Application Process and Deadlines

Admissions Office Merit Scholarships

Merit-based Admissions scholarships are available for incoming freshman and transfer students who apply for fall admission.  Recipients are selected based on a comprehensive review of academic records without considering financial need. To apply for these scholarships, just submit a complete application for Fall Admission including transcripts by the November 15 Early Action deadline for freshman applicants and the March 1 Early Action deadline for transfer applicants. (No additional scholarship application required.) Freshman recipients will be notified in early March and Transfer recipients will be notified in April.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Students must complete the FAFSA to apply for federal student and parent loans, most need-based grant programs, Federal Work-study funds and some scholarship programs.

  • Apply online every year.
  • Towson University’s FAFSA Code is 002099.

TU Priority Deadlines for 2024-2025

  • The online FAFSA opens every year on October 1.
  • For Priority Consideration for need-based grants from TU, during most aid years, students must submit your FAFSA by the following deadlines:  February 1 for current TU students and Freshman applicants and March 1 for Transfer applicants.  For 2024-2025 aid year, because of federal delays, we extended the deadline to April 15 for all students.
  • Several days later, return to the FAFSA web site, review the accuracy of your data and all comments, and make sure that your Student Aid Index (SAI) value is not blank.

Late FAFSA Applications:

If you miss these priority deadlines, submit your FAFSA as soon as possible after the deadline.  Late applicants can still apply for federal grants and loans, and may be able to receive other programs if funds are still available.

Admissions and the FAFSA

  • Submit your FAFSA by the deadlines listed above. You should not wait for your admissions decision.
  • Aid applications have no influence on students’ selections for admission.

State Aid Programs

Legal residents of the state of Maryland can apply for Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) aid programs. They offer grants and scholarships based on financial need or merit, or a combination of both. Many of these aid programs only require the FAFSA, but some require additional application steps. MHEC normally has a March 1 FAFSA deadline, but they extended it for the 2024-2025 aid year. For more details, see State Aid.

Explore Towson University's Departmental Scholarships

For more information visit Towson University's Departmental Scholarships web page.

TU Scholarship Seeker

For information on scholarships from other university departments and the state of Maryland, visit the Scholarship Seeker.

Private Scholarships

A wide variety of private organizations offer scholarships including businesses, foundations and civic organizations. Visit Private Scholarships.

Transfer Applicants

Institutionally based financial aid will not transfer from a prior school to TU, and other aid offers may change.

  • Students who receive aid from MHEC must visit the MHEC website to reassign their awards to TU.
  • Students who transfer in spring or summer must visit the FAFSA website and make corrections to add TU’s School Code (002099) to their current FAFSA.