Financial Aid

Undergraduate Students

1. Apply for admission to Christopher Newport.

   If you haven’t already been admitted as a student, visit the Office of Admission and get started with the online Common Application.

2. Create an FSA ID.

   The FSA ID is a username and password you’ll need to complete the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

3. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

   All students seeking financial aid must complete the FAFSA. Christopher Newport’s school code is 003706. Be prepared to provide information about you and your family’s income and assets using federal tax returns and other income information. Pay careful attention to the prompts as you go.

   The 2025-26 FAFSA is based on 2023 tax information. The FAFSA requires all contributors to consent to data sharing between the Department of Education and the IRS, so if you and/or your parents filed taxes, your information will be automatically transferred into your FAFSA!

   You and your parent(s) will need to enter their information in the FAFSA under your own login info and provide your own consent.

   You (the student) should start the new FAFSA form and you’ll be prompted to invite your parent or other contributors (if required) to complete their portion as you go along.

   If you need to include contributor information, you’ll need their name, date of birth, Social Security number, and email address.

4. Apply for Scholarships.
   • Merit-based scholarships are predominantly awarded by the Office of Admission as part of the admission process, while others are awarded by academic departments.
   • Christopher Newport has a limited number of need-based scholarships established by private donors or outside agencies. The FAFSA is the application for consideration of need-based scholarships. In order to be considered for need-based scholarships, you must complete a FAFSA by the priority filing deadline.
   • Private Scholarships are an important resource in helping with the cost of higher education. Deadlines and application procedures may vary. While applying for private scholarships can require a lot of research and hard work, the outcome is typically well worth the time invested.
5. Consider Parent PLUS or Private Loans

   If additional funds are needed to meet the cost of attendance, families should consider the Federal Direct Parent PLUS or Private Education Loan programs as additional resources.

What is verification?

Verification is the confirmation through documentation that the information provided on a student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is correct. The federal government requires colleges and universities to verify or confirm the data reported by students and their parent(s) on the FAFSA. The verification process ensures that eligible students receive all the financial aid to which they are entitled and prevents ineligible students from receiving financial aid to which they are not entitled.

How will I know if I am selected for verification?

Prospective Freshman/Transfer Students

You may be selected for verification either by the federal processor or by the Office of Financial Aid. If you are selected for verification by the federal processor, there will be an asterisk next to your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) on your Student Aid Report (SAR). You will also be informed of having been selected for verification in the SAR acknowledgement letter, which will be included with your SAR documents.

In addition to the FAFSA notification, you will be advised by the Office of Financial Aid at Christopher Newport to submit additional documentation. If you are an incoming freshman or new transfer student, you will be sent a verification notification via email to the student email address provided within your FAFSA. The notice will instruct you to log in to your secured financial aid record to view the documentation that you are required to submit.

Returning Students

You may be selected for verification either by the federal processor or by the Office of Financial Aid. If you are selected for verification by the federal processor, there will be an asterisk next to your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) on your Student Aid Report (SAR). You will also be informed of having been selected for verification in the SAR acknowledgement letter, which will be included with your SAR documents.

In addition to the FAFSA notification, you will be advised by the Office of Financial Aid to submit additional documentation. Returning students will be sent a verification notification via email to your CNU student email account. The notice will instruct you to log in to your CNU Live account to view the documentation that you are required to submit.

Why was I selected for Verification?

Verification selection can occur for several different reasons:

• Your FAFSA was selected randomly
• Your FAFSA was incomplete
• You made a change to your current FAFSA
• You completed your FAFSA using an estimate and did not update it after filing taxes

What do I have to submit and where do I send it?

There are various different verification groups, which means the documents you are required to submit may vary based on the information reported in your FAFSA. Some of the standard documents we require are listed below.

Dependent Students

• Student and parent IRS Tax Return Transcript (this is different than a federal 1040 form). If the IRS Data Retrieval Tool is used in the FAFSA, we will not be required to collect a copy of the transcripts.
• Dependent Verification Worksheet from Christopher Newport

Independent Students

• Student (and spouse, if applicable) IRS Tax Return Transcript. If the IRS Data Retrieval Tool is used in the FAFSA, Christopher Newport will not be required to collect a copy of the transcripts.
• Independent Verification Worksheet from Christopher Newport

Verification Resources:

• IRS Tax Return Transcript requests can be completed online at the IRS website.
• Verification Worksheets and other CNU Financial Aid forms can be downloaded from our website.

Please note that additional documentation may be requested at the discretion of our financial aid coordinators. It is your responsibility to check your requirements and submit all documentation to the Office of Financial Aid as soon as possible so that your application can be processed. Award packages will not be offered until the verification process is complete.

You can submit all documents to us via:

Fax: (757) 594-7113

Mail: Christopher Newport University Office of Financial Aid, 1 Avenue of the Arts, Newport News, VA 23606

Email: finaid@cnu.edu

Please make sure your first and last name, and student ID number are written on each page submitted and that all required information is complete with handwritten signatures. Incomplete documents will be held until all required information is received.

What happens once I submit my documents?

Your financial aid reviewer will verify that all of the information that was reported on your FAFSA is accurate. If corrections are required, CNU will submit those corrections to the Department of Education on your behalf.

The verification process cannot be finalized until all required documents/signatures are collected. Once all required documents are received, please allow two to four weeks for processing.

Financial Aid Status Notifications

Prospective Freshmen / Transfer Students

The Office of Financial Aid corresponds with students regarding the status of aid electronically. Email notifications are sent to the student email address that is reported within the student’s FAFSA. The email notification will provide instructions for logging in to a personalized electronic financial aid page.

Students who are selected for verification will not be packaged until all required documents have been submitted and the verification process is complete. Upon receipt of all required documentation, students will be packaged and sent award notifications after being admitted to Christopher Newport. Students should carefully read the terms and conditions and description of each fund before accepting/declining each of their aid package offers.

Returning Students

The Office of Financial Aid corresponds with students regarding the status of aid electronically. Email notifications are sent to the CNU student email address whenever a financial aid status change is made to a student’s CNU Live account. Email notifications direct students to log-in to their CNU Live account to review required documents and/or review their aid package.

Students who are selected for verification will not be packaged until all required documents have been submitted and the verification process is complete. Upon receipt of all required documentation, students will begin receiving aid packages in March. Students should carefully read the terms and conditions and description of each fund before accepting/declining each of their aid package offers.

Disbursement of Aid

The Office of Financial Aid will begin disbursing aid to the student billing account after the close of the add/drop date of each semester as long as all disbursement requirements are met. Students must ensure that all required documentation is complete (i.e., Direct Loan Entrance Counseling, Master Promissory Note) and that all funds have been either accepted or declined.

Students should monitor their CNU Live account for status updates and monitor CNU email accounts for notifications related to status updates.

Students (and parents for PLUS loans) have 14 days from the date of disbursement to request a cancellation/adjustment to federal student loans. Requests for adjustments/cancellations must be made in writing by completing the Loan Change Request Form located on our forms page.

Student refunds are processed through the Office of Student Accounts within 14 days of the student receiving a credit balance on the student billing account. All students must select a method of refund even if you do not anticipate having a credit balance or receiving a refund.