Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ

Apply for financial assistance

US Citizens and Eligible Non-US Citizens should perform the following steps to apply for financial assistance:

 

Step #1 - Create an FSA ID
The student and contributor(s) (student, the student’s spouse, a biological or adopted parent, or the parent’s spouse) must .

Step #2 - Complete the FAFSA

Complete the

Step #3 - Watch your email

Monitor your email for communications from the Department of Education and/or the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Financial Aid Office in case additional information is required.

Step #4 - View my award

Students are able to access their financial aid award through . Use the FA Award Letter form to view your award.

International and Non-US Citizens living in the US should perform the following steps to apply for financial assistance:

 

Step #1 - Submit certified financial information

  • Certified financials (bank statements, tax returns, parent employer verification) supplied during the admissions process will be used to determine financial aid eligibility.
  • Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ does not require students to complete the CSS or ISFAA applications.
    • NOTE: If a student does complete the CSS or ISFAA application(s), they will be responsible for all costs associated with that/those process(es). Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ does not offer fee waivers for these submissions. 

Step #2 - Watch your email

Monitor your email for communications from the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Financial Aid Office in case additional information is required.

Step #3 - View my award

Students are able to access their financial aid award through . 

View my aid award

Students are able to access their financial aid award through . 

Use the Financial Aid Award Letter form to view your award. 

You will receive an e-mail from the Financial Aid Office when your initial award is complete and for each revision made during the year.

Financial aid award notifications should be sent within two weeks after your file is complete.

If you do not receive your award at that time, we may be missing forms needed to complete your award. Please review and submit the missing documents on prior to contacting the Financial Aid Office. Awards will be completed through the summer as required forms are received.

Frequently Asked Questions about the FAFSA

The you fill out to qualify for federal financial aid. Many states and colleges also use the FAFSA to grant state and institutional financial aid.

After you submit the FAFSA, the government will look at your information and use it to calculate your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Your EFC is how much you and your family are expected to pay for your education. Once your EFC is determined, it is up to your college to put together your financial aid package. Your college’s financial aid office determines need-based aid by subtracting your EFC from its total cost of attendance. 

  • Need-based aid could be in the form of federal grants, direct subsidized loans, or work-study opportunities. Note that colleges do not necessarily meet your full financial need.
  • Non-need-based aid, depending on how much other aid you have already received based on the FAFSA. Loans that are non-need-based aid include direct unsubsidized loans and federal PLUS loans.

The sooner you fill out the FAFSA, the better. The application is free, and it is not just a way to determine how much federal student aid you will receive. State governments, and some colleges and universities use information from the FAFSA to determine what state and institutional aid you qualify for. But state agencies and individual schools also have different deadlines to qualify for aid -- so keep track of all the deadlines and get a head start. 

When the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Financial Aid Office receives your FAFSA information, we will customize a financial aid package based on your eligibility and needs. We encourage you to submit the FAFSA as soon as possible starting October 1, but no later than the June 1.

Yes, there are three (3) ways to make corrections or updates to the FAFSA after it has been submitted:

  • Log into your account at and submit your new information.
  • Write in the corrections on your Student Aid Report (SAR), sign it and mail it to the provided address.
  • Call the financial aid office and ask us to can make the changes for you electronically.

If your parents are undocumented immigrants, but you are in the U.S. legally, you can still fill out the FAFSA. While filling out the FAFSA will not endanger your parents (by law, other federal agencies cannot see your FAFSA application), you should consult a financial aid professional before filling out the form. You can also call the FAFSA hotline at 1-800-433-3243 (8am to 10pm EST) to ask them about any special steps you might be required to take if your parents are undocumented.

If you are undocumented, you cannot receive federal money in any form and should not submit the FAFSA to the Department of Education. You may qualify for in-state tuition, or aid from your state or college that is earmarked for undocumented immigrants. In some cases, schools may ask you to fill out a printed version of the FAFSA to calculate your EFC and determine what aid you qualify for.

After the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Financial Aid staff receive all requested documentation they will compare the documentation with the information provided on the FAFSA. At times, they will reach out to you by email or phone to seek additional clarification. If there are differences between the FAFSA information and the documentation submitted, the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Financial Aid staff will make corrections to the FAFSA data. All corrections will be reprocessed electronically. There is typically a five (5) day turnaround period for this process. Any correction may cause changes to federal aid eligibility.

The Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Financial Aid Office notifies students of the verification results through an email which directs them to federal aid offered on their MyÂé¶¹ÊÓÆµ account.