Apply for Aid

You can apply for financial aid while you're applying for admission to the seminary, but your aid eligibility won't be determined until you're accepted into a program. Applying for aid is a process you’ll go through each year you’re a student here.

1. Complete your FAFSA.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is used to determine eligibility for government education loans. Here's what you should do:

The FAFSA for the 2024-2025 academic year became available in late December 2023 and requires information from your 2022 Federal Income Tax Return. The FAFSA for the 2025-2026 academic year should be available in early December 2024 and requires information from your 2023 Federal Income Tax Return.

If you have never completed a FAFSA before, you will be required to create an FSA ID. Students are required to use an FSA ID, made up of a username and password, to access certain U.S. Department of Education websites. Your FSA ID is used to confirm your identity when accessing your financial aid information and electronically signing your federal student aid documents. Please create your FSA ID before you start the FAFSA.

Once you have an FSA ID, you can complete and submit your FAFSA. Please make sure to select the correct school year for your application:

2024-2025 School Year: August 26, 2024 to August 15, 2025

2025-2026 School Year: August 25, 2025 to August 14, 2026

When completing your FAFSA, you will need to provide consent for IRS Direct Data Exchange. To use IRS Direct Data Exchange, click on the "LINK TO IRS" button in the student financial information section. Be sure to include Bethel University (code #002338) on the list of schools to receive your FAFSA information.

If you want to be considered for Direct Federal Loans, you will need to complete the FAFSA. Opting not to complete the FAFSA means you will not be considered for Direct Federal Loans such as Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Direct Graduate PLUS Loans. Please tell us if you choose to opt out of completing a FAFSA.

2. Review your financial aid offer.

We start mailing out financial aid offers in April for the coming fall. You should receive your offer within 2-3 weeks of submitting all required application materials. You can also access your financial aid offer through the Financial Aid Requirements channel in MyBethel. Click Financial Aid Offer and select the appropriate academic year from the dropdown list.