Financial Aid: How To Apply

CIM's application process is online and does NOT involve a separate CIM financial aid application - in submitting the online application for admission to CIM via DecisionDesk, you have done all you need to begin the financial aid process. You should plan to adhere to all due dates included in the Applicant Financial Aid Timeline. In addition to the documents required for admission, you will be asked to complete the following for financial aid if you seek ANY financial assistance:

• FAFSA - All U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is required for all applicants applying for any financial aid consideration, even those seeking only scholarship. At CIM, for all Institutional CIM Scholarship consideration, we take into account both merit and financial need.* For returning students, the FAFSA is not required for subsequent years if the student only wishes to renew CIM Scholarship and no federal aid is desired (work study, grants, and/or loans). It is required annually for any federal student aid, as eligibility for those programs is year-specific.
  
  The FAFSA is submitted online at www.fafsa.gov with CIM school code 003031. Note, there are several scam websites with similar names that will charge you a fee to complete your FAFSA - NEVER PAY TO HAVE YOUR FAFSA FILED! Only use the federal site listed above.
  
  After it has been processed, the student will receive FAFSA results via the Student Aid Report (SAR). It is very important to promptly review the SAR, especially the comments section, for accuracy.
  
  DUE DATE:
  
  • For applicants seeking admission to begin enrollment midyear, in the Spring 2013 semester, the 2012-13 FAFSA is due 11/1/12.
  • For applicants seeking admission to begin enrollment in the Fall 2013 semester, the 2013-14 FAFSA is due 2/15/13, and cannot be submitted prior to 1/1/13.
    
    
• CSS Profile - All applicants for all programs seeking any CIM Institutional aid* must also complete the CSS PROFILE online at https://profileonline.collegeboard.com. Again, this applies to all categories of students: both undergraduate/graduate and any country of citizenship (U.S. citizens/Permanent Residents/International applicants). You will not be considered for ANY scholarship award if this is not submitted.
  
  CIM's PROFILE code is 1124. For more details about the Profile and the filing fee ($25 for first report, $16 for each subsequent one), please see the CSS Financial Aid PROFILE Student Guide. International students please note that you will submit all financial data in your home currency and the PROFILE will do the conversion to U.S. dollars.
  
  The 2013-14 CSS PROFILE is due by 2/15/13, however we do request you not submit it prior to 1/1/13, so you will have your year-end 2012 income data and the report will be more accurate.
  
  Once the PROFILE is submitted, you cannot make corrections online. If you discover an error, please print a copy of your receipt copy, hand write any corrections in the appropriate places and fax that copy to the CIM Financial Aid Office at 216-707-4519.
  For returning students, the PROFILE is not required for subsequent years of study in the same program.
  
  DUE DATE:
  
  • For applicants seeking admission to begin enrollment midyear, in the Spring 2013 semester, the 2012-13 PROFILE is due 11/1/12.
  • For applicants seeking admission to begin enrollment in the Fall 2013 semester, the 2013-14 PROFILE is due 2/15/13, please do not submit prior to 1/1/13 unless required to do so to meet another school's deadline.
    
    

  * Please note, although we review each student's need and merit combined when awarding scholarship, it does NOT mean if you have no financial need that you will not receive a scholarship offer. It simply means we take all factors into account for each award. If you choose not to submit the FAFSA and/or PROFILE as requested, please understand you will not be considered for any scholarship from CIM. We do not offer any scholarships based solely on merit. Only CIM staff on the Financial Aid Committee have any access to information submitted on a FAFSA or PROFILE; faculty are not privy to this information; all such information is retained securely in electronic format and/or locked traditional files, to assure proper confidentiality.

For both the FAFSA and/or the CSS PROFILE, you do NOT need to have your 2012 tax return completed; you may estimate the AGI and tax paid figures to meet the 2/15/13 deadline. All schools you select on the FAFSA and PROFILE will be sent your processed results electronically. However, you are required to update your FASFA when the tax return has been finalized and any aid offered prior to that FAFSA correction is subject to change. No federal student aid may be disbursed to the student billing account after classes begin until final 2012 tax return data is updated to the FAFSA and a copy of actual tax return(s) is submitted to CIM via either the FAFSA IRS Data Retrieval Tool or an official IRS Tax Return Transcript (personal photocopies of returns are not accepted for this final documentation purpose).

Depending on the individual student, there may be additional items needed to complete the aid file (transfer clearance release, I-20 documentation, etc.). All applicants will receive a student-specific e-mail from the CIM Financial Aid Office in late December or early January detailing what you will need to submit, but nothing is due prior to 2/15/13 for the financial aid aspect of your 2013-14 CIM application.

Both Admission and Financial aid information should be provided to you by April 1. You will have until May 1 (April 15 for graduate students) to make your decision to attend CIM or elsewhere. Your requirements to confirm your intent to enroll will be detailed for you at that time. CIM prepares aid offers only for admitted students with complete applications.

Non Custodial Parent - CIM does not require a separate form to document support by non-custodial parents, but any known information and expected support must be reported on the applicable questions on the student's CSS PROFILE.

Helpful Downloads

• Financial Aid Timeline: List of the key dates for the financial aid application process.