the upcoming year.  If the priority deadline is not met, the student's application will still be processed. However, because some funds are limited, a student may not receive the maximum amount that could be available to students who have completed financial aid files by this date.

• March 23 is the priority deadline for continuing students to complete scholarship applications for anticipated enrollment in Fall.

• March 23 is also the priority deadline for students wishing to be awarded for the Summer award period. To be considered for summer assistance, a DBU Summer Supplemental Application must be submitted by this date.  Most aid requires students to be enrolled at least half-time. To be considered enrolled half-time, the student must register for and attend at least six (6) hours during the summer terms. Because summer is separate from the standard academic year, eligible enrollment must fit into attendance patterns that include at least one-half of the summer. New students beginning with DBU in a summer term must also have a FAFSA compoleted and submitted to DBU.

• April 15 - Spring Awarding

This is the deadline to submit documents to ensure student financial aid files are complete for Spring awarding.  Funding may not be available if documents are submitted after this date.

• June 1 - Fall Registration

This is the deadline to have student financial aid files complete to ensure funds are awarded in time for advanced Fall registration. Classes in the August Mini-Terms may be added to hours in the Fall semester but students must be enrolled in the long Fall semester to receive aid. Aid for these terms will not be paid until after the start of fall semester classes. Students must register for and attend at least six (6) hours in the Fall semester to be considered half-time.

• October 31 - Spring Registration

This is the deadline to have student financial aid files complete to ensure funds are awarded in time for advanced Spring registration. Classes in the December Mini-Term, Short Winter Term, Long Winter Term, and January Mini-Term may be added to hours in the spring semester but the student must be enrolled in the long Spring semester to receive aid. Aid for these terms will not be paid until after the start of spring semester classes. Students must register for and attend at least six (6) hours in the Spring semester to be considered half-time.

• November 15 - Fall Awarding
  This is the last date to submit documents to ensure student financial files are complete for Fall awarding.  Funding may not be available if documents are submitted after this date.

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