Returning students: find the instructions and forms you need here

Financial aid deadlines for new students

Please be sure that we receive your full financial aid application, including the appropriate COA financial aid verification form and all accompanying paperwork, by the dates below:

  • Early Decision I: Nov 15 (use the 2023-2024 FAFSA for 2024)
  • Early Action: Jan 3 (for 2024 only)
  • Early Decision II: Jan 15
  • Regular Decision: Feb 1
  • Transfer Admission: March 15

How to apply for need-based financial aid

Domestic (U.S.) applicants

Step 1: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). ​COA school code: 011385

Step 2: The financial aid office will contact you if any additional documentation such as W2’s or Federal Tax Returns are needed. (If your parent’s are divorced or separated please see below under additional documents)

 Additional documents 

The non-custodial parent finances are required if your parent’s are divorced or separated. The non-custodial parent is the parent who the student does not live with or the parent that is not the primary source of financial support. 

Non-custodial Parent Finances

International applicants

Step 1: Download our International Students Financial Aid Information and Forms Packet. The packet includes directions, the College of the Atlantic Certification of Finances, and the College of the Atlantic Financial Aid Application for International Students. The directions indicate which forms and paperwork you will need to submit, and when you need to submit them. 

Step 2:  Complete and submit the College of the Atlantic Financial Aid Application for International Students along with corroborating documents such as bank statements, tax returns, or pay stubs. All documents and statements MUST be translated to English and calculated in US Dollars.

Step 3: If admitted, all international students, regardless of whether you are applying for aid, must submit the College of the Atlantic Certification of Finances form, found in the Financial Aid Information and Forms Packet. 

What is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and what information you will need to complete it?

What it is:

To apply for federal student aid, such as federal grants, work-study, and loans, you need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Completing and submitting the FAFSA is free. ​COA school code: 011385

College of the Atlantic uses your FAFSA information, along with other information, to determine your eligibility for need-based institutional aid. You and your parent(s) or guardian(s) will need to update this application prior to each year you are enrolled in college (completed in the winter for fall enrollment). 

What you will need:

  • Your, and your parents’, Social Security Number
  • Your Alien Registration Number (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
  • Your, and your parents’, federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned. (Note: You may be able to transfer your federal tax return information into your FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.)
  • Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
  • Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
  • An FSA ID to sign electronically.