Financial Aid Processing Timeline

Step 1: Submit Your FAFSA

The first step to applying for any type of federal financial aid is completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at studentaid.gov. The FAFSA is free to complete and is the gateway to federal grants, loans, and work-study eligibility. It is also used by The Colleges of Law to determine your eligibility for institutional aid.

A few things to keep in mind when completing your FAFSA:

• Use The Colleges of Law’s federal school code: 042501. This ensures your FAFSA information is sent directly to our financial aid office. Without it, we won’t receive your application.
• Complete it as early as possible. The FAFSA for each academic year becomes available on October 1st of the prior year. Earlier submission means earlier processing and a better chance of maximizing your aid.
• We recommend completing the FAFSA at the time of your application and no later than 90 days prior to the beginning of the relevant semester
• Use the IRS Data Link if available. Linking your tax information directly reduces errors and speeds up processing.
• List all schools you’re considering. You can add up to 20 schools to your FAFSA — adding The Colleges of Law early ensures we receive your information as soon as it is processed.

After you submit, the U.S. Department of Education typically takes 3–5 business days to process your application and transmit the information to The Colleges of Law.

Before Financial Aid Processing Can Be Completed

Submitting the FAFSA is an important first step, but it does not complete the financial aid process with The Colleges of Law. To complete financial aid processing and prepare your aid offer, you must first apply to The Colleges of Law, be accepted, and submit any required deposit.

Your school-issued email account is created after your deposit is submitted. Until your The Colleges of Law email account is active, please continue to monitor the personal email address used in your admissions application for important admissions and financial aid communications.

Step 2: FAFSA Processing & Initial Review

Once The Colleges of Law receives your FAFSA data, our financial aid office will begin an initial review. During this stage we confirm your enrollment status, program eligibility, and whether any additional information is needed before we can complete processing.

You will receive an email notification via your school email if any action is required on your part. Please make sure your contact information, including your personal email address, is current in the Student Gateway and with the U.S. Department of Education so you don’t miss any communications. All Financial Aid communications from The Colleges of Law will be sent to your school email. So, make sure you frequently log in to check that inbox.

Note: OBBBA Processing Delays: Students who submitted their 2026–2027 FAFSA on or after April 26, 2026 may experience delays due to system updates required under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Visit our Federal Legislation Updates page for current information.

Step 3: Verification (If Selected)

In some cases, the U.S. Department of Education or The Colleges of Law will require you to complete a process called verification before your federal aid can be finalized. Verification is a federally mandated process in which we confirm that the information on your FAFSA is accurate. Being selected for verification is not unusual. It does not mean anything is wrong with your application.

If you are selected, you will receive an email from our financial aid office outlining exactly what is needed. Required documentation varies by situation but may include:

• Completed verification worksheet(s)
• Federal tax transcripts or IRS Data Retrieval Tool confirmation
• W-2 forms or other income documentation
• Proof of identity or citizenship documentation
• Household size or financial documentation
• Any additional forms specific toThe Colleges of Law

Federal aid processing cannot be completed until all required verification documents have been received and reviewed. Please submit any requested documentation as quickly as possible. Every day of delay is a day that processing cannot move forward. Once verification is complete, processing will resume automatically.

If you have questions about what is being requested or how to obtain a specific document, contact our financial aid office. We would rather help you get it right the first time than have your application sit incomplete.

Step 4: Receive Your Financial Aid Notification

Once all required information has been received, reviewed, and processed, The Colleges of Law will send you a Financial Aid Notification (FAN) via email to your school email.  

Your notification will include:

• Your estimated Cost of Attendance for the academic year
• The types of aid you are eligible to receive
• The amount of each type of aid
• The terms or payment periods in which each type of aid will be available
• Any conditions or steps required to receive each type of aid

Your notification is based on full-time enrollment in your program (or part-time, if you are enrolled in a part-time program). If your enrollment status is different from what the notification assumes, or if it changes after you receive your notification, you must contact our financial aid office as soon as possible. Enrollment changes can affect your aid eligibility, the types of aid available to you, and the amounts you receive.

Step 5: Review Your Aid & Take Action

Receiving your notification is not the end of the process. It is the beginning of the next phase. You will need to review your aid package carefully and decide what you want to accept, what you want to decline, and what additional steps are required before funds can be disbursed. Log in to the Student Gateway to review and accept your award.

Here’s what to keep in mind as you review:

• You are not required to accept everything offered. Review each component, especially loans, and accept only what you need. Borrowing less now means less to repay later.
• Most types of aid require additional acceptance steps. Federal loans, for example, require you to complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Entrance Counseling at studentaid.gov before funds can be disbursed.
• Institutional scholarships and grants do not require additional steps. If awarded, these will be applied to your account automatically.
• Your acceptance deadline matters. Aid that is not accepted by the deadline indicated in your notification may not be available to you for that term.

Step 6: Aid is Applied to Your Account

Once all required steps are complete and your enrollment is verified, federal loan funds are transmitted to the School via Electronic Fund Transfer and applied to your student account. Tuition, fees, and institutional charges are deducted. Any remaining funds are issued to you within 14 calendar days of the credit appearing on your account.

Step 5: Stay on Track

To continue receiving aid each year, you must:

• Complete a new FAFSA each academic year
• Review and accept a new Financial Aid Notification each year
• Continue to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements
• Remain enrolled in an eligible degree program on at least a half-time basis
• Notify the Financial Aid Office of any enrollment changes immediately

Typical Processing Timeline at a Glance

These are general estimates. Your individual timeline may vary based on when your FAFSA was submitted, whether verification is required, and how quickly requested documentation is provided.

What Can Delay Your Financial Aid?

We want to be transparent about the most common causes of processing delays so you can avoid them:

• Not including The Colleges of Law’s federal school code on your FAFSA. We cannot receive your information without it.
• Submitting your FAFSA late. The earlier you submit, the earlier processing can begin.
• Not responding to verification requests promptly. Processing is paused until all required documents are received.
• Errors on your FAFSA. Mistakes in income figures, household size, or dependency status can trigger additional review. Use the IRS Data Link to reduce errors.
• Missing your aid acceptance deadline. Unaccepted aid may not carry over.
• Not completing the MPN or Entrance Counseling. For first-time federal loan borrowers, these are required before any loan funds can be disbursed.

If you are concerned about a delay, contact our financial aid office. We can check the status of your application and tell you exactly what is needed to move things forward.

Not Sure What Your Next Step Is?

If you’ve received your Financial Aid Notification and you are not sure what to do next, start with the Processing Timeline. It gives you a clear picture of where you are in the process and what comes next. If you have a specific question about your package or your situation, our financial aid team is always available to help.