Applying for Financial Aid

Step 1

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the appropriate school year. This application is for students interested in federal, state and institutional funded financial aid (i.e grants, work-study, loans, etc.).

The FAFSA priority filing date is March 2 prior to the initial start of your fall semester at Whittier College. If your student tax return or your parents' tax returns will not be completed by the March 2 deadline, you can provide estimated student and parent income and tax information on the FAFSA to meet the priority funding deadline.

There are three ways to complete the FAFSA

  1. Apply online at the Federal Student Aid website. Applying online is safe and secure and will provide you with online edits to assist you in the completion of your FAFSA. Both you and at least one parent must register for a FSA ID (which gives you access to Federal Student Aid’s online systems and can serve as your legal signature) to sign the FAFSA electronically. Whittier College's federal school code is 001342-00.
  2. You can obtain a paper FAFSA by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at 800.4-FED.AID (1.800.433.3243). If you complete a paper FAFSA, make sure your application is error free, has your signature and the signature of at least one parent, and is received by the federal processor prior to the March 2 priority funding deadline. Whittier College's school code is 001342-00.
  3. You can apply via the new Phone Program designed to help students who do not have access to a computer to complete their FAFSA online.

Step 2

California Residents should complete the Cal Grant GPA Verification Form. We strongly encourage all California residents to complete the GPA Verification Form. Many high schools and colleges will automatically file your GPA Verification Form with the California Student Aid Commission. Please confirm the GPA Verification filing process at your school. If you are required to initiate this process, the GPA Verification Form is available at your high school or can be downloaded from the California Student Aid Commission's website. Your counselor must complete the GPA verification portion of this form before sending it to the California Student Aid Commission. Your GPA Verification Form must be completed and postmarked by March 2 of the school year you are applying for.

Step 3

Continue communication with the Office of Financial Aid. All correspondence is mailed to the permanent address on file, to your Whittier College mail box (current students), and/or your Whittier College e-mail address (current students). Information can also be found through your My.Whittier account. To access anything related to financial aid, please click on My Info.